Who's the real target, Robert or Michelle?

Michelle has been throwing Phrases of Doom all over the place over the last few episodes, thinking everything is going to be ok, all the troubles are over now. It makes me shudder when I hear all that. It only means the worst is yet to come.

Macho man roughs up the apparent culprit behind all the aggro but Rich insists he's not to blame. What if he isn't? Who else has it in for Robert, who else might be mounting a campaign to scare Robert into submission over some imagined slight? The only other one I could think of might be Adam, trying to scare Robert into a bigger settlement for Chesney but that seems a bit extreme, even for Adam.

What if Robert isn't the target at all? What if Michelle is the target? The graffiti was generic enough, "R.I.P.", the fire "bomb" only damaged the sign outside the restaurant where she worked and wasn't tossed through a window or the door. The flat was overturned but nothing was taken and the back window of her car was smashed while she wasn't in it. The car, by the way, that nobody knew she owned. I suppose that was bought with her divorce settlement. Apparently she's going to be kidnapped or suspected to be.

If she's the true target, who would it be? My money's on Will. Does anyone else find it odd that he's reappeared just before all this started? He would certainly be holding a grudge. He told Maria he regretted his silly crush on a married woman but many a man who starts off seeming reasonable has turned out to be off his rocker.

What say you, kind folk? Could Michelle be the real target? If so, who and why?

Tvor (Twitter @tvordlj)

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Speculation: Could Kate Connor's new love be...

I have just had an idea. We have heard that Kate Connor is going to find love and it's reportedly someone that's already on the show. There have been rumours that it's going to be Rana Nazir who has a big storyline coming up. It might be her, I wouldn't rule it out, and it might be Alya as other people have surmised.

Here's another suggestion for your perusal, good readers. May I suggest that it might be Nicola Rubinstein, Phelan's newly discovered daughter? It's true, we don't know anything about her yet aside from her paternity and that she's a case worker for troubled youth. She's in the right age bracket, with a birthday in May, 1990 making her 27. Kate's the same age, turning 28 on October 5 according to Corriepedia. (which is a tad older than I thought she was).

We haven't heard Nicola mention a husband, children or other partner of either sex yet and maybe we will in the coming weeks but until I'm definitely proven wrong, I'm throwing Nicola's hat in the ring. So far, I like this character quite a lot. She stands up for herself, she seems to take no guff off Phelan (or Seb), she's smart and seems to be good at her job and she obviously cares for the young kids in trouble that she tries to help. I would quite like it if she and Kate got together and we saw more of her on our screens.

Tvor @tvordlj on Twitter

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David Platt is breaking my heart

This post first appeared on State of the Street. Reproduced here with permission.

Say what you will about David Platt, from cheeky lad to tearaway troubled teen to family man and back to psycho Dave, he's never boring. I've been amazed to see how he's evolved and pulled himself through his troubled years to become a husband and father. He's even managed to have decent relationships with his brother and sister and his mother when you never thought you'd see the day. The only one of his relatives he ever seemed to pay any notice of was his grandmother Audrey and even then, it was (pardon the expression) hit and miss.

Now, after the death of his beloved Kylie, he can't cope. He's so filled with anger that he's retreating into himself and pushing everyone away including his children who need him so much. He nearly killed the brother of the young man that killed Kylie and would have if he'd not been interrupted by a nurse. It shocked me that David could have gone to those lengths, because I don't want his character to leave the show and murderers always have to pay one way or another. Kylie is a case in point, even if she only killed Callum to save Sarah.
 
This storyline has also brought the rest of the Platts in to try to help David. Even Sarah, David's former nemesis, has shown that down deep, she does love her brother. The scenes between Nick and David have been wonderful. I never thought I'd see those two develop a real brotherly relationship and even his spiky relationship with his mother has softened. It's shown that David does love his mother even though they've had a very rocky relationship, but even his mother hasn't been able to help in spite of knowing what he feels like, she having a spouse murdered, too. 

