State of the Street - January - February 2018

Blog fail award: Me for forgetting to do January's State of the Street and I'm late with this one! I'll try to combine the major points in with February.

Didn't I say that Phelan would reach out and we'd have another body lurking around?  This time, a lovely, gentle man, Luke, got on the trail of where his mate Andy is after  the post has been piling up for months. Not really a lot to be going on with but they needed an excuse to put Luke in Phelan's path.It was a well kept secret for a change and a young actor like this one will do well. I liked him quite a bit. It's too bad none of the women they paired him with were all that interesting as far as "match made in heaven". First, Maria and then Alya. Luke would have been a much better partner for someone like Rana rather than Zeedan.

By the end of February, Phelan's alarm bells are ringing loudly and he suspects Gary is up to something. Then he discovered Seb in Nicola's flat and realizes she's betrayed him. She doesn't believe him anymore. He won't hurt her but he did throw her out (she was staying there after a hospital visit). He's isolating Eileen, trying to keep her from her friends, all of whom keep a dim view of him. She doesn't understand and has already fallen out with Liz over it. Then, at the Mill development site, things are looking to go very badly because the little lake there has to be drained and we all know there are two dead bodies in it. Phelan could play innocent but once they're identified, one being his former tennant and one his former business partner who allegedly scammed him for a lot of money, he'd be front and center in a murder investigation and so he should be!

It's the beginning of the end for Pat Phelan. Some viewers think this has gone on too long but I think it's been great. Some of these villains need a long game to get to the inevitable end or it will feel too rushed. Sometimes, aspects of it are a bit too contrived, I admit that but overall, it's been great and Connor McIntyre has been absolutely superb.

Luke Britton, we miss you. Not in the way Alya does, with what was left of her life's blood draining out daily, just... it's a rotten shame he went so young and horribly. I never bought into Alya and Luke as a couple and certainly not "love's young dream". I do believe you can meet the love of your life but I don't necessarily believe you would know it within 5 or 6 months of dating  someone in that early flush of lust. And since it appears Luke never did introduce Alya to his parents, clearly he was not that into her but has she taken that on board? No. She just hoped she wasn't seen as rude to miss the burial and wake when Mr. and Mrs. B. had no clue who she was in the first place.

Anna's trial went pretty much as expected. In the majority of trials, the person arrested and jailed is never the guilty party and even then, they are often convicted, with new evidence revealing the real guilty party later. However, when you know that an actor is leaving the show, all bets are off. This was a trial for pushing Seb off the ladder and we know she didn't do that. But she is also up on charges for assaulting Eileen (when she thought it was Phelan coming up the steps to the builder's office) and she'll get time for that because she's guilty of that charge.

What I'd really like to see is Anna vindicated and released and then deciding to move away with Faye somewhere. Otherwise, you have Anna in prison with a release date somewhere down the road. Now, does she come back to Weatherfield where, all things being equal, her daughter still lives? But chances are that Faye won't be there anymore as there really isn't much to keep her there other than Tim. Maybe she'll stay with Tim's father and Tim can come back to town with Sally. That will give Anna a place to go on release.

Rana and Kate?  I still don't buy them as a couple. I always thought Kate and Sophie would have been better. Kate could bring some fun into Sophie's life finally and at the moment, they are dating but there's still that draw between Kate and Rana. Poor Rana, though, more or less forced into staying with Zeedan for a year while they build a business financed by her father, just for the sake of putting on a front. That won't last long, I am pretty sure. At this point, I don't think Zeedan will end up with a cafe either. There has been publicity that a British coffee chain, Costa, will have it's name bandied about Weatherfield which means that's already going to be a drain on Roy's business. I can't imagine there would be another cafe, albeit with a different sort of cuisine, opening up nearby.

Bethany as a lap dancer really falls flat for me. When she first worked there, it didn't seem that sleazy at all, certainly not true to reality but during her next stint, she got a bigger reality check with a less sympathetic owner and a lower class of customer. Probably just as glad to get sacked out of that one. I think she needs a bit more counselling!

All this baby business with Eva just makes me hold my head in my hands and sigh. 17 weeks pregnant when she finds out, and ok, not everyone has the most obvious signs and signals. Toyah's surrogate had a miscarriage which must have been nasty because she must have been fairly fair into her pregnancy, too. Secrets and Lies. Toyah hasn't been able to tell Peter and now she's apparently going to raise Eva's baby as the surrogate's and not tell Peter about that, either. It's really going to bite her in the bum and probably throw Peter in a direct path of a bottle of whiskey. Here we go again unless he can manage not to drink.

Carla's duff kidneys were seen to, with Aidan having the operation. During her earlier stay, she had herself seen to with Daniel Osbourne doing the deedl ; Some lovely scenes between Johnny and Roy working out how to share Carla's affections. Carla is bonding with Johnny but Roy knows her better and there's a much stronger bond there as Carla and Johnny are still getting to know each other. I'm suspicious, though, there's something going on with Aidan. He was emotional after the surgery and he's been distant ever since. '

Carla had more than her kidney seen to by young Daniel Osbourne who capably  took the reins. That was one of the oddest couples on Corrie yet.And it feels like Daniel isn't far from an all out crush on her with Peter grimacing from across the bar, jealous in spite of himself. And Daniel? I'm sure he thought all his birthdays came at once but out of this little friendship came a reunion with the woman he really wants, Sinead because it was clear that's what Carla could sense and she pushed them together.

And then there's that story that everyone both assumed ITV forgot and wished the viewers did too and the story that the viewers criticized ITV for not remembering even though it was the worst retcon ever. It's back. I guess ITV gave up trying to make everyone forget that Michelle's son Ryan isn't biologically hers and her bio son Alex is still out there somewhere. He's pitched up as a trainee doctor at  the medical center just a few meters from where his mother lived. He may have assumed his mother could have moved away but I very much doubt it. I reckon he has been secretly tracking her all these years during which neither of them have made much effort to keep in contact. Curiosity, on his part. Now he's back, Michelle would like to have some sort of relationship with him but he's not supposed to be in the show long so I'm predicting once he leaves, there will be a reconciliation and then he'll sink back into the cupboard and we won't hear about him yet again.

Tvor (Twitter @tvordlj)

State of the Street - December 2017

I was away most of November and there was too much to catch up on so we'll have to skip up to December.

Phelan is aiming all guns at Anna, determined to bring her down and using Seb to do it. He's expert at double talk, convincing Seb of what he thinks he remembers, kind of like that snake in Jungle Book hissing around his ears! Anna didn't get bail so she's locked up for now but when she hears about Gary's "death", she fights back. I should say, Gary's "alleged" death because I never did think he would be confirmed as dead. Why? Two words. Miracle. Christmas. Tis the season and all that. I half expected him to show up unharmed at the holidays but we didn't even have to wait that long. It was maybe two days and he was back as if nothing had happened. Oh, you were worried? I fail to understand why he didn't guess that all of his stuff got blown up leading his family to think he was dead. Ok, his phone was destroyed but surely he could have found a phone that worked somewhere.

