Rather than refer to the venerable Corriepedia and try and update myself on what's been going on in Weatherfield over the - crikey - two months of 1994 I've missed, I'm going to simply watch them and recap them as I go and see if I can work out what's happening. Normal service will hopefully be resumed next week.
THURSDAY - Episode originally broadcast 10th June 1994
Jim is angry with someone for some reason. Of course this could be anyone. Meanwhile, Jack is in the newspapers - "Birdman of Weatherfield Spends Night On The Tiles". What on earth did he do? Vera is thrilled with her brush with fame and tries to get free papers off Rita. As if. Yay! Dierdre's back! She looks incredibly glam, with a smart haircut and a saucy black dress, though she's furious with Ken. It seems she's learned about Ken and Denise and, worse, that Denise is up the duff. He basically says he's sorry and Deirdre tells him to get stuffed; she doesn't hold a torch for him, and actually the baby is the final nail in the coffin for her feelings for him. She also refers to Denise as "the hairdresser" throughout, which is delightfully bitchy. Now Curly and Andy are bickering about being late for work, like a gay couple without the sex. Liz arrives and asks if Andy has heard anything from Steve, who's gone missing apparently? Raquel sidles up to Bet in the Rovers and tells her to stop putting on a brave face. Bet, meanwhile, is dressed like Tammy Wynette's mum. Bet reckons she's not pretending and it seems she's been ditched by Charlie the Cowboy Trucker. Jim and Mike look round the factory for Steve where Jim updates him on the situation; Steve borrowed some money off Liz for his business, then spent the money on a bet which came in; Jim was so angry he belted him, because obviously. Denise tells Fiona that she was angry with Deirdre because apparently she'd announced her pregnancy to the Rovers; Fi then lets slip she saw Ken leaving number one early that morning. Deirdre arrives at the hairdressers and apologises for making her private business public, and tells her that she has nothing against her, and that she hopes Ken will be a better father than he has been in the past. Fat chance. Raquel told Tanya that Bet was mopey, only for the landlady to swoop out and take Tanya off shopping with the patented glamorous lid on a scream. Maureen's upset - it seems Maud had got pregnant by a serviceman during the war and so Maureen's dad wasn't who she thought he was. Ken and Denise went to the Rovers and she asked him about his visit to Deirdre's; he said he was checking she was ok, in a very guilty fashion, while Jim and Kevin giggled about him being a pensionable dad. Don is shocked to hear about the baby and reckons he's "well out of it". An emotional Maureen tells Reg about her real dad and, weirdly, he's ok with it.
THURSDAY - Episode originally broadcast 13th June 1994
Des is off to work early, which surprises Raquel, but what's less surprising is he turns up at Tanya's for a quickie. Maureen's wrestling with her new identity just as Percy walks in looking for an exercise book for him to work out his wedding arrangements, so apparently that's still on. Mike turns up in the cafe giggling over Ken and Denise's baby; Alma and Gail are shocked and outraged. Deirdre meanwhile is confessing to Liz that she feels out of sorts and abandoned - no job, no Tracy, though let's be honest, that last one's a blessing. A journalist turns up at the Rovers in search of Jack to follow up the "Birdman of Weatherfield" story and I still have no idea what's going on. Des and Tanya finish their shenanigans and he spots Captain Bertorelli's watch and gets all possessive, which is appalling hypocrisy that Tanya rightly calls him out on. He tries to get her to dump her other lover. The journalist brings up Jack's legendary bit on the side Dulcie Froggat, who's gone to the papers to boast of their shenanigans, and asks for his side of the story. Would the tabloids really be that interested? Des agrees to tell Raquel about his affair if it means Tanya will stop sleeping with Alex. Tonight. Steve turns up in the supermarket, fresh from a few days staying with a mate and clutching a mobile phone with an aerial that could probably pick up Radio Luxembourg. He asks to kip at Andy's. Percy tells Maud that the wedding will cost £150 and she's outraged, asking him to get alternative quotes. He brings up Maud's "American relatives" and she shuts him down. Fiona tells Denise about Liz losing a baby, which scares her into taking better care of herself. Curly tells Andy he can't let Steve stay at number seven and then they go inside and find he's already made himself at home. Jack asks Ken about how he'd block a story about him appearing in the papers, so he tells him about injunctions, and also that he's got no chance of getting one. Denise arrives, having left Fiona to lock up, not realising she was busy applying for another job. Raquel tells Des he needs to relax because she is afraid he's getting tired of her, but he says that's not true, and unsurprisingly doesn't dump her. Deirdre announces to Liz that she's booked a holiday to Morocco, so you know what this means? SAMIR!
