At the moment I am not sure I want to be a Corrie Street viewer. When it is balanced and there is some intelligence and humour then it gives a great ride. Tonight felt particularly unbalanced and I have had to watch over three weeks of episodes to catch up since I returned from Cuba. Storylines tonight encompassed Ray Crosby being slimy; Geoff Metcalfe being slimy, Beth being a stupid git, Carla being scheming. Anyone spot the problem? Yes - completely unbalanced, indeed unhinged.
Ray Crosby has told poor Kev that Abi was willing to sleep with him and Abi goes on a bender overnight. Sally is looking for her and Kev tells her the entire story. Kev and Sal argue as she calls him selfish and that Abi deserves better than him; she also gives Abi a telling off. Later however Sally makes amends putting a Shepherd's pie in the oven and inviting Kev around (he arrives with some flowers). Kev eats his dinner whilst Abi pushes hers around her plate. Kev eventually admits he gave her the alibi that she did not want because he loves her (above) and she admits she did what she did because she loves him. In normal Corrie fashion we will see nothing more of this romance until they split up (qv Kev and Anna).
Geoff has problems. Yasmeen is unable to work as she hurt her back moving the sofa to hoover up and is worried about Charlotte Bronte, the chicken who is not laying and Geoff reckons the chicken coop is cleaner than the house as he points out the dust on one of the shelves. Alya is working at Speed Dahl and Geoff has ensured that there is an online review of Alya's poor service (I would have checked who posted the review). Then Yasmeen serves a dinner with no meat which Geoff deems unacceptable - but Yasmeen is working with a very limited budget. Geoff orders her upstairs and whilst she sleeps he prepares a roast chicken dinner, waiting until Yasmeen's mouth is full of chicken to explain that to stay within budget he has killed, plucked and roasted Charlotte Bronte and that will also save on feed costs as she was clearly no longer capable of laying eggs so is feeding them one last time (above). Yasmeen is sick and Geoff leaves her to clear up and goes to the pub for a packet of crisps.
Adam and Sarah have stag (Speed Dahl) and hen (Rovers) nights. (The Bistro is closed and Ray is upset that Ed is not working fast enough). Sarah continues to display more leg than her daughter! Bethany flip / flops between going / not going to London to take up a (probably unpaid) internship at an equally unnamed magazine. Adam lets drop to Daniel about the internship and the latter steams round to tell Bethany that he and Bertie are coming too! Needless to say this secret does not stay secret long. Beth pulls another strop (oh come on writers Beth pulling another strop is simply another strop too many ten times over). Sarah ignites and gives Adam a telling off for not telling her (above) about Daniel and Bethany and the hen and stag parties collapse under the power of the continuing arguments. Later Daniel is looking at London flat prices and is not sure how he will afford it. Daniel is sure they should go to London and he hugs Bethany but over her shoulder he can see Sinead staring at him from a photo and perhaps he has not thought this through.
What is Number One Coronation Street really worth? Steve is talked into offering £125k by Tracy. Carla in schemer mode drops by Preston's Petals and leaves her unsealed bid whilst taking a phone call so that Tracy can find out that Carla and Peter are going to offer £130k. Steve is non-plussed to find that he has actually offered £135k (above). Ah well at least Amy will grow up at Number One and Deirdre would have liked that. The McDonalds cannot really afford that much and try to back out - but soon Tracy is planning a complete redecoration (anyone know how Ken managed to match the wallpaper for the block knocked out when the Baileys knocked through?).
The comedy element was supposed to be baby yoga at Speed Dahl (not related to Sophie) with a huge number of middle class yummy mummies (you know the sort) showing Gemma how to do cross-legged and downward dog etc. At least one of them is laughing at her behind her back and the whole thing left a sour taste; why not some decent help and support and some real friends for Gemma - instead they are going to rag her and she will just feel a failure again. But maybe the breathing exercises she has learned will help her not to get stressed (above).
In a brief coda at the end Gail tells Alya and Ryan that she had seen Yasmeen earlier apparently crying in the back garden. So is the end nigh or will Geoff talk his way out of this one? Geoff returns from the pub, ignores and Yasmeen and goes upstairs to bed.
Written by Ellen Taylor and directed by Paul Copeland.
Kosmo
@Kosmo100
All original work on Coronation Street Blog is covered by a Creative Commons License