As I write this, we're about to head into a week where all will be revealed. It appears David is going to try to kill Clayton and expects he will die as well. The video he recorded was one of the best scenes ever on Corrie, loaded with despair and sadness and resignation from a character that spent most of his life as a cocky, cheeky git. He feels his life is over and even the prospect of being there for his children isn't enough to pull him back from the edge.

I have no idea what's going to happen. I'm pretty sure Jack P. Shepherd isn't leaving the show so somehow David will be prevented from executing his plan, no pun intended. Apparently, Gail and Nick are going to take action to keep David safe. Locking him in the basement of the Bistro could work but David is slippery and he'll probably find a way out. Short of Gail parading his children in front of his car, Kylie's ghost sitting in the back seat giving him an ear bashing or a traffic jam keeping him from his goal, how's this going to come out?

We'll know by the end of the week. Top stuff, Coronation Street, keep it coming!


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Who's conning who?

(This originally appeared on The State of the Street. Reproduced here with permission)

Vinny came to Phelan with a scam, pretend to sell luxury flats to naive punters, run off with the deposit money and they're quids in. Phelan snapped his hand off at the chance. But things are not going according to plan. Todd has been keeping a close eye on Phelan, not trusting him an inch and is now on the sales team. He's supposed to be on board and willing to go along with the scam but I'm not buying it. I think Todd is planning to find a way to bring Phelan down from the inside and thus remove him from his mother's and brother's lives. Todd isn't exactly twirling his moustache and looking shifty but he has been caught looking thoughtful after various encounters.

Eileen has gotten involved on behalf of Jason, eager to be part of the exciting project that she believes is real but she's been inadvertently putting expensive roadblocks in the way and Vinny's not happy about it, not one little bit. Phelan has impressed on Todd that you do not want to piss Vinny off, he's connected to some dangerous people. I think Phelan discovered just how real Vinny's connections might be and it has given him pause for thought.

I think Phelan is happy to rip off his neighbours and any other person quick to fall for the ruse but while he's a bully, and he's manipulative and he likes to threaten people, I don't think he's got the stomach for *real* violence unless he was defending himself.

Think back. Gary beat the living crap out of him. Did he jump Gary and catch him unawares, with revenge in kind? No he did not. He got back at Gary by using his mother, blackmailing her into sleeping with him so he'd let Gary off the hook. He used the people he knew he could rather than go physically up against a younger man who already proved he could fight back hard. He also hesitated when Kevin gave him a blunt warning not to mess with Anna when he tried to intimidate her and I think he knows Kevin isn't afraid of a fight, either. Again, he tried to blackmail Anna to back away from slagging him off to everyone or he'd tell Kevin about their previous encounter. Bully tactics, right?

He's sly and so is Todd though Todd may be in a bit over his head. Phelan is clearly a master at the manipulation trade. He's got no scruples, even willing to go so far as to pull Alex into his scam though he did seem to be slightly reluctant until Alex insisted.

So how is this all going to end? As far as I know, Connor McIntyre is staying on the show so when this scam all blows up, and it will because that's how things work on a soap, I figure Vinny will be the one taking the fall. I have a feeling that Vinny will double cross Phelan and disappear with the money, leaving him behind to take the heat.  Maybe Phelan will turn Vinny in to save his own skin and will pretend that he knew nothing about it being a scam or that Vinny had a hold on him somehow and forced him into it. He could say that he invested a bit of cash, too, and lost it. Maybe he'll cut a deal with Todd to go along with it since Todd was in on the scam and is as guilty of suckering folk as Phelan.

The part that I found hard to get was the money they're spending just to fool people. They have glossy brochures and a model flat they're building to show people, in a building that... who owns? They have a temporary project office set up outside that old building, too. That's a lot of money spent to rake some deposits in though I suppose it's still going to net them quite a lot, depending on how many they're pretending to sell and if they're reselling the same flats to people.