Doesn't matter. David found out about Nicola and the baby while he was gone and tried to keep it secret out of respect for Sarah's grief but when Gary came back he tore him a new one. Gary promised to tell Sarah the truth but David just couldn't wait. Now I didn't think that David told her who the woman was but on Christmas Day, Sarah was drunk and screamed at Eileen across the road about Nicola and Gary and that Nicola wasn't in Australia after all. Continuity error? Very possibly.  I reckon Gary would have chickened out anyway. Sarah was rightly pissed and threw Gary out. I wonder if that's the final flop in a relationship that's been non stop flip flop, on again off again! I don't blame her and she shouldn't take him back ever but it's a soap.

And Anna? She ended up losing Kevin over the scandal and ran away from a  hospital visit. She didn't get very far, and the escape alone is likely going to have her banged up even if she's proven innocent of the original Seb charges. While she was hiding out, she assaulted Eileen at the builder's yard with a bolt cutter, thinking she was Phelan coming up the stairs. That's going to be another thing that will keep her behind bars.  I'm sure we're on the slope downward to Phelan's comeuppance but I'm still not sure how it's going to come about. Anna must be involved with it somehow because she's due for payback for what Phelan did to her. Whether it will be a fight to the death is anyone's guess. Maybe Eileen and/or Nicola will be part of it, too, so that Phelan ends up with nothing, no wife, no daughter, no granddaughter. All of his self-illusion can come crashing down.


Mary struggled with her worries about baby George and why it seemed to her people weren't investigating deep enough into why the baby kept getting ill. When Jude and Angie decided to return to South Africa, however, Mary's friends rallied round to help prevent it. Tracy stole the passports and Norris went all superhero on them! I'm not quite sure what he thought his protest would do but it was nice of him anyway.

They finally discovered that the child is allergic to the kind of sugars found in fruit. Jude and Angie have a lot of sucking up to do even if Mary is inclined to look the other way since they're going to stay in Weatherfield for now. I'm not even going to get huffy at Jude for his attitude towards Mary for giving him up as a baby. Let's face it, it's a lot to get your head around. The circumstances came from rape and the baby was taken from her and he didn't seem to register that but I don't really think that would be out of the ordinary for someone to react like that at first. They'd come around eventually and it looks like Jude is starting to think in the right direction. If Angie hadn't been so preoccupied, struggling with her post natal depression and thinking Mary was trying to hurt her baby, she'd probably have told Jude a thing or two to sort him out!


Robert has had an operation to determine the severity of the testicular cancer and his hair has gone completely silver. I never thought of him as dying his hair but yes, if he did, then a spell in prison with no access to it would result in a grey head of hair. It still doesn't make him any more interesting. He's so much in denial that he does what he always does, gambles at the casino and puts his business in jeopardy. That was the intent of the cancer storyline I think, rather than a story about him struggling to recover. Lop one of them off and do a test and it's all clear. This is about financial woes.

This time, Michelle is a business partner and it'll be all about her, too. Not that she needed any excuses for that. What does she do to help? Stage a robbery and scam the insurance company. Good Grief. Steve found out about the financial problems, though, and I think he wants to get involved which is going to put a bump in the newly paved road of his and Tracy's reunion. Don't get me started on that. I don't agree with it and it feels forced. Why does everyone have to be part of a relationship?

Aidan and Alya's business struggles to get off the ground. Not really interested, sorry. The end result was 1. Aidan getting Carla to back him to buy the factory off Johnny and 2. dealing with the company they've got an order for, a company whose  owners are nasty pieces of work, sexist and racist to start with and every other kind of "ist" you probably care to mention. Still not really interested in this one though it is good to see Carla back.

Johnny wants to retire to Spain on the insurance money from the factory. Here's another plot hole/continuity error. I thought Aidan's was the name on the partnership papers. Is Carla still a majority partner? Doesn't she have a say in the matter? Or did she sign over/sell her share to Johnny when she left town? Anyway, Carla's back, she's decided to back Aidan and she's got a secret.Turns out she's dealing with kidney failure and only Roy knows. If she needs a relative for a transplant, I've got a bad feeling. You don't have to get a transplant from a dead person, a donor has a healthy kidney removed and can live with one quite well but what if that's what happens? One of Carla's family is identified as the donor and dies? It would have to be either her brother Rob or Aidan or Kate. Johnny's MS would preclude him as a family donor and the only other blood relative, little Liam, is too young, I would think.


Luke has decided that 12 months of Andy's mail piling up is time to investigate rather than just send it all back saying "Not at this address". They believe Andy left town after he left Steph so there was no reason to believe he was ever coming back. Andy's old mate says Andy never got to Bristol and for some reason Luke thinks Pat Phelan was the next one to ask even though the two of them were barely nodding acquaintances to most of the Street.  Is it because Phelan was the landlord? He lied and said he's been in touch with Andy who may be in Birmingham. Is this going somewhere? Will Luke find the bodies in the pond?

Billy turned himself in over attacking Peter, gave police a chance to connect his fingerprints to an old robbery and burned out car. Turns out he was a bad lad back in the day. Also, he was responsible for the car crash that killed Susan Barlow or he thinks he was. He was in the car when it crashed and didn't insist on them calling for help so he's the designated guilty party in his mind. It's even worse, and quite a huge coincidence that he ends up living in the same street as the orphaned boy, Adam, but that's a soap for you.

Then we were in for weeks of Billy looking dreadful, feeling guilty and shamed and teetering on the fence of whether to tell Adam the truth or not. It was never a matter of if Billy would confess to one of the Barlows, it was a matter of when and Christmas seemed as good a time as any! For his honesty, Billy spent the night in the boot of Peter's cab and when Peter let him out, he lost his balance and went over a cliff! He survived, just, and the Barlows have closed ranks. Billy doesnt tell that Peter was the one more or less responsible for his injury and they won't tell he was more or less responsible for Susan's death. But it looks like Adam might be the loose cannon there.

Todd didn't know any of the car stuff but things were getting out of hand and he knew that Billy told Peter of his original involvement and we're told that Todd decided to take Summer away somewhere to get away from all the aggro. In reality, the actor has been fired and has left the show abruptly so this is a hasty rewrite. I hope they bring Summer back, though, at some point.


Rana and Kate are in a full blown affair even though Rana is now legally married to Zeedan and protests that she loves him as well as Kate. She knows what the scandal will do to her family and how they'll react towards her and she's scared stiff. I'm surprised because throwing traditions to the wind in the past never seemed to bother her. I'm not all that interested in this storyline either because, while this sort of thing happens and straight women discover they're attracted to women, I never bought Rana as one of those women. Then again, I've never really been overly interested in Rana at all and that's probably the main reason this storyline lets me down.

