Because this episode is about Maggie, we start off, for some reason, with Glenda, stalking the street whilst listening to Ella Fitzgerald, the sunny side of the Street. It soon becomes the rainy side when we flashback to Mrs Doyle's late-twenties (by the music, this is 1989), when Maggie lived with her husband, Ben and Uncle Finlay (Ben's brother, currently in Florida, but maybe introduced at a later date, given how the flashback progresses). Maggie is very hard on her family, saying that Ben needs to be a killer when it comes to rugby, and looking to strike her hubby when he disagrees with her.
Did we actually need all this? By which i mean a) another flashback episode and b) an explanation of why Maggie is unpleasant? Since Dame Maureen is at "university", we need a battleaxe in the soap and although she has a way to go before hitting the heady heights of Blanchedom, isn't she fine as she is without knowing she accidentally killed her hubby?
Still, it gives us a rest from a) Becky and b) Theo. No rest from the junior grooming storyline though as Will sulks outside, drinking beer stolen from the pub but found by Lauren, who presumably will be instrumental in discovering Megan's evil ways. Maggie chews her out as she catches Will trying to snog Lauren (she's a bit young for him isn't she?) and blames her, telling her to keep her mouth shut. Rude. Lauren and Ollie have a heart to heart on the stairs - they'd make quite a sweet couple, no? It's hard to tell how old he's supposed to be.
Meanwhile, Bethany loves a good crack, because this is a Damon episode (I feel spoiled with a Jonathan ep last week and DAR this week) so she accompanies Maria to the pub where Eva throws a strop and tries to throw her out.
Finally, Rita does one of her patented Now Look Here, Lady speeches to Tracy re: falling out with Ken as he moots selling number 1 and going on a permanent cruise, and Tracy-luv says she's going to start spending more time with her step-daddy.
Rachel Stevenson - on bluesky
8 comments:
Tomorrow is 9th December. While this episode was ostensibly about Maggie’s 65th birthday, it was actually a celebration of 65 years of Coronation Street. Hence “the sunny side of the street”, the poster outside the Kabin displaying the words ‘Florizel Street’ (the original name planned for the soap) and the presence of many of the older cast members in the Rovers, discussing the passing of time, etc. I fear for poor old Ken, though. Lots of doom-laden lines and mentions of Ken being the only retiree. Could William Roache have finally quit? I don’t think he’ll make it to the end of the documentary…
That episode of Maggie was underwhelming...she is not a likeable character, her one liners come off as snippy rather than witty. She's mean. Love Ben and Eva though...yeah, the only good thing about this episode.........it was nice to see the pub full of familiar faces again. The end.
Yes, it's unnecessary and OTT. The Mick and Lou flashbacks weren't very successful with viewers, so I don't know why they wanted to repeat this with Maggie.
I don’t think this did give an explanation of why she is so unpleasant. There was no hint of the husband being abusive, maybe lazy but nothing else. She was nasty then and she’s nasty now so what was the point of it all?
That was the most boring episode ever. I was prepared to try and like Maggie, prepared to give her a chance..Naw, don't care for the new family..Keep Eva and Ben and toss the rest
I liked Maggie at the start but I admit that I've gone off her.
Although the actress plays her well, I have a feeling that Maggie isn't going to be popular with loyal viewers.
She is quite snippy (rather than witty, like David Platt).
As you say anon, the flashback scenes don't explain why she is unpleasant and unwelcoming towards Eva.
I'm beginning to think the role of Maggie was given to Pauline McLynn because she's well-known to British viewers of a certain age as Mrs Doyle in a 90's sitcom. Her distinctive voice and delivery meant, in theory, that she would be readily accepted by viewers. Sadly, the script is letting her down and I don't think she'll stay long. But one way to bring her into the fold might be if she and Eva join forces in saving Will from Megan. I can hear Maggie telling Ben, 'Leave this to the women, we'll sort it.' And then they become firm friends.
I did spot Florizel Street but didn't make the 65 connection.
Maggie exits the hairdresser's looking no different!
A credible actress for young Maggie, but the same hairdo as now?! She slices the cake then decides to go out for ice cream without eating it? Husband seemed nasty and violent - didn't he nearly hit her? An affair 10 years earlier - does the younger son have a different father? Finally, how likely is it for a tumble downstairs to be fatal?
But some great lines in the Rover's with Rita, Ken, Roy, Brian, Glenda and Kirk.
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