I'm very interested in this storyline and am enjoying watching it unfold. Pat Phelan is one of the best villains Corrie's ever had and seems to be multi-faceted. He's not really very sympathetic and you don't believe a word he says even if he's telling Eileen he loves her. He's very good at saying what someone wants to hear at the right time. He's expert at timing what he tells to whom, whether it be a "confession" or admission or just bullshit to smooth things over. I love to hate him and that's a testament not just to the writers but to McIntyre himself who can convey 1000 words and the image of the wheels furiously turning in his head with one glance while his back is turned to his prey.

I like that they've paired him with Eileen who is always falling for the wrong fella, this being one of the worst. Yes, she's being played for a massive fool and she's going to pay for it. It was even better having Todd involved in the storyline Fantastic!


I can't wait to see what happens next.


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More Kylie Speculation

I blogged here, speculating on how Kylie will die. I'll admit, and it was obvious, that my guesses were all in fun. This time, I'm using my imagination and educated guesses based on soap cliches and laws.

Let me say right here and now, I have absolutely no idea how Kylie will die. ITV are being very cagey about it, even in future spoilers. I do wish they hadn't spoiled that she was going to die at all but they did and cats that are out of the bag cannot be put back in.

Soaps follow a pattern, and there are clues you can follow if you want to guess what's going to happen. There's the Phrase of Doom where someone expresses hope for the future, or how happy they are, or how happy they are together and will be together forever. Uh oh. That's it, they're doomed. Something's going to happen and it isn't going to be pretty.

If someone faints, they're usually pregnant. All sorts of situations that are unusual pop up which are out of character or out of the ordinary. You can bet they're contrived as a means to an end, like when the manhole was introduced to the annex and it was then obvious that was where Callum was going to end up.  That brings me to my speculation on Kylie's death.

It wasn't surprising that Callum's druggie sidekick Macca showed up at his funeral. But since then, he and his ne'er do well brother, Clayton, have been mithering Gemma in the kebab shop. Since she hasn't been out of touch with them all along, mentioning nights at the Dog and Gun frequently where she's probably seen them, they would have known where she was working in all likelihood. Why show up now? Because somehow, their presence is going to contribute to Kylie's death. Soap cliche/law says so.

Kylie's been feeling more and more guilty about the effects that her killing Callum has had on her family. Sarah's had a breakdown. Bethany has been bullied and hasn't been coping well trying to keep it to herself. She's now living in the annex where they stashed Callum's body and feeling unsettled. Even little Max seems to be out of sorts though he said he wasn't bothered that Callum had died. Guilt, upon guilt is weighing heavily on her shoulders.

I don't think she's going to commit suicide. She wouldn't leave her family on purpose again. One idea I had was that she might turn to drugs and accidentally overdose, drugs she could get from Macca but that doesn't quite ring true either.

I think this is what will happen. I think Macca and his brother will threaten Gemma in some way,  or possibly David, because Gemma still suspects David was the one that killed Callum. That scenario actually makes more sense because there really doesn't seem to be a reason the thugs would be out to kill Gemma at this point.  There will be weapons or violence involved and Kylie will get in the middle of it, defending David and get killed by one of them. Possibly it could be one of the men attempting to run David down with a vehicle and Kylie pushing him out of the way.  It is possible that last scenario could happen without the intervention of the "Chuckle Brothers" and Kylie could be pushing David out of the way of a generic car or bus but the interviews and media are saying it's something we've never seen on a soap before.

I'm skeptical about that point, and even Kylie dying while defending or saving David isn't really new but it's the only scenario that really works considering the introduction of the two scallys.

We don't have long to wait. Any other guesses?



Tvor (Twitter @tvordlj)
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Speculation Street: How Will Kylie Die?

