Coronation Street Blog: Coronation Street Friday 11th May episode review

"We've got an order to fulfil. So let's get cracking."

Hiya! It’s just Jordan with my thoughts on Friday’s Corrie. It’s been a tough old week on the cobbles with the latest shock issue to hit the Street being that of male suicide.

David wakes up in Shona’s bed, happier than he has been since the ordeal of his rape. Now that Shona knows the truth behind their sudden split a few months ago, things seem to be looking up for the pair. That is, until, David nervously reveals to Shona that he didn’t get himself checked out after the attack and is now worried he may have passed an STI onto Shona. She later goes across to the salon to tell David's recent fling the same thing. Across the road at number 8, Gail is playing host to some angry police officers, disgruntled that David has failed to show up to his plea hearing the other day, following his attack on Gary Windass. He eventually makes it across the road, but is hastily escorted off into a police car, despite the chargin of his suddenly back-on girlfriend. Shona later takes it upon herself to march up to Josh and tell her exactly what she thinks of him. She can see right through his pathetic lies and denial though,and promises that he will go down for what he did to David. Towards the end of the episode, David is shown into his cell, mortified to learn that he will soon be sharing.

"Hiya, rapist!"

Eva arrives back from NotAmerica, pretending to Leanne that she managed to get a last minute flight after hearing the news that her ex-finance, father of her baby which Toyah is now secretly passing off as her own, has taken his own life. Even throughout such a traumatic time, the gobby blonde manages to keep herself and Toyah safely embroiled in the lie. Almost. While having a cuddle with her daughter/niece, Eva struggles to hold it together. Leanne can tell her sister is starting to crack and tries to candidly explain that Aidan chose to take his own life and that she is completely blameless. Of course, we know that the well-meaning Leanne doesn’t know the half of it. She doesn’t even know the quarter of it. It’s when she has to lie to Ken, who joyously believes his latest grandchild is actually his, that the guilt really starts to set in for Eva. A visit from Johnny later, who is trying desperately to piece together the last day of Aidan’s life, does little more than rub salt in Eva’s maternal wounds. As we know, Eva and Aidan shared a moment together. She declared her love for him, which he tried to deny, and just as she was about to tell him that she had passed their baby on to Toyah, he gave her his blessing to have their baby.

"The lies are just getting bigger and bigger"

Over breakfast at the Connors’, the news of Aidan’s death is barely beginning to sink in. Johnny trudges through, bleakly announcing that he had forgotten in those few seconds between achieving consciousness and actually waking. Ever the realist, Carla eventually asks Johnny about planning the funeral, to which Johnny verbalises a harrowing question: should he bury his boy – or burn him? Late to the grieving party, after an initial bout of bitter anger and resentment, Kate eventually breaks down in Rana’s arms, knowing only with hindsight that her brother only wanted to talk to her. Carla spends the afternoon opening the factory, much to the surprise of the knicker stitchers. However, she rightly insists that things must go on and in doing so, they will mark respect to her long-lost brother who worked so hard to rebuild the factory (with her money, I hasten to add) before his untimely death. It was also interesting to see some raw emotion from Jenny. Recently she’s become more of a comedy character what with her insistence on moving to Spain etc, but we mustn’t forget that before her latest stint on her Street, she lost her son to a tragic accident in a paddling pool. She points this out to a grieving Johnny, who harshly tells her it is not the same, while clutching a photograph of his own dead son.

"Should I bury my boy - or burn him?"

Elsewhere, Daniel’s latest journalism campaign is to get Flora out of the rubbish old folks’ home. It is obvious that her mental state is decreasing, and she has not yet realised that her son Vinny is dead. Ever the kind soul, Daniel has invited her to move in with himself and Adam. Unfortunately for Adam, who was looking forward to an afternoon of no-strings fun with a woman he met at the Bistro, his plans are dashed when his bit of totty assumes he is living with his gran.

"Oooh, I like your shoes!"

Aside from that small bit of comedy, there was little relief from the doom and gloom of Weatherfield Present. And given the storyline, nor should there be. I’m all for Corrie comedy, but I’d rather do without than be subjected to forced comedy that has been shoehorned in for the sake of the imaginary quota. I don’t love the latest issue bulletin, but kudos to Corrie for handling this one right. Ish. It feels a little rushed to me, but it has got the country talking, which can only be a good thing. And in Friday night’s episodes, although they didn’t quite top Jonathan Harvey’s beautifully written Wednesday episode, some of the dialogue was as hard hitting as it should be.

As always,

Thanks for reading!

Jordan

Twitter @JordanLloyd39