The Webster Chronicles, Part 753

Last week, Sally called Kevin "devious". She's right of course. He always was. He was always able to use passive aggression to work his wiles on Sally and it looks like he's tried it again. Did you notice that look of triumph when she said he could stay one last night? How he preyed on her emotions and they ended up in a clinch? Kevin always thinks sex solves everything. And if it doesn't, a healthy serving of guilt just might do the trick.

Even when Sally had found out about the affair and the baby when Molly died, Kevin sunk his teeth in and tried everything he could to keep Sally from throwing him out and he used the first opportunity that came along, his injury, to get his feet back under the table. Surely, she'd realize what she was missing and they'd get back together? Surely?

He keeps saying "I made a mistake" Well... yes he did but it was a very big one and yes, both of them are guilty of affairs in the past and have overlooked and/or forgiven the other for it but this one seems different, deeper. Sally knows Kevin would have left if he hadn't found out she was ill. That's probably the part that cuts the deepest. I never felt Kevin was truly in love with Molly and finding out about Sally's illness thumped him back to earth brutally but it was too little too late.

It's the thing that bugs me most about soaps, the never ending back and forth between a couple that's "meant to be". Horse hockey! When couples have gone through what they have in real life, there would be no going back. The writers say the fans want the couples to stay together so they put them back together and then break them up again because happy couples are boring to watch on television. So instead, we have endless circles of the Websters. Ken and Deirdre are another couple like that. It's almost as if they don't know what else to do with the characters on their own. If one actor isn't leaving the show, the writers will inevitably put these "star crossed" couples through their paces endlessly.

With that in mind, not because she should take him back, but because the writers will make it happen, Sally will probably take Kevin back in the end and raise Jack with him. More fool her. And him, probably.

Read a character study of Sally,  Kevin and a blog post about the loves of Sally and Kevin, Part 1 and Part 2.

Who will win the War of the Websters?

Most people seem to be enjoying the War of the Websters, shots are fired across the bow back and forth, but nobody seems to be winning any definitive battles. There are also a number of legal issues that have not been addressed.

It looked at first that Sally had the upperhand. She is the injured party, she has the moral high ground and milks it for all it's worth.

Kevin mostly seems to be scowling from the garage or a corner of the pub. He nearly pulled the mat out from under Sally by putting the house up for sale. Point to Team Kevin for that. But surely Sally would have some say in that? Surely her name must be on the deed as well? Is it legal for an estate agent to put a house up for sale when one of the two owners objects? I'm sure Sally's job contributes to the mortgage and household expenses, too.

Legalities aside (plot loopholes, anyone?), Kevin had a bit of an edge and Sally's initial attempts to put off buyers by leaving the house a tip didn't work very well. Her next attempt, having the Windasses over during a viewing was inspired. The Windasses, Eddie especially, would be off putting to the most determined buyer and he thought he was only being helpful! Point to Team Sally.

Kevin then tried to show the house to Lloyd and Cheryl who really should have known better, knowing the whole situation. Kevin only did it because he knew Sally had a new fella in the kitchen. It did scupper the date but I thought Team Sally still came out on top. She made Kevin look like a manipulative idiot in front of the neighbours and the ensuing row cause much upset to Sophie. I'd say that was another point for Team Sally.

Speaking of Jeff, I'm pretty sure Sally's just after a bit of flattery and fun and because it winds up Kevin, that can't hurt! He's probably not going to be another "love of her life" anyway. He's a bit too smooth and slick, I think.

The bickering and fighthing is down and dirty and both sides can hold their own. I think if there hadn't been a baby in the mix, it might not have felt like so bitter a betrayal and Kevin's love and custody of the baby (shouldn't that be legally signed and delivered, too? Just because Tyrone gave Kevin the baby, isn't little Jack still legally Tyrone's child?) has cut Sally to the bone. Sally's and the girls' utter rejection of the innocent babe has done the same to Kevin. Point to each, there.

There's another battle yet to come, according to the spoilers. Kevin's going to win some lottery money and hopes it will help him get Sally back but when he sees her with Jeff, decides she's not getting any of it. She finds out, of course, thanks to the wronged Tyrone and it all kicks off again. And so it should! They may not be living together but they're still married and Kevin should be providing Sally with alimony and child support at least for Sophie. There could be a case made for him not having to share the cash with her but most likely it should be taken into account with the settlement.

Speaking of which, Sally should have consulted her solicitor long since. She may have made him leave the family home, but if she's got custody of Sophie who's still a minor, she's due maintenance for her. She's also due a share of the garage, having supported him and helped with the books and administration for years. As I mentioned, she should be due half of the proceeds from the sale of the house no matter that Kevin seems to be implying that he'd get it all and she should be entitled to alimony/spousal maintenance and all of that should be recorded in a legal separation decree right from the get go. She ought to be telling Kevin to go through her solicitor if he wants to sell the house out from under her.

Will the Websters find their way back to one another? There will be an upcoming crisis when Sophie hits the breaking point and that may do the trick. Possibly that will only be a temporary measure. Personally, I hope the Websters stay apart. There's far too much that really can't be forgiven now. I don't want them to be like Ken and Deirdre, always getting back together, always having affairs and flirtations and having to forgive each other because they feel like they're stuck with each other and unwilling to make the break.

Also read, the life and loves of Sally and Kevin Webster. Here and Here 
You can read a full character study about Sally here.
You can read a full character study about Kevin here.

