State of the Street - January 2011

How hypocritical is Kevin? Sheesh! He gets all pissy that Tyrone was (he thinks) shagging Sally after what he did? Even if it had happened and even if it was a revenge shag, so what? I doubt it would have made anyone feel any better about the whole thing but it's none of Kevin's business. It's been awful watching these two be so horrible to each other, real "War of the Websters" stuff. Even worse seeing them hurl insults at each other in front of the girls, no matter that they are or nearly are grown up, it still has to hurt them and neither Kevin nor Sally seems to consider them.

But you know, it's fun, (because it's a soap) watching them insult each other and tear each other to bits and play tricks to get one up on each other and Yes!!! Kevin finally threw Ian Davenport back at Smug Sally after all these years!! She didn't admit it, though, kept to the story that nothing happened, lied like a real pro but they both knew the truth.

Some might say that Sally's reaction to Sophie and Sian having a shag shows that she's still not completely accepting of their relationship. But you know what? Sophie is 16. Remember Sally marching a 15 year old Rosie down the street to the clinic for a morning after pill? She had just as bad a reaction to Rosie having straight sex at a very young age. At least Sophie doesn't have to worry about getting pregnant!

Of course Tracy is going to blame Becky, it'll cause the most trouble. Naturally Ken is going to question her motives and it's clear that Deirdre wouldn't even think of considering that Tracy was lying. All so she would then be able to wail "Oh Tracy!!!" I had Claire pegged as Tracy's attacker pretty early on. There were too many "random" encounters between them with Tracy really being insensitive, arrogant and downright nasty to Claire with no respect at all for Claire's bereavement.

Claire always did have a temper that often got her into trouble so i'm not surprised at all she'd lash out. Not sure she should have been shown escaping her bail and high tailing it to France, though, but surely the police could easily find out where her mother moved and figure out where she went? I thorougly enjoyed Ken pointing out that most of the people on the Street dislike Tracy and Becky telling her that half of them helped Claire escape. None of that means anything to Tracy, though, like water off a duck's back. She probably thrives on people hating her!

Anyway Claire is gone now and though it does seem like contrary to Soap Law that she gets away with it, it wasn't an intentional assault and there's always the chance that the police would have dropped the charges or dismissed them. It's also a bit of a plot hole that she figures she's home free in France when they could very easily find her mother and thus, find her and bring her back. I guess we have to suspend disbelief on this one. 

Slick Nick is sinking to new lows...As many selfish things as he's done in the past, he's drifting into moustache twirling territory now. Poor old Peter at the mercy of his insecurities and Nick's "friendship". But Ciaran has a pretty good idea what's going on, now will he manage to get through to Peter and/or Leanne or will Ciaran be banished? I wonder if Simon catching Peter has make him realize. I don't think he's been drinking since then, or at least, i don't think they've shown it.

It was bad enough John was having the jitters over Charlotte's murder but then Colin's mother dies on him too. He finally felt compelled to confess to Joy but he held her spray away and put his hand over her mouth so she couldn't scream and then she died! Another Fishwick pops their clogs. Where's a knicker factory with a hole in the floor when you need one? I have to say though, Graeme Hawley was astonishingly good in the throes of a breakdown, little by little he broke apart as it ate at him, inch by inch. John always makes it more difficult than it has to be. Definite sign of him falling apart, he can't even lie with logic anymore. Not that he ever really could. The only way to save John's character now is to send him into the psych ward. He'll be unfit for trial and probably can get off on temporary insanity.

From starting off as a really boring character, they've made John into something a bit more interesting. At least it's enjoyable watching the storyline. (Well, *I* have enjoyed it anyway) And Graeme Hawley is hitting it out of the ball park with his performances.

There's Maria getting in with another nutjob. Thing is, even though she was warned, Chris is very good at a first impression. I'm sure Cheryl knows that all too well. Men like that never show their true colours until they've got you well and truly under their thumb. I hate to see Maria going through that but I think Maria has enough gumption to get out before it gets too awful. I hope.

Is Eileen the new Vera?

After reading some of the comments on this post on t'other blog, I got thinking about Eileen a bit more.