Chesney is going to be marrying Sinead in the new year and he's being busy trying to undermine her tentative friendship with Daniel by setting up Daniel to look bad in her eyes. Daniel has decided to do the same thing in return and prove that he's the one Sinead really loves. Tracy is helping Chesney for reasons only known to her and Adam is goading Daniel on. Feels like school yard shenanigans to me. 

Christmas and the subsequent holiday season on the Street really felt lacking in my opinion. In the old days, the pub was the centre of celebrations both on Christmas Day after happy and unhappy families coped with the holiday and on New Year's Eve. This year, we barely saw anyone in the pub on the 25th and aside from a pre-party scene in the pub on New Year's Eve, the rest of the celebrations were in the Bistro with only a bare handful of characters rather than a packed Rovers full of old friends. I wrote more about it here.

Hope you all have a wonderful 2018!


Tvor (Twitter @tvordlj)

State of the Street - October 2017

October started off with a bang and the trial of Nathan and Neil. Kind of wished there were more courtroom scenes because it seemed to be over so quickly. Bethany did really well in court though they did their best to twist her words and discredit her. Craig fared worse, the barrister making him look pretty sad and incompetent though he ended off rather well, I thought, with the Bible waving and insisting he always tells the truth. Nathan and Neil putting a spin on their activities was creepy, wasn't it?

I tried to watch it as if I was a jury member hearing Nathan for the first time. Did he come across insincere? I really couldn't tell because I did know he was bullshitting high and deep, really trying to work the jury members and sucking up, putting on a performance with the face emotion. Surely that came across like it actually was, an arrogant deviant trying to wriggle out of the charges like he had so many times before. Even his barrister was very clearly disgusted with him. I bet she felt dirty every night when she got home! He got caught up in his own ego, though, when the the police followed the money and it led back to him. Isn't that what they always say? Follow/find the money? In the end all were pronounced guilty as we knew they would be. Soap Law dictates they wouldn't get away with it.

It was a near thing, though, with the drama of Mel kidnapping Bethany to stop her testifying. Mel was a figure to feel sorry for, though, so under Nathan's control as she was. She had nothing else and he had worked his way into her brain for many years. As Bethany pointed out, he kept her around to make the other girls feel safe. I thought she often showed regrets and feelings of guilt at times, especially when Bethany really started poking holes in her perfect wall of excuses. She must have felt particularly bad about luring young Lara in so that when she killed herself, it cracked Mel's exterior and she couldn't avoid the truth any longer. We all hope she does find a better life. Wonder if she'll ever appear in Weatherfield in the future?

Rita was diagnosed with a brain tumour and didn't know if she'd have the operation to remove it in spite of the fairly good prognosis. It fell to Norris to listen to her fears and help her get through it. It was a lovely scene with the two of them. She really was afraid she'd not be the woman she was but without the operation, she already was becoming that stranger. I can't imagine the Street without Rita but if the actress has/had decided to retire, I know people would want Rita to have a proper send off and if that meant a fatal brain tumour, well it would allow Barbara Knox to go out on a high note of drama. We rarely see the full force of her acting chops these days and you forget what she can do.

Just prior to the operation, while she was working up to it, the odious Colin from that Mr. and Mrs. competition that Norris and Mary had blown out to be with Rita was lurking around. He wants to buy the Kabin from Norris and the flat from Rita and we saw a brief scene where he talked about backdating a document. He also went to the hospital when Rita was first admitted and it seems he's got her signature on an agreement to sell to him, obviously taking advantage of her state of mind and emotional upset. She's got to find a way of breaking the contract if her results are good and she will be sticking around, but it shouldn't be too difficult. A doctor can point to the tumour and it's effect on her memory making her not responsible, surely.

I really think the character of Colin is thoroughly detestable and cringeworthy. I really could have done without that aspect of the storyline altogether. I don't even "Love to Hate" him, and  the fact that he's a temporary character  is the only thing that makes me say I'll never watch Corrie as long as he's on it because I come perilously close to feeling like that when I see his face.He strikes me as a character in the long tradition of boobs like Reg Holdsworth and the type of person Norris Cole was when he first came into the show in the 90s and even Derek Wilton to an extent. Thinking far too highly of themselves when they're really just ridiculous little losers but Derek had a soft side to him in his love for Mavis and Norris in his return to the Street had slightly humbled as well. I still don't like Norris much but I can accept him now. Holdsworth was such a comic idiot that I never minded him. As a double act with Curly Watts, he was funny now and then and was always an object of ridicule to all the other characters. Colin is in the same realm of my contempt that the early Norris Cole was. Just go away.


The factory is empty, roofless and reeling. Will it be able to rise from the rubble yet again as it has so many times before? Everyone suspects Eva and Adam might have had a hand in its downfall but there's no proof just yet. Eva feels terrible and she should be livid with Adam who went ahead with the plan even though he'd been told not to. He might have thought it was too late but really, he could have called it off. He was too greedy and it didn't get him the factory, just a bit of revenge on the Connors. It may lead to his downfall in the long run, I don't know. I hope that the factory will rise again and I've heard rumours but I will avoid spoilers.


Phelan still has Andy in the cellar and is getting well and truly sick of it yet he can't let him go. But with Daniel starting to root around, digging up dirt on him, it looked like he may have the solution. He keeps saying he's no killer but he comes very bloody close and he's decided that he can replace Andy in the cellar with someone else, leaving Andy to do the day to day care which was Andy's idea in the first place. Turns out, it's not going to be Daniel though it looked like it for awhile. He managed to shut Daniel's investigation down cold. But Daniel's investigations  into Phelan's failed building project has turned up Vinny's mother. Remember Vinny? The one that ran with the cash and double crossed Phelan?

Phelan has challenged Vinny to a showdown, he used Vinny's mother and has got the cash Vinny owed him. Now Vinny's in the cellar *with* Andy.   Daniel would have too many people asking questions if he disappeared, as would any of Phelan's other enemies on the Street. Vinny really has no ties other than a mother who expects a phone call once a year.

You noticed that Phelan told Andy that it was Vinny who was the reason Michael died. I figured he was going to push Andy's buttons and give Andy a reason to want to kill Vinny. Andy won't really think he has anything to lose after being locked away in a rat infested cellar for nearly a year.

But that's now how it went down.  Phelan forced Andy to kill Vinny and had to badger him relentlessly until he pulled the trigger. Andy turned the gun on Phelan but didn't shoot again. Phelan then shot Andy. It seems so unfair that Andy lived all that time in a cellar as a prisoner only to be killed anyway but from Phelan's point of view, he really didn't have a choice. It's the beginning of the ultimate end. Murdering scum cannot get away with it. I'm really enjoying this storyline mainly due to the mighty Connor McIntyre!

Billy and Todd have their hands full with Summer who reacted so badly after they were rowing on the day that her late father's birthday was marked that she took a dare and smoked some drugs and collapsed. It wasn't your bog standard marijuana, it was laced with something called spice which is really a thing apparently and a bad thing. Because it was Simon that dared her, Billy ended up violently laying into Peter who was possibly unintentionally pushing Billy's guilt button. It was shocking to see Billy react like that and so soon after he stole the money from the law office thinking it was Adam's profit from the factory job. He played Robin Hood but it was actually Shona's money. Still, that's two strikes for the vicar. Will there be a third?

