Episode Review Friday 20 March 2026

Apologies for not being here for a couple of weeks - one week Coronation Street was not here and then last week I was in Warwickshire and not at home.  Normality returns.  To get a less than favourite story out of the way Theo drugged Todd ahead of his fund raising marathon run tomorrow and turned off his alarms and put his phone on flight mode leaving him to sleep off the drugging on the sofa.  If you know anyone like Theo get them away from your nearest and dearest or if it is your partner then run a few thousand miles.

Megan is utterly convincing (well Daniel fell for it as he points out to Kit under interview he was wrongly accused not so long ago) in pretending that she was simply responding to Will's excessive crush and Will also holds his end up well (which is probably what she first saw in him) with Maggie.  Leanne, on top of her game, has spotted that Megan in her enforced departure from the flat left behind some vitamin supplements you normally take when pregnant and it is concluded that she lied about the abortion.  Tracy is convinced that Megan is guilty even without evidence.  Alya lets slip that Megan has also been bullying Sam according to Leanne which starts to change the balance of opinion but Daniel knows there is no evidence.  Despite Daniel's insistence that he KNOWS, Ken wants to know the facts (well you would if you were about to become a grandfather again wouldn't you?).  Maggie gives Sam a piece of her mind for not speaking up sooner about Megan abusing Will but then Maggie knew that something drove Will to assault Daniel in the ginnel.  Maggie accuses Sam of keeping quiet to improve his grades (in PE - who cares?).  

Megan tells Kit that after the problem Daniel experienced when Daisy was pregnant with Kit's baby (but told it was Daniel's) meant that she was not yet in a position to tell Daniel that she was pregnant and that she sees no need for a DNA test to prove who is the father of the unborn baby as the only person she has slept with in the last year is Daniel.  

Adam is aware of the allegation of paternity but cannot tell Daniel about the baby.  Eva feels no such compunction and tells Daniel that he may or may not be the father in front of the entire cafe (with Alex re-appearing from the cupboard of unused characters an American wrestling tour as a spectator for a very brief  cameo.  Talking of go to cameos Susie came into the cafe with Eva announcing in a fairly loud voice she was gasping and needed an extra shot in her drink and then remembering she was bursting and had to visit the facilities rapidly.  So just before the mid-episode break the scales are about to fall from Daniel's eyes!

However Megan is on top of things, she briefs Will about the baby being Daniel's and provides him with a burner phone so they can stay in touch.  Apparently Megan does not want to go to prison and Will is certain it will not come to that.  Daniel confronts Megan at the Chariot Square Hotel (how is Debbie by the way?),  Megan lies but Daniel says he is not believing her until she does a DNA test.  Indeed on the list of people he is at the top until she does the test!

The Battersby sisters are on top form this evening coming into Speed Dahl and telling Alya what they think of Adam being Megan's brief.  Alya claims they need the work.  Leanne announces that they are now silent partners in the Speed Dahl business.  Alya herself does not actually seem to entirely believe Megan to be fair but is tarred with Adam's choice.  (Given that I assume Megan is on legal aid Adam's earnings cannot be that great).

For reasons which are not hard to guess Adam gets fairly cool (zero degrees Kelvin) welcome at the Rovers Return.  Adam claims he simply wants a quiet drink.  He does not get it.  Daniel comes storming

through the door, pokes Adam in the chest and tells him to drop Megan as a client now.  After a toilet break for Adam Daniel continues his attack announcing to the entire Rovers in classic Corrie mode that Megan is refusing the DNA test and he tells Maggie he believes the baby to be Will's.  Shocked looks between James and Michael (all emerging from that cupboard) Bailey as they note she is pregnant by a schoolkid!  Lauren is upset by finally finding out what Ollie was keeping from her and stomps into the back room.  Adam continues to assert that everyone deserves a fair trial.  Adam and Daniel argue with Adam reminding Daniel he slept with the slapper.  Tracy asks if Daniel is going to put up with that.  Maggie tells them that as she does not want blood on her soft furnishings could they please take their dispute outside.  Daniel tells the Driscolls that he does not blame Will for attacking him as he was being groomed by a paedophile.  Maggie has had enough of her family's dirty washing being aired in public and orders them out of the Rovers.  Adam goes.  Tracy takes Daniel home.  Maggie announces the show is over.  

When I came to put fingers to keyboard I obviously need to check the writer and was not surprised that Jonathan Harvey was responsible.  He has been a writer since 2004 I believe and with the Megan storyline tonight he was able to give the performers in front of us those wonderful touches - Susie needing a shot, Alex returning from a wrestling tour, Battersbys at their best and of course a denouement in the Rovers plus the 180 degree volte face from Daniel, not forgetting a key cameo from Ken.  With the right material the entire team can deliver and tonight was class from everyone.  Thank you to the entire team for that episode.

