Tonight the team were obviously employing Mr Phil Space for reasons that are unclear (I suspect the big story involving Scott and Liz romancing and vanishing into the sunset got canned by the virus) and so we had acres of Mary and Sean with the latter complaining about the former's warbling of Italian opera from an open window. Sean I am right behind (well 1m plus) you. And I am sure Ben Shephard is lovable but a Benny Blankie is a step too far (I might get closer than 1m!). And did we know that Eileen was sunning herself in Thailand - we will do when she has to self isolate for 14 days on her return! Anyway Mary promises Sean he can use the blanket for comfort and he is left looking at in disbelief!
Tim has taken himself off to sleep in the
Abi (above) is pleading with Seb to undo her mistake from several weeks' ago and arrange another meeting with Charlie and Lexi to say farewell before the emigrate down under (quick query for the team - is emigration permitted at the moment or will it have to wait until this virus thing is sorted?). Seb takes some convincing that Abi will not bottle it on Monday.
Absolute proof that the Street has now relocated in time and distancing. The bride prepares her own hair; Emma offers Carla a drink but apparently she is still on the wagon and she is burnishing the halo around her head! Gary arrives and Emma proposes a toast to their coupling - Windass and Sutherland as "Winderland", feels a bit close to "Winterland" for my liking where it is cold and not very nice! Later Maria is unable to raise Kirk who has gone missing and when David turns up with a present from Audrey she co-opts David as her witness, after all he is practically family.
Gemma is planning on meeting Vanessa (who did seem sorry on the call) and tells Chesney who is in Dev's not buying anything simply so that he can tell Bernie about it. Bernie believes Vanessa is planning even more humiliation for Gemma so dashes off to Victoria Gardens and gives the poor woman most of her mind (above in full flow)! The Yummy Mummy slithers away.
Gary has not quite grasped that grooms on their wedding day are supposed to be happy and only have one woman on their mind. When Adam to Gary admits that Sarah has ruined their marriage by still having feelings for Gary the brain under the ginger thatch starts whirring again (you could hear it here - ah no I was mistaken it is a passing helicopter). Adam goads Windass telling him it would not take much to rekindle the fires with Sarah Lou. Naturally once the whirring stops Gary cannot believe his luck that the woman he loves is free and available so dashes around to the Platt residence to press his suit (in fact he is wearing a rather smart suit for a change). Sarah tells him to go and get married. They argue. Sarah is feeling the weight of the secrets - Gary knows about Callum's death, she know Gary killed Rick Neelan (but not Rana) and she cannot tell Adam. The door opens after the revelations between them (David did not hear any of it) - but he appears from Maria's and says "Awks" - simply because Gary is there when he should be somewhere else (above)!
Mary did explain why she could never be a "Tipping Point" contestant which in the throwaway storyline was actually quite amusing. We might think Bernie has done the right thing but that Yummy Mummy did seem quite distressed. Can I remind the powers that be that Tim and Sally are always late for weddings because they are enjoying each others' company - can that be central to Monday - if of course the wedding happens?
And I had real hopes that uniting the Platt and Barlow families might lead to some wide ranging humour and entertainment and I am deeply unhappy that it has all been wastefully squandered on the villainous Gary plot for no benefit at all. Get off these major plotlines and give us back people living their lives in a back Street of Manchester PLEASE!
Written by Carmel Morgan and directed by Clive Arnold.
Kosmo
@Kosmo100
All original work on Coronation Street Blog is covered by a Creative Commons License
7 comments:
Although I'm glad that she's finally seen her grandfather's true colours.I thought Faye was living with Geoff to support him so why was she back at Sally's?
I'm not surprised but disappointed that Sarah's and Adam's marriage has been squandered for a love triangle with Gary .
The only way I think the writers can be redeemed is for the truth to come out about Gary sabotaging the roof which led to Rana's death and for Sarah to be arrested as accessory for manslaughter for destroying Rick's watch to protect Gary.
Perhaps then Sarah will realise what a food she is!