The many loves of Sally and Kevin Webster: Part 2

We're back for part 2 of the loves of Sally and Kevin.

The DIY shop is an albatross around Sally's neck and she sells the stock just in time for Jason to put a wrong fuse in a radio which burns the place to the ground. Between the financial pressure and the stress of being a single mum, Sally finally allows Kevin to return, more for the sake of the girls than out of actual burning love. Kevin doesn't mind. He's back where he wants to be.

Minutes after they've resumed marital duties and make plans to get remarried, Sally falls for the decorator, Alex who strips her walls right down to the old Oggie muriel! She considers running off with him (he reminds me a little of Danny!) but decides she needs her family more and confesses all to Kevin. As the relationship never did move to a sexual one, Kevin forgives her and they go through with the wedding but you know Sally really just did it for the children.

As the girls grow into teens, Sally becomes ambitious for Rosie and wants to send her to a poncy private school, Oakhill. As the fees are high, she gets a job in the car dealership owned by the parents of one of Rosie's new posh friends, the Davenports. Ah but it isn't long before Sally's knickers hit the ground when smooth Ian beckons. He more or less makes his attentions a job requirement and since Sally is happy with the resulting bonus paycheques, she eagerly agrees. It's not love by any means but it serves the purpose.
Kevin does have his suspicions and even thumps Ian at one point. After a family holiday, Sally returns to work to discover that Ian has turned his attentions to her temp replacement and when he makes her job intolerable for her, she quits. Kevin was never 100% sure of Sally's affair even though Rosie was in on her mother's secret. Personally, I think down deep Kevin knew but kept it to himself so he wouldn't lose face or his family and I think Sally knew he knew. They said no more about it.


Things went smoothly for a few years after that. Sally was the next one down again, however, when she developed a one sided crush on teacher John Stape who was helping to tutor her for some adult education classes. She was horrified when she discovered he was actually having an affair with her 16 year old minx daughter Rosie!

The most recent infidelity was, as we know, Kevin's and probably the most serious yet. Molly Dobbs, the wife of his best friend and business partner, attracted Kevin's attention. He seemed to develop a crush on her. When he admitted it to her, she pushed him back but was secretly flattered and started flirting with him for a laugh. It turned into a full blown affair and the two allegedly fell in love though I always thought it was more infatuation on Kevin's part. He was going to leave Sally but found out she had breast cancer and realized how much she really meant to him. He finished abruptly with Molly and as many times as Molly tried to get him back, he stayed fast to Sally even after she recovered. Molly found herself pregnant and the baby, named Jack, turned out to be Kevin's. Sally found out about the affair and the baby's paternity from Molly's dying lips and she chucked Kevin out.

Where do the Webster's go from here? Will they find their way back to each other? I kind of hope not. I think this should be the end of them but with these two, you never know. What is going to be the reaction of Rosie and Sophie? They adore their dad and it's going to crush them. Sally is rumoured to have at least a snog with Tyrone in the New Year but whether it will be a proper affair, is yet to be known. I'm guessing not, and it will just be a bit of comfort between two wronged friends. Time will tell.

You can read a full character study about Sally here.
You can read a full character study about Kevin here.

The many loves of Sally and Kevin Webster: Part 1

This latest and entirely unsuitable affair of Kevin's with the late Molly Dobbs is only the latest in a long line of affairs and infatuations but both Sally and Kevin. While they are in no danger of breaking the record of Ken Barlow, they've racked up a respectable number between them. They've actually cheated on each other twice each, with a couple of near misses on Sally's part. (i.e. crushes or affairs while separated but not yet divorced).

Through the years, then, these are the loves that have touched the Websters:

When we first met Kevin, he had a girlfriend called Michelle but once he met Sally, there was nobody else for him. Sally liked Kevin but had a thing for handsome Terry Duckworth at one point. They were necking in the pub once, resulting in Bet Lynch snapping "This is the Snug, not the snog!"

Still, Sally and Kevin were destined to be together and married in 1986. They were Love's Young Dream for awhile, becoming parents to baby Rosie on Christmas Eve in 1990. In 1993, Sally started minding a little boy who's dad, Joe Broughton, developed a crush on her. He even wanted her to run away with him. This was entirely one sided and Sally had no intentions of leaving Kevin, as annoying as he could be at times.

Kevin was never tempted until 1997 when Sally was in Scarborough nursing her mother. Natalie Horrocks moved in for the kill and seduced him. He fell hard and when Sally finally did find out, Kevin was out on his ear. It wasn't quite so much fun once Kevin moved in with Natalie. No more sneaking around meant no more thrills. There were temporary separations and Sally begged Kevin to come back but he and Natalie had made up by the. Not long after, Sally formed an attraction to Kevin's employee, tall and handsome Chris Collins who had recently finished with Angie Freeman. Kevin thumped him when he found out but really, it was none of his business, was it?

Alas, the ardour between Kevin and Natalie went cold and eventually Sally took Kevin back, mainly for the sake of their two girls. Sally was working for Mike Baldwin by this time. Also working for Mike was Les Battersby's tricky son, Greg Kelly. After Sally's mother died, she inherited a good size chunk of money. She refused to give it to Kevin to buy the garage outright and Greg, with pound signs in his eyes, set about wooing Sally to get his hands on the cash. Kevin threw Sally out when he discovered the affair. She moved in with Greg but had to leave the girls with Kevin.