Written by Jonathan Harvey and directed by Paul Riordan (not sure I have seen his name before so welcome aboard).

Kosmo

@Kosmo100

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Episode Review Friday 16 January 2026

Good evening.  My airplane landed and I returned home almost in time to watch this live - hopefully no absences for a while.  I only have time to cover Friday tonight but may in future drop in some Thursday information if relevant.  We open tonight with Todd walking towards the undertakers with Summer (who is looking very wintry) telling her that Theo is away pretending to be happily married to Fallon in Ambridge for Christmas seeing his mum who broke her hip last night.  They meet Toyah (who is on a day's holiday) and Sean when the Ambulance brings Billy back to the Street.  They had been expecting a warning from George but Billy returned earlier than planned. Summer later reads to Billy and then rages about Debbie for her drunk driving to Asha.  I have a problem with this.  Debbie may or may not have been driving but she never had the means, motive and opportunity for a murder.  Given that the minibus did not spontaneously combust on impact I doubt that a manslaughter charge could be made so raging at Debbie is completely misplaced.  Ronnie is thinking of what can be said in court to minimise the sentence.  On the Street itself Summer lays a smack on Debbie saying that the charge should be murder and as Summer runs away Debbie agrees that she is right and she does deserve punishment.  Ronnie (and all of us) know different.

Gathered in Roy's Rolls are Mary, Eva, Toyah and Megan.  Eva's phone is low on memory and Megan offers to help - but strikes a problem when Eva refuses to lose any music or any of the 12000 photos she has on the phone.  It includes a video of wellies as Eva did not know which ones to choose and then a photo arrives from Ben of a young Will looking cute (something he rarely achieves these days. Megan's phone buzzes and it is a reminder of an appointment at 14:00 with Weatherfield Reproductive Choices.  It looks like Leanne spots the details visible.  Toyah comes into the cafe and she has been crying - Leanne blames Nick but she explains that Billy has returned.  Eva observes that losing Billy and Paul makes you realise how valuable life is - which unsettles Megan and the decision she has taken.  

At the hospital Harper is hanging in there until the machine starts beeping and a doctor is summoned with David having to pull Shona out of the room.  Later we are told that Harper's blood pressure dropped and an ultrasound has shown that she is bleeding from the mass on her neck.  She is to have a blood transfusion which has risks.  

Debbie is putting her affairs in order for when she is sentenced.  She tells Ronnie they need to cancel the honeymoon which Ronnie agrees to do.  Debbie then asks Ronnie to look after Carl whilst she is in prison - he thinks Carl is an adult now but she is insistent.  

Nick visits the Platt homestead where he is delivering a veggie lasagne which Jodie tells Nick is not to Shona's taste - Nick says she likes his veggie lasagne.  Lily comes downstairs and Nick spots she has pulled the wool over Jodie's eyes and orders her to school now!  Nick and Jodie argue and she refuses to tell him how many children she has - it all seems a bit "odd".

For those who endured Corriedale here is one prediction we would all have made coming true - Asha is going back to being a paramedic in September.  

In an intervention in Victoria Gardens Leanne, having seen the appointment, gets Megan to tell her and Eva that she is pregnant and that she is going to get an abortion today.  In the back room of the Rovers Megan tells them she is not ready for a baby and it could be her only chance as she has polycystic ovaries and the story is familiar to Leanne who managed to have the late Oliver.  (Almost surprised she did not ask if Steve was the miracle father).  Eva suggests that Megan might want to talk to Daniel but Megan knows that Daniel does not want it - implying it is definitely his.  Megan says she has made her mind up.  Leanne follows Megan to the clinic but Megan seems resolved and says she has to do it as she going into the appointment.  

Jodie has a pendant inscribed (I think) I&P with pictures of two girls inside - so does she have two daughters?  Answers on a postcard please.  David updates Jodie on the news from the hospital, in exchange she claims she has made the veggie lasagne for tea.  

Leanne returns to the Rovers and tells Eva that she has decided that it is time to go and see the world.  Leave behind the curry house, the flat and the loneliness for pastures new.  She wants a new start somewhere hot and away from Weatherfield.  Maggie pops into the bar to give Eva a piece of her mind and Eva has a bright idea.  Leanne should buy out Maggie's share in the Rovers and they run it together (how will Ben take the news?).  

Daniel has made a decision.  He has decided he can trust Megan and therefore he can invite her into Bertie's life - something he does not do lightly and he can see that Megan would be good mother material.  He suggests a bottle of red to celebrate but she is sticking to water for now.  

