You would think the Wiltons were destined for one another, not least because no-one else will have them, but jealousy was driving deep cracks throughout their relationship. Roger brought round the portrait of Mavis and Derek furiously threw him and the painting out. He soon lost the high ground when a letter arrived from a solicitor naming him as a co-respondent in Angela's divorce. Their argument raged and Mavis finally flounced out to Rita's. Nicky was still living at Don's. Gail was suspicious when she heard he was off school sick, especially when she saw him doing his paper round the next day, but he fed her a load of flannel and she believed him. However she caught him doing odd jobs in the corner shop and she went to Don and told him to be more strict. Alma took Mike to a Moroccan restaurant because she'd heard Samir was working there and she wanted a nose, which allowed Mike to wheel out a load of awful racist cliches about filthy foreign muck. Samir claimed he was just doing a favour for a friend and not actually working there, which Mike noted wouldn't carry much weight if Immigration came calling. Curly was depressed at losing his job and his sofa, and Vera turning up for a look didn't help, and Bet told Charlie she could never trust him again and sent him away.
TUESDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 19th and 21st October 1994
Curly was still low about his sacking and confessed to Raquel that it was for sexual harassment. She reassured him he wasn't a bad person and he admitted he was in love with her. Bet told her to put him straight sharpish which just made Curly feel even worse. Fiona was going on holiday (with someone called Maxine!), upsetting Steve as he realised she was off on a girlie trawl round Tenerife and would probably find someone else. Mike told Steve to take Fiona away and said he'd look after the business while he was gone. I bet he will, the old shark. Mavis was still staying at Rita's, driving her mad. Derek tried to make it up to her but then he discussed Angela in positive terms and she was livid. Roger the painter came round to see her and told her to stay away from Derek, because he'd studied psychology and he knew he was a beast. Incidentally Roger is such a drip he makes Victor look like Tyson Fury. At Rita's urging Mavis decided to turn the tables: she kicked Derek out of number 4 and moved in herself.
WEDNESDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 24th and 26th October 1994
The back and forth between Mavis and Derek continued, interminably, as he found refuge at Norris Cole's. (Incidentally Norris without his grey hair is very weird). Norris told Mavis where he'd stayed, but she was convinced he'd stayed at Angela's, while Derek was horrified to call home and find the haunted portrait on the wall and Roger taking tea. She told him she'd take him back if he resigned from Angela's company but he refused, so I guess this storyline is going to roll into November. Deirdre went to see Samir at his restaurant and became unsettled when she saw he was surrounded by saucy young waitresses. He reassured her she was the one for him. Steve tried to sweep Fiona off to Florida and she told him to get lost; they weren't committed to one another and she wanted to have some fun with her mates. Ken spoke to Don about Nicky's homework, which annoyed Gail because she was his mum, but Don pushed back and told her to trust him and stop nagging.
THURSDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 28th and 31st October 1994
Somewhat appropriately, given that it's nearly Hallowe'en in Weatherfield, we finally got to meet Grand High Witch Angela Hawthorne after being talked about but never seen for a decade. She went to see Mavis and told her that she had no interest in Derek - he'd been named as a co-respondent by her husband as a way of getting more money out of her. Angela's dismissive attitude inflamed Mavis but she still refused to take Derek back while he worked for her. Mike encouraged Steve to go to Tenerife with Fiona, and he bought a ticket as a romantic gesture. Fiona didn't find it at all romantic though and we got a patented Pint Over The Head In The Rovers as a result. Steve turned up at the factory, which surprised Mike, because he wanted him out the way so he could clinch a big deal. He got him to do some packing while Mike went and collected the cash while wearing a terrible white polo neck that was presumably to make him look young. He talked down Steve with the contact and implied that he was the reliable one in the business. Maureen tried to sort Curly's life out for him, going round and tidying up his house and asking Reg to find him a job. Elsewhere, Sarah-Lou turned up on Don's doorstep because she missed Nicky, and Samir hid from the immigration people checking the restaurant for illegal workers.
FRIDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 2nd and 4th November 1994
Sally finally went into labour, weeks past her due date, as David's boisterous play got her over stimulated. She went into hospital and gave birth to a baby girl, who the Websters called... Lauren? Hang on, what? Mike presented Steve with his profits from the £30,000 deal and it turned out he'd been extremely creative with the accounting. Steve had come out with £493 profit and he was understandably livid. He was even more angry when he discovered Mike had set up another deal with the same customer... and cut Steve out entirely. Samir and Deirdre were enjoying their time together, though it was still overshadowed by the fact that he was hiding from the authorities. Deirdre came up with the perfect solution and proposed marriage. Derek, at Norris's urging, got a bedsit to himself, and when he returned to number 4 to pick up his stuff he found Harry the budgie dead on the bottom of his cage. Mavis returned home and convinced herself that it was the hatred between her and Derek in the air that had killed him. They agreed to put everything behind them and reconcile. Thank heavens for that.
You can complain all you like about the fast pace of Current Corrie - and God knows @merseytart does, on a weekly basis - but at least they wouldn't have dragged out this tedious Derek and Mavis storyline for two months.
Classic Corrie is on ITV3 every weekday from 14:50.
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