Double gays! My two favourite Corrie writers, Damon Alexis Rochefort and Jonathan Harvey, wrote tonight's episode, the main story of which is Corrie's first gay wedding. I think we can say gay, can't we, rather than same-sex? We've never seen Billy or Paul snog a lady like that Marcus did.
Anyway, Billy said on Friday (Wednesday) that it was going to be a perfect day, which of course made me think Monday'd be a disaster but it all goes off smoothly and there's even a surprise second wedding at St Mary's, where Shelly's funeral was filmed. Presumably the church did a 2 for 1 filming deal, there's even 2 members of the gospel choir who've been hanging about for a week in order to do Paul's fave song, Oh Happy Day. Other musical numbers are a John Lewis advert version of YMCA at the Bistro ceremony and some PRS to Jimmy Somerville.
Not sure about the guest list though - where's Mary? Surely she'd want to attend the Street's first gay wedding? Plus she's Billy's friend, she knows him better than the Alahans - unless Asha and Nina are there to represent the LGBTQ crew, especially since Sean seems to have been disinvited. It's all good though, the bishop doesn't turn up in a Lady Whiteadder type way and Paul doesn't collapse and die at the wedding. The only homophobic fly in the gay ointment is that Summer drops one of the polaroids she's taken at the wedding in the church (this is why we should stay digital and not go all retro-futuristic), which I guess is gonna lead to Billy being demoted from Arch-deacon or even leaving the church? There's always a job in packing :-)
In other "romantic" news, Aadi has smashed a hole in the door of the kebab shop with his snowglobe and everyone runs around all episode trying to apologise to him rather than him apologising to his dad for being a brat? Unless he's covering for Courtney. Isn't this story just a repeat of when Asha moved out to live with Corey? Although Ms Scouse McBoobs hasn't killed anyone (yet). Dev is very funny in his scenes, from taking the p out of Gen Z ("Eyebrows have been banned because raising them might be triggering") to offering "thoughts and prayers" to the policeman whose "missus has gone plant-based" and offering him free kebabs "within reason".
Talking of Corey, it seems we have a new contender for Hoodlum Of The Year competition now that Max is a good lad again. Mason, who we last saw harassing Ryan at the precinct, is now picking on Liam for being asthmatic. Seems like a charmer. We later find out that he stole Tyrone's car and knocked over Eliza but he makes Dylan and Liam say he was with them. Not sure why Liam is hanging around with Mason to be honest; there's a bit of age gap given that Liam is 14 and Mason is about 25.
The stolen car storyline causes issues in the Dobbs-Plummer household as Ty and Dame Maureen accuse Cassie of nicking the car and she reacts by getting drunk in the community garden and Kevin has to take her back to his to sleep it off. I would like to see Abi's reaction if she thinks someone's messing with her man.
Finally, some stuff with Boring Stu and Eliza. Yasmeen has returned and finds out Dom is now Eliza's social services-approved guardian. Thought she'd be pleased, tbh.
Rachel Stevenson - on twitter and bluesky. Also on mastodon but no-one looks at that any more, do they?
