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Greetings and welcome to another week of words from Weatherfield. It’s been another strange old week in Weatherfield with a terrible storyline that had me face-palming with shock and awe (and not in a good way). But it’s also had some wonderful scenes with Carla in them and so it’s definitely been a week of two halves. And so without any further ado, here we go with this week’s Coronation Street update.
Best scenes by far this week were played by Alison King as Queen Carla of the cobbles. She’s getting her mojo back and after an argument with Peter, they make up the old fashioned way and Peter’s perfectly cooked dinner has to wait until they’re friends again. Carla was on fire this week, with some excellent dialogue written for her by Owen Lloyd-Fox on Wednesday night. She tears a strip off Adam in the solicitor’s office when she finds out he’s been shagging an ex-girlfriend after he’s declared undying love to Sarah and Sarah thinks there’s a chance of getting back with Adam. Carla’s so incensed by Adam’s bad behaviour that she calls him a slut and chucks Imran’s favourite stapler at his head. It was a wonderful scene, more please.
Over at Underworld, Carla proves supportive to Sarah who has to present their new and rather dull knicker designs to a buyer who swans in. But while Sarah rushes home for the costings she’d forgotten and Carla stalls the buyer outside of Underworld, inside Nina works her design magic on the drawings of the drawers and the buyer is impressed by what he sees. Carla gives Nina freelance work at the factory as a designer. Good one!
Sex-worker Nicky disappears this week after Daniel gives her a wad of cash he’s nicked from Geoff. Then she returns to give Daniel back half of the money, saying she doesn’t need it all. Geoff sees this exchange and warns Daniel that he knows he stole his cash. Daniel offers to pay Geoff his cash back and all is well again. I’m left scratching my head, unsure what this was all for, and why Geoff walks around with five grand in his pocket in the first place.
At the Bailey house, things took a turn for the worse. I mean, it was terrible, the worst kind of storyline. You might have liked it, but it wasn’t for me. After months of Michael begging Grace to take him back so that he can be a husband to Grace and a dad to their daughter Tianna, he proposes to Grace. She turns him down flat and says she’s going to live in Spain the very next day so he kidnaps Tianna to stop Grace from leaving. Michael’s caught and hauled into the cop shop where he’s put through a psychiatric assessment because the cops think Michael’s deluded when he calls Tianna his daughter. Well, it turns out that not only is Tianna not his daughter, but she’s not even Grace’s daughter. Grace is Tianna’s nanny and has stolen the child and at this point I covered my eyes with my hands and couldn’t look at the screen and everything, everything, everything, went wrong in that moment for me. I whizzed and fast forwarded through every Michael scene after that so I can’t tell you what happened except that I saw Grace take out a pregnancy kit from her handbag which suggests she’s probably pregnant to Michael after all so he could have had his own child with Grace. It was beyond believable, totally ridiculous and what little warmth and empathy I was beginning to feel for the Bailey family was lost.
Over in the Kate Oates memorial ward at Weatherfield General Hospital, Leanne’s in a state, Steve’s furious and Tracy’s biting her words back when Steve suggests she sells the florist shop to pay for Oliver’s care in Germany. But the doctor gives Leanne and Steve bad news. Even if Oliver is sent to Germany, there isn’t much that can be done to save his little life. Leanne refuses to believe what she’s hearing, in denial still.
And as for Nick? While he’s wanting to support Leanne, he’s got more on his mind when he meets his real son, Sam. What an amazing little actor the kid who plays Sam is. Sam wants to be an astrophysicist and has the gift of the gab, charming the viewers as much as he charms Nick. Oh, it’s a complicated storyline and no mistake, and one I’m starting to warm to now that Sam has turned up. Leanne’s son is dying, Nick’s son is arriving and Toyah’s dream of becoming a foster mother is put on the backburner while Leanne goes through hell.
Elsewhere this week, some nice scenes between Billy and Paul. Billy’s distracted with thoughts of finding Todd and he doesn’t give Paul the attention he deserves. So when Paul tells Billy he’s started volunteering work on a helpline to help abused youngsters, Billy tells him he’s proud of him. But still, you can see Billy’s mind is elsewhere and Todd-shaped.
And finally, the wedding that never was will take place next week. Tim tells Sally that when he said he was going to cancel their wedding, he actually didn’t and so if she’d still like to become Mrs Metcalfe, she can do so in two days’ time. Sally agrees and it’s all systems go for a wedding we’ll see on screen next week – but will Geoff be invited?
And that’s just about that for this week.
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This week’s writers were Cameron McAllister and John Kerr (Monday); Owen Lloyd-Fox (Wednesday) and Chris Fewtrell (Friday). Find out all about the Coronation Street writing team at Coronation Street Blog: Exclusive: All Current Corrie writers online
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Sam is already the best child actor on the street
ReplyDeleteThe child actor 'Sam' is played by Jude Riordan and was in 'The Secret Life of Five Year Olds'. His character reminds of young Tristram in the 70's sitcom 'George and Mildred'. How do these kids learn their lines?? Craig was Beth's silent child when he first appeared and none of the others have had such a wordy first appearance. He's great. The other thing I like is that Natasha doesn't seem to have any designs on Nick and I hope it stays that way. It's a good dynamic. On the downside, the Baileys. Just don't care about the family. As has been said on here many times, new families work if they link with an existing one. It would have been an entirely different storyline, but I might have cared more about the sons, for example, if they'd developed romances/friendships with Corrie residents.
ReplyDeleteSam has been in series 1&2 of the extremely brilliant Brassic, with Michelle Keegan and played her son Tyler, so he already has bags full of acting experience. Best newcomer award when awards season comes around?
ReplyDeleteCarla was the shining light for me this week. It got me thinking if Adam and Carla are going to bunk up cos I definitely got that vibe, was it just me?
ReplyDeleteThe Baileys twist felt like pure shock value with very little depth and I'm getting sick of all these outlandish plots (they're never ending!). At least it wasn't another issue based story, I suppose that's something. James is a pretty useless character, isn't he? I get the importance of ethnic representation on the show but this family are shockingingly bad. The mum's bearable but the rest can go. Nick's son was endearing. Toyah and Imran's fostering feels like total periphery stuff, it's not going to go anywhere. On the plus side, this week was a vast improvement to last week.
Yep, it was just you. Not the impression I got whatsoever.
DeleteThe fostering process is lengthy and time consuming. It doesn't just happen overnight, so it's been portrayed perfectly
I have really tried to like the Baileys but its their acting that really drives me bonkers. Must be theatre actors because its a bit OTT. Michael was breathing soo loudly in between words I thought he ran a marathon, James is dead wood who looks bored with his life decisions and the dad....boom boom boom goes the voice.
ReplyDeleteIts been mentioned before, the only time this family is on the street is when there's a BIG ISSUE that needs to be address. Thats not going to win them over...
Which is a shame. When they advertised this family it seemed promising. Ed liked the same music as Ken and would compliment. Pre-Covid we rarely saw the two together...that could have started the connection to the street. It seems like nobody knows what to do with them and I wouldn't be sad if they go. If they're not on the screen I totally forget the exist tbh.
I hope their contracts are coming up and they start to get weeded out like they did with the Nazirs..
I like the Baileys and care about them and unfortunately due to the writers's recent obsession with the Platts,,Nick in two storylines,Oliver'illness and his long lost son Sam,David\Shona and the sinkhole and Sarah's love life,the Baileys like some of the other characters aren't given a fair chance with storylines.
ReplyDeleteWhile the other children aren't seen but only referred to due to Covid 19 not even Oliver who is dying,Nick's son Sam is seen which I think is a tad hyporcritical on the writers' part.