Coronation Street Episode Review Friday 13 September 2019

It has not been an easy week on the Street and on Friday we are back to a single hour.  (Worth noting that EastEnders moved their Friday episode to avoid a clash as they cannot afford to see viewer numbers drop further!).  Tonight was somewhat dominated by two downbeat stories maturing further.

Last November (I looked it up) Dr Gaddas caught Ali in her office and it was never explained.  Tonight it finally was.  He started taking benzodiazepines after scoring some from the good doctor's office (do doctors have drugs in their office in t'North - we have to go to chemists in the South?) and subsequently was getting a decent supply from a hospital pharmacist who knew how to undetectedly bend the system - whom you may recall was arrested on Wednesday, so the missing drugs had been spotted - which means Ali is now unable to cope with real life.  Ali tells Maria he is feeling under the weather and tries the same line with Dr Gaddas (above we see Ali pleading for his "fix") for a prescription for the pills (often known as Valium).  Dr Gaddas is not stupid and recalls the aforementioned event but does not report him. 

The news of Sinead's limited life expectancy is being passed on by the family and Beth has the duty of telling Chesney [above] and we are reminded by Jenny's observation that he still loves Sinead.  Jenny promises to tell the pub patrons and the news is passed by word of mouth around the Street.  Sinead is enduring the impact - should be at home or in a hostel - but in the background of various scenes the toll on Daniel is showing and he is struggling to cope as well as Sinead is doing.  Chesney and Sinead share a moment later on - she will always be just Sinead to him - not "poor Sinead".

Ali leaves the doctors and Roy asks him to convince Carla to take her tablets, Ali thinks about stealing them but under pressure from Roy gets Carla to agree.  Most notable was that Ali did this with a different haircut to the one he had in the surgery earlier!

Kate is told by Craig that Gary gave her the £1k in a brown envelope.  She is convinced that Gary felt sorry for her and was doing her a good turn using Derek's money - a story she believes.  Inevitably before her departure on her travels there is a party in the Rovers and there she was - gone.  Speaking personally I have never warmed to Kate, she never struck me as interesting or convincing and I will not be missing her.

Light relief was provided by a Gemma and Bernie shopping expedition where Bernie is trying on some maternity trousers which, when they start arguing, she forgets to remove as she leaves the shop.  She tells the store security that she has never stolen anything in her life and this was clearly a mistake (the last part is true).  A more senior security guard arrives - Kel - whom Gemma is pleased to see and after making their lives difficult he lets them go.  He later turns up at the Chesney residence and we learn from Gemma that he is one of the few men who managed to keep Bernie on the straight and narrow and we can see that whatever ended it between the two of them has been forgotten as they are getting on very well.  There is a spoiler on Kel here.  Chesney and Gemma also find out about the scam that Bernie has been running.

Ryan finds Ali fitting on the floor in the flat - just where he found Cormac last time.  This time he calls an ambulance - by the time it arrives Ali has come round and denies losing consciousness - he knows that if word of his problem reaches the authorities his job and career are lost.  Paramedics gone Ali asks Ryan to score him some benzos.  Ryan refuses but tells Robert what has happened.  Ryan and Robert are going to babysit Ali as he goes cold turkey on his addiction.  A message is sent to Maria telling her that Ali's cold has got worse and their date is off.  The three of them prepare for a difficult night.

Paula convinces Sophie she is worth so much more than being a manager at Speed Dahl so in the course of the episode Sophie signs up on a business management course.  No-one has mentioned where there is a course with empty spaces - is it actually in Manchester (Hint - Sophie you might need a larger bag to hide that bump) above?  Sophie is convinced to take the step into the unknown by her old stick-in-the-mud dad Kevin who has been approached over the internet by an ex-girlfriend (spoiler here) which he initially turns down but uses the need to live to the full as you never know when there is a "Sinead" moment around the corner both to agree to meet the ex-girlfriend and to convince Sophie to be bold.

Despite the content the episode nicely moved some things along with characters - particularly Kev and Sophie.  Carla being helped by Dr Ali even when he is in the grip of withdrawal shows he is good really.  I feel that the gap between November and now for the Ali story is a little extended - but with good reason I hope.

Next week MsKelstar will be here with the round up.

Written by Sam Holdsworth, directed by Mickey Jones

Kosmo
@Kosmo100

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Coronation Street Episode Review; Weds 31 July 8.30pm

Caught in the crossfire, Robert tells Tracy that he's been innocently helping Tyler, and Vicky was just showing her gratitude. Only half-convinced, Tracy tells him to watch himself, or she will be causing trouble too. Vicky is less than pleased when she finds out that Tracy is also his ex-wife.

Jenny tries to convince Kate to clear out her room for the pub renovations, can Johnny be persuaded to move his daughter out Explaining her woes to Carla and Claudia, Kate is frustrated with life at The Rovers, and is keen on travelling, in Rana's memory.

Upon talking to Carla (who I thought would cough up the cash), Kate decides to raise the funds while working at The Bistro full-time. Later, however, she overhears Jenny slagging her off to Tracy!

Abi fails to tell Kev she's been fired, however, he's already had a call from the rival garage boss who's told him about her mishap! Joking aside, Abi apologises to Kev and he reinstates her at Webster's Autos.

Claudia's clear-out of Ken's clutter persuades the old cad to move her into No. 1 with him, while she waits for her new home.  Meanwhile, Jan tells Seb he's made another visit to the nail bar and says he won't work for them again.

