Colin is settling into his new (temporary) role as newsagent extraordinaire, flirting with Moo(i)ra and arguing with Adam about the sale of Rita's flat, suggesting that Lady Reet of Tanner should go into a home. The very idea! He refuses to re-sell the flat and so Adam and Todd decide to deploy dirty tricks. Which is no way to refer to Rosie, but anyway, she persuades Colin (not that he needs much persuading) to come to the pub with her whilst wearing a tiny top and miniskirt (Rosie, that is, not Colin), and nicking his keys. Todd and Adam replace the contract with a doctored one, but Colin returns and catches them red handed and red faced. However, theyso discover his own dirty secret: he has more people on the payroll than actually exist. He then tells Rita that she can re-buy the flat, but Aidan saw the bent briefs breaking in to the flat and ends up telling Billy about it. Billy is surprisingly chill about it - maybe after recent events, he realises that there are many grey areas in life.
Talking of dirty tricks, whilst looking for a cuddly toy to give to Joseph, Gemma finds a letter and uncashed cheque from the factory's insurance company. That must be the first time ever that insurance has paid out when there's no sign of forced entry. Anyway, Johnny reveals to Beth and Izzy that he doesn't want to re-open the factory, he wants to retire to Spain. Jenny is keen on this plan, but Aidan, who is "living" in the husk of the factory (much like the husk of his life), isn't. Now Aidan aint saying Jenny's a gold-digger, but she aint messing with no broke blokes. Johnny is incensed by this assertion, but ends up being punched by his son, who in turn is assaulted by Rosie as he tries to steal the fake contract from the solicitor's office, and she starts shredding like Fawn Hall in 1986.
Sinead is also acclimatising to her new job at Freshco's (fave job: stacking toilet rolls) but also her unpaid role as Joseph's stepmum. He refuses to eat his breakfast and even an ice cream sundae in the cafe. He prefers chucking balls and kicking the washing machine, which then breaks. Chesney undermines Sinead by telling her that he won't discipline Joseph for this.
Talking of settling in, Seb moves into Sally's and even has his own room, but he's not allowed in the conservatory (it's just for best). Sally confesses that it was she who rang Social Services, but Seb is forgiving. Fay(e) tries to initiate a romantic evening, but Seb doesn't want to, saying he feels dirty. Faye tries to persuade him to lie to the police that he remembers that he fell off the ladder, and wasn't even a little bit pushed, but Sally nixes the plan. Anna moves back in with Kev, although she claims it's for Faye's sake.
Someone not settling in is Angie. Never mind, mother in law from hell is "helping" by inviting Toyah and her recovering alcholic boyfriend Peter to a candle lit soiree. She tries to get Peter to share his experience of alcoholism, thinking that it will help Angie come out as as an alcoholic. Angie probably wants to come out as a matricide-in-law.
Well, I asked last week for a Jonathan Harvey episode and my wish was Corrie's command. JH is the king of quips, tangents and bizarre detail, like Mary's mum once feuded with a neighbour over a tuna and cheddar panini, Moira loves a soft centre, and Gemma had a social worker with amazing boubous. Love it.
Rachel Stevenson - on twitter.
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2 comments:
I was really irritated by Monday's episodes.
Gemma just happens to find the cheque. Aidan just happens to see Adam and Todd breaking in. Aidan just happens to be in the kebab shop when Gemma tells everybody about the cheque. Rosie gets lucky to find the keys in Colin's jacket. Adam just happens to find Colin's paperwork with his false names.
Then we had the factory girls barging into the bistro shouting the odds, Aiden hitting Johnny and no members of staff there to respond.
I used like Mary but she is now so annoying and over the top I had to fast forward through her scenes.
It seems like we are just racing through scenes with too many people being nasty to one another.
There, said my piece. I hope for better on Wednesday.
Pat, you took the words right out of my mouth. The contrived plots are driving me mad. Mary is insufferable, ridiculous and insensitive. If I was Jude and Angie I'd be on that plane back to Africa! Beth too is such an unsympathetic character, sheer nastiness. I'm watching the 1986 episodes in tandem with the current ones and enjoying them much more. I don't think this is just due to nostalgia, but the quality of the writing and acting, the pace and the humour. There are still 'nasty' characters such as Ivy, but there is superb comedy timing from Jack and Vera. It's also wonderful to compare the performances of actors still in the show, Barbara Knox is just superb no matter which era I'm viewing her in. (I was also intrigued that Lady Reet still had her bouffant hairdo after brain surgery - that question was answered with this episode, and a bit of cheap prosthetic applied amidst her Titian locks!)
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