This was an ill-fated affair to say the least. Sally used her money to set up Greg in a new business and worked in the office for him. She managed to get the girls living with them and this didn't sit well with Greg. Tempers flared and Sally ended up with a bruise when Greg lashed out at her. He convinced her it was a one-off but you know how these things work. He hit her again and she left him and moved in with Rita while the girls went back to Kevin. Greg continued to harass her and came after her one last time but she managed to escape a beating and Greg soon disappeared from Weatherfield.

Just as Greg disappeared at the end of 1998, Kevin meets Alison Wakefield, one of the factory workers. He sues Sally for divorce and intends on getting custody of the children. Sally, by this time, has met a nice young man, Danny Hargreaves, who has a stall on the market where Sally has been selling Underworld seconds. Greg Kelly makes a reappearance to terrorize Sally but she manages to bash him over the head with a chair before the police cart him off. Whew! Sally almost loses Danny to Sharon Gaskill because she had been waffling about whether to date Danny or not but she decided she did want Danny who was only making do with Sharon anyway. Danny moves in and he and Sally are all loved up. Or are they?

Alison thinks Kevin really hasn't got over Sally and leaves him but when Kevin finds her on New Year's Eve 1999, he also discovers she's pregnant and he persuades her that he really does love her and wants to marry her. On the night before he gets wed, however, he has a one night stand with Sally but it doesn't mean anything, and Sally sends him back across the road to marry Alison, which he does. Sadly, in June 2000, their tiny baby Jake is born, contracts an infection and dies. Alison is so distraught that she steals Sara Louise's baby Bethany. Bethany is recovered and Alison chucks herself in front of a lorry and dies!

Meanwhile,Sally and Danny decide to open up a shop and rent one of the new premises on Victoria Street, calling it D&S DIY. Danny isn't really happy and is out of his depth. The shop doesn't do all that well but they make plans to get married anyway. Even that isn't as smooth and romantic as it sounds. Sally delays answering Danny's proposal and when she does, Danny wants them to move away and she's reluctant to take the girls away from Kevin. There's lots of arguing  and jealousy between Danny and kevin and by the Danny finds out about Sally and Kevin's one night stand he jilts her and walks away from the whole mess leaving Sally with the shop which is a struggle to keep open with the help of Jason Grimshaw who developes a bit of a crush on a horrified Sally.

It's not too long before Sally has a new fella. On a family camping holiday where she and the girls tag along with Martin and his lot and Roy and Hayley, Sally and Martin discover that they have a mutual attraction. They embark on an affair. Well after all, they're both divorced, aren't they! Mind you, when Kevin gets whiff of it, he does what he does best, and goes after Martin with his fists. Kevin still loves Sal, you see, and never did get her out of his system.

It doesn't stop Kevin from making friends with local nurse Molly Hardcastle and eventually having a fling with her. But yet again, Molly becomes another woman that knows she can't measure up to the ghost of Sally in Kevin's heart and she's off in a taxi. Sally and Martin's relationship ends when she is not ready to let him move in with her and he takes a major wobbler.

So now Sally and Kevin are both single again. Check out Part 2 to find out the rest of the story.

One idiot after another

I'm at a loss, I really am. This week on Corrie, it's been idiot after prize idiot. Some were fairly harmless and some were almost fatally dangerous. Watching this week was an exercise in frustration for me. I'm not even sure where to start, there are so many in all directions!

Ok, the minor idiots:

There was Graeme chasing after Rosie and Natasha, using the same lines on each of them. Did he think they wouldn't find out? They might not have been mates before now but they do occupy near distances on the same street. He got a beer shampoo for free for it. I guess that means he won't be dating either one any time soon. It *was* funny though.

That brings me to Natasha. Desperation isn't pretty, honey. Salivating over Nick, babbling in the street, throwing yourself at him... it might all get you a date or a shag but it's not going to get you any respect or a relationship. Especially not with Nick Tilsley who is also an idiot. So much of one that his mother has been in prison for weeks and he's *still* not actually gone to see her.

Rosie is an idiot too but that's just par for the course. Believing that her new fella is a footballer? WAGs actually do go to a match now and then to admire the prowess of their beloved on the field. The fact that he's been putting her off from attending would be a red flag for most women but obviously not for Rosie who probably hates football anyway. I'd say it turned out he couldn't cut the mustard but in this case, that's exactly what he can do. And the ketchup and the brown sauce! :)

Let's look around and see who's next.

Audrey's an idiot for falling for the charms of a slimy escort who's blatantly ripping her off (making her pay for theatre tickets he gets for free) and who has come between her and her oldest friend, Rita, and because she's making a fool of herself falling for his charms.

Kirk, of course, is a bit of an idiot on a good day but posting a photo of Jason instead of himself was bound to get him an ear bashing from Izzy who now seems to fancy Gary.

Let's move up the idiot scale a few steps to Kevin Webster. Tyrone posted the baby scan on the internet and then told everyone when he wasn't supposed to but Molly should know better than to even suggest he keep the pregnancy to himself when she's popped out like a balloon and he's so excited. Enter Kevin who could be the baby daddy. He's all choked up but then has the utter temerity to suggest she abort the baby. Where does he get off? At 20 weeks into a pregnancy, I doubt there's a clinic that would do it.  He was out of order suggesting it just because he is having a hard time living with the possibility that it's his kid and it would be evidence of his infidelity.

