There she blows!!!

And there it went, up in a ball of fire exploding out the front window. The Rovers WILL rise from the ashes but it may take some time.

And here are a few comments and observations on the episode from my sofa:

I've really been impressed by the special effects. They did a very good job.

Karl covering St. Ella's body and whispering "We'll die together" kind of creeped me out.

It was strange not seeing Roy and Hayley manning the teapots in the cafe, when everyone went to the Bistro instead.

Shout out to the fire in 1985:
Someone went for a ladder from the builder's yard.
Stella, a blonde, came out the same bedroom window Bet Lynch did.

Paul got Stella out and then Toni went up for Karl, got him out but then the ceiling collapsed on her and there was a big explosion. Norris later wondered what there was in a pub to explode. It was probably a gas line. Yet, I bet there won't be one crack in the wall of Number 1. A little smoke maybe. Paul's taking out his grief and anger out on Eileen already, nothing she says sits well with him at all. He's in shock and has lost a good friend. Probably something that they all dread when they go out to fight a fire.

Both of the most serious victims were described as "very poorly indeed".  That's putting it mildly. They're clinging to life with Sunita appearing to be the worse off if her brain has been starved of oxygen for too long according to the hospital staff. And if this is what we've got to look forward to for the next week or so, I think I'm going to lose my mind. What was all that triple-sniffing Dev kept doing? Worst. Acting. Ever. You call that crying? And boring the bejaysus out of Karl who was just itching to pull the plug on Sunita, couldn't you tell?

Gloria had a lovely scene talking to Stella. That's the kind of thing we wanted from Sue Johnston all this time. Her acting makes Dev look like one of those kids on the Bessie St. productions.


Poor Rita was having flashbacks to the tram crash and feeling guilty about it. I think if you're over 80 and survived something like that, a bit of forgiveness is due if you have a wobbler. Just when I wondered where Dennis was, Norris mentioned he was away so that answers that question. It was nice that Rita thanked Norris for fussing over her. This time.

There were two little "asides", one when Tina spotted Kirsty looking out her window and then griping to Tommy that you wouldn't know she was an ex-cop. What's that got to do with anything? And there was a bit of an armed truce between Gail and Kylie and Gail's been persuaded to go back home so David doesn't keep asking so many difficult questions.

Favourite line was between Peter and Rob who was persuaded to take Tracy and Eccles in over night.
Peter to Rob "If she starts wimpering you just have to let her out for a wee." Rob "I was talking about Tracy" Peter "So was I"