Curly had been pressganged into giving a speech to the Weatherfield Area Retail Traders (WARTs) on the theme of retail and the environment. He obviously knew nothing about this topic, complaining in a very 2021 fashion that people wanted shops to use less plastic, so he got Spider to write the speech for him. He wrote a tirade against consumerism raping the planet, and when Fred interrupted in disgust, Curly turned it around to pretend that he was giving a salutary lesson in what retailers were up against. As revenge, Spider launched a protest against Norwegian prawns because of fishing's impact on the whales. Samantha packed Des off to London for a business trip, secretly pleased to get some time to herself. Chris dropped by and they shared a drink and... well, you know what happened next. Fiona's mum went to see Alan to tell him about the baby, but he wanted nothing to do with it, and Fiona was left furious at her interference. Worse, she seemed to think Fiona sort of deserved to be treated badly by Alan so she asked her to leave. She cried on Steve's shoulder and he was supportive. And Roy had a romantic meal with Hayley at the cafe, culminating in a kiss. However, Hayley stopped things from going any further and told Roy that she was trans. I feel it should be noted for the record that Roy was wearing a cravat throughout.
TUESDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 1st and 2nd March 1998
In 2021, Corrie can pat itself on the back for introducing the first trans soap character. Watching the episodes as they played out though, it's hard not to feel that Hayley was introduced as a gag - "Roy finally gets a girlfriend, and she's a bloke!" It's the tender performances of Julie Hesmondhalgh and David Neilson that strip it of any nasty overtones. Poor Roy was confused by Hayley's revelations and asked her to leave him alone. Samantha told Chris that their one night stand was just a casual fling, but she still wanted to have her cake and eat it, dropping by in the hope of some how's your father and being disappointed when he didn't put out. Spider continued his protest at Firman's, playing whale song in an attempt to get them to stop selling Norwegian prawns. Toyah and Emily joined in, though when Toyah suggested more aggressive protesting, he suggested she was immature. Deirdre returned from Blanche's ahead of her trial and Mike invited her to stay at the Baldwin's. She tried to earn her keep by tidying up and cooking tea but Alma felt put out. Ken tried to get her to move back to number 1 but she was still angry he didn't believe her story.
WEDNESDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 4th and 6th March 1998
Curly decided to remove the prawns from sale and Spider celebrated his victory. However Eric Firman insisted they were put back. Spider felt betrayed and resumed his protest, with Toyah taking it too far and spraying the prawns with antifreeze. Deirdre went to see her barrister but he wasn't positive, and with Jon still missing, she couldn't see much hope. She took out some pills and thought about ending it all but Mike interrupted. She decided to push on but then received a surprise visitor: Jon. Steve dumped Rachel because he realised he was still in love with Fiona. He told her but she was afraid he'd ruin her life again. However, she confessed to her mum Pam that there was a part of her that wanted him back. Elsewhere Hayley told Alma about her past, and Alma was lovely about it because she's great, and Chris and Samantha continued their dirty affair.
THURSDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 8th and 9th March 1998
Jon tried to persuade Deirdre to run away with him to Venezuela. He said he'd only committed the crimes because he loved her and wanted to treat her. She managed to call the police and stalled him long enough for them to arrive. She thought that would be the end of it, but Jon told the authorities that the whole scheme was her idea, and that she'd forced him to pretend to be a pilot to impress her mates. Chris babysat the girls while Kevin and Sally went out with Des and Samantha. However, Kevin was still simmering with jealousy over Sally's past with Chris, and refused to let them be alone together. He realised that Chris was actually having an affair with Samantha and told a shocked Sally. Curly discovered the ruined prawns and called in the police. Curly questioned Toyah, but Emily provided an alibi for her - not realising she was guilty as sin. Pam went to Steve and told him about Fiona's real feelings. They decided to give their relationship another try.
FRIDAY - Episodes originally broadcast 11th and 13th March 1998
Ken was called to the police station. Jon had told them that he'd lied for Deirdre, and he had to confess it was true. The police told Ken they'd need him to be a prosecution witness, which left Deirdre distraught. Mike gave her Alma's passport and some money and suggested she flee the country and she actually started to consider it. Mike also had one of his trademark fights with Ken in the Rovers. Sally told Chris she was disappointed in him for having his mucky affair, which upset Kevin; he didn't know why she cared. He told Des what was going on behind his back but Des thought he was lying to punish Chris. Toyah tried to organise a romantic night in at number 3 but it was interrupted by another of Spider's eco friends - Log. Both Toyah and Emily were shocked when they started snogging. And Roy realised he needed Hayley back in his life, even if it was just as a friend, so he wrote down his feelings for her and read them out in the car park by Freshco's. Bless.
Never mind Nuremberg or OJ Simpson; next week we'll get the greatest trial of the 21st Century when Deirdre is put in the dock. Join me on Twitter @merseytart with some popcorn.
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1 comment:
I love these writeups as they give me an insight into characters before I started watching (2003). It's so interesting to hear about Roy and Hayley getting together, and Deirdre's legal woes!
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