The show is too plot-heavy and there isn’t enough focus on the characters. Corrie is meant to be about the everyday lives of working-class people and yet we never see those small everyday moments anymore. Couples going on dates, friends hanging out, that sort of thing. Without moments like these, how are we meant to care about these characters?
Currently, there are too many cardboard characters with bland, boring personalities like Alina and the Baileys. Then, of course, there are those characters who we never get to see: Eileen, Liz, Moira, Toyah etc.
Don’t get me wrong, there are still plenty of great characters left, they’re just not being used in the right way. Take Carla for example. She works best as a kickass knicker factory boss, not loitering in the background pulling pints. Gemma’s best suited to a supporting role and having her front and centre all the time is doing her absolutely no favours. Similarly making a Gary a villain was a huge misfire because let’s face it, he sucks at being a villain!
Perhaps if the show put more effort into its characters then the major storylines would hold more weight. For example, if we’d gotten to see more of Oliver before his illness, then maybe I’d care about him and be more invested in the story. If more effort was put into Adam and Sarah’s relationship, maybe I’d care that their marriage is now on the rocks. You see?
At the end of the day you can have as many explosions and car crashes are you like but it’s the characters that keep us tuning in week after week. They’re the heart of the show. Please remember this, Corrie writing team.
You are absolutely spot on here Anon! I watch all the old episodes on ITV3 and the difference is huge. We see the interactions between characters as you describe.
I agree! Characters seem to undergo personality changes on a weekly basis in order for the writers to shoe-horn them into the latest plot device. Years ago, the plots were written for the characters; they were so much more believable. We could depend on them staying true to form and that was half the fun.
I completely agree with all the comments above regarding Plot vs. Character.
The reason Gary’s storyline falls flat is because the stakes don't feel real. Adam and Sarah have been together all of five minutes so why should we care if they break up? Why should we care if Maria and Gary get hitched or not? These relationships don't feel earned, they’re plot devices, nothing more, and yet we're being asked to care about them, to be invested in the outcome. It’s the same with Oliver, a boy we never see, who we’re now suddenly being asked to care about.
I’m sorry, it doesn’t work like that. If you want us to care about a couple, then show us the couple happy and in love, show us how good they are together, so then, if something comes along to threaten the relationship, we as viewers will be rooting for them to stay together and overcome the odds. It’s called laying the groundwork.
Toyah and Imran’s fostering plans came completely out of nowhere and seem to be nothing more than a plot device for Oliver’s storyline. Why didn’t we get scenes of Toyah expressing her longing for a child with Imran? Why didn’t we see them discuss parenthood and fostering? Why did all this key character-building stuff take place off-screen?
Similarly, a key part of Carla’s blackmailing plot that was oddly glossed over was the fact she was raped. She’s been raped before so surely to know it had happened again would be a huge deal for her, so why wasn’t this touched upon? Or at least referenced? Again, character-driven content was needed here and wasn’t delivered.
So, to conclude...
The characters should be the ones driving the plot, the plot should not be driving the characters. And when characters start having personality transplants and forgetting their pasts like the other week when Maria forgot her late husband was killed in a hit and run, then you know you’re going wrong.
The show needs to stop preaching about the latest social issue and start giving us some proper character-driven drama again because the Corrie has never felt so lacking in heart, humour and a sense of community as it does right now.
The kids can't film at the moment, hence no Oliver. Beverley Callard has left hence no Liz.
Carla was raped,she admitted it was consensual, albeit to keep a roof over her head whilst having psychotic episodes. She was disgusted with herself when she'd realised what she'd done.
Maybe the other actors you mentioned were shielding so couldn't film and I think Moira is still in the Archers
I agree with all the comments so far, but it would be so much nicer if you weren’t all hiding behind anonymity. Jonathan and team really need to get their acts together and return to what our Street is all about. That said, at least the show has carried on, Windmill Theate-like, and never closed. East Enders is still shut and, talking of Moira, The Archers is dead in the water...so let’s be thankful for small mercies.
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