Nurse Florence Ganderpoke remarked that Eileen could be both nasty and nice, which is very true. What suddenly struck me was that there are some similarities between her personality and that of Vera Duckworth. You might not think so initially. After all her life has been very different to Vera's.

Eileen has two sons that she would defend to the death but she also isn't blind to their shortcomings. Vera always seemed to be in denial about Terry's bad side most of the time. But like Vera, Eileen has played housemother to various lodgers, generously opening her home to them. Vera took in Curly and also, later on, Tyrone and Sean has been a mainstay in Eileen's house for years. Eileen has also taken in other waifs and strays, usually girlfriends of Jason's and the occasional boyfriend of Sean's.

Eileen has a generous side, too. But she can also be bitter and grumpy, and yes, nasty. Vera was much the same way. She could insult a friend and neighbour as quickly as blink at them, she could turn on someone she'd previously been close to, and she'd quickly lash out in self defence. Yet Vera had a lot of sympathy in her heart for people that deserved it. I recall when she encountered Steve on the street just after Karen had a miscarraige and then went off the deep end at Tracy and she gathered him in her arms for a hug when he told her.

Vera and Eileen are both very loyal to the ones they love even if they criticise them, too. Eileen has been unlucky in love and Vera might say she was too but we all know she loved Jack, really, but he let her down a lot over the years just the same.

Both women are strong and every time they get knocked back, they get back up and keep on at it. Both are/were pessimistic and tended to have more of a negative outlook on life than a positive one.

Of course there are more differences than similarities, I suppose, but the nasty/nice combination struck me as very much like Vera was.

Political Incorrectness

With the news this week that Peter Barlow is apparently going to attack Nick in revenge for the affair with Leanne, people are cheering him on. Nick has been manipulative and sneaky, he persued Leanne until he wore her down and then encouraged Peter to drink to get Leanne to leave him. Lower than a snake's belly in a pothole, that! So in the realms of tv land, Nick deserves it.

Not in reality, of course. But it also got me thinking.... what about Leanne? She may have been persuaded but she participated fully in the affair. It's politically incorrect and morally wrong for Peter to put a physical pasting on her for her betrayal.  Men aren't supposed to hit girls! You don't see that on tv, not often anyway and not on a soap. The most you ever see is a slap unless it's a storyline about spousal abuse and the culprit is very much not cheered on.

So why is it that it's ok for Peter (or any man in a similar situation on a soap) to be seen going all postal on the Other Man when he's been just as betrayed by his wife/girlfriend yet it's ok for a woman to scratch and slap and wallop the Other Woman or the husband/boyfriend, too, when the opposite situation happens? 

I'm not saying it should be ok, either. Far from it. Violence is never a correct response though sometimes it's understandable why people lash out. But why can't Peter find a way to put Nick through the public humiliation he deserves instead? Ruin his reputation, turn his Mummy and Gran against him and give David another reason to cackle at his brother's misfortune. Even Ken would huff "Violence isn't the answer, Peter!!"

And you know, if Nick had stopped at the affair and not stirred the pot with his utterly reprehensible plan to lure Peter, an alcoholic, back down into the bottle, maybe it wouldn't have turned violent, or just a routine punch up in the Rovers, done and dusted like most people do.

Apparently there *will* be humiliation for Leanne. I think. Another spoiler tells us that there will be a wedding, and they've been filming it this week. However, I also thought I read something awhile back that Peter blows Leanne out of the water at the altar and reveals the affair to everyone. Far more PC with humiliation served up like a grand finale. I don't know if it's a real spoiler or a tabloid-made-up one but I can see it happening. It's standard Soap Opera stuff, jilting at the altar.

If it happens, I'm going to say "Poor Leanne" but *only* because the woman has had more than her share of being publically humiliated over the years. She always bounces back but how much can one girl take? That's the only reason i'd have any sympathy for her because she shouldn't get off scot free. She was in the wrong as well.

If there was any justice, I would have been far happier to see Leanne rip Nick a new one instead. I doubt Peter will kill Nick or even go too far, more than a few blows before someone interrupts the rampage which is apparently going to take place in the rubble of the viaduct.