Then Billy turned himself in even though Peter wasn't going to press any charges. I've seen a spoiler that indicates to me that the only reason this happened is that it leads to his fingerprints connecting him to an old unsolved case. I like Billy but he can be a bit sanctimonious at times. I understand his position, he needs to be an example but he's also putting his family in jeopardy and they could end up losing Summer to Social Services' Care or worse, to her grandparents. It's actually very interesting to see how Todd has turned around from someone that didn't want to be a father into someone that's really bonded with Summer and really taken to fatherhood like a duck to water even if his moral judgment is a bit too liberal at times!  Telling her it's ok to break the rules sometimes probably wasn't the best thing to say!

Sally's running for mayor and it was mostly a quiet month on the campaign trail though she's not best pleased that her own sister is backing the opposition, a man in a bee suit. Honestly, you wouldn't think someone like Kirk would be able to fill out all the forms you have to do when you submit your name for candidacy as well as come up with the fee. At least, that's how it works here where I live. Maybe it doesn't work like that in the Manchester area. It's all played for a laugh so why aren't we getting more scenes to laugh at? By the time it happened, the election was very much an anti climax.

Sally won but only by 51 votes. Kirk's conscience was pricked by the fact that he really isn't a politician and was only in it for a laugh, she being the better candidate. He threw his support behind her at the last minute. Otherwise, it could have been him wearing that chain and he would have been a terrible mayor. But surely there were more than just the two candidates? I can't imagine all those town councillors and other politically minded citizens thinking it's a great idea to have an election come down to one semi-qualified person with a bit of political experience and a doofus in a bee suit. "Oh well, Sally Metcalfe who was a councillor for 5 minutes and a bee mascot, there's no point in me throwing my hat in the ring. I've only got 30 years experience on the town council"

Peter and Toyah are pregnant via the surrogate. So far it's very much off screen. I wonder if we'll see more on that. Eva's at loose ends but with a flat to her own name. I wonder if she kept the pink car as well. Very much a hollow victory. Be careful what you wish for.The Devster has leaped off into another relationship, this time with Sally's sister Gina. I don't think they're suited any more than he was with Julie or Erica but it's put a smile on his face and even more, hers. Isn't it wonderful to see Gina's smile? She's usually moaning and whinging, resentful of Sally, worried about bills. To see her coming down them stairs with Dev completely relaxed and happy? Looked like a different person altogether and you realize just how pretty Connie Hyde is!

Nicola is pregnant too, minutes after shagging Gary Windass. But she got quite a shock. Anna finally told her the truth about what happened between she and Phelan and Nicola saw that Anna wasn't lying. Add to that, her mother's friend's reaction to Phelan's photo and Nicola dug in and discovered his mother did not have an affair, she was raped. Nicola confronted Phelan with it and even then he couldn't accept what he did with her mother was rape though finally did admit that he forced Anna by blackmail. He can't take responsibility for his own actions and he's a classic sociopath and narcissist. What a great villain, though!




Tvor (Twitter @tvordlj)

State of the Street - September 2017

Kate finds a new girlfriend while she and Rana were out on a girls' night at the Bistro. Not really the place I'd have thought would be a pickup joint. Do singles go there for a drink on the off chance of finding someone else that's only there for a drink and a look-see? Apparently so, even though it's main mission statement is as a restaurant. Rana came over all jealous which was a bit strange. Ok, feeling like a third wheel isn't fun but it went on longer than that. Is this the beginning of a new storyline for Rana? Something to actually make her interesting? Is Rana bisexual and actually jealous of Kate because she fancies her? Time will tell. If that's the case, Zeedan is in for a shock. I suppose he already was aware that she's not the traditional Muslim he always thought his future wife would be. She wasn't a virgin and she drinks alcohol and has been a bit of a live wire.

Sally's running for Mayor. I thought in the UK you already had to be on the town council before being elected mayor by your council peers, not by the general public. I have heard, though, that a few cities and towns are changing their policy so perhaps it is correct that Sally can run a public campaign for mayor. If it was the old way, she wouldn't have to do that, just lobby her peers on council. As far as I was aware, Sally quit the council during the trolling storyline and didn't manage to get reinstated. Anyway, we now get another round of hilarity with Sally on the campaign trail. It was a funny storyline last time, but of course there is a twist this time. Why do a repeat otherwise?

That twist is the grass roots campaign for Kirk as Mayor after he got the job of  a big bee as mascot for Weatherfield County. Kirk is gaining support, mainly for his humour and down to earth point of view, even if it isn't really very politically deft. It would be twice as humiliating if you're Sally Metcalfe, especially if you lose to someone as daft as Kirk Sutherland! It seems a bit too surreal to even contemplate the possibility of Kirk being Mayor of Weatherfield, let alone Beth as Mayoress (and by the way, did she ever get divorced? I don't recall hearing about it and that means they aren't remarried. Surely that would stand against him in a political campaign?) I think Kirk is just going along for the ride, but the main reason for all this seems to be Gina's involvement, backing Kirk instead of her sister. The old sibling rivalry and resentment that Gina seems to have for Sally is the driving force.


Rita's memory loss became more obvious, at least to Gemma who got more and more concerned. Jenny was in Bride mode so fiercely, adding on top of her dislike for Gemma, that she wasn't giving Gemma any part of her attention so Gemma leaned on Rosie Webster who is being an absolute star. I like the two of them as friends. Poor Gemma hasn't had any friends her own age since becoming a refugee from the estate. I think this could work.

Back to business. Gemma finally impressed on Rita that she should look into the problem and she did but evaded telling the doctor what the problem really was until she eventually collapsed in hte pub. So, with tests, the diagnosis is a small brain tumour. What will happen? Does Barbara Knox want to retire? Perhaps, and it would be a good exit story for her. The injection of the obnoxious Colin, the sponsor of the Mr. and Mrs. competition that Mary and Norris entered (causing them to get married) might be something to consider. He wants to buy the Kabin from Norris and the flat from Rita and at month's end, seems to have a verbal agreement for both. But he's only a temporary character so your guess as to where this is going is as good as mine.

All of this came out on the week that we had the big double wedding of Aidan and Eva, Johnny and Jenny. Both brides looked really gorgeous, with dressed perfectly fitting each one's personality. Aidan confessed his infidelity, then waited to see if Eva would marry him anyway. She did or she tried to. But Maria showed up to try to ruin it all and she succeeded. Aidan knows the truth and though Eva nearly managed to get him to try to work it out, once he found out that the factory had been emptied and figured out Eva had a hand in it, she was dumped well and truly.

