Eve of Destruction

We all know the pub is going to "burn down". It's not going to burn to the ground literally. It's a brick building. But it will burn and it will be gutted out enough for a total renovation inside. Time to freshen up the set before the ITV studios move, I guess!

While it won't be destruction on the scale of the tram crash, we are heading into another disaster on Coronation Street. This week has the pieces of the puzzle being put into place and Monday will see them on the board in play.

We have the slow burn of Karl's resentment that's been building up for weeks now. Stella refuses to have him back and is flaunting Jason in his face, or so it feels to him. He has tried to make Jason look bad in Stella's eyes, he's tried to ruin Jason's business and it seems he's done that but it's backfired since Jason has moved into the pub and Stella's going to give him a job behind the bar. (What about Tim, I want to know?) He blames Sunita for his downfall, refusing to take any responsibility for his own actions. Now it looks like Dev and Sunita are back together and Jason is in his rightful place in the pub.

The pub had a leaky pipe, made worse by Tim who didn't turn the water off first like he was supposed to. The water went everywhere and Karl made sure it went into the electrical panel to short out the electricity to the pub. There! That'll put a wrench into the pub's business and make it look like it was Jason's fault. It didn't, though. And the pub reopened with water and candlelights and everyone had a great evening. Foiled again!

Karl even joined the Full Monty team because he knew Jason was doing it and maybe he thought he could do something else to make Jason look bad, I don't know.

Sophie has maneuvered Sunita and Dev back together. It was a bumpy road but it looked like it was going to happen. Dev drags Sunita into the pub to show off to the world that they've reunited, exactly what Sunita didn't want, dreading the reactions of the neighbours but mostly, they were surprised but silent.

All except for Stella who curlishly stirred up Dev's worst fears about Sunita. Why did she do that? Aside from asking him was he sure, she had no business as a friend or otherwise to put doubts in his mind and insult Sunita. Stella is supposed to be happy with Jason and Karl is ruined. Why does she feel the need to stop Dev and Sunita from getting back together? Move on, woman and if you can't, what does that say about your own life?

That aside, Dev is now showing his doubts to Sunita who isn't going to take it well. From spoilers we've seen and heard, she's going to blame Stella for ruining her reunion. There's going to be public threats and when the pub goes up in flames, is she going to be the first one suspected of arson? It seems so since Karl has been careful not to make any public declarations where anyone can hear. He's looking shifty, resentful and very, very angry though.

It's a given that the pub is going to burn. Is it an accident due to the water on the electrics? I'm guessing it is. The writers can't really think of a new plot device and accidental destruction worked the last time the pub went up in smoke in 1986 when Jack Duckworth put the wrong fuse in the fusebox. Put a little water in the wrong spot and surely that's enough to spark up a fire?

Ah, except it *was* done on purpose. I don't expect Karl thought it would cause a fire, just enough mayhem to cause trouble between Stella and Jason. It'll have to come out eventually. We've not heard that John Michie is leaving but how can he not after this? It might have been truly unintended so he may just do a short stint in jail instead.

I am looking forward to the drama, the tragedy and the new pub.