Character Study: Eileen Grimshaw

One of my favourite characters is Eileen Grimshaw. She's sarcastic, senstive, strong, usually sensible (us "voices of reason" have to stick together) and she's the kind of mate many of us women would love to have.

She's the heart and soul of the taxi office and a fiercely loyal friend and mother. We don't know a lot about Eileen Grimshaw's formative years though we do know her father seduced her best schoolmate, Paula Carp and it broke up her parents' marraige. Eileen never knew what happened and her mother's bitterness sent Eileen to the side of her feckless father. It was only when she discovered what happened a couple of years ago and discovered that not only was there a fling, there was a child, that Eileen turned against her father and regretted that she and her mother never really made up before her mother's death.

We do know that she has had a string of bad relationships, resulting in two lads who each had a different father. She brought them up on her own because their dads were feckless and not much good. Jason's dad, Tony, has popped in and out of his life but it didn't seem like Todd's father could ever be bothered. Eileen is a survivor who keeps pulling herself back up when she's been knocked back because that's just what you do.

Eileen Grimshaw was hired by Vikram to work at the taxi company and she was an instant hit. The chemistry between her and her coworkers/bosses was immediately obvious. Eileen is reliable and dependable.

Her most prevalent personality trait is her fiercely protective love for her sons. She'll do anything for her lads to help them along or give them whatever start she can in life. She's even gone into serious financial debt to give them what she could, Jason, a car and Todd, a computer. She nearly went to prison when her ex, Tony, stole money from the cab firm and she was erroneously accused of it. She was in dire financial straits and was the logical suspect though this hurt her deeply. She thought her boss, Steve McDonald, would have more trust in her.

She's going to be in another financial crunch now that she's bought Number 11 and will be caught with her hand in Owen Armstrong's accounts in an impulse of desperation. 

Eileen Vs. Gail Platt

Eileen's ongoing feud with Gail Platt stems from Gail's daughter Sarah's dealings with both of her sons. When it looked like Todd was headed to Oxford or Cambridge, Eileen was bursting at the seams with pride. The higher they rise, the harder they fall and Eileen was horrified when Todd walked out of his exams and decided to move in with girlfriend Sarah Platt. Eileen saw Sarah as a slapper looking for a meal ticket for her and her little girl and definitely not good enough for her Todd. She blamed Sarah for leading Todd away from the path to academia and it all went downhill from there. Eileen's view is that Sarah trapped Todd into a relationship and if that hadn't happened, Todd wouldn't have left town.

Eileen fought with Todd, Sarah and Sarah's mother Gail to no avail. Todd and Sarah were determined to be together. It was one of Eileen's most bitter disappointments. Even the thought of them having a baby didn't really soothe her feathers. It only meant that Todd would be further tied down. She was still genuinely bereft when the baby was born early and died. It was preceeded by the revelation that Todd was gay but Eileen, though surprised, stoutly defended her son to all and sundry, including Jason who initially rejected his brother. When it all hit the fan, and after the baby died, Todd decided he had to leave Weatherfield and moved to London. Eileen misses him terribly but does visit him on occasion.

Sarah then proceeded to pursue Jason and lure him away from that nice Violet Wilson whom Eileen grew to love as a daughter. Sarah led Jason along a merry path of ups and downs but Jason wasn't completely blameless either, having stood up Sarah at the altar once. More fodder for the feud. Both Gail and Eileen seemed to hold the foibles of their children against each other. Eileen was resigned that Jason and Sarah were getting married on the second try. Jason and Todd eventually made peace with each other even though Jason ended up with Todd's ex, Sarah.

Todd even came home to attend the wedding though that marraige was short lived (Eileen was probably the only one that wasn't surprised). Alas, Sarah let Jason down and showed herself up to be immature and spiteful, just as Eileen always believed. She's more relieved than anyone that Jason is finally free of Sarah's clutches. Eileen and Gail will never be friends, and there seems destined to always been a barbed wire fence between them to argue over.
She liked Jason's subsequent girlfriends, Becky and Tina, a lot more but I think Rosie Webster has Eileen rolling her eyes.

