Derailed and replanned due to covid reasons Dylan's visit to the Street has been reshuffled many times. Tonight he is due to go back to London and his mother and when Sean has to cover a shift in the Rovers the twin fairy godmothers of Mary and Glenda decide to throw a party based on musicals - at least they use that story to wind up Sean - but in reality they have got James (how is the learning going on becoming a world famous football coach?) to come and have a kickabout in the Street. Dylan however decides that the time has come to live up to his accent and move to live permanently with Sean leaving behind those southern lads who make his life difficult. We await this news being broken to Violet - who is apparently a somewhat absent mother. A new double act is being built - Mary and Glenda.
Most of the Street consider the concept of a murderer out on licence living on the Street somewhat unpalatable and Dev, Tim, Elaine and others express their wish for Stu to move away. The opposition simply stiffens Yasmeen's resolve. Initially Kelly does not want to know - but her attitude changes later. The scene is repeated almost word for word later with added Bernie. Stu is not conceding any ground either. Stu cooks a meal for Yasmeen and family and she makes it clear that Stu should go nowhere and she may cancel her trip to see Cathy.
To make up for the lost trip to Barcelona, Summer uses her advance on her wages from Underworld and books a room at the Chariot Square Hotel for the night for her and Aaron. When they get there (given their ages) they show more enthusiasm for room service under cloches than they do for each other. Have they no hormones - has the insulin killed it all off? OK perhaps they are both nervous and food is more important to ensure they have the stamina needed!
Aadi has his practical driving test today and after the usual parental wind-up admits that he has passed - so Dev hands over the key of a blue car and Aadi now has wheels (whatever happened to Dev's financial crisis a little while back?). Before this however he and Kelly have to attend the Mr and Mrs quiz by the local paper. Inevitably, between them they get one answer correct! However Aadi makes an impassioned plea and so the paper decides to keep them as competitors despite not knowing each other for which Kelly puts on the (ex-Sunita) engagement ring which has been borrowed and which Asha spots when they return to the Street. Later Asha challenges Aadi and he tells Asha that he and Kelly are engaged and Aadi does a bit of a reverse ferret - explaining it is a joke for a free holiday - all of which Kelly hears. She takes the ring and chucks it in one direction and whilst the twins are looking for it she jumps in the little blue car and floors it - although she no licence or insurance. Aadi, having heard earlier of a place that Kelly considers her happy place, (Fernly Clough) so he pursues Kelly on Asha's tiny "princess" bicycle (with the requisite health and safety helmet in place). He leaves a voicemail message for Kelly saying she is amazing and he loves her.
Bernie has bought Joseph's school uniform and whilst in the shop the assistant handed her the blazer she ordered and paid in advance, delivery having taken place. The true owner of the blazer turns up and doing the right thing Bernie hands over the item - which is placed back in the carrier bag and the mirror image picks up both carrier bags including the uniform. Bernie had left her purse behind and it is returned in exchange. Fern is NOT Debs Brownlow returning, but is a new character of whom I feel sure we shall see more. Only Joseph and Dev believe the "evil twin "story - but it has to be true because it is so far fetched.
Aadi's first find is the car - which has hit a bollard. The car is damaged but Kelly is safe and they sit and discuss the day - and end up snogging by a lake. The car is not too badly damaged and they return in it to the Street where Gary and Dev espy it returning in damaged form. Explanations are limited but to save problems Aadi insists that he was driving.
Later, once in an otherwise empty house, Kelly reckons it might not be so bad being married to Aadi - so he does the decent thing - down on one knee and with the recovered ring he pops the question. And receives a positive response.
The way the relations between the two young couples was portrayed was such a contrast and (in my view) a mistake to have two such similar interactions in the same episode was immediately evident. I know consent is important - but getting a private space Aaron/Summer are more interested in food than each other. Obviously there have been spoilers and this may not be the place to go further - but it jarred and felt very uneven.
Finally an apology (if you have read this far) - I should have been here last week but was in Spain dog and villa sitting for friends and with other absences planned there will be some further shuffling around - so apologies there was no review last Friday.
Written by Mark Wadlow and Owen Lloyd-Fox. Directed by Chantelle Kayall.
Kosmo