Kevin would lose everything, his family, his friends, his reputation. He's betrayed his best friend and business partner.  He tried to force her to get rid of the baby. I don't think he could show his face in Weatherfield again if all that came out and I wouldn't feel the least bit sympathetic for him. I'm not any happier with Molly rubbing her bump in his face daily either. It's an all around bad situation which is bound to come out sooner or later because in soaps, it always does. Kevin should have had his ass kicked last year when he got that middle aged crush on her in the first place.


Prize idiot of the week, though, as you might expect, is John "Stapid" Stape. Stapid is a term a fellow blogger coined this week and it fits, oh it fits! Stupid + Vapid +Stape and you've got that in a handbag. Another fellow blogger has diagnosed him as a classic Aggressive Narcissistic and I fully agree with that too. Sociopath also comes to mind. Clear sense of right and wrong but not when it comes to himself. What could go wrong? How about your new boss visiting to return your mobile and you sharing 2 bottles of wine with him. He's clearly drunk and you usher him out the door and let him drive home. Idiot! And I think you can be prosecuted just for that these days. I know bar and pub owners have been.

Then there is the whole identity theft issue which is obviously not as well thought out as Stapid thinks. There are more holes in his scheme than swiss cheese. Did his new boss even match the signatures between the forms he signed and the driver's license? Did John spend hours practicing his forgery skills when we weren't looking? And from the look of it, the real Colin must be at least 15 years older than Stape. Did they not check his birth date and his CV dates against his face? Come to that, where did John get hold of Colin's CV? He only had his certificates and ID, did he make it all up from stuff Colin had told him in the past? Surely he wouldn't know all the hire/leave dates exactly and the new school should be checking that, shouldn't they? If the real Colin hasn't stepped on a plane to emmigrate yet, won't he miss his driving license? Emmigrating doesn't happen overnight and there's a lot of checks and balances. Surely the tax people would wonder why he's getting a paycheque from a school while he's trying to leave the country?

On top of all those plot holes, he's coercing Fiz into the plot. Fiz, dear, you already know he's a good liar and now he's at it again. Doesn't this tell you something? It tells me you're an idiot, too. I really, really hope when he gets caught, and he will, that he goes down for it. I really, really can't stand the character and how he's totally ruined Fiz. If he goes down, I want Fiz to get really, really angry, not spend weeks and months moaning and whinging and whining and feeling sorry for herself. I don't want him trying and trying to get her back because he's not really a bad man, is he? He just had a bit of bad luck. And if she won't take him back, he'll just get all depressed, get himself beaten up in prison and pretend to be suicidal and give away another load of money to a bimbo. Sheesh!

State of the Street - January

Kevin might be staying with Sally now that he knows where his priorities lie, but Molly got fed up with Tyrone and left him after she found out he wasn't going to take a job and move away. Only Tyrone figured she must be having an affair and jumped to the wrong conclusion and thought it was Dev. How on earth he would think that, I don't know but after all, this *is* Tyrone, not the sharpest tool in the box. Didn't you feel sorry for him though? He loves the bones of Molly but his loyalty to Kevin kept him from taking that job offer once he found out that Sally was ill. Really, though, Molly probably made the right choice. There's no point staying in a marraige when she couldn't have been happy or she wouldn't have had an affair only 6 months into it.

And Sally's prognosis is good and she's only got to have radio therapy. I guess it would have been too long and drawn out of they'd had to show her go through Chemotherapy. I gotta say I am as impressed as I knew I would be about how Corrie has been handling this storyline. They've really shown how it affects everyone around the person who's got cancer. Sally was one of the lucky ones. And it also seemed to take Rosie down a peg too, and she backed out of a boob job that would have been far superfluous to requirements anyway.

I felt so sorry for Tyrone. Does Molly really not love him? She thinks so. She's desperate to get Kevin back but he has seen the light and realized he really does want his wife and family. She begs, she manipulates, but he still rejects her and she might start to realize that Kevin probably was just using her, a crush, an infatuation. But it did my heart good to see that Kevin was forced to support Tyrone, listen to him cry on his shoulder, even return his wife's wedding ring and that is karma coming round to bite him on the arse well and proper. And I relish every uncomfortable moment he's going through after what he did to his best friend and business partner. Pam and Bill both know and now they know each other knows. If Molly and Tyrone are going to get back together eventually, they'll be the ones that engineer it.

More Grandad wars... Ken went off the deep end when he found out that George wanted to pay for private education for Simon. Ken figures it's bad for Simon, who won't have a happy life if he's brought up in a posh school. Deirdre was just more concerned about the smart uniform. Peter was very forthright at the planning meeting which George probably already had sewn up anyway, much to Ken's chagrin. I loved Deirdre's rant at Ken after the hearing. She knows darn well it's got more to do with the rivalry between Ken and George and he should have been supporting Peter rather than pushing him right at George. Maybe Ken's give up the battle because as much as he disapproves of the bar and the private school, he seems to be backing down a bit.

Then there's Gail and Joe, the newly minted McIntyres. El Desperado is in debt up to his eyeballs and illegally so. Surely he could go to the police once he'd paid off the loan shark who keeps coming back and threatening his family? He's scammed money out of Ted. He tried to get money out of Peter and an advance out of Bill. He gleefully accepted Gail's decision to sell the house (and yes, David, she *can* just sell the house you grew up in. Except, he hasn't really grown up has he? Most lads his age would be pleased to be able to move out on their own.) He even eyed up the charity collection jar in the pub! I really thought she was finally standing up to him when she told him she wasn't going to sell the house and Joe gave her insult after insult. I always knew he had a temper and and this just proved it. But no. One apology and one sob story and she took him back. No wonder she's a jinx with men, she has Doormat stamped on her arse! Next up, a life insurance scam by forging Gail's name on a crumpled up form. And obviously making one payment and then pretending to drown immediately after will not make the life insurance company suspicious. Or not.

