I felt very disappointed that we weren't in the Rovers at least some of the time, seeing Gail getting tiddly with Audrey, Mary having her first New Year's celebration with Jude and Angie along with Norris and Rita in a booth, Chesney and Sinead each looking wistful while the other's back was turned and then the countdown around the bar with streamers and confetti wafting about at midnight. Even more surprised to see that Maria and Audrey appeared to be at the Bistro as "dates" rather than with their mates in the pub. That really felt odd. A huge number of the cast/neighbours were missing as the year ended, characters that surely would have been propping up the Rovers' bar. I call this one a Fail.
Even Christmas didn't feel like Christmas. I did enjoy the storylines and was interested to see what was going to happen, especially with Billy but again, it didn't feel much like Christmas. A few scenes with the Platts to give us a family aspect but we didn't see anyone arguing over their flaming pudd and the only food in sight was a meal Roy whipped up for Brian who'd been incarcerated over some stupid, contrived drunken insult. Who compares someone to a manhole cover? Ridiculous. The Christmas Day episode was like any other. We did get a few scenes in the pub at least but they were minimal and with a skeleton character roster.
And while I'm here, just let me touch on a plot hole that's been bothering me for some time. Brian has asked Cathy to move in with him into Number 12, which is the flat he and Julie owned. When he and Julie split up, there was some talk about her selling it because she couldn't afford it on her own. That was dropped after she left town and the flat has been unoccupied since then. Was it sold and not re-rented? Apparently not. So when Brian returned to town, why didn't he just move back in there rather than be an annoying burden on his neighbours? For the comedy value? There wasn't much of that for me. Did he or will he have to buy Julie out of her half of the flat now? One would think so but that will be brushed under the rug, too, I'm guessing.
And on the speculation side of things, now that we know Carla needs a kidney transplant, I've got a bad feeling knowing there are other characters leaving in 2018 that could be potential donors should they go out the door feet first. I am pleased they didn't go down the cliched route of having her pregnant at least though the abuse Carla's put her insides through with a dizzying amount of red wine over the years, I would have thought it would be her liver that packed it in first. Still, it's a bit different so I don't mind.
Let's leave it there, shall we? I hope ITV can see that, while it's good to make fresh changes to the show, it's not a good idea to drop *all* the traditions to make room for the changes.
By @tvordlj
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