Good evening. This episode ended with one of those announcements "If you have been affected ...", so I am publishing a warning at the start that not all of the content is suitable for all (and there is no sign of Sinead tonight). Much of this evening's events concern Gemma, brother Paul, Bernie and the latter's new (and ex) consort Kel. Gemma and Chesney have an ante-natal class which leads to Kel collecting Joseph from school. Billy takes Joseph to be looked after by Summer ensuring that the lad is not left alone with Kel. To cement his place in the house Kel offers to lend Chesney the £12k needed to build the extension.
Billy remains keen to obtain an explanation of historic events from Paul who insists he gave Kel consent and when Bernie proposes that they let bygones be bygones Paul, as if to convince Billy of his informed consent, agrees to drop his concerns. Also if he is around then Kel will not be called upon to mind Joseph. Bernie passes around some old photographs including one of Kel and Paul taken just before Paul left the family which Paul is looking at above. Paul looks at it and realises just how young he was when he was abused which leads to him being sick in the Rovers' Gents where Billy finds him.
Paul rushes out and is drinking a half bottle of spirits when Billy finds him halfway up the fire escape on the Red Bank development. Driven by the ancient demons which have been obscuring his memories Paul recounts how Kel used to sit on his bed and talk to him on Friday nights whilst Bernie watched television and Billy can explain how this was grooming. As Paul slowly works through the events (above) he finally realises that whilst he might have "consented", he was really not old enough and it becomes clear to him what happened and the dangers which now exist for Joseph.
Hope is a handful and Fiz cannot manage the home schooling. Evelyn cannot hear the noisy children as she is using noise cancelling earphones (in my experience they are not that good). It turns out Roy cannot do any of the day time child minding (and of course Evelyn was ruled out). Ty and Fiz have to leave Hope with Evelyn as they have a meeting with the LEA. Evelyn then breaks the law by taking Hope with her to a bingo session - where Hope is tasked with writing poetry about the other bingo participants as today's lesson! Fiz comes clean with Ty over her recent phone calls - she has been in touch with Jade Rowan - a teaching assistant at the referral unit who has been giving advice. Amazingly Jade can decamp to Weatherfield at no notice and moves in to help look after Hope. Judging by the drawing that Hope does (which says "Life is a roller-coaster and then you die") and which Jade embellishes I feel that Jade has been doing nothing to help Hope get better. And I have no idea where in the house Jade is sleeping!
Adam and Imran are working together for a change - to try and get to the bottom of Gary Windass. They wind up Izzy over the strange disappearances of both Derek and Rick which have been so convenient for Gary! Gary has so far managed to skip over their trip wires and this episode he even organises for Derek to phone Izzy whilst she is in the Rovers. Derek tells Izzy she is dumped (above) and he says that he has gone back to his wife. Izzy instantly tells the entire room! I wonder just how much Derek owes Gary?
Max continues to play up; Billy advises Shona that Max was trying to sell his ADHD drugs to Summer to help her concentration. Max inevitably denies it asking Shona if she believes him or Summer. For reasons I am not sure I understand Leanne is around to see Max being very rude to Shona who after all is the mother of the man who killed Max's mother. The school headmaster then suspends Max because he was trying to sell his drugs to another pupil. Leanne has the opportunity to sit Max down and he says that he does not want to grow up into someone like his father (Callum) or Shona's son (Clayton) or indeed his jailbird dad (David). Leanne makes it clear people can change - but he needs to take his tablets and he needs to change himself. Max promises to try which is overheard by Shona although Max does not know she was there (above). During these events David has a shout at Shona for not telling him sooner and for letting Max get away with being so naughty. Later David phones Shona to apologise. (And for those of you not watching the production team are being very careful how they shoot Shona at present - always behind counters or carrying something in front of her). So maybe Max will now behave.
And now for the distressing and upsetting story. The school are casting a production of "Bugsy Malone" and normally Asha would be shoe-in for Tallulah but she is not willing to wear the dress needed (it has no sleeves). And why would that be? Asha tells Amy confidentially that she is seeking to have a lighter skin and has a cream which is like bleach - and she is not only using it on her arms but also on her face with the result we see above.
And that was Friday night!
Written by Owen Lloyd-Fox and Jonathan Harvey, directed by Steve Finn.
Kosmo
@Kosmo100
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I thought Chesney just rented his house. Can he really add an extension?
ReplyDeleteIf the cream makes Asha'e arms bleed, why doesn't it do the same to her face, where the skin is even more sensitive?
ReplyDeleteIt has. There are rashes she's covered up with heavy makeup.
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