Jenny and Johnny had to race to the wedding venue on the backs of motorcycles driving by Hells' Angels. In the end, though, Jenny couldn't get married without Rita so the wedding was brought to her hospital room. Jenny Bradley is now Jenny Connor. The wind was taken out of her sails, however, when the potential for being a partner in Underworld was undercut by the complete devastation in the aftermath of the factory burgulary, where even part of the roof was removed. That makes no sense at all and even less sense when you know there's a whole neighbourhood of people coming and going. Ok, many of them were at the wedding but a number of them including the Platts and Nazirs were not, and they live right next door! The corner shop was open as well and nobody at all noticed? I don't buy it.

Gary is still working away at that security job and his post traumatic stress is really kicking off after an incident where he had to hold a gun to someone's head. He's defensive, he's aggressive, he's touchy and volatile. His temper is on edge all the time when he's home. He met Nicola in a bar one night and she's licking her wounds after breaking up with her boyfriend and she's a sympathetic ear. But when he finds out she's Phelan's daughter, he doesn't want to know her. Except when he's in another fit of "freak out", they end up sharing wine and talking. Sometimes it's easier to confide in someone you don't know. A vulnerable woman, a car crash of a man and wine. Bad combination and the inevitable happens, quite quickly from what it seemed like. And if we pay attention to soap law, another inevitable is sure to be revealed in a few weeks. At least he's confessed all to Sarah, about the job not being as safe as he pretended. He loves her but it's all going to hit the fan.

Billy and Todd are still finding their feet where Summer is concerned. The actress is quite good and they've had her interacting with Amy and Asha so that's good. I think she and Amy will be quite the duo if they let them. Todd also figured out about Adam's involvement in the factory break in so he's got something to hold over him if need be. Todd isn't above a bit of industrial espionage, though. He doesn't exactly approve but he doesn't really see the problem, either.

Liz has managed to get back behind the bar due to a misunderstanding over a note Peter sent to Steve as an apology. Neither Peter nor Toyah could tell her it wasn't an invitation to be re-hired. This isn't going to end well, is it? And what to do with Moira, the office manager at the medical centre? She's showing a more vulnerable side but she's still a control freak. I'm not sure where they're going with that, whether she's a permanent character or not.

At the end of September, we're just about to Nathan's trial which will start in the next week. Bethany is scared and worried and Nathan's former cohort, Mel, has shown up. Bethany is trying to get Mel to testify with her to bring Nathan down but Mel keeps saying she's not up to it and that she probably would get torn apart on the stand and be no help at all. Of course she won't, she's still under Nathan's influence and is under orders to keep Bethany away from the trial altogether. Still, you could see that when Bethany tried to convince her, assuming she believed about Nathan the same thing Bethany did, that Mel was a bit conflicted. I think she knows down deep that Bethany is right and all the damning things about Nathan and what he does is true but she's so far into it and under his thumb that she can't see a way out even if she wanted to.

Phelan still has Andy in the cellar. He nearly let Andy go but it was a test to see if he could trust him and he failed. It's a no-win situation and Phelan is going to get to the point of having to do something about Andy before someone finds out. Peter and Toyah are going to use a surrogate. Why do I get the feeling this is going to turn out stalkerish? Speaking of which...

Michelle finally discovered that Will is the stalker and I still have a problem with that. He supposedly carried a torch for her all those years. Then she led him on and then dumped him when Steve came back. After her marriage to Steve went up the spout, she didn't go back to Will, she jumped into Robert's bed and that seems to have turned Will into a psycopath stalker. I found it difficult to believe and it was painful to watch. Even after she figured it out, he was hot and cold, threatening then pleading and then violent, it was just ludicrous. It's got Michelle and Leanne speaking again and while they'll never be friends, I suppose they'll be able to be civil to each other.

October should be interesting, with the trial to start us off and then waiting to see if the truth about the factory will come out.


Tvor (Twitter @tvordlj)

State of the Street - August 2017

The Bistro has been targeted. Graffiti, a firebomb tossed at the sign outdoors, Robert gets mugged and the flat is broken into. I started to believe it wasn't Robert who was the target at all, it might be Michelle. In this instance, Rich wasn't the culprit but who could be? Was it a coincidence that her ex, Will, showed up just before all this started? I thought not. Then Michelle gets drugged and tossed into the boot of her car, parked in the city centre somewhere. Oh heck. That was also the night Will and Maria were on a date so he must have had a Tardis  and ESP because unless she told him and Maria in the car where she was going, how would he have known?

Now we get to watch it all unfold with Will being smarmy and in Michelle's face, undermining Robert all the time. No luck so far.  If Robert had been with someone else, say, Leanne, I might have cared but I lost any sympathy I might have had for Michelle when she lost her baby. I didn't like her before then and I still don't. This whole storyline is tedious.

Meanwhile, Steve and Leanne moved in together to help with Oliver's care and because Nick had her chucked out of the flat when he sold it. Liz kept putting ideas in Steve's head that they'd be a good couple so he proposed. Twice, since she was drunk the first time. They might have actually worked out. They've been mates a long time and like each other and it's always helpful when you like your lover. It would be nice for it to grow and develop into a really grand passion and she can get Nick out from under her skin forever. She never loved Nick like he loved her. He was really just her rebound guy.

But alas, Leanne and Steve both realized they really don't have the chemistry or that spark and even Liz realized it when they hadn't got any closer to passion after the engagement. Friends it is, then. At least for now.  You never know, it could change down the road but it doesn't look like it at the moment and really, when you pass number 6 on the wedding scale, it starts to be a bit ludicrous.

Now that Adam is pushing Eva to help him bring Aidan down as far as the factory goes, Eva is starting to waver back and forth between buckling under the guilt and raging because she thinks the whole Connor family knew all along. She's getting determined and time is not on her side. If she's not showing a baby bump soon, the gig will be up. But Adam seems to be developing feelings for her, as well. He's not trustworthy, honey, steer clear! Which probably means she'll be in his bed 5 minutes after breaking up with Aidan.

And that probaby won't be long in coming. She maneuvered Aidan into getting their wedding pushed up to a double do with Johnny and Jenny who was furious she was going to lose her big day and have to share it. I can't blame her, can you? The wedding is in mid September and it's very likely this is alllllll going to hit the fan and the secret affair should be splattered all over the cobbles. What that's going to do to poor Jenny's wedding, I don't know, unless Eva joins with the fairly recent tradition of waiting for the wedding to be finalized and then pulling the key out of the grenade.  (Becky let Steve and Tracy marry before blowing them up and Nick and Carla married just as Tracy blew the whistle there). There's a few quiet weeks first while Eva gets her second wind in France.

Liz has been scammed by a group or person that put a leaflet up in the medical centre to do with the pretend cigarette "vaping" thing. They emptied her bank account though possibly she'd get that back from the bank if she could prove she was scammed. Even so, it's a horrible thing to have happen and she's going to make sure they don't do it to anyone else.