Following the awards ceremony, Ray is pleased with how Michelle and Alya have run the event. Keen to chat with Michelle privately, Ray goes and makes her a job offer.

Accepting the job, Michelle gathers the team together to make the announcement. Alya is appalled and upset but Robert seems to have spotted an opportunity. Realising that Michelle will need two weeks away training for her new job, Robert diverts from Tracy's wry attempt at stirring it up, and   craftily invents an excuse to spend a few nights away with the 'youth programme' (AKA Vicky).

Michelle (who is as equally self-absorbed as Robert) fails to notice that his recent disappearances are becoming all the more regular.

Tracy's sarcastic eye-roll before the ending credits was an ominous moment (and my favourite bit of tonight's second part).

What did you think of tonight's Corrie?. Let us know in the comments.

I shall be back same time next week.

You can follow me @rybazoxo over on twitter, your self-styled 'Cobbles Connoisseur'.

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In My Corrie Feelings - Part 1

Coronation Street has really made me feel my feelings lately, fulfilling my need for a good cry most weeks. The factory collapse and the fallout has been particularly hard hitting.

As I’ve somewhat been able to start having coherent thoughts about the collapse and all that followed, can I just say, bloody hell.

Easily some of the best Corrie I’ve ever seen, and I say that with confidence. I was worried that I wouldn’t feel the full impact of it as I was late to the party and stupidly scrolled through Twitter, but I have never been so wrong.

I don't think I’ve ever cried at anything I’ve seen on TV than when I did watching the collapse episodes. Kate breaking down after learning that Rana wasn’t going to make it, Imran getting Kate inside the imploding factory, their beautiful wedding vows.

My heart was physically breaking and I watched in horror and amazement at this tragedy unfold with a glass of much needed wine and mascara running down my face.

Imran’s reaction to losing his baby sister was haunting. His anger and devastation affecting his life that would never be the same again. As we watched him trash the flat before breaking down on the floor, it was a harrowing microcosm for what has ricocheted around the Street.

The realism of it all was shocking and breathtaking. I take my hat off to every single person involved in creating these episodes; cast; film crew; makeup; set design – absolutely everybody.

Special credit, though, has to go to Bhavna Limbachia, Faye Brookes, and Charlie de Melo in this storyline. Alison King has also been incredible but I’ll get to that more later. I don’t think they’ve had an opportunity quite like this to stretch their acting as far as Corrie’s concerned but they really knocked it out of the park.

It really is something spectacular when you don’t just watch a TV show, but you feel it. It’s the feeling of needing to sit in silence for a good ten minutes after it’s finished, basking in the dismal afterglow of a tragedy you feel you’ve really witnessed.

After all that had happened, we watched as Rana’s loved ones tried to come to terms with her untimely passing and attempt to piece their lives back together.  There was a lot of shouty Imran, but I’ll forgive it. He and Kate made my eyes glisten once again as they watched Rana’s memorial video in the beautifully lit community garden. Can someone pass me a tissue?

This storyline is proof that Corrie is returning to it’s top game, if it’s not there already. It’s not just this however, there’s a few more characters and stories that have had me gripped. Alas, I’ve realised that if I don’t cut this into parts we’ll be here until God knows when. See you for the next part!

Sophie Williams

Read some more of my general natterings on Twitter @sophie_jw26

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Coronation Street Episode Review; Weds 27th March 8.30pm

At the Rovers, a distraught Kate is consoled by her family; swiftly followed by Imran and Saira.

Reading the letter out loud, Saira realises just how much Kate loved her daughter and relinquishes her decision to ban Kate from the funeral.

At the Bistro, Ryan and Ali confront Robert about his disappearance and tell him about the factory roof collapse.

On the phone to Peter, Gary demands his blackmail cash and panics as he needs the money immediately. Threatening to backtrack on the blackmail, Peter promises to get him the cash quickly.

At the mosque, Rana's relatives and family are dressed in a traditional Islamic dress, in honour of her passing.

As her coffin is taken into the ceremony,  Alya introduces the audience to the intricacies of a Muslim funeral. Facing the anguish of Rana's sudden loss, Imran seeks solace in Toyah. Denouncing the supposed hypocrisy of the traditions, Imran's soliloquy certainly carries some weight.

As head of the family, Imran must also oversee Rana's burial. Rather than face it alone, Toyah asks Johnny to be by Imran's side, with which the recently bereaved Johnny agrees.

Back at the Bistro, Michelle confronts Robert and is exasperated at his reluctance to stay around Coronation Street, as he plans to leave again. Consoling Kate, Robert is heartbroken at Rana's passing and receives succinct advice from the grieving bride. Deciding to stay on, Robert promises to stick around, which only riles Ryan. Meanwhile, Michelle asks Ryan to keep an eye out on the rogue chef.

Examining Sylvia's ring, Wayne considers the inscription and where the ring actually came from.
It seems to the ring was made in Egypt which prompts the sleuths to seek further clues.

Out on the street, Gary realises that the builder's yard has been broken into.

Back the pub, the mourners raise a toast to Rana but Sally's presence isn't welcome. Alya's grief is again brought to the surface which prompts Imran to question why the roof came down in the first place, telling Kate that he needs to speak to Carla and urgently.

You can follow me @rybazoxo over on Twitter, your self-styled 'Cobbles Connoisseur'.

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