Yay! Mary's back to be a carbuncle on Norris's backside. She seems a bit more obsessed than she was before she left. I feel a bunny boiler coming on, don't you? It's nice to see Mary back anyway. And it's nice to see Sunita back and with the fiance out of the picture, can a reunion between Dev and Sunita be far behind? Dev is all worked up and Sunita just thinks they'll mess it up again. But really, it wasn't all messed up until she found out he kept the fact of his other children from her.

And there's Becky and Steve's upset. Becky doesn't want kids because she's had a horrible childhood and doesn't want to feel tied down. She's also scared of pregnancy as well. There was a scene with her taking a test on New Year's we found out at the end of the month it's positive. She's been smoking and drinking all month. For as much as she didn't want a baby though, she didn't go get a terminatin behind Steve's back. He'd have never known. So somewhere, she did want a baby and probably not just because she knew he did, too. Probably the fear is stronger and so she pushed Steve away. And because she says she won't have kids just when Steve thinks he might like to have more, Steve goes off the deep end in a major sulk. That makes her dig her heels in and one's almost as bad as the other though i think he's pushing harder than she is. He keeps upping the stakes, with expensive gold clubs and a motorbike (don't you need a bike license for those?) and pushing Kelly in Becky's face.

But Becky's mom died and though there wasn't much of a relationship, it still gets you right in the heart when you lose a parent. I think what really bothered Becky is how little her mother had to her name and how she ended up, and it seems to make her think how she could very well have ended up the same way if she hadn't fought to get a life. It hurts that Steve just doesn't take any notice that something is wrong. He really thought that winding her up would make her come running back instead of pushing her away. Finding out about her mother's death was nearly the death of the marraige but you knew that wasn't going to happen, didn't you?

Character Study: Kevin John Webster

Kevin Webster is one of the more underrated characters on Coronation Street. He's been on the show for close to 25 years and has been a rock steady character for most of that time. Kevin is a family man, a mechanic, a business owner. He's reliable, dependable. He is a "voice of reason" most of the time though sometimes is a bit quick with his fists, but only if he's provoked. He's seen sometimes by fans as a bit of a doormat but he's a loyal friend and husband (even when he has been messed about!). He's a good guy but he's not perfect. He's been unfaithful but learned from his mistake. He's played very ably by Michael LeVell.

Some may say that Kevin is a bit of a doormat or a fool, willing to put up with Sally's shenanigans. Indeed, sometimes I have wondered over the years why he puts up with it. I am sure they have both found a way to love each other after all their individual lapses but I think maybe Kevin would just rather be with Sally and the girls than without them, even if he may not trust her. I think he understands her, probably better than she understands herself sometimes. I do cringe when Sally hurls insults about her little life in a little back street and Kevin must do so as well. It must make him feel like she doesn't think he ever did enough for his family when in fact, he has given them a solid foundation, a good roof over their heads and security.

When we first met Kevin, he was a fledgling mechanic. The Websters bought Elsie Tanner's house at Number 11 after she scarpered to Portugal in the middle of the night in early 1983. Mother Webster had died and Father webster, Bill, bought Len's old builder's yard. Also in the family was younger teen daughter Debbie but we never really got to know her very well. Kevin was fun loving but responsible, intent on learning his trade. He made friends with Curly Watts, Martin Platt and Terry Duckworth and dated one or two girls before he met Sally Seddon, quite suddenly, by driving through a puddle and soaking her. The rest is history and the pair married in 1986.

Kevin took his responsibilities seriously. By now he was working in Brian Tilsley's garage. He was dependable, hard working and was a good husband to Sally. Although there were some periods where he didn't work for a local (on screen) garage, he usually put in the hours under one owner or another, including Brian, Tom Casey, Mike Baldwin (who bought a garage unit on Coronation Street, conveniently right across the road from Kevin and Sally's house) and Don Brennan. Although Sally pushed him to buy the garage several times, Kevin wasn't ready to be his own boss and was quite content to work for someone else, much to Sally's chagrin. Eventually though, the opportunity and price were right and he went into partnership with Tony Horrocks.

Kevin made a go of the business but it was to be the downfall of his marraige when Tony's mother, Natalie, took over her son's share of the business and moved in on Kevin at a vulnerable time. Sally was away nursing her mother and Natalie had no compunctions about seducing a married man. Kevin fell for her line, hook, line and spanner and when Sally found out, he was out on his ear. The worst part of it was the effect it had on his children, Rosie and Sophie. Kevin was a good dad and loved his kids and it broke his heart when Sally, out of bitterness, made it very difficult for him to have access. By the time Sally softened enough to try to get him back, though, Kevin had moved in with Natalie so Sally moved on as well and finding out that she had a fling with his employee, hunky Chris Collins, made him see red and green at the same time. Jealousy reared it's ugly head but let's face it, Kev, what's good for the goose and all that!

Seeing that, Kevin realized that his affair with Natalie wasn't long-lasting love, only lust. In the end, Sally took Kevin back, mainly for the girls' sake but that wasn't to last. She was then seduced by the dangerous charm of Greg Kelly and this time, Kevin threw *her* out. Greg used her money (inherited from her recently deceased Mum) and then abused her. It was all over in a flash but Kevin wasn't taking her back. Not yet.