Chesney survived the accidental stabbing but he's got a serious case of post traumatic stress and he's so freaked out he can't even go outside without having a panic attack. Now he's looking after his two nieces because Fiz didn't realize what was going on. He's been hiding it but not for long. He took Ruby and Hope on the bus and freaked out, walked out and left them alone there, disappearing overnight. When Tyrone heard that Roy's shed at the allottment was broken into he realized that's where Chesney ended up and there he was, huddled in tears. Quite good scenes, I thought though Tyrone really didn't have a clue, trying to tell Chesney to pull himself together and be positive. Chesney needs more help than that. I wonder at the end of this if he'll get some councilling. I wonder if Daniel is still seeing someone?

Gary hasn't been able to get much of a job and his debts are mounting. Because he couldn't afford it, he went on a job without insurance and ended up falling. Now he owes even more money. His ex-army mate offered him a security job in Ukraine but it's dangerous. The lure of the Almighty Pound was too much to resist and even though Sarah found out and tried to get him to stay home, even though she said they were finished, he went. He came back and they made up. Again. But he did get a good bruising while he was away.

In a somewhat worrying turn, Rita's having some memory loss, and it's not just little things like forgetting where she put her keys, it's big ones like lending someone money,  forgetting to lock the Kabin or forgetting to go to a wedding. She and Gemma fell out over the Kabin door thing because a couple of rough ex-mates of Gemma's came round and they were the ones that robbed the Kabin. But because it wasn't a break in (due to it not being locked), and because Rita's purse had money stolen from it, she blamed Gemma. She even had her arrested. She forgot that she'd lent the money to Gina who'd been sucking up after she heard Rita bailed Sally out of debt years ago. She forgot she'd left the Kabin door unlocked even though she did put on the alarm. The alarm code was on a note on her cupboard and one of the two criminal types took a photo of it.

Gina reminded Rita and Gemma grassed on her ex mates but Gemma's not in a mood to forgive Rita for not trusting her.  It didn't last long but Gemma is now paying more attention and realizes there's something not right with Rita.  We've done Alzheimer's with Mike Baldwin but perhaps they'll do something different with this. (Spoilers, but not yet confirmed or denied by ITV, have it touted as a brain tumour which is a possibility. It's not really a spoiler to say so because it has to be something, we just don't know for sure what it is yet.)

It does make you wonder if perhaps Barbara Knox is looking to retire and you can't hardly blame her if she was. She's certainly at an age that she'd probably rather have her feet up than memorize lines and have early days on the set. I guess it's better to go out on a big storyline but I also kind of hope this might be related to some treatable illness instead and we'll have Rita around for awhile yet.

Peter and Toyah have taken over the pub and it seems to be a very low key affair. They had a grand opening party and that's it. It feels very strange to see them both behind the bar and know they're not just doing a few shifts to help out. They certainly don't fit in with the long standing traditional landlords/landladies. Toyah also had bad news, she won't be able to have a baby of her own but is now considering a surrogate. They did this before when Tina carried Izzy and Gary's baby. I wonder, if this goes ahead, if they'll use someone they know from the Street or if they'll find a new character. Maybe then that person could turn into an obsessed stalker? Like that's never been done before though, to be fair, not on Corrie at least.

Many of the complaints relate to Peter being an alcoholic. I had an idea that perhaps we may see Toyah hit the bottle. She's already upset that she can't carry a child and is considering a surrogate. This is all a lot of pressure. Say they have a surrogate and Toyah worries about her becoming too attached to the baby. The more she worries, the more she drinks and the more she drinks, the more likely the surrogate is to reconsider giving them the baby. Could work.

But the big news is that Andy Carver is alive and Pat Phelan has been keeping him in a basement of an old building since Christmas! You may remember he bashed Andy with a laptop when he discovered that Andy had evidence that he was behind the scam about the flats and possibly that he was responsible for burning Kevin's garage. I can't remember without going back to look it up. Turns out he isn't a murderer after all but don't think this lets him off the hook. He did allow Michael Rodwell to die, he did blackmail Anna into having sex with him and he did violently harm Andy and kidnap him. His crimes must be atoned for.

He seems to feel that finding his daughter has made him want to be a better man and he's stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard place. How does he get out of the mess without getting jailed? Nicola will reject him if she finds out. Andy's desperate to escape and you know it's all going to hit the fan, sooner than later, I would imagine. Phelan is taking on board more and more pressure and I think there's no way he's going to turn over a new leaf. I think it's more likely he's going to snap.

Well done to ITV for keeping this spoiler secret. People have been speculating but nothing has been leaked. I do love spoilers but it's still great to have something like this pulled out of a hat now and then!



Tvor (Twitter @tvordlj)

State of the Street - July 2017

It's the end of an era. The McDonalds have sold the pub for the second and last time and have moved out. I really loved Liz as landlady. She goes down in Corrie history as one of the all time classic landladies in my books, in the same boat as Bet Lynch and Annie Walker and miles better than Natalie Horrocks and Vera Duckworth and we won't even blink sideways at that flash in the pan Ms. Price. It's just not going to be the same with Toyah behind the bar. Nobody could evict a punter from the pub for misdeeds like Liz. (except Bet Gilroy/Lynch) I can't see Toyah being a strong landlady at all, can you?


So Rich used to be Robert's dealer? Robert was a cokehead? Not on this planet. Nope. Sorry. Don't buy it. Robert was a nice guy, probably too nice for the young Tracy Barlow. He was reliable, honest. He returned at the time of Deirdre's funeral and he hadn't changed. A "Fine Upstanding Man", honest, never backward in coming forward to make Tracy see the error of her ways. The only slip in judgement seemed to be his unfortunate marriage to Joni but that doesn't seem to have made any lasting impact. In fact, if anything, I might have believed he struggled while *married* to a cocaine addict, Joni. I suppose the storyline was completely contrived to A. bring Sinead and Chesney back together after Chesney ran afoul of a high-as-a-kite Rich who was terrorizing the Bistro and B. make the subsequent plot line all about Michelle as per usual.

Eva discovered Aidan's affair with Maria and rather than tear Maria's hair out or clobber her on the cobbles, she's taking revenge on Aidan. Only Aidan. So far. I want to know why she's not targeting Maria or maybe she will once everyone knows she knows. I can sympathise with Eva. It's a nasty thing to find out that your fella is having it away let alone with your best friend. And I think she's had more than one boyfriend in the past that's done the same thing. I guess you can't blame her on one hand for wanting revenge but you know, it's not going to be as satisfying as she thinks it will. It never is. She should talk to Michelle about that.

I know. You want the other person to hurt as much as they hurt you but in the long run, what she's doing to him, all these things she's trying to get out of him, goaded on by Adam who's got his own agenda, namely, getting his mucky fingers on the factory. Aidan could even have Eva ended up being prosecuted if he really wanted that. By taking him financially for what she can get, wouldn't that be theft? Fraud? It's morally wrong in any case.