Children and Family

She's usually been supportive of her sons' endeavors when she believes it's going to be the right thing for them. When we first met Jason, he was training to be an Olympic athelete hopeful and Todd was still in school. Jason wasn't as academically adept as Todd so Eileen knew he'd have to find his own way in the world. She's generally been behind him with most of the jobs he's had though gets frustrated when his love life has landed him in hot water, more than once.

Not that long ago, it seemed his love life had come back to haunt him when a young woman handed over a baby girl and said it was Jason's. Eileen latched on to the child and tried to do the right thing. She tried to get Jason to do the right thing too and was very hurt when he really didn't want to have much to do with the baby. Eventually, the mother of the baby realized that builder Charlie Stubbs was actually the father and she took the baby back, breaking Eileen's heart at the loss of what she had assumed was her granddaughter.

Todd now lives in London but Eileen takes regular trips to see him and she's always there to help Jason when possible. She even lent him the cash for a downpayment on the flat that he and Tina restored for sale. now it's rubble at the end of the street, we can only hope it was insured!

She discovered that local factory worker Julie Carp is actually her half sister and though it was a rocky road, she and Julie seem to have come to terms with it and are forging a friendship.

Love Life

One of Eileen's downfalls is her lack of self esteem. This is probably what leads her into more dead end relationships than anything. She is tall and heavy set, she knows that she doesn't have much education and she seems to settle for any man that shows her a bit of attention for all the wrong reasons. She doesn't seem to believe she's good enough for a really decent man. A lovely man that Eileen was involved with was Dennis Stringer. Unfortunately he, like most men in her life, had feet of clay. He fell in love with Janice Battersby but his life was cut tragically short when he tried to stop his mate Les from killing himself and ended up dead himself after a car crash taking Les to hospital.

Even the nice guys end up being the wrong guys, often due to circumstances beyond their control. One such man was Ed Jackson, a quiet church-goer that befriended Emily Bishop. He had a lot of baggage but kept it to himself at first. He had amends to make and couldn't talk about it until he'd done that. Turns out he was the man who (accidentally) killed Ernest Bishop. Eileen was more upset that he kept it from her and her friend, I think, than the actual crime. Emily eventually forgave him though it was difficult and Ed left the Street to start somewhere fresh and new.

Another nice man was neighbour Jerry Morton who developed feelings for Eileen while she was glowing under the brazen chat up lines of married taxi cab punter, Pat. yes, again...married man, unavailable. She knew he was, but went with him anyway. She soon realized her error and they finished. After a break in Malta, she started to see Jerry in a new light but Jerry's life was filled with children and obligations and they never had time for themselves. It seemed a no-win situation and she and Jerry decided that platonic was the only relationship that was going to work for them.

Yet another nice guy was Jesse. Jesse was an electrician by day and a children's entertainer by night. He made Eileen laugh but has had issues with mother's apron strings and his attachement to John the Parrot seemed to take priority as well. He seemed to make everything and everyone else a priority over her. He had to go, too.

Housemother

Years ago, Emily Bishop was the landlady and substitute mum for many a young lodger. Eileen has taken over that role. She's seen quite a few young folks take refuge under her roof especially over the last few years. Violet Wilson was one of the first of Jason's girlfriends to share his room in Number 11 but not the last. Becky Granger has been in residence as has Tina McIntyre and most recently, Rosie Webster.

Sean Tully came along and has turned into a long time lodger on a bed in the front rarely-seen room. Vi's sister Lauren stayed for a short while as well and Sean's former boyfriend, Marcus, resided under the Grimshaw roof as well. Other short term guests included Steve McDonald on a temporary break from his now ex-wife Karen. Eileen has a lot of love to give and since her own lads have needed her less, it spills over to her lodgers whom she takes under her wing.

Friendships

For the longest time, Eileen didn't really seem to have that many women as friends. She was friendly with the ladies on the street but the girly nights out or advice sessions over a pot of tea or bottle of wine were few and far between. Her friends seemed to be mainly men or the various lodgers who have been more like adopted children. Now, however, we see her getting a bit closer to Deirdre and Liz and before that, Frankie Baldwin. It's always enjoyable to see the women in fits of laughter over the foibles of one man or another, passing the wine bottle back and forth and enjoying the supportive company of like minded females.

