Anyway, Gazza's run of ruin was never gonna last forever and D.I. Welsh Chris O'Dowd, along with his sharp eyebrowed but silent partner, turns up to re-question Gangsta Gary. Posh Paula is Gary's solicitor, presumably because she has another storyline* in this ep. Not only do the cops know he's a loan shark but also start talking about his involvement with Rick Neelan.
Meanwhile the Widow Milligan turns up at Winter Wonderland (is Michael going to recoup his investment now it's a crime scene?), bumps into Izzy and tells her that Degsy never owned the factory and was in debt to a loan shark. Izzy puts two and two together and makes 56, and she backs up Dr Ali's story when he winds up Gar in the Rovers re: his less than legal activities. Maria defends her boyf, but back in the flat he confesses to her, just to the loan sharkery, not the murder or the factory ownership switcheroo (or the roof job). He justifies his "job" by saying that he makes loans to people whom banks won't lend to (um, credit unions?) and that he's no worse than a payday loan company (they don't usually go around beating people up though). Maria puts two and two together and makes minus four, posthumously accusing Rick of sabotaging the roof to ruin Gary's reputation after Gary didn't pay him back. Gary strikes back, telling Maria that Dr Ali is addicted to diazepam, but Maria does the first sensible thing she's done in ages and chucks him out.
* Tracy turns up at the solicitors to get a work placement for Amy (isn't it the school hols?) and Paula agrees to take her on. I "wonder" where this is going.
Talking of bad 'uns, Rotten Ray takes control over the Bistro and promptly loses his best waiter. Well, he loses a waiter, as Ryan resigns. Fay(e) and Bethany stay on the staff, as do several extras, although they don't seem to have a chef, unless Fay(e) is going to be making pot noodles in the back? Ray has decided he's going to launch on NY Eve, much to Jenny's annoyance as she's already put up some clipart-heavy flyers, advertising the first hour of drinks free (as long as you turn up at 6 p.m. - everyone's going to be asleep or punching one another by midnight). Ray goes one further and says free drinks all night and donations to a cancer charity. Is Ray a long term character or is he going to leave in disgrace in a coupla months and Carla (or someone) will become the new Bistro owner?
Things are still a bit weird between Tim and Sal and Tyrone is still in the doghouse with Fiz. Kev meanwhile has no such woman troubles (yet) and arranges an evening watching banger racing. Ty and Abi and Jenny tease him about his Tom Selleck-esque 'tash and Abi persuades him to go t'pub with her rather than the motorsports, but then when she finds out what he's given up, she changes her mind, to Kev's consternation. He needs to quickly regrow the moustache and attach some mistletoe to it.
Oh and Shona's still in a coma, now and for the next nine months, presumably.
Happy New Year to all!
Rachel Stevenson - personal blog
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