Good evening. I think we will start with the good news from the Kate Oates Memorial Hospital. After many visits and much bedside discussion between Evelyn, Cassie, Fiz (all strong Northern women) and Tyrone over who will be doing what when Tyrone is discharged plus a reminder that Hope will be 15 at the end of the year there was a moment when Ty realised that he could feel something on his right leg when Fiz patted it. The doctor confirmed that feeling was returning - but so far there is nothing for the left leg - but the news is positive. Evelyn seems very concerned about the pressures on the family and yet at the age of 79 still seems more sprightly than I am. She does not seem that concerned about that wonderful opportunity at University just at the moment either. Is she changing tack? Plus the hospital machine coffee and tea all taste like oxtail soup - so the machine has not improved.
In other parts of the Street things are not going so well. Todd and Theo have moved into the flat above the shop. Billy, George and Brian all help with the unpacking and later Mary and Christina join in drinking the house warming presents. Theo twice catches Billy and Todd in a clinch and gets visibly more distressed each time. Eventually the party participants leave and Theo's good humour facade vanishes even quicker as he tears a strip off Todd as everything is in the wrong place; he wanted just the two of them to enjoy the moving in and to do it all together. He throws a real strop and tells Todd to sleep in the spare room which the team had decorated earlier. Now I am probably not alone in once not entirely liking Todd (sorry) {and obviously his stint as Gavin Moss was truly repulsive as all Archers listeners will know} but no-one deserves the treatment Theo is handing out to his partner and the sooner Todd runs for the hills the better.
Tracy continues to pursue Carl and Abi for the £10k which needless to say they do not have. Somehow Carl has £500 which he tells Tracy to take it and bring an end to it. She feels that telling Kevin will somehow feel more satisfying. Carl is soon on to making her rethink her priorities and directs Dylan to give the florists (where the power has failed) to give the place a good going over and he managed to smash up the displays, pots etc. Dylan tells Carl that they are now quits and he refuses to take £20 from Carl for his actions. Carl reckons that Tracy has not got the message so pops in on Ken when everyone is out and buys him a few drinks and then phones Tracy to tell her how well he is getting on with Ken. Tracy returns home and it may be that Carl is getting his message delivered at last.
In what may have been a meaningless moment (who knows sometimes) Debbie and Carl make contact with a singer who may or may not be willing to assist with the choir. Debbie can see quite a battle coming between the dementia choirs. Time will tell.
Sadly Roy, I say Roy, has no idea of the existence of Foghorn Leghorn, I say, Foghorn Leghorn when Brian uses his way of speaking, Roy thinks it was Fred Elliott, I say Fred Elliott and then realises that both Brian and Evelyn are too recent to remember Fred as landlord. Roy has no idea of the animated character as his mother did not approve of cartoons which had a corrupting influence and to ensure compliance they did not have a television.
And finally Roy visits Carla to see if she has time to walk the dog and immediately recognises Becky from the photograph in the room. Carla knows that she lied to him. Becky keeps hanging around like a bad smell. We keep being told that her emergence is safe because the person who wanted her dead was murdered. However usually crime gang bosses have underlings who may have been around when Becky was undercover and who are now in charge of an OCG (in Line of Duty speak). So is she sure that no-one else wants her dead (well apart from me?). Meanwhile Lisa expects the wedding to Carla to go ahead - but if Becky is not dead does she need a divorce and how did Logan know that she was Tia Wardley? Poor Roy knows the truth and does not want to talk about it, the lies and deceit. I only hope that this is not a mirror of a real story in this country.
You have probably gathered that tonight was a curate's egg. Sadly the impression that we have three villainous stories running at the same time (Carl, Theo and the Becky related story where I am not sure who is the villain) means that the entire Street is off balance. I apologise if this is a little too obvious in my assessment tonight - but I want stories of working class people in the back streets of Salford living their lives; not crime, not villainy, not abuse; not conflict with constant raised voices but more strong women keeping their partners on the straight and narrow. Can I ask those responsible to ask themselves what Tony Warren might think please?
Written by Mark Wadlow and Damon Alexis-Rochefort. Directed by Chantelle Kayll.
Kosmo