Kevin still had lingering feelings for Sally even though they had both moved on to new partners and the night before Kevin was to marry pregnant Alison, he and Sally had a roll in the hay for old times' sake. Nothing like that can be kept a secret for long and though Kevin did marry Alison, the secret came out before Sally married Danny who then left her. Kevin was further devastated when his new baby boy died and Alison flung herself under a truck in her demented grief. The stage was set for Kevin and Sally's reunion.

Kevin and Sally remarried, but not before she nearly ran off with a decorator. Kevin knew this but married her anyway and she said I Do, again, seemingly for the sake of her girls. It seemed Kevin was willing to look the other way and it wouldn't be the last time he'd have to do it. He loved Sally and loved his family even more. Sally had another affair with her boss, Ian Davenport which Kevin again overlooked, pretending to believe Sally's lies that nothing actually happened. Sally also had a flirtation with her tutor,and if Kevin suspected, he said nowt.

Kevin could be very jealous too and that temper has got him into trouble more than once, most recently when he decked 17 year old Rosie's older lover, John Stape and spent 14 days in the nick for his bruises. It's not the first time he spoke with his fists either. Ian Davenport felt the knuckles of Kevin's suspicions as did Chris Collins, Martin Platt and a few more of Sally's bits on the side even if he wasn't married to her at the time.



Kevin himself has been steadfastly faithful up until 2009 when an affair with his best friend and co-partner Tyrone's wife, Molly, seemed to come out of nowhere. Seemingly out of character for Kevin, have the Personality Transplant Fairies kicked him up the backside? It seems like it's not so out of the realms of possibility that he could develop a crush but when Molly encouraged it, finding her own new marraige a bit boring, Kevin jumped in with both feet. Perhaps he's just tired of Sally's nagging and social climbing or maybe the 20+ years of wedded unbliss has finally got to him. It might be a midlife crisis but it seems like Kevin would *never* go after his friend's wife, and one so much younger, not after all the upset with the older John Stape's affair with his teenage daughter. He even went to prison for that and now here he is running after 20-something Molly. I don't buy it but there you are. It's a soap.

Kevin loves his family. He is loyal to his dad but has always seemed to be led around by the nose by his wife who has always been a bit on the pushy, bossy side. When she gets too focussed at the detriment of one or the other of her children, Kevin provides the balance with a joke or an extra bit of attention to the daughter that's not directly in Sally's radar, usually Sophie. Maybe Kevin overlooks Sally's indiscretions because he's desparate to keep his family together because above all, Kevin is a nice guy and a family man.

And verdict on Kevin and Molly is NAY

Wow, there certainly is a lot of strong reaction to the Kevin and Molly storyline, as you can read over in the comments to this post on another blog. Almost all the reaction has been firmly negative with one or two exceptions. I think that's probably reflective of the general viewing public, too. I may be echoing many of the sentiments of the commenters but that's because I agree with their opinions. One commenter mentioned the Jamie/Frankie Baldwin fiasco. Most people were against that but they had their fans as well. That storyline was, at least, mercifully brief. This is set to drag on and on into the New Year, more's the pity.

Actors don't really mind what they have to do most of the time and they're only pleased that they have something challenging to do and something that features them on screen in a front-burner storyline. I'm sure that sometimes even they realize the storyline is out of character and may have a hard time with it but they're all professionals and will do the best with it, whether the writing is bad or the storyline really clunks. We've had phases on Coronation Street in the past where there have been a lot of poor storylines and even not-great writing but a new producer often cleans up the act and things get better.

Producer Kim Crowther has mainly been firing on all cylinders, giving us some great stuff over the past year or two and introducing fab new characters as well. The writing has shone brightly and the performances have risen to the challenge. That makes this current storyline of Kevin and Molly's affair stand out even more like a major dud. The concept is just so wrong! Kevin has been unfaithful to Sally before, with Natalie Horrocks and if you will think back, it wasn't really provoked. Sally was away for some time looking after her ill mother (I think the actress was on a maternity leave at the time) and Kevin didn't have his needs looked after and strayed when Natalie decided she wanted him.

But Natalie was an independent, the mother of his coworker and his business partner for a time. The only person he was betraying was his wife. Bad enough, yes, but now he's also betraying his best mate, coworker and business partner, Tyrone. Kevin has always been a loyal friend to his mates. He just wouldn't do this, ever! He was pissed when Sally had a fling with Martin, his other best friend and they were divorced at the time.

We don't know Molly as well as we know Kevin. She does seem impulsive, and she seems stroppy and headstrong. She did entice Tyrone away from Maria without a blink of an eye and went after Kirk to try to get back at Fiz for bullying her in school. When she found out that Kevin fancied her, I think she decided to encourage it. I don't think it's all that out of character for her even if she was a newlywed. It does seem a bit, though, because she was so crazy about Tyrone. He isn't the most exciting bloke but he's a real keeper. I suppose she's doing it for the excitement.

It doesn't really have as much to do with the age difference because older men/younger women couples happen all the time. There is and was nearly 20 years difference between Deirdre and most of the men she's ever been with, Ken Barlow, Mike Baldwin, Ray Langton and Billy Walker and she was only 18 when she was engaged to Billy and not much older when she married Ray and both men were well into their 30s at the time. It does seem pretty hypocritical that Kevin is blustering about John Stape after his affair with 17 year old Rosie, his daughter, though when he's shagging Molly who is also just about young enough to be his daughter too.