Eileen's friendship with her bosses, Steve and Lloyd, is just as solid and I think Steve is quite possibly her best friend. They support each other and care for each other (and take the pi$$ out of each other too which is always fun to watch).

Eileen was hugely fond of Ashley and Claire as well, more in a motherly way than in a peer way. She and Jerry helped redecorate their house after a fire and she's often taken the boys under her wing to help out. She and Claire both work at Streetcars and have bonded over the switchboard. 

I really think Eileen deserves a truly nice man that can instill confidence in her, who doesn't drag her down with his baggage, and who treats her like a queen. Jesse wasn't that man and her crush on builder Owen was unrequited and in fact, working for him is going to get her in a lot of hot water. I love Eileen and Sue Cleaver, who plays her. Long may she reign!

Elsie Tanner and Pat Phoenix - Unforgettable

In the UK last week, there was a half hour special on Pat Phoenix who played the wonderful Elsie Tanner, one of the most iconic Coronation Street characters ever. It has been shown before, originally airing in April 2000,  but not in Canada. Thanks to the magic of YouTube, however, you can see this documentary that is chock full of interviews from coworkers and friends who knew her. It's great stuff to see old photos and interview footage of Pat and to hear what she was really like. This photo is from her pre-Corrie days when she was acting in reperatory theatre around England. No wonder she was able to instill that air of glamour in Elsie!
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Cross posted to the Bluenose Corrie blog and the Coronation Street Blog

Stapegate - The Final Countdown?

On t'other blog, Chewy thinks John Stape is a serial idiot. That's probably an appropriate term for it. Is he a serial killer? Not really, not in my opinion but death does seem to follow him around. He doesn't set out to kill anyone but there have been at least two deaths that could be termed manslaughter at his hands and he's covered up a third, quite literally.

He'll say, "all I wanted to do was teach"! He made a bad decision. He allowed a nubile student to seduce him and it went pear shaped from there. That weakness for younger women was just the tip of the iceberg. (After all, we've known Fiz since she was 16 and right out of school yet we never knew she dated Stape. She must have been very young and he in his early 20s at the time.)

His affair with Rosie landed her father in jail and lost him his career and the woman he thought he loved. On impulse, he kidnapped Rosie whom he blamed and then Fiz came back to him. Now what do you do with a teenager in your granny's attic? Why, leave her there for your girlfriend to find. That sent him to jail but for some reason, Fiz still forgave him and married him.

But he wanted to teach and passive-agressive narcissistic psychopath that he is, decided there was a way to do it and it didn't matter how upset it made his darling wife because that's what narcissists do. He stole the identity of a former coworker, Colin, who was moving to another continent to escape a pissed off husband of a woman he was shagging.


Here's where it starts getting even more twisted. Lying to his neighbours who think he sells furniture and having to pretend when one of them wants a sofa. Attending a seminar for teachers and being discovered by another former coworker, the loopy Charlotte who was very clearly getting off on knowing his secret. The blackmail, having to fight off her advances, things were getting sticky. But Colin returned and wanted his identity back, as you do. You can't get a job without one!


May the Farce be with you

Things took a turn for the worse.Colin dies and in order that the authorities not find out why he and John were arguing, John and Charlotte bury the body in the pit in Underworld which had been destroyed when Tony Gordon set it on fire. John seemed to be handling the guilt ok but Charlotte went round the bend. Perhaps she had been there all along? Turns out she was obsessed and fiercely in love with John because he saw her journals detailing her fantasies and obsessions about him when they worked together (but it turns out she had had an affair with Colin previously, as well. Love the one you're with?). And if you think things couldn't get worse, stick around.

Convoluted much?

