Eva Flaming Price! She's back and has brought a horrible directorial style with her, all jump cuts, weird camera angles and unnecessary close-ups. She's come all the way from Hull in a handcart, according to Sean, as her fella has bought the Rovers for her. I hope it's both her Xmas and birthday present, otherwise it's going to make all other boyfriends look bad. Apart from the fact that Ben has "forgotten" to pay Carla for the pub.
Unlike Maria, I am glad to see her back as a) I was a fan, b) she's brought a handsome Irish man with her and c) I'm hoping it'll give us a little bit of respite from i) the misery of Asha ii) the abuse by Theo (no disrespect to either actor, they've both been great) and iii) the stalking of Swain by the undead Becky, shuffling around the street like a zombie in that horrid parka, although I suppose it is Hallowe'ek, so she fits in.
The reappearance of Ms Price affects most of the residents, and so Nick uses the opportunity to propose to Toyah, interrupted by Leanne, obviously. There is the patented stomping off, the chucked drinks and meltdowns in the pub, before Eva throws everyone out so that they can have a Battersby-Price pow-wow. Eva, who was always the drama queen's drama queen, is the voice of reason, who says she doesn't want history repeating with sisters not putting themselves before misters, and as they take the much needed piss out of Nick (as they note they've all "had a go on him"), they seem to come to some kind of equilibrium and a lock-in. Which is immediately ruined by the arrival of Maggie (MRS DOYLE), Eva's mother in law, who is the actual landlady as she's stumped up the cash necessary. Well she can't be worse than St Stella.
We also find out why Ollie was so interested in Toyah the other week as they're (very) tangentially related; he is the son of Eva's new fella. How old is he supposed to be!? Ben and Deedee get off on the wrong foot as he calls her darling and tries to move her onto another table as she does office work in the pub.
Hope wants to go to a Hallowe'en party as Wednesday Adams, so she goes to the salon for hair dyeing, only to see Jake smirking at his phone seconds after she receives a nasty message and she accuses him, to his consternation. This is presumably to set up conflict between the Stape-Dobbses and the Connor-Windasses, but I think we know it's Ruby who's the perp, isn't it?
Rachel Stevenson - on bluesky
