Tonight's episode, or how I fell back in love with Corrie

Tonight was the first episode I had seen since the night John fell off the roof of Weatherfield General, I stopped watching the show for a week, as I didn't feel like the show had anything for me (also for coverage of the Electronic Entertainment Expo over in L.A.).

Everything about tonight's Corrie contained everything I loved about the show from the second half of last year - sunny streets, sunny people, drama and the show looking nice and cinematic.

I think Graeme's exit was perfect, for such a warm character it feels only right that he left under a bright blue sky, with all his errors forgiven. Was also good to have a mention of poor 'Ash', or Ashley to me and you, and to hear the history of Graeme and his days at the Casa Del Platt.

Farewell Graeme!

Double wedding, double fiasco?

The Wedding of the ...er...week is nearly upon us. Next Friday will see us waiting with bated breath at the registry office along with two grooms, wondering if their brides will show up. In David's case, it just might be true because Gail has offered her daughter-in-law to be £1000 to dump Dave and get out of Weatherfield.

Xin will show up, because she badly wants to stay in the country but will the wedding go through? Will Graeme's innate honesty let him take those vows? Will Norris, who's discovered the secret, be the objector when the Registrar says "Does anyone here ...." ?

Tony Stewart has an interview with Michelle Keegan and Craig Gazey in the Mirror. Michelle says it's Tina that's getting the collywobbles and Craig says Graeme is scared witless he'll get caught and go down for the illegal scam!

Here's what's wrong with Graeme and Xin

Monday night's episodes showcased more cringingly awkward scenes with Graeme and Xin trying to get their stories straight under the sharp and calculating glare of Inspector Norris Clouseau. Again, I shuddered watching the actors lurch through the scenes and I wondered if they're supposed to be playing it so badly or if the actors just can't deal with the awfulness of the plot? Here's what I think. What's your opinion, dear readers?

Nosy Norris nixes nuptials?

Norris is already suspicious about Graeme and Xin's speedy romance, as we saw on Monday night during that preposterous dinner party.  It says here that Norris will get to the bottom of the scheme and find out the wedding is an immigration scam.

So what will happen? Will Norris stop the wedding? Will Tina, who also goes to the wedding to stop Norris telling, prevent the wedding from happening? Will Graeme and Xin themselves fess up and walk away from it all? I'm not sure I really care but having Norris more involved might make the rest of this story somewhat interesting. The wedding is set to take place on the same day as David and Kylie's wedding, April 8.

Graeme and Xin and Tina

I've got a few problems with the current Graeme/Tina/Xin triangle.

Firstly, I agree that the wedding probably won't happen as it's currently being talked about, because Corrie won't want to be seen condoning something so illegal, especially when it involves a much-loved character like Graeme. Secondly, I think it's a shame that it's likely to be Craig Gazey's last big story. Thirdly, although I am all for a more ethnically-diverse Corrie cast, I don't like the way that Xin has gone from being a literal nobody to a somebody within a short space of time. Fourthly, when did Tina become such a harridan?

I loved Tina and thought she was a breath of fresh air when she first came around. I think the actress is amazing and I loved Tina's scenes with Joe and her dealing with Joe's death. But a few months ago she started wearing her hair in a high ponytail and it seems like a personality change came with that, along with her new job in the Rovers. I don't like Tina anymore and I wish she was leaving instead of Graeme.

I thought the break up scene last night between Graeme and Tina in the pub was laughable. Xin, for instance, didn't join in, which I found unrealistic, and she was smiling the entire time, which I didn't think was helpful. Graeme was on the verge of laughter too, although I couldn't work out if that was Craig corpsing or not.

I think that the rumours about Graeme and Tina breaking up for good are probably true, especially given Graeme's jibe about her dad, which may just be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

Corrie's double wedding scam

It looks like this new Chinese character, Xin Chiang, is going to end up marrying Graeme Proctor in a fake wedding scam to get her a visa.  There's tabloid reports today that Xin ties the knot Graeme so she can get a visa - even though he's the boyfriend of her best friend, Tina.

Xin and Graeme get married alongside tearaways David Platt and Kylie Turner in scenes airing on Coronation Street this spring.

The paparazzi picture, left, shows filming of Xin's wedding although that lovely anorak is an accessory we won't see on screen.