Gangsters gravitate towards Eileen GRIMshaw like lodgers to a tardis sized doss house, perhaps. Whether it was Pat Phelan (RIP), Polish Jan, or even that time she ripped off Owen, our cabbie call handler can certainly court criminals with experience, and to be fair, so can the whole street!.
Historically, Weatherfield has had its first share of crime-riddled drama, but tonight it was cranked to 100%; 'Corona Crime on Corrie!', is probably the headline. Gary (gangster N0.1) has dispatched of Fiz’s antique knowledge, due to money worries (she’s expensive I imagine) and maxed out credit cards aside, Ray (gangster N0.2)has increased his rent on his lock-up/flea market/builders yard. In a pickle, I guess Gary wouldn’t turn down £300, so I imagine he’s gonna sell the factory for £300K, or join Ray in some soap style swindling against the other residents, perhaps?
That sinkhole was a subtle way of Gary finding out about his offer on David’s house too - I liked that. Can Scott (two-bit criminal - no gangster rating) successfully swindle Ray too, cos I doubt it to be honest. In all fairness, I doubt Johnny has even got it in him to be a getaway driver, although, I think Jenny would make a great gangsters moll!
And then there’s newbie (ish) Todd Grimshaw (gangster rating- TBC) who’s only been back 5 minutes, and he’s already managed to coax a grand off his Mum, Mary tried to fake his death, AND it turns out, that the other gangster guy, Dick Cheney (or Mick I think he’s called) is Todd’s ex-boyfriend.
Believable, hardly, (‘ridiculous’ to quote Eileen) but it makes for fabulous drama and my favourite, Mary, looked like a sultry Queen Victoria in that funeral garb - lovely stuff. I’m also liking George, and I’ve just about got used to seeing the actor who plays him, out of his Benidorm hot pants! He seems to have made an enemy in Eileen already though, he’s best being careful, it’s a long list!
I must also admit, I wasn’t keen on this ‘new’ Shona to start with, however, she’s been a little comedy minx this past week and inviting randomers round to Gail’s for Audrey’s 80th was really fun stuff - just what we need in these darkened days.
Languishing in the lakes in a tin caravan must have offered little covid respite for Evelyn, and arriving back so suddenly to the cobbles with a sheepish looking Arthur, is suggestive to us viewers. What’s gone off there then? I’m sure Arthur is actually hiding something too (not in an old sleeping bag. either) but just what is it? Evelyn might be about to be fooled but Mick (gangster N0.3) is not, and finding Todd at Eileen’s lodgings, the gangster pulls out a gun!
Lucky that Gary was there with a baseball bat to bop Mick on the head! He did that to Pat Phelan once, didn't he? Pat would have wiped the floor with tonight's gangster gallery!
It was a shame we didn’t get to see Audrey tonight but, once again, I’m thankful Corrie is still on and tonight’s offering was really good! Plenty of innuendoes, character interaction, and a really good (if a bit silly) criminal/gangster element to it.
Carry on Corrie with the comedic criminal capers - I loved it! What did you think?
I am @rybazoxo your corrie connossieur
All original work on Coronation Street Blog is covered by a Creative Commons License
8 comments:
Great review Ryan, I only wish I shared your optimism.
Corrie’s had its ups and downs over the years but I’ve never known it to be this bad. Long gone are the days when this was a show about the everyday lives of ordinary people, now it’s all about gun-wielding gangsters who have all the wit and cunning of Del Boy and Rodney.
It’s like Corrie’s trying to be Peaky Blinders but remembers it's a family-friendly so can’t do any of the nitty-gritty violence needed for a compelling gangster story, so all the scenes end up falling flat and looking silly.
Mick – a one-dimensional gangster who’s about a subtle as a pantomime dame – pulls a gun on Eileen who couldn’t look less bothered if she’d tried, then Todd’s frogmarched out the house to be executed while Eileen continues to sit there not giving a crap. Then we hear a cartoonish thwack and Gary appears from nowhere waving a baseball bat like he’s Negan off The Walking Dead! Were these scenes meant to be terrible? Were they trying to be funny? I really don’t know anymore…
How are we meant to take the rest of the show seriously when there’s goofy stuff like this happening?
There’s no middle ground with Corrie anymore. It’s either heavy-handed, depressing issue-based storylines or it’s farcical, farfetched nonsense – there’s no in-between!
In fact things have gotten so confusing that I have trouble keeping track of who lives where, who owns what, and who’s with who, and to be honest, I’m past the point of caring.
Even the characters don’t feel genuine anymore, they’re just slaves to the plot, ready to change on a dime when then plot requires it. The only character that’s been written consistently well is Evelyn – and thank God for her, because she’s the only thing making these episodes bearable.
I’ve stuck with Corrie because I was hoping it would up its game in time for the 60th but if anything the show’s getting worse and the storylines are getting more and more devoid of logic. It’s insulting to our intelligence. I’m glad there are people who are still enjoying the show, but I’m not one of them. If I wanted to watch a gangster show, I’d watch the Sopranos.
Well said Anon. It's the thought of Geoff getting his comeuppance that's keeping me going, so they had really better not mess that up!
No doubt that the gangster is going down the sinkhole, how convenient that a hole in the ground exists when someone needs disposing of!
As for the Johnny/Scott thing, it would surely be way better to tell Jenny what happened all those years ago, rather than commit another crime but where's the fun in that!
I agree with all the above comments and I think there was a missed opportunity with regards to Todd's return.
Instead of bringing in another gangster,why couldn't it be Gary that Todd owed money too instead?
Then Sarah would have to realise what a fool she was choosing to protect Gary over her marrriage to Adam.
It was truly terrible.
There is no way the Todd of old would have had big ugly Mick as a lover.
What I don't get is that they clearly want this gangster stuff to be centre stage for the 60th, so why are they already turning it into a comedy? No one's going to take this storyline seriously now because it's already being played for laughs, just like Shona's brain injury is.
Having said that I do find Ray and Scott quite intriguing because they're not over the top like all the others.
It's all such a mess. I hated the way they kept changing Todd's character before, but he was reformed when he left, and I liked him and Billy as a couple, (even though Billy's interfering in everyone's lives drives me mad.) Why can't Todd make a proper go of his legal career?
I doubt Jenny would be remotely bothered about Johnny's murky past (30 years ago?)
Poor Gary. It is just like when Charlie Stubbs risked his life going into a burning building and saved Sunita.....no thanks whatsoever.
Post a Comment