The good lady wife (TLGW) and I disagreed over Megan last night.  I took her decline of alcohol from Daniel as a sign she did not go through the medical procedure planned whilst TGLW said that she did and that she was merely feeling it ill-advised following the procedure.  As I personally postulate that neither Daniel or Will is the father I am clinging to the usual - no alcohol so must be pregnant routine.  Feel free to put me (or TGLW) to rights.  Toyah is not happy - she did not get her massage, wasted money on a taxi and then the fish was off - not because it was off but because Nick got the order wrong.  Is all sweetness and light in the Bistro?

Written by David Isaac and directed by Aashish Gadhvi.

Kosmo

@Kosmo100

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Coronation Street Episode Review Friday 14 February 2025

Good day.  After weeks of no Friday episodes we are back to normal tonight.  The drama tonight centres largely around the Platts, the Websters and Carla whilst other stories are on the back burner.  Max is hiding out in the closed (and sold) builder's yard and yet everyone apart from the police knows where to find him.  Lauren gets out of him his plan to go on the run to Belize and Aunty Becky but Shona tells him to think it through carefully.  Eventually he ducks out of the hide and disappears - but Shona and David track him down to the police station where not only is he helping the police with their enquiries but he is answering all of their questions in very full detail.  Shona brings Lauren up to date.  Max is going down and Harvey is promising to make his life interesting already.

I am not sure David is cut out to be a criminal; he tells Shona what is planned before it happens and word reaches Nick who hauls him out of the getaway vehicle (which sits outside the precinct for hours as Andy does not have the tools so is bound to be on CCTV somewhere) when he is told that Max is missing.  He appears all flustered in front of his mate, Andy,  who is organising it and David cannot concentrate.  Nick decides that he will find the money they need to get Harvey off David's back.  Shona and David continue to argue repeatedly.  

Roy travels with Carla to hospital and we are given a couple of the excellent scenes these two can produce when paired; while waiting for the operation in the hospital Roy is explaining the invention of anaesthetics and how operations were performed prior to that.  The wait has been caused by Rob demanding a word by word explanation from Lisa as to how his murder conviction will be erased (remember he is in good company - Tracy managed it) - largely it seems because Detective Marsden may be light on actualities at times - allowing a crowbar to be applied to the evidence to expose a can of worms.  Rob wants insurance and insists on recording Lisa on his phone (how does he even have a phone?).  Eventually the operations happen and all seems well except that suddenly Officer Mandy Waring is summoned back to base and Rob will be back in the Big House on Monday.  

Chesney keeps seeing a silver van and we find that Gemma's new bestie Lou has a husband, Mick, who drives a silver van - what are the chances?  And even better they are moving into Mawdsley St - right across the ginnel along with the three unseen children who apparently like the quads never need looking after by their parents.  For a new family arriving this is low key compared to the Battersbys!

Kevin breaks the bad news to Jack that he has testicular cancer, that it is not terminal and that there will be an operation on Monday followed by treatment.  Jack is very adult and gives his father a hug and tells him he loves him.  Abi tries to cook Kev a special dinner which goes wrong and is rescued by Debbie and the chef at the Bistro (I thought Debbie was no longer involved in the Bistro?) with a meal for two including burrata (a type of mozarella which is a cheese, Debbie explains).  Debbie takes Jack off to the Chariot Square Hotel for his tea.  Abi and Kev sack off the chicken breast in miso butter to go to bed and work up a thirst.  

Steve makes his peace with Leanne and she joins him and Cassie at the bar where Leanne makes it clear to Cassie that Steve is not such a bad person and perhaps they ought to make a go of it.  They share a few drinks before Steve and Cassie depart to number One to watch some Scandi-noir and they later retreat to bed together (well it is Valentine's Day as evidenced above - and Glenda is with Michael isn't she?).  After Leanne has told the entire Rovers that she is not an arsonist, she and Yasmeen talk, the latter reminds Leanne she is still a family member needs to be put her anger aside.  As Leanne leaves the Rovers she crosses paths with Sam and in a very brief exchange she promises that the anger has gone and she wants to mend her ways and perhaps be friends again.  Cassie is noticeably drinking orange juice throughout.  

The Steve McDonald view of women - a bit of a challenge, bit of an edge, not full-on Loopy Lou, but just a challenge.   At which point Cassie goes in for the kiss.  

There were also cameo appearances from Ryan plus Adam with Alya.  For those who missed Wednesday and tonight Debbie Webster (Sue Devaney) stole her scenes.  I have to record that however good the story and the journey it will be a poorer place without her around.  Her return was long desired and most of it has been wondrous and has been particularly bright this week.

Written by Susan Oudot and Mark Wadlow.  Directed by Gill Wilkinson.

Kosmo

@Kosmo100

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