Thing is, Aidan also professes to love Maria but I don't think he really does, any more than he truly loves Eva. He's a player, he doesn't want commitment. As soon as he gets trapped into it, he's looking to get out. He let himself be railroaded into everything Eva wanted in a relationship even though he clearly didn't really want it. He likes to have it all. So when I see Aidan chasing Maria right in front of Eva pretending it's to book an appointment at the salon, or lying to Maria with delay tactics, then yes, sometimes I think he's got it coming and Eva should give it to him with both barrels even though I just said it was morally wrong!

Poor Bethany can't get a break. She feels stupid, she feels worse about herself now than she was feeling when Nathan first started preying on her. It was heartbreaking to hear her tell people she felt rubbed out or broken and unfixable. It seemed like Nathan was going to get away with what he did because there's not enough hard evidence against him. Verbal accusations are apparently not enough, not just one voice. But if they could get more women to speak up...

Sarah found Shona and that very young girl, Lara, and if Mel could be found and persuaded to talk, that might do it. Craig found out the whole truth about Neil and has been threatened for his trouble but Craig is growing into a strong young man and he won't be bullied. He recorded Neil as he lost his temper and admitted everything to Craig, including that he and others paid Nathan for the women. Even though the recording won't be admissable, Bethany finally told the police the rest of the truth which is going to be a great help. It looks like that will be enough with an ensuing investigation into Neil's doings to charge both men. Craig has been a star in all this.

It will be very satisfying to see Neil go down, especially. A cop in a position of trust doing something like this? Oh yes, he will be punished. If I believed in such things, I'd believe he will burn in hell. But if there's a hell, it's going to be what prison will be for Neil. Prisoners that might be murderers, rapists and callous drug dealers will not stand for someone that abuses children. Lara was only 14, remember. Add that to their hatred of the police. Bad enough a policeman goes to jail amid criminals that hate the cops, but a cop that has interfered with young women, many that are underage and therefore still children? Constable Neil in prison? Yeah, he'll be in hell, all right. This story is too important for Neil and Nathan to get away with their crimes. They'll go to trial and they'll be convicted. No spoilers, it's just what has to happen.

Now that Shona's back, it's also quite likely she and David will end up together, as odd as that will be. I'd actually prefer her with someone like Steve if she has to bepaired off with anyone but that probably won't happen. I've heard a rumour about Steve's next relationship and I don't think it works but we'll talk about that next month. 

Adam and Todd have set up in business against Todd's better judgement. He didn't want to have anything to do with Adam. So being talked into it just because Mary made up business cards with both their names on it? Doesn't seem like something that would be very persuasive to me. Easy enough to get new cards made up, He hasn't registered the company name yet. Unless he set this all up by giving Mary enough hints. That's definitely something Adam would do. A passive aggressive way to get Todd on board. It worked anyway. Now they have to fix up that office because it's tacky and looks like something in the basement of a frat house. All they need is a keg in the corner and a stereo system blasting loud music. But Adam keeps doing things that will get him in trouble with the Bar if it ever comes out. He won't have his lawyer credentials long at this rate. He's forged Tracy's signature, he's blackmailing Aidan and using Eva to get his paws on the factory.

Billy and Todd have moved into the flat over the flower shop now that Peter and Toyah are moving into the pub. I'd say that's about time. They really do need their own place and Eileen must be getting tired of having so many people around. It gives them an added incentive to fight for Summer but in the end, Summer came to them and made up her own mind, with the help of her grandfather who had Drew's recently released will in his desk.

That rubbed me the wrong way, too. If someone is in a will, the solicitor is supposed to inform each person named, and isn't there supposed to be a public reading of the will for all involved? They wouldn't just handed it over to the deceased's parents without a word to anyone else, especially where guardianship is involved. The solicitor would have been in touch with Billy, I should think. If Grandad had been illegally paying off the solicitor, or using a friendship, I guess that would work but the solicitor had better hope that kind of thing doesn't get back to the bar. The thing is, if that's what went down, we the viewer were not told so we would have to assume it was all above board and ask why the solicitor didn't contact Billy since he was clearly in the final will and testament.

I like Summer, she's a great kid. She's a bit smart mouthed and has loads of attitude. She's either going to get along great with Amy or she's going to end up "frenemies" with her. Summer might be an orphan twice over but Amy has a mother that had an overturned conviction for murder and a father that's been married 6 times. Equal footing, if you ask me.

Phelan always thought he might have a daughter but now that he's met her, he is pretty sure Nicola is his biological sprog, all grown up. Nicola wasn't happy about it. They never are, these long lost children who have had their world overturned by news like this. But she's curious, too, and had a DNA test done after all and at the end of the month we haven't had the results but I reckon it'll be a positive match. I like her. She's confident, smart, strong, caring and she's not afraid to stand up for herself but she's not tough and edgy or like a loose cannon either. We don't know much about her yet. There have been rumours that Kate Connor is going to find a new love and I have a funny feeling it could be Nicola. I checked, and they're the same age, late 20s. (making Kate a little older than I thought). If Nicola is gay, please, Please don't put her with whiny Sophie!

Brian continues to be an oafish boor. He even went as far as trying to fine Roy for littering when Roy only lost a receipt. Roy even told Brian to pack his backs and move out but once Brian backed down, I suppose Roy allowed him to stay. I wish he hadn't. I liked Brian when he was in the show the first time around but I can't stand him now. 

Anna's still dealing with post trauma, her ego and self esteem in the toilet and doesn't want to be close to Kevin. It's tough on him but he says he understands. But his patience is wearing thing. Kevin has a habit of turning on the roving eye when he doesn't get the attention he thinks he should have. Enter Erica, getting bored with the domesticity that is the Alahan house. Dev's a good man but kind of takes her for granted and she never did really get comfortable with the kids. Kevin's the nearest man and she flirts, he flirts back. Wahey, attention! She takes it the next step further and they kiss but pull back. However, she's been encouraged so she offers it to him on a plate in a hotel. His tongue was on the floor and he nearly took her up on it but Anna realized she was losing him and pulled out all the stops with a heart felt plea and much effort made.

In the interest of being honest, he told her he nearly had an affair and she guessed pretty quickly, dressed like a scarlet woman and told Erica where to get off. Erica slunk back to the corner shop and tried to break up with Dev but he wasn't having it. Suggested they not spend so much time together so she got a job at the Bistro instead of working with him in the shop. I would imagine this is all just a bandaid on a larger break in the relationship. It's not long for this world, methinks.



Tvor (Twitter @tvordlj)

State of the Street - June 2017

This month, Coronation Street's storylines were quite varied. We had such a climactic last week of May that June has been a month of fallout  and followup for the most part.

Nick is gone and Leanne is left alone. She can't get her head around him leaving and leaving so quickly and he's gone for good. She's sure he'll cool off and come back but he's selling his half of the Bistro and cutting off business ties. Leanne will soon have something else to distract her, though, because Eva's found out about Maria and Aidan's affair.