On the night of the tram crash, Charlotte went completely stark raving bonkers and went after him with a hammer, which had been used to put a wreath on the door. He grabbed it from her and chased her and bashed her on the head with it. That *could* be deemed self defence but she *was* running away from him at the time. I think a good lawyer could argue that he didn't have to hit her, she'd have gone right out the door safely, skull intact. An even better lawyer could argue that since she was going to expose his misdeeds, he was going to kill her anyway. Planned it! But alas...manslaughter, it is, then, because though Charlotte didn't die straight away like he thought, she was all but gone and he encouraged her parents to pull the plug.

At the same time, Fiz gave birth prematurely and his beloved baby daughter's life hangs in the balance. It's been over a month and it could still go either way. The guilt is wearing John down. John had to spend time with Charlotte's parents, who were introduced to him previously as Charlotte's fiance, Colin, at Christmas. Then Colin's poorly mother starting haunting him. She's dying and is frantic to get hold of her son. Have you tried a seance? No? Tough luck.

John's nerves are worn to a thread by now and he's helping out Mrs. Fishwick to try to soothe his guilt over knowing her son is really dead. When she found out, he confessed. It came gushing out like a tsunami, he finally was able to unburden his soul but it sent her into a final heart attack. He wouldn't give her a possibly life saving inhaler and when a neighbour knocked on the door, he put his hand over her mouth so she couldn't cry out. She died in his arms under his hand. Did he cut off her air supply? It didn't look like it but she was in the throes of heart failure at the time, angry at him and accusing him of killing Colin.

That's another death at his hands. He's already been to the doctor, wailing about guilt and unable to sleep. The doctor isn't really doing much more than giving him sleeping pills which is pretty dangerous when someone is as depressed and on edge as he is.

Surely Joy's death is going to be the death of John, or at least the death of the storyline. His blood pressure must be through the roof, he's not sleeping, he's worried about the baby and holding a lion's share of guilt. He's going to crack and he's going to crack wide open and it won't be long now, i'm guessing. We still don't know if the baby will survive and if wee Hope dies, with John in a straight jacket, how will Fiz go on?

I've always said that John was dragging Fiz down and this is the end result. Corrie women are strong so Fiz will find a way to manage but will she finally give John the boot or will she stand by her man, the man that's let her down over and over and over again.

John Stape is crumbling. He's not a bad man, not really, just self centred and single minded. He lies like it's second nature. He does things that he knows are wrong but he just can't seem to stop himself because it's either to get what he wants or cover up what he's done. One lie begets another and another. He doesn't set out to hurt anyone, but between his lies and the deaths, he's a walking destruction zone!

Looks like he's about to self destruct and it won't be pretty. It's inevitable, it's going to be sad, really, mainly because Fiz is going to be shouldering it all. Most of us would prefer John get what's coming to him but not like this. We want him behind bars, not in a padded cell but if he can claim temporary insanity, and clearly everything he's done makes him look a right nutjob, he can be redeemed and stay in the show.

Slick Nick: A Rant

Just when I thought he couldn't sink any lower, Nick tumbles into the the category of "Lower than a snake's belly in a tire rut" as me grandad would say. Back when he first returned, I wondered if he'd end up with a babe or a broad, reckoning the two in competition were (single at the time) Leanne and (single and looking) Natasha. Little did i know he'd go for a two-hitter!

Although it takes two, and Leanne must shoulder some of the blame for her affair with Nick, I still place most of the blame for pushing it squarely on Nick's shoulders. He still harboured old feelings for her while she had made a new life with Peter and Simon. She was happy, I really believe that, no matter how bumpy the road got sometimes.

I think what she said about having a pre-marital wobble facing the committment is probably the truth, in addition to some old unfinished business. Her and Nick's marraige really blew up spectacularly when he insisted she have an abortion and then decided he would move away. She didn't go with him.

Now he's back and luring her into business with him and working on her until she gave in to that old black magic and it nearly ruined what she and Peter had. It still could. Nick isn't about to give her up. He is now working on Peter's frustrations and insecurity over his injuries and is going to encourage Peter to drink again. Poor Peter is not the strongest of men, whether it be a weakness for women or for drink.

