A better bag of tricks tonight - the script had some wonderful one-liners and @merseytart has written about them here. However life is looking up for both Yasmeen and Alya now separated by an essential plastic screen; the latter had the pleasurable tasks of firstly telling Yasmeen about Geoff being locked in Sal's conservatory, secondly joining in Yasmeen's complete release as she laughed (above).
And later in telling Geoff about how they had to explain why they were laughing so much to all the other prison inmates. Geoff does not seem amused (above).
Shona moves home to the granny flat and continues to be politically incorrect calling Roy a massive weirdo as she thanks him for use of his second bedroom (above). No doubt Nina will be glad to get her bed back! David prepares a lasagne to welcome his wife home. Gail is rather more concerned about her recently uncovered grandson. Shona is not sure how so many people fit in the house (and we choose not to think about it). Apparently Huw Edwards plays right wing for City.
Scott returns, apparently having lost his job at the start of the episode, then after Dev is mysteriously burgled whilst out of the shop for five minutes, Scott is flashing the cash in Emma's direction as a donation towards the Ollie fighting fund leading Johnny to think that the mysterious burglar might be Scott. Scott winds him up for a while before admitting that he has had an advance on his new job - whatever that might be (above). Johnny does not believe that Scott is a reformed character.
Much of the entire hour is taken up by Eileen's mysterious burglar who left a note to his Mum! Yes Todd is back and wants to meet Eileen in strange lorry park. About 2 minutes after they meet a dodgy skinny individual suddenly appears breaking up the far from warm family re-union. Now I don't want to carp (yes I do). Mick Chaney, the gangster, is not well dressed but has lookouts at Manchester Piccadilly (a main line railway station) watching the comings and goings and spotted Todd on his return to the City. And yet when the "successful businessman" (above) arrives at a car park meet without a single bodyguard, henchman, sidekick or apparently a firearm and then allows Todd to grab a large chunk of wood and knock him down. Well Mick wants Todd dead - Todd stole some of his laundered money.
In other sad events the Oliver story meanders. Having been summarily dismissed on Wednesday Leanne summons Nick back to the hospital - she does need his presence but refuses to cope with a step-son. As previously mentioned we had to say farewell to a daughter with a genetic disorder and have been there (without the stepson complication). I hope that those who advised on this storyline are happy at the portrayal as I am not. I am sorry but I feel that Leanne has been unfair to the medical staff and those around her more than once. She would serve Oliver's best interests by listening and understanding. I don't blame Jane Danson - but when handed the scrag ends it is hard to be realistic.
Due to physical distancing neither Todd (mysteriously missing his permanent life changing scar on his cheek - above) or Eileen actually bother to check if the gangster supremo is alive or dead and do a runner before standing outside a garage chatting for hours. Apparently there is a dead body in a mortuary which Craig wants Eileen to identify so she agrees with Todd that she will confirm the body is Todd and therefore the arch gangster will stop chasing Todd and with a single skip he will be free from the menace of the nasty man. [Hang on a minute - didn't the poor body die before Todd was seen in the car park with Eileen - the police might believe her lies {let's face it Sarah-Lou got away with some real crackers recently} but nasty head honcho gangster (and to be honest he did not look very gangsterish - more an unwashed unshaven deadbeat to me) knows that Todd was alive after the corpse died]. I think they need a better plan.
To cheer us all up we actually have Jenny and Johnny both on duty in the Rovers and 12 bottles of wine to trial - which enable Emma and the returning Evelyn to sample a case of wines alongside Jenny with the latter becoming more inebriated as the day wears on. Above Johnny has said that proper connoisseurs spit it out on test - but Jenny observes that they do not know how to enjoy themselves! Jenny then has to train Emma in not using the word "nice"; a wonderfully gentle sidestep from drama aided by the Return of Evelyn (the wonderful new theatrical Dame - replacing Dame Emma in the National Treasure firmament!). I suspect Corrie Comicals could be coming back! And the toe-rags who did over the Corner Shop get caught trying to break into Greggs and Johnny has to accept that it was not Scott. Apparently the "Pilot" wine was good (Pinot?).
I will be back in a couple of weeks - and in the meantime let us hope that some of the patent nonsense gets knocked out of the stories whilst Jenny and Evelyn have regular wine tasting sessions!
Written by Damon Alexis-Rochefort and directed by Neil Alderton.
Kosmo
Although I agree that Leanne has been unfair,in her defense she's having a breadkown and finding out Nick has a long lost son doesn't help matters.
ReplyDeleteThat's the main problem for me with the Oliver storyline,Mick having a long lost son an unecessary storyline which makes Leanne the 'villain' and Nick the victim despite the fact he forced Leanne to abort their baby years ago and lied she miscarried.
I'm also disappointed in the Platt family as a whole showing little sympathy or support for Leanne even though only a few months ago Gail hosted a birthday party for Oliver at the Platt house but now there seems to be little interest in Oliver.