Adam caught the two snogging in the ginnel and took a photo, intending on using it for blackmail. Even that didn't stop Aidan. He's determined to have it both ways, stringing Maria along with the usual promises to tell Eva the truth but never quite getting there. Except Eva found out because Aidan left his tablet hooked up to the television after a session of afternoon delight and it's obviously hooked into his mobile phone account. He destroyed the pay as you go phone so Maria sent him texts to his normal phone that popped up on the television screen leaving no uncertainty. Eva and Leanne were both there to see it. Busted.

Here's the twist. Aidan and Maria don't know she found out and Eva is now the one doing the stringing along, intent on revenge and she's pretending to Aidan that she's pregant (due to the fact that she thought she was but isn't)  In her revenge, it's likely that Toyah and Leanne will be her wing-women. She vows to get as much out of Aidan as she can.  Leanne gets to take out her anger at Nick and direct it in the guise of sisterly outrage in Aidan's direction.

Johnny got a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis and freaked out, as you do. He doesn't want to be a sick old man and have a young, vibrant wife have to look after him so he broke off with Jenny. A stern talking to from Kate gave him second thoughts but he's not been able to persuade Jenny back yet. I don't blame her. He really hurt her and let her down and she's had trust issues going back years. One of the best parts of this storyline was Rita going down the Mama lioness route and tearing Johnny a new one after he hurt Jenny and then, after getting drunk, being one of Jenny's wing-women, along with Gemma, when Johnny tried to apologize. Barbara Knox doesn't get enough really meaty scenage and it's glorious when she does! I do hope Johnny and Jenny find their way back to each other in the end.

All the Barlows except Ken are spending a lot of their time hissing and spitting in Daniel's direction after what he did to Ken. Poor Daniel couldn't deal with his mother's return and insisted she leave him again and Sinead won't have anything to do with him either. He's lost his place at Oxford and his family mostly all hate him. Is it any wonder he jumped into a mess of cocaine and other illegal and legal substances and overdosed? It was surprising when Adam actually cared enough to look after him and stay over the night he left the hospital, just to make sure there were no after effects. I don't think Adam likes him any more than he did, but he's family and Adam doesn't have a lot of that left, does he? Turns out, blood really is thicker than water. I do hope Daniel does get counselling. He needs it badly. 

Bethany was yanked out of Nathan's flat but Nathan still has full control over her. He was out on bail and kept up contact, first, face to face and then through Neil. He made plans to wisk her away to the Continent. She thinks it's a romantic gesture and they're starting a new life. It isn't. He's selling her to the highest bidder. As she was leaving to run off, Mary tried to stop her. I loved that scene, with Mary telling her about her own past and desperately trying to make her realize that everything Nathan is doing is wrong. It didn't look like Bethany took it on board but it sowed a seed. When she admitted she didn't have her passport and discovered he was sending her off to Belgium alone to stay with a "friend", I think she realized what was he was doing to her, the truth and the whole truth. Mary was right. He was using her.  I can only imagine the broken heart coupled with the panic as Mary's words echoed in her head.

She did the right thing and went to a family in a service station for help and Nathan was arrested.  Now she's got to find a way to deal with it all while we wait to see if Nathan goes to trial. We've been promised he'll pay as will the crooked cop but I would imagine the road to conviction for both of them will be full of potholes before the cage is closed on those two.

Really good storyline, I think. I've enjoyed it a lot. Excellent performances all around. I know some have been upset that a corrupt police officer has been brought into it as a dramatic twist. They hop up and down and holler that it will put girls off from going to the police if they're in a similar position but it's television, it's drama, and it's never going to be 100% realistic. I think it was a good twist and it will be all the more satisfying to see Neil behind bars. Too bad we won't see the whole truth, all the inmates taking their own brand of justice out on these two men for what they do to young girls. Because they would, you know. Something else I wish and hope we see, that police inspector that dealt with Ken's case, DI MacKinnon, remember her? She grew on me. I really liked the character and I hope we see her again. I'd love to see her be the one that takes down her corrupt colleague! We have a different female police officer working with Sarah at the moment, though, so I suppose that's not going to happen.

Billy and Todd have met the daughter of Billy's dying ex boyfriend, Drew. She's called Summer and she's quite a character. I did think she was a bit too calm and collected for a child who's dad is dying but never mind. Todd, being the sarcastic tongue that we all know and love, made a crack about putting her in a home but didn't know she'd overheard and she's now not predisposed to be taken in by them. I'll say one thing, if they do adopt her, they'd better find a flat of their own because I don't think Eileen will have yet another mouth to feed under that roof! Summer is 9 years old. She might be a friend for Max, Asha and Aadi if Billy and Todd to end up taking her in.

I have to wonder why Drew didn't have guardianship in place for her a long time ago, though. He didn't get sick overnight after all and I got the impression he was sick for awhile before he finally approached Billy here a month ago. He would know what his parents were like, surely he would have made it a priority to find a guardian for Summer rather than have his homophobic parents take her.

In other news, Seb seems to be out of juvvy with a new case worker. Anna is furious that Faye continues to defy her. Kevin is getting more and more sexually frustrated. He's not had a shag in a very long time, since Anna's accident. We saw him looking up the side effects of the medication she's on. It's an antidepressant which can indeed have an effect on the libido.  So Kevin is going to take another chunk out of her self esteem and go sniffing around Erica, from the look of it. Once he got a taste for it with Natalie Horrocks, it didn't take much, just a bat of the eye and some flattery and he starts panting like a puppy dog. Here we go again.

I'm really not all that interested in Anna and Kevin nor do care about Cathy and Brian. He's far too rude, selfish and ignorant to be at all enjoyable for me. The actor is a little belter, but the character is repugnant, too much so for me to "love to hate" him.

Another interesting storyline has started. Pat Phelan's past comes back to him. He met Seb's case worker and it turns out he knew this woman, Nicola's parents. Not only that, he had an affair with her mother and he's pretty sure she's his biological daughter. There was no delay, no secrets kept for long, nobody sneaking around. It came out fairly quickly. I really like that Nicola stood right up and confronted him with it straight away rather than keeping it secret that she knew, and that she has had the reaction you might expect from normal non-soap people. Shocked, but not about to go out and self destruct, either. Eileen took it well, knowing it's his past rather than have a hissy fit like soap characters usually do. She's being very supportive. I expect she will turn out to be his daughter.

Phelan is a villain, he's done nasty things and in the long run he will have to pay. But finding his daughter, will she end up being his conscience? Will, in the need to be a better man, she be the catalyst to him confessing to things like leaving Michael to die and killing Andy? I reckon he'd only do that if somehow Nicola finds out first, at least about Andy. If Andy's really dead. It's all up in the air and it's going to be great fun speculating on this storyline.

Lastly, David has found out that Shona is Clayton's mother after finding Shona at Kylie's grave. She might have helped Bethany and she and David were beginning to fall for each other. I did like the scene where David talked to Leanne about finding someone new after your