Tony was skipping work because he'd bought himself a new car: a bright red hot hatch that he revved round the Street. Kev was left holding the business. Tony burned round the back streets and while he was looking down at his radio, he smacked into a pedestrian - Joyce Smedley. She'd asked Judy to walk her dog for her, but she'd been distracted by a little bit of fun with Gary, so Joyce had been left to do it after dark. Judy was distraught and blamed herself for her mum's death. Samantha went to Firman's for some shopping and Anne stopped her at the checkouts and accused her of shoplifting. She'd planted an item in Samantha's bag, but Vanessa the vet from Emmerdale popped up as an assistant and revealed she saw Anne do it. Eric summoned Curly to Firman's so he could apologise and be present when he sacked Anne. She swore revenge. At the Hour Glass (where a very young Vernon Kaye could be spotted having a pint) Liz slept with Fraser. She told Alan she wouldn't spy on her boss-slash-lover any more, but he told her he could cancel Steve's parole if she didn't. She went to see Steve in prison and he revealed that Fraser was married, but Fraser said they were separated, and she was the one for him.
TUESDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 24th and 26th February 1997
Tony called on the Mallets and admitted he was the one who hit Joyce. Judy was rightfully furious and refused to listen to his excuses. Tony hid away from everyone as he felt guilty and his mum came round to see Kevin to explain he was never coming back. And you know who his mum is, of course: noted virologist Denise Welch as shameless hussy Natalie Horrocks. Natalie said it was her money that bought Tony's half so she'd continue as a silent partner. She promised not to interfere in the garage, but made no similar promises about his marriage. Meanwhile Judy couldn't bear to see Scamper the dog any more because she blamed him for Joyce's death so she demanded Gary take him to the vets to be put down. Understandably Gary didn't fancy it and got Vera to look after him while he tried to persuade Judy to change her mind. Liz was wandering round the Street dressed as a gangster's moll and clutching a mobile phone. Andy saw her kissing Fraser and was disgusted with her. Meanwhile Fiona discovered that Alan had been working with Liz, and when she overheard that Liz was now sleeping with Fraser, she went to see Steve in prison. (Incidentally they must have a really good barber in Strangeways because Steve had a great haircut). He worried that he'd get beaten up if Fraser discovered Liz was a double agent and phoned her in a panic to tell her to be careful. Alan confessed to Fiona that it wasn't an official operation so there was no protection for Liz and Steve. And Roy got rid of the fruit machines from the cafe, because they encouraged gambling, though he kept the jukebox (and wished he could put the Shangri-La's in it instead of Bryan Adams; you and me both, Roy). I notice his principles didn't extend to getting rid of the fag machine as well.
WEDNESDAY - Episode originally broadcast 28th February 1997
Jack tried to return Scamper but it was the day of the funeral so Gary asked him to keep him a little longer. Tony turned up at the service, then visited Kevin at number 13 and admitted how bad he felt. Afterwards, Gary brought Scamper back, and seeing him made Judy cry. She cuddled him close. Alan was jealous of Steve and Fiona's past but he agreed to cool it with his pursuit of Fraser. Liz meanwhile was moving in with him. However, Liz dropped a bit of paper with Alan's phone number on it, and Fraser found it. He then returned home and found her hunting through his briefcase...
THURSDAY - Episode originally broadcast 2nd March 1997
The low-rent version of The Departed continued as Alan called on Fraser's wife. It turned out Fraser hadn't actually informed her he was off with another woman. She phoned him up, which came as a handy distraction from him interrogating Liz about the phone number in her pocket. Liz was still scared by how angry he'd got. Don got drunk in the pub and when he saw Mike's Jag outside he scratched it with his car keys. Unfortunately it wasn't actually Mike's car and he sloped off, embarrassed. Des continued to refuse to do the parachute jump, but when Derek defended him, it was the final straw and Des signed up.
FRIDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 3rd and 5th March 1997
Be still my beating heart. Matthew Marsden as Chris Collins turned up and applied for the vacancy at the garage. He impressed Kevin with his mechanical skills and he impressed me with his general hotness. Meanwhile Derek was convinced he was a homeless person because he was wearing beaten up army fatigues and rolling his own ciggie. Alf and Audrey returned from their holiday to find all change in the Street. When Gail told Audrey that Roy now owned the majority of the business she was convinced he'd run it into the ground. Audrey volunteered to help out, so Roy suggested she take the slops out the back for the pig man, and she left in a huff - which amused Gail. Meanwhile Alf received a visitor, the wife of a teacher at Wethy High who'd been made redundant. She demanded that Alf reverse his decision as one of the Governors because Sue had only saved Ken because they were having an affair. Alf defended Ken, and told him about the gossip, which Ken assured him wasn't true. However, Audrey spoke to Deirdre and discovered the truth, leaving a furious Alf to confront Ken for making a liar of him. (Bryan Moseley looks noticeably more ill in his scenes, sadly). Fraser and his henchman Gerry watched over a robbery, but the police turned up and stopped it. Gerry was convinced Liz must have grassed them up and he discovered that the Alan on the bit of paper was a policeman and the boyfriend of Fiona. Fraser lost his temper and confronted Liz, and she admitted she'd been asked to spy on him, but she'd told Alan nothing. Fraser believed her, but Gerry didnt - and then Alan turned up to arrest him...
This whole gangster business is absolutely terrible. If you have an explanation for why Corrie keeps doing these rubbish Long Good Friday rip-offs please let me know on Twitter @merseytart.
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1 comment:
Great review as always!!!
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