One of the commenters over on t'other blog mentioned that the actors don't seem to be acting this very well, that they seem uncomfortable and I agree. I think they feel that the storyline just doesn't work and the writing seems strained as a result. And as a result their performances are strained a bit. It seems like they are trying to do their best to make the best of an awkward situation and it is starting to show. Both of the actors are talented and they are doing the best they can. Unfortunately, the storyline isn't worthy of their talents and the majority of the viewers feel the same way.

The reveal and reactions of Tyrone and Sally will be good and I hope the fallout really makes them pay. I have a fear that Molly won't really do much pennance. Tyrone will go around looking hurt but will probably not leave her in the end. I hope he thumps Kevin, though. Sally will be all righteous even though she's been unfaithful to Kevin more than he has on her and I hope Kevin throws Ian Davenport in her face. I'm still on Sally's side on this one, though.

Thing is, Sally only remarried Kevin for the girls' sake and it took her a long time to get to where she really regained that affection for him. Even now, she often seems unsatisfied with her life and as a result, her ambitions have been pushed on her children. This could break their marraige for good but Sally is also due to have a bout of illness so she may not have the energy to fight it out. This time, also, the girls are old enough to know what's going on and hear the gossip. I'm betting Kevin will be more hurt by their reactions and rejections of him and that's going to be punishing. I think the fallout will be far more watchable than the actual affair, at least. But it's going to be painful getting to that point.

Some affairs work because the characters have chemistry. They are believable because of the circumstances that lead up to it. They are accepted because the viewers can understand the motivation. This feels like it was done purely for the sensationalism and the shock. It feels like it's taken a page out of the American Soap book of rules but we don't want our show to be like that! If we want to watch an American soap, we'll watch one! This isn't Desperate Housewives, it's Coronation Street!

The State of the Street - July

A new baby arrives. Not many people on soaps seem to have normal hospital deliveries, do they? This one was born in a beach hut! I guess it's better than in a cabin in a snowstorm. Tony gets more and more confused and guilty. I still can't decide if he's actually developing feelings for Maria or if it's all in his plan to keep her on board. Maybe it started that way but it's possible that he was so touched by helping to birth the baby that he's developing feelings though it's a classic case of rebound. Yes, he *must* have some kind of feelings because he's getting manipulative and possessive, classic Tony. Problem is, Tony doesn't have a realistic sense of what love really is. Maria, too, is vulnerable and lonely and scared about her future and would naturally gravitate to a man who's handsome, helpful and apparently supportive. I just can't wait for Carla to come back and see all this. And I loved the conflict between Maria and her in-laws. Mammy Connor was definitely being overbearing and pushy but it probably wouldn't have come to a chucking out if Tony hadn't stuck his oar in so menacingly.

Molly's very good at flirting and teasing isn't she? Well, it's a full blown affair now. Kevin in a mid life crisis is not a pretty sight and judging from most of the feedback I've seen and heard, it's one of the least regarded storylines Corrie has come up with. It's very off putting to me, too. It's not the fact that Kevin is having an affair, it's the fact that it's his best friend's wife and someone barely older than his daughters. Given his attitude when Rosie turned out to be flinging with Stape, it's highly hypocritical, too. Kevin being pursued by maneater Natalie at least made a bit more sense. Molly was supposedly so happy with Tyrone and people seem to think it is out of character for her but i do think that it's probably not the case. I've said it before, she had no problems trying to steal Fiz from Kirk and she chased Tyrone away from Maria or tried to. I think it's a game to her, not a crush or falling in love with someone else. It's going to blow up in her face and then it might actually be worth watching. Funny, though, they have Molly and Kevin do the deed and then whisk her away for two weeks of sun and sand with her husband. One night with Kevin, 2 weeks with Tyrone in a romantic location. A sure-fire set up for a "who's the daddy" storyline you mark my words. Standard Soap Opera Plot. And i reckon Tyrone will not leave Molly when he finds out. He's gormless enough to blame himself and succumb to her begging and pleading when she finds she's pregnant and Kevin doesn't want to know. Mark my words. Another SSOP.

Still loving Graeme. He's driving poor Ashley mad but he's so "Greek Chorus" and off the wall isn't he? Jesse and Eileen flirt so much better and Molly and Kevin and it's a joy to see Eileen happy and having fun. Tina and Jason are fun together, as well, and it's back to his usual psycho self for David, between going off on one on Jason when he found out about Jay and Tee and then turning around and playing games with Joe's Addiction. (Sounds like the name of a band, doesn't it!) Nobody expected his reformation to last. The only real stability David seems to have in his life is his relationship to his newly found Granddad, Ted. That may be his salvation or it may not. Time will tell.

Claire and Ashley are in crisis. Again. Talk about loser! How many bad things can happen to one person? He nearly lost Claire and did lose a baby, well miscarraige but same thing really. And then he bottled out of the vasectomy and didn't tell her. Why do they *ALWAYS* keep secrets on soaps!! It drives me insane, it really does!

Becky's in bother. I do like Becky. She's edgy even now that she's a bit domesticated. I don't think you will ever manage to tame her completely. She's come so far from where she was and Slug is her old life and not good for her and it's being proven out. He's in cahoots with the corrupt cop that has a grudge against Granger though I'm going to hazard a guess that the cop is forcing Slug to set up Becky, I don't think he's a willing participant.

