Good day. Welcome to Friday night on the Street. Unusually events tonight are not on a single day as will become clear. The Rovers Return is at the fore I am pleased to record with an awful lot going on. First up Rita has won a night on the town - theatre, dinner, hotel and so on - and needs company which Jenny is happy to accept, although it means kicking speed dating to the kerb - unless Daisy would like to take charge (she is still grumpy over having to ditch another karaoke evening). Rita has been let down by Ken who has had a better offer from Elspeth. Daisy has other plans - Ryan is whisking her away to the Lake District for the night as it is the anniversary of the acid attack. However before Daisy departs she tells Jenny off for spending some of the "money" on a designer dress and the two of them have to talk Glenda into a busy evening - she gets the job of serving everyone and running the speed dating (Sean was spotted on Tipping Point a little earlier so was presumably out of town) by herself.
Amy talks Steve into going to the Speed Dating and we see him swaggering down the Street doing the full John Travolta to "Staying Alive". His first date is Tracy and it goes downhill from there on. Much later he ends up with Cassie and thinking that there might be a mini-spark he asks her out properly - she responds that she was only feeling sorry for him because of Tracy and she goes home. Steve has not scored again observing that he knew most of the ladies present and he has lived there too long.
Glenda's on top form this evening and gets these two, a random passing stranger, whom we later learn is Connor and Christine Boyd (Daisy's mum) to become involved. Glenda later tells Connor that she is only in charge this evening as Jenny and Daisy are both away. He reckons it must be great being in sole control of a pub.
Paul's tablet is becoming ever more useful - asking Billy for cups of tea and a snog. For some reason the two of them are in the Rovers during the speed dating, watching the desperate heterosexuality! Paul's replacement voice comments adversely on the events of the evening and in consequence Glenda confiscates the tablet for the evening.
During the speed dating everyone asks Izzy about the chair - the answers were "Shark attack", "Never swim with crocodiles" "Former Trapeze artist with a clown who forgot the safety net". There is also Trev wandering around with an elephant in his pocket.
Hours later Glenda hears strange noises coming from the bar and comes downstairs to find two men grabbing bottles and all sorts. She gets pushed to the floor and the two ruffians grab what they can and make rapidly for the exit. The second half opens with the daylight of a new day and Jenny returning to find a police car on her doorstep.
Along at the Browns' Oakhill Admissions Officer, Dawn (Michaela Longden) lets them know she will be popping by tomorrow - and the house is a worse tip than usual - so they spend the night doing a deep clean. When Dawn arrives Gemma adopts an impossibly upper class accent and they seek to demonstrate that they are a good family - all the while the new fridge freezer periodically emits ice cubes as the quads have started dismantling it. They are all very nervous but Chesney sees Dawn out and verbally she confirms that Joseph will be going to the
Sarah visits Damon and whilst she is prepared to wait for Damon he says it would be wrong. If he had really loved her he would never have attempted the robbery - and he simply is not worth the wait which Sarah reluctantly accepts. She consoles herself with alcohol with Bethany in the Bistro. The following day Sarah asks Adam if they can defer selling the flat for a couple of months - she wants Harry's life to be stabilised. Adam offers a brew and friendship - Sarah rejects both for now. Sarah later tells Harry (credited as Freddie and Isaac Rhodes) that Damon will not be returning. She tells Harry that Damon made a mistake and has to pay for it.
Glenda keeps making light of her experiences claiming to be tough as old boots - but before long we can see that in reality she is suffering badly from recurrent memories. Out getting fresh air Glenda suffers a panic attack and flashbacks and realises that she can identify one of the ne'er do wells as that Connor and that she was the one who told him that she was there alone. George surprises her and she attacks him as she is caught up with her memories. Connor has a swallow on his inside wrist. George and Jenny seek to re-assure her. Later Carla praises Glenda, Jenny and Daisy as three brave women after their various attacks in the Rovers (Connor, Stephen and Justin) - still standing and the pub open again. (All with your money Carla!). Jenny is looking very sheepish at this point.
Paul would like his tablet back and Glenda is aware that it was taken in the robbery. Paul is distressed at the loss - knowing that he is losing his speech.
Steve has arranged tea at the Bistro with Amy and she is not ready when he arrives at Preston's Petals so Steve closes and cashes up. Tommy Orpington chooses that moment to try and talk to Tracy and he has written her a letter which he pushes under the door. Steve picks it up.
At the end of the day Glenda is fetching drinks for herself, Jenny and Daisy and she has another flashback to the previous night. She might deny but all is not well.
The good things about tonight - Rovers front and centre, Damon finally gone (I hope), Izzy actually having lines, the ice cubes from the freezer. Bad things: I hope we are not going to do PTSD again; I hope Paul's tablet or the contents can be recovered (from the cloud?); Gemma's accent (was it necessary?). No doubt there will be more on Monday!
Written by Joe Turner. Directed by Jason Wingard.
Kosmo