Now that the spoilers have hit the media about Paula Lane's exit and the death of Kylie Platt, the speculation begins. I'm kind of ticked-off that ITV decided to spoil this one. I really did think she'd end up having to go to jail but I suppose if the actress was not planning to return, they couldn't have her away for life. Her crime wasn't killing Callum, that was self defence, but the treatment of the body afterwards, that's the biggie.

Logically, you couldn't see Kylie leaving David and her kids again, not permanently and since we haven't been told that Jack P. Shepherd was leaving, it was also a given that it would be only her leaving the show. Death is probably the only possibility, then. But I still wish ITV had kept that as a surprise.

My imaginative guess: There have been rumours for months that Callum really isn't dead in spite of all the statements from ITV and the actor himself to the contrary. But maybe Callum really is alive. Maybe Callum lurches around a corner just as Kylie and David and family are loading up into the cab that's going to take them to their new start in Barbados, points a gun at her and kills her. I don't think we've seen that before, a supposed dead character return to kill someone. Returning from the dead has been done but not quite like this.

My absolutely stupid guess: Ok, just for fun, here's another one that's really stretching credibility. Nick has another psychotic episode and strangles Kylie. Since he has brain damage, no real motive is needed and he isn't responsible for his actions. He will only spend some time sectioned in a hospital in the room next to Sarah with Gail drifting woefully between the rooms of her two children.

What's your theory?


Tvor (Twitter @tvordlj)


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Let's talk about Corrie's Sophie and Kate

Cross posted from State of the Street, with permission

Sophie Webster turns 21 today and as of tonight's episode, owns a share of the garage. Let's forget for the moment, the complexities of who owns what of the business. Sophie has been lingering behind the counter of the corner shop for years now and many fans have continually bemoaned the fact that she's lost any ambition. She was a bright little spark in school and was in college when it all fell apart. The aftermath of the tram crash had its effects on her life and she definitely seemed to be experiencing post-traumatic stress.

To remind you: Her mother had just recently recovered from breast cancer. The aftermath of the tram crash revealed that her father had an affair with Molly Dobbs and fathered a child with her, a child his best friend and business partner thought was his. When Sally found out, the marriage collapsed. The media tends to use the word "reeling" to the point of it being meaningless most of the time, but in this case, Sophie really was reeling in the aftermath and found it difficult to focus on school. Her girlfriend at the time, Sian, became impatient after a while and Sophie soon left school altogether, to work in the corner shop.

Since then, she's been coasting. We fans have been frustrated that she never went back to school or done something more with her life like travel. I think she tends to be snappish, rude or "mardy" because she's probably not really that happy but now, as a part business owner, maybe this will be the making of Sophie Webster. I think it could be. She'll have those men whipped into shape in no time and have that garage running smoothly and efficiently. At the risk of sounding cliched... Go, girl!

We don't know much about Kate Connor yet, but what I've seen of her so far, I like. She's cheeky, she's a bit spoiled and she's a Daddy's girl, She seems to have a lot on the ball, a fairly good judge of character and quick to size someone up to find their strengths and weaknesses. She sure had Beth pegged when she had a bit of fun flirting with Kirk!

It strikes me that she and her father are very alike, which is probably why they are close. She and her brother have affection but also have that sibling rivalry, a little sister always taking digs at her big brother, knowing exactly how to wind him up. I think she'd defend him fiercely if the situation called for it.

I'm looking forward to meeting Caz, her fiancee and seeing how that relationship dynamic works. Since Sophie is gay as well, the chances are that the Powers That Be are going to throw a romantic triangle in there somehow. Caz is in the military and is away a lot so perhaps that's the sticking point in that couple and Kate will find herself lonely and looking for company. While it does sound like a typical soap cliche, I think there might be potential in a Sophie-Kate partnership.

What I don't like about soaps is that these things are often thrown together. If this is going to happen, I'd like it to develop slowly. Kate is a few years older than Sophie but not a lot, like Jenna was. I think the two of them could be really good friends and I would like to see it start there and not turn into a romance for awhile. A much longer while than soaps usually play things. I'll probably be disappointed in that wish.