FRIDAY - Episode originally broadcast 15th June 1994
Nicky delivers the papers to Curly, now full of tales of Dulcie and Jack's scandalous affair. As Vera reads her (incredibly apt) horoscope, Jack spots his face on the back of the paper and packs her back to bed before she can read it. He then looks right down the camera exasperatedly like it's Fleabag or something. Deirdre went round the Street buying stuff for her holiday. Nicky was shocked to hear that Denise was pregnant and Fiona told him to ask his parents how it happened - but maybe not his teacher. The residents all react with shock to the tales of Jack's infidelity, not least to the stories of his sexual prowess, that literally nobody believes. Percy tries to get close to Maureen and find out why she's upset and makes her blub and run out of the cafe in a fuss. Vera's still unaware of the scandale despite the neighbours asking all sorts of leading questions, but she thinks they're still talking about the first article. Liz spots Steve and asks if he's moving in but he says he wants an apology first. Percy tells Maud about Maureen getting upset, and she confesses to her wartime shenanigans. Still blissfully unaware, Vera gets a phone call from, yes! IDA CLOUGH! Jack goes to the pub and the regulars prod and tease him. Vera arrives and says that Ida had told her there was a follow-up in today's paper, but the pub rallies round to pretend there wasn't. Ken arrives at number one to wish Deirdre a good time in Morocco - mate, you have no idea. Percy and Maud have dinner and he confesses he's disgusted with her for sleeping around behind her husband's back and decides he can't marry her. You're best well out, Maud love.
FRIDAY - Episode originally broadcast 17th June 1994
Vera is filling in a birthday card for Prince William who, let's not forget, she still thinks is a relative. Jack's less than amused so she goes off on one and he agrees to make dinner for them. Sally's still pregnant and wearing dungarees because that's how maternity fashions work in the 90s. Nicky gets it confirmed that Ken has got Denise pregnant and finds it hilarious. Steve is amused when his red shirt gets in the washing and dyes all Curly and Andy's shirts pink. It's always a red shirt, isn't it? Nobody ever gets navy blue ink everywhere. Percy tells Emily about him breaking off the engagement and she supports him, what with her having had a lifetime of broken engagements. Sally and Kevin decide to have a summer holiday in Blackpool, but because they're using Rita's money, they decide to invite her along. They completely overlook the fact that Alan Bradley tried to murder her on the prom there but never mind. Maureen checks up on Maud and discovers she's hoping Percy will change his mind. Betty gives Jack her hotpot recipe so he can treat Vera. Nicky winds Ken up about becoming a dad again at school; he gives him a lecture about them needing to keep their school and Coronation Street lives separate. Percy goes round to see Maud and gets her hopes up by saying he regretted some of what he said, but he has principles, and he can't break them, but he'll keep her secret. Ken asks Liz if she thinks Deirdre will be alright on her own in Morocco - he thinks she might have been better off with some company. I purse my lips. Vera comes home for her hotpot only to find Jack's put the grill on not the oven. She's grateful for the effort though and goes to the chippy. And you'll never guess - it's wrapped in the newspaper story about Dulcie Froggat! If this was 2019 it would've been wrapped in plain white paper and he'd have got away with it.
Sorry this isn't up to the usual standards. Hopefully we'll be back on track next week. Complaints via Twitter @merseytart.
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2 comments:
Don't worry about why Jack was in the papers, something to do with rescuing one of his pigeons. You're not missing much by not knowing.
Betty and the hotpot! When she passed away didn't they make a huge deal of the recipe being top secret and she left it to Sean for his eyes only? But there she was in 1994 giving it to Jack!
Aw I thought the story of Deirdre and Samir was so sad.
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