Having paralysis, even if it's temporary, and probably a dose of survivor guilt, is going to work hard on Peter. He won't feel like a real man and he'll play right into Nick's hands. Nick is going to encourage him to have just the one drink, knowing damn well that's not how it works with alcoholics. And Leanne will find out, eventually. So that's really going to help his case, is it? I think not but Nick figures he can lure Leanne away before she finds out, and he figures she won't but someone will catch him at it, someone with Peter's welfare in mind. Oh, say, like a best friend or someone like that! Maybe someone big enough to knock 10 bells out of Nick (one can only hope!).

It's a pretty low thing to do but it doesn't surprise me. Nick has always been selfish, he's always gone after what he wanted and he might say that's just being bold and confident. But that's not how i see him. He's arrogant and selfish and shallow. He always was no matter who was playing him as an adult. As a child, he was just selfish. He is a user, too.

Oh yes.

In addition to how he treated Leanne when they were married, there was Maria. He wooed her and got her to move to Canada with him and then ignored her while he worked on his career. She might not be the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree but she doesn't put up with crap for *too* long, (though sometimes longer than she should). He wooed her back when he returned to the UK and they got engaged but he just had to run away to Nottingham. She didn't go because she realized that he still had a thing for Leanne. Maria accused him of putting his mother, his ex and himself before her and dumped him. (Read about it here, dates July 5th and 7th)

Remember how he used Kelly to get inside information so that he could buy into the factory and then dumped her and subsequently sacked her. She's not the nicest person but she still didn't deserve that. And look how he used Natasha. He couldn't have Leanne so he went for the dumb blonde look-a-like, used her and dumped her when she became too obsessed and started pushing for committments. He then figured that if Tracy Barlow was offering it on a plate, it didn't matter how much he disliked her, he'd have some anyway because, again, he couldn't have Leanne. Nice.

He tried to work with Carla but she took off and he decided he could just take over the factory without a by your leave. She came back and gave him his marching orders so he stole her staff to work under the viaduct where he later rebuilt the bar (hmmm... trolls *do* live under bridges, don't they? Perhaps that's why Nick was so comfortable there!)

He was always a pratt and he still is and this latest escapade only makes me hate him even more.

New Year, New Directions?

It's the beginning of a new year. After the tram crash in December and all the secrets that got blown out of the closet on Corrie, it seems the Powers That Be (TPTB) are planning to shake things up considerably on the Street. Is that a bad thing? Some people are already grumbling about some things, especially about the return of Tracy Barlow and other impending spoilers, if they're true at all.

I'm not happy about the return of Miss Thing, either, mainly because I'm just not that fond of the actress and her style of acting. My fiance says he's finding her funny, like a pantomime villain but I don't think Corrie should have a full out panto type villain really. It's too over the top and grating. Tracy Barlow is like a steamroller, unrelenting and very one dimensional. However, there's a light at the end of the tunnel with recent reports that Kate Ford, who I'm sure is a lovely person, is finding it difficult to be away from her baby and will not renew her 6 month contract. With Tracy facing a retrial, I'm guessing that will send her back to the nick. Or she'll be killed off. It's possible. She's pissed off a lot of people and she's only been back a week!

So. New directions. I'd like to see them explore Gary's post traumatic stress a bit more. I don't want it to be a one off where he has a crisis and then it's over and all done and dusted. Show the ongoing effects even if he is getting help for his anxiety. It's such a relevant story and lots of families are affected in similar ways. I would also like to see a continuing relationship with Izzy but i fear his problems will end up splitting them up in spite of her trying to be supportive. Too bad, I liked them as a couple. Unfortunately, Eddie is leaving the show and I fear that doesn't bode well for the rest of the family. That's too bad, too. I've grown to like all three Windasses.

Kylie is returning so there will be more angst over little Max. I think, in a way, I'd rather see Max returned to his mother and the pair of them leave the Street because otherwise this is going to be a long, drawn out and very irritating tug of war. I do like Kylie. Well i don't, but i like the actress and hopefully if she's returning, they'll flesh her out a bit more and we'll see other sides of her.