But you know, putting them together just might work anyway. Maybe Kate can give Sophie her sense of humour back. They're young and Kate, at least, clearly knows how to have fun and Sophie has needed that for a very long time. I don't think Sophie and Maddie had that. They always seemed so serious and earnest. It felt like Sophie always took care of Maddie who was younger and vulnerable after a rough upbringing. They were a sweet couple but I think Sophie and Kate could be really good together, as grownups, on a more equal footing. Probably the first relationship of that type since Sophie was with her best mate, Sian.

Right, then. It's very early days and this new relationship may or may not come to pass but at this point, this is me coming out in support of it, if it happens. Sophie has been floundering and I think her time has come. I think I could learn to like Sophie a lot and I already like Kate.

Bring it on.

Tvor (Twitter @tvordlj)

Deirdre: A Life on Coronation Street - official ITV tribute to a true soap icon. Available here.

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Tony Stewart to leave the Corrie cobbles

While it hasn't been officially announced that Terence Maynard is leaving the show, the Manchester Evening News has photos of his leaving do at a Greek restaurant in Manchester last night with some of the Corrie men.

The news piece does say that ITV had confirmed that he had his last day filming on Friday. It seems Tony's exit will be related in some way to the storyline that saw he and Tracy Barlow try to take over the Rovers under Liz's nose.

There have been rumours that Tony and Liz reunite but there has also been speculation that Liz draws Tony in just to get her hands on his share of the pub again before banishing him altogether. I can see that happening.

Another school of speculation has Tony being banged up for Callum's death. Tony's fingerprints and DNA may still be on the burned out car and Tony was the builder responsible for filling in the manhole, sealing in the deceased Callum. But would the Platts let someone else take the blame? I think David would!

It's all speculation at this point but it seems that Tony Stewart won't see the year out on the Street, one way or the other, since the cast have begun filming the Christmas episodes this week.

You can see Terence Maynard in Aladdin at the Sunderland Empire this Christmas. Here's a full list of current and past cast members in pantomimes this year.


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Is Callum Logan a dead man walking?

This custody storyline has really overstayed its welcome, not that it was all that welcome in the first place but due to Paula Lane's maternity leave, scenes had to be filled somehow. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought Callum was only trying to get regular access not full custody of Max but the dialogue lately seems to imply that David and Kylie could lose Max altogether. I probably did miss something along the way when I was distracted by something else while these scenes aired.

Be that as it may, now that Kylie's back, the storyline has been moving ahead a bit more. David and Kylie are trying desperately to find ways of exposing Callum's evil ways so they don't lose Max to him. I really can't understand how Callum is able to pretend he has a job or owns a security business without proof. He is a known drug dealer. He hangs out in a dodgey pub where drug dealers and takers frequent. Wouldn't there be some sort of investigation into his life if he's trying to get custody of a child?

Never mind. Bethany has seen the truth but she seems willing to let her mother date a drug dealer rather than have to move back to Italy. That really seems to be beyond the realms of probability given that Bethany and Sarah do seem to be close or were before hormone poisoning took over the teenager. This will probably be the detail that is used to expose Callum in the long run but before that... what's going to happen?

My theory: (and I have absolutely no knowledge of where this story is going, this is pure speculation, one of my favourite sports!)

In the world of soaps, the bad guy never wins. I think Callum is going to get custody or joint custody but he's going to turn up dead before Max moves in with him. In true soap tradition of late, the wrong person will be arrested and be on trial for the crime, probably David Platt or possibly Kylie. I think David is the more likely, though. I imagine that Callum's drug crimes will come out during the trial.

I speculate that the real killer will be Gemma Winter, Callum's cohort. The other one, Macca, is too dozy and drugged out to be the killer (though I get a kick out of him!), I think, but Gemma? She's more than capable and she has a fear of Callum, too. It could be self defence in a confrontation.