Another brief glimpse into Peter's struggle with alcohol. I was wondering where he'd gone. He fessed up and disappeared. He took the whole "fam damily" to a meeting and it all turned into a viewers' delight, and the dirty laundry was overflowing the hampers! Marvellous stuff!

August will bring Steve and Becky and another attempt at getting married but it's not going to turn out as well as they hope. Liz will be back and Jim will make another (welcome) appearance. Jay and Tee get domesticated and there's a new bird on the street. Literally.

The State of the Street - June

I really fail to see what Molly sees in Kevin! I've been dreading this thing between Kevin and Molly, I really have. If they had to do it, couldn't they just have Kevin with a one-sided crush and Molly firmly kicking him into touch? A crush, I can understand that happening. It can happen to anyone. Molly is loyal and she loves Tyrone and even him having trouble accepting Jack's friendship with Connie shouldn't be enough to push her into his best friend's coveralls, not even on a soap! But the more I think of it, you know... Molly does have form being the "other woman". She chased Kirk trying to take him off Fiz and she chased Tyrone as well, when he was still keen on Maria so maybe it's not so out of character after all! And Tyrone... Well I understand that he thinks the world of Jack and he misses Vera terribly but he has to understand that life moves on and he should be glad Jack is happy.

David set up Gary over the burglary and the Windasses try to band together with fake alibis, as per usual, until there's more serious charges then Len cuts and runs. You know, Gary as a character is settling in a bit and i do like Anna but the other two, Eddie and Len, can go pound sand and I don't think the family has gelled at all. Maybe that's why Len has already been chucked out of the house by his brother. I don't foresee them lasting the year out. Ted of course is ever the Voice of Reason, willing to forgive anyone (easy for him to say knowing it was David that set it all up and he wasn't about to turn David in, was he?)

A new romance gives Sue Cleaver some good storylines and this has been a good year for her. Nice to see Eileen having a bit of a romance for a change. It's probably not going to be a long term thing, Eileen is one of Corrie's love losers but wouldn't it be nice if this turned into the love of her life? It's also nice to see Jack finding some companionship as well. It's been a good year for all the senior cast members, really. Ken and Deirdre, Rita, Norris, Jack, Bill, and even Emily though she's mostly been the Greek chorus to everyone else's storyline but at least we've seen more of her. The only one that hasn't had a lot of storyline of that generation is Audrey who's been peripheral to things since she and Bill broke up, for the most part.

Pity we have to balance it out with a ludicrously contrived storyline about Stape giving Rosie the procedes from the sale of his granny's house just as Luke came up with an investment scheme for the staff! And by the way, Helen Flanagan's habit of delivering her lines in what she thinks is "uppity" and "snippy" is just speed-speaking and you can't understand half of what she's saying. You can still portray snotty and speak a little bit slower. In fact, it would make the condescension stand out more.

I think Fiz really has hit bottom, proposing to John. What have they done to this once-sparky redhead? I know i've said it before but it bears repeating. What are they doing to this character!!!

Further to the question about why Hayley hasn't had a storyline,Why did it take Hayley months to rip Pam an new one over selling sandwiches to the whole neighbourhood? Even Roy hadn't made any mention of it though the only reaction Hayley's had was a bit of a sneer once up until the last of June. Well leave it to Hayley to compromise instead of bringing the wrath of Health and Safety on Pam's head.

I'm continuing to enjoy Peter's struggle with alchohol. Um, let me put that another way. I'm enjoying the storylines and the performances. At the same time that Peter is struggling with recovery, Joe is sinking into the depths of prescription pain killer addiction. Another good performance here too. Doesn't Joe have a nasty mouth on him sometimes, though? But neither of them has been seen struggling later in June. I expect Joe's story will be ramping up now that Peter is coming to terms with his problem.

A refeshing change. Michelle had two fellas after her and didn't pick either one. Sensibly, she knew Peter still had a thing for Leanne and she wasn't over Steve. (But you know the best way to get over a fella is to get under one or two new ones! I guess that didn't work so well for her!) She's gone for awhile (while the actress gets new knockers and I guess we'll not see too much of Ryan either. But as I blogged over here, I'm guessing she'll be back early, pregnant and won't know who the father is.

It's so awesome watching Tony, the control freak, losing his marbles little by little though he's been pretty stable lately. We know that exposing his misdeeds are going to be at the end of it all. Is he really falling for Maria, or is it another move in his master plan to win her away from her suspicions? Natasha was just a diversion. I maintain that Tony didn't feel guilty about killing Liam but he felt horribly guilty when he realized Maria was pregnant and that might be his one glimmer of redemption. HE'll still have to pay for his misdeeds at some point. Murderers cannot be seen to get away with their crime. Once Carla comes back, she'll make sure Tony pays.

Poppy all of a sudden can't get along with Betty who takes advantage who probably has been doing that for the last 15 years, I suppose, but firing Betty?!!! She can't get away with that. Betty comes with the pub, everyone knows that! When it comes down to an ultimatum, and without Liz there to back up her mate, Betty rules the roost because heaven knows Steve hasn't got the gumption to smack Betty down and he knows that though the younger punters might not appreciate her, all the regulars certainly do and you don't drive your regulars away, do you? What gets me is that Poppy was a perfectly reasonable person until the last few weeks. The Personality Transplant Fairies whacked her on the head because they have to have a reason for her to never darken the Rovers' door again.