I would like to see the whole Stape-gate sorted out even if it means John goes to jail. How can he not? I really hate that he keeps getting away with all this. Now he's crossed the line and deliberately killed someone. There were no witnesses so even if he tries to say it was self defence, it won't fly. Charlotte was running away from him when he clocked her in the back of the head. It wasn't pre meditated, but certainly a second degree or manslaughter type charge. He should also do jail time for hiding Colin's body and that has to come out at some point, too.

Some people have found this storyline going on too long. I haven't found that. Though I don't like Stape, I do like Fiz and I do like Graeme Hawley, the actor who plays John. The twists and turns have kept me entertained even if i've also despaired of John ever getting caught. It has to end sometime though. It's Soap Law. He's done wrong and must be made to face justice. He's dragging Fiz down and she needs to wash her hands of him and move on. Fiz is better off without him, I've always said that. She's a mother now and no matter how much she may think that child needs a father, she doesn't need one that puts his own needs first. Hope is Fiz's future but her future with a father like John may not be too rosy.

I'd like to see Maria in a new storyline but i fear it's going to be with that Chris and he's a violent man. That means she's going to experience some of that too but even she seems to have enough backbone to find the courage to get out of it. She stood up to Charlie Stubbs when she realized he was  controlling her and violent towards David. She stood her ground with Tony once she knew what he was about, as well. We'll see where this one goes.

The Peter/Leanne/Nick triangle isn't finished by a long chalk. Not sure i'm happy about it but it's pretty typical soap stuff. The Webster/Dobbs debacle is going to play out for awhile. I really hope Kevin and Sally don't get back together but I fear they may in the end. They shouldn't. No matter how many affairs each of them have had in the past, this one really does seem to have been the straw that broke the back of the marraige. Sally's cancer may have made Kevin realize what was important in the end but he *was* ready to leave on Christmas Day and there *was* a baby involved and he *did* not only betray his family but his best friend. If i was Sally, I wouldn't have him back under any circumstances.

And what of Tyrone? He has nothing left but an empty house and a partnership in a business which is pretty shaky at the moment. It just doesn't make sense that he could continue on working with Kevin.

Just an aside, having said that, I can't get over how the garage and Underworld had no damage whatsoever after the tram took out the Kabin and flats. Not a crack or a broken window. The garage especially should have had at least some structural damage to the back of it. And how come nobody has made any mention about the Kabin flat that Jason and Tina still own? I hope they had insurance but there's been no mention of that either, in amidst talk of Rita losing her home and Graeme and Tina being rehoused in Dev's Victoria Court flat.

I'd like to see Steve and Becky settle down without all these crises but I don't think that will ever happen. She's even more of a loose cannon than Karen was and if the actress doesn't renew her contract, the marraige is going to explode again and just not recover. It's too bad that Steve seems to be most attracted to women like that because it will never work out for him. I'd like to see Liz leave on a happy note, with Jim. Apparently the actress will be back for her exit storyline, not just stay in Spain with Andy where she is now.

I'd like to see Eileen finally find a nice guy. She had one once, with Dennis but he preferred Janice and then he died. I don't think this is going to be her  year, though, because she's been stealing from Owen and when he finally finds out, he's going to be very pissed and given his temper, she'll be in jail before she can say ATM.

I'd like to see Gail take the blinders off where it comes to her golden boy sons. Even though she knows what David can be like, she finds excuses and Nick? The sun shines out of his ass and we all know he's a slimy bastard. She needs to get real and practice some tough love, chuck them all out of the  house and put her feet up and relax. I think she should give a new man a miss though. She doesn't seem to have the ability to pick 'em and they all die on her (except for Martin who escaped).

I'd like to see Roy and Hayley with a new storyline and apparently Roy's mother is joining the show. I fear that might be a replacement for Blanche so expect a battleaxe with lots of blunt lines. While that's not a bad thing, and the actress is an excellent one, I hope they explore the relationship between Roy and his mother and their past history in more detail.

This year on Coronation Street will unfold and we won't like all the stories and characters. We may despair the direction the new production team is taking the show in but overall, we always know that Corrie still has that little something that no other show has. Storylines and characters come and go. I don't think it's hitting a low point, even if the going feels a bit rocky lately, but if you do, don't worry, this too shall pass. Corrie has a long way to go yet.