Nobody will be sorry to see the back of Callum but I think the actress that plays Gemma is great!

If it doesn't play out this way, how do you think the custody story will end? (aside from "soon, please")



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Will Faye throw the baby out with the bathwater?

(reposted from State of the Street with Permission)

Now, I'm not saying Faye should throw the baby out with the bathwater, not literally. But the suggestion has been brought up that the paternal grandparents take baby Miley and raise her themselves. Jackson's parents seem to be implying that Jackson also doesn't really care a lot and that they'd be doing all the work, much like Anna is in the Windass flat.

From the time she found out she was pregnant to this date, Faye really didn't want anything to do with the baby. She planned to have Craig leave the baby at the hospital doors anonymously so nobody would have to know she ever gave birth but it didn't work out that way (much to Craig's relief). Anna has been doing her best to support Faye and encourage her to bond with the baby but it's clearly been of no use. Anna's tired, stressed and angry and Faye is indifferent which only makes Anna more tired, stressed and angry. Something's got to give.

And give it did, at the christening and Tim realized that Faye really can't handle parenthood. He intially resisted the Hodges' suggestion that they take the baby but he sees Anna at the end of her tether and he knows how Faye feels. Tim would hate to give up the baby because he's besotted and isn't it a grand thing to see him so over the moon about little Miley? I love it! He would never let that baby go unless he was guaranteed to be a continuing part of her life.

This week, Anna will talk to the Hodges and Faye will be told what's going on. Anna is Faye's legal guarding but if Faye, as the baby's registered mother, wants to let the baby's father's family bring her up, I'm not sure Anna can stop it from happening. I'm really mystified why we haven't seen hide nor hair of Social Services since that one visit after the birth. They knew then that Faye was uncertain and you'd think they'd be following up. I hate when that sort of thing might be happening but it's in the background and we viewers know nothing about it. There's been no scenes, no references, nothing.

Never mind. I don't know at this date whether Faye will give the baby up or if she'll realize at the last minute that she does want the baby after all. I haven't seen any sign of it at all. There have been no secretive looks, no loving smiles when nobody's looking, and Faye has been resentful and impatient whenever she's had to be in charge of the baby for any reason. I really want this storyline to be different. I really want Faye to say to Anna, I do not want this child and I cannot care for her. Take her away.

I want Miley to be brought up by the Hodges. I do want Faye to see the baby, have visits and such and when she's older and more mature, she will grow to love the baby even if she's not the primary caregiver. That's ok. I don't want this to descend into a sentimental schmaltzy heart rending sobbing at the idea of giving the baby away and see Faye clutching the child out of Mama Hodge's arms with Anna looking triumphantly smug.

We'll know soon enough.


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Be afraid, Tony, be very afraid

(Originally posted on State of the Street. Reposted with permission)

Did you see the way Tracy took that yob out the other night? He sold off stolen goods, fancy countertop mixers, and when Tony told her they were stolen, somehow she got hold of the seller and told him she wanted her money back. He wasn't about to and she provoked him into roughing her up. If that had been Todd, he'd have given the man the keys to the kingdom and run away screaming but not our Tracy.

It pains me to admit it, but I had to admire her. She's not afraid of anyone much less a posturing little toerag like this guy. She's brought down bigger and badder men that that with a blunt instrument and she used another one, her knee, to reduce this one to a snivelling muppet. Tony set the whole thing up. as we discovered, and his plan was to be the hero, saving Tracy from a dire fate worse than death. But there she was, all red lippy and defiance flashing in her eye and his plan went south. You can't really rescue a dame that can hold her own in the ring and yours in her handbag.

Tony's just going to have to get his hands on her business some other way but if I was him, I'd rethink that plan. He might think he's not stupid enough to fall for any of her tricks but he doesn't know Tracy Barlow like we do. She may end up allowing him to own part of the business so that she doesn't go bankrupt and she may end up coercing him into her bed so that she's not cold at night, but I reckon Tracy will get the upper hand in the end, don't you?


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My Corrie predictions for 2015

(This was posted on State of the Street. Posted here with permission)

I love to speculate on what might happen on Corrie. Some of it is based on standard soap plots but some speculation is based on pure, off the wall predictions. So, just for fun, here's what *could* happen on Coronation Street in 2015:

Nick and Carla get together and surprisingly, it's a really good match. After all, he's not a rapist, he's not a murderer, he's not cheating on anyone else (that is, if Erica is out of the picture. I don't think that's going to be anything long term). I think Nick has enough of both arrogance and sympathy to work well with Carla's personality.

Kylie gets her life back together, perhaps after a rehab stint or a stay with Becky to get her head and body straight. I think someone will find her working in a run down caff or pub somewhere, maybe in Weatherfield or maybe somewhere else like Liverpool or Sheffield or Leeds, perhaps Eva or even David himself. She'll be pregnant with David's child, she'd have left on Christmas Day not realizing she was pregnant so will be about 6 months along, depending on how long Paula Lane's maternity leave is. She will eventually prove to him that she's left the old life behind. David will take her back for the children's sake and the new baby, a boy.

Julie and Dev marry, with Mary's blessing, having gone through a rough patch of adjustment with Julie and Mary at odds. Mary moves into the corner shop flat, finally getting a home and Julie works in the corner shop which puts Sophie's nose out of joint.

Maddy decides to go back to school to make something of her life. Sally approves. Sophie gets jealous and stroppy when Maddy makes new friends and finds out she's really good at her classwork. Sophie spends all her time sulking. No change there, then.

If Sean can keep control of his jealousy and insecurity, he and Billy might just have a chance at happiness but it won't be smooth sailing. Billy's church will have objections and it will be difficult for Sean to accept that Billy's committment to the church will be at least as important as his personal life, probably moreso. Emily will be Billy and Sean's champion in spite of her own personal misgivings because she still believes everyone has a right to love whom they choose. Instead of a tree, Auntie Em climbs the church bell tower in protest, hanging a rainbow banner off the belfry.

The real Gavin is either already dead from the heart ailment or will show up and be a real wrong'un, full of resentment and contempt for his father. The Gavin we have now will admit he pretended at first as a joke but got tangled up in the situation and grew to really like the Platt family, and Michael's heart condition is making it even harder to admit he was an imposter. Either situation causes Michael to collapse but luckily, he's able to get a heart transplant. He survives and marries Gail. The real Gavin will try to push out the fake one and will treat Michael and Gail badly, perhaps trying to rip them off but the fake Gavin will prove to be the real hero.

Sarah Lou and Bethany will return from Italy. Bethany will be as all the young teens are that are new to the street and be a real handful, spoiled and contemptuous of this little back street neighbourhood after the glamourous life in Milan. She's going to be 15 this year so is just the right age to have the boys drooling. Craig has a crush but she makes a beeline for Zeedan, who, in spite of her not being Muslim, finds himself in the same boat as his father and sister.

Sarah will cut a swath through a lot of men and will be a Tracy Barlow clone. She'll set her sights on Luke, Gavin, Gary (probably just a one night stand), and will be entangled in one love triangle after another. Maria will be yet again dumped after Sarah and Luke have a go.

Tracy will continue to pull Tony's chain and end up in a full affair. When Liz finds out, there will be hell to pay. Deirdre will return and will finally stand up to Tracy and not make excuses for her anymore. Ken will sigh and retreat to the library.

Katy leaves the Street, looking for a life. Alya's knicker designs are a huge hit and she and Carla become very successful partners. Yasmeen becomes a good friend to Roy, offering a supportive shoulder. Roy starts to pick up the pieces of his life and even, finally, gets his driving license as Hayley always wanted.

Fiz returns and we find out that looking after Cilla has driven her to drink. She struggles with booze addiction until one of the children is injured because she was drunk and neglectful. This finally pulls her up and she admits she has a problem.


Mary will meet a rather odd binman, a tall, thin men who keeps muttering about how things keep coming around full circle. He has a particular fondness for hanging around outside Freshcos, looking longingly in through the windows, that is, when he's not looking up at the stars. He and Mary have a connection, based on their eccentric outlook on life and fondness for trivia. She lets him live in her campervan since she's now living in the shop flat. She finally convinces him to come into the pub one night and he's recognized by a number of people. It's Curly!

Steve hits bottom after the van crash and finally starts getting help. Michelle is so ashamed at how she treated Steve that she runs away to Ireland (we can only hope!). Chesney and Sinead die of boredom. So do Lloyd and Andrea. Unless Andrea and Steve have a fling, Andrea being much more fun than Michelle but far less unstable than Becky.

How about you, dear readers? Let us know what you think will happen in the coming year!


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Is Gavin a Corrie good guy or a bad'un?

This was posted on The State of the Street and is reposted here with permission.

It was pretty clear that Gavin Rodwell  was going to be a wrong'un of some sort. Soaps are not produced to have happy reunions and happily ever after, especially for a family like the Platts. Yes, at the moment, I'm including Michael in that family.  Here on the Coronation Street blog, a couple of people have made comments guessing that Gavin isn't really Michael's son.

They were right.

Not only is he not of Michael's DNA, as in, Michael's ex had an unfortunately timed affair, but  this man that calls himself Gavin Rodwell is someone else entirely. That is a brilliant twist! Has it been done before? Of course it has. But I still like the idea. And thinking about it, there had already been signs.

"Gavin", when questioned about his mother, was very cagey, changing the subject. Obviously, if he wasn't the real Gavin, he wouldn't know much or anything at all about Michael's ex. Gavin was touted by his ex-girlfriend, the manager of the wine bar, as being a dab hand with cocktails but the man we saw on our screens didn't know his martinis from his cosmopolitans.

He seemed reluctant to get too close to Michael. On the surface, that could have been attributed to a son, long abandoned by a father, who wasn't so sure he was ready to forgive but in reality, it's actually a man who doesn't want anyone to get to close lest they discover he's not who he says he is.

We know he's not Gavin, now. Gavin's travelling and out of touch somewhere. Could this man be a roommate, a good friend, a cousin or half brother perhaps, or even a partner? He seems to live at the flat and Gavin's mail is arriving there because we saw the man looking at it the other night. This man is unemployed and it sounded like he was looking for money but then he looked embarassed to take Michael and Gail's offering.

He even seems like a nice bloke, so far. There's been none of those private sneers or satisfied smirks when nobody's looking.

Here's what I think: Maybe he's been scoping Michael out on behalf of Gavin, perhaps trying to protect his friend from someone that he thought might have been insincere or out to fleece Gavin and now realizes that Michael is the real thing and maybe not the monster that Gavin has always thought he was.  He actually seemed quite worried when he found out about the heart condition and tried anxiously to get hold of Gavin. That felt like the concern of someone who is close.

I applaud The Powers That Be for revealing this straight away rather than letting us stew for a couple of months. Now we get to watch the oncoming train knowing the bridge is out and there's nothing we can do to stop the derailment. Let's just hope this doesn't deal Michael that heart attack he's got floating around the edges before he gets his heart  condition sorted!


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Speculation on Tina's demise

Oh, I do so like to speculate when a major plot is up and coming. I know the publicity machine surrounding Tina's death is skidding into overdrive, but Coronation Street isn't the only television show guilty of that by a long shot. I can easily ignore that and focus on the story and lead up itself.

With that in mind, I have some serious thought on what the outcome of this "mystery" might be, from the sublime to the ridiculous even if you think the culprit is already a given.

Is it going to be premediated? I'm leaning towards accidental, myself and not "murder" at all. Is there an "expendable crew member"?  It's all in fun, right?

Read more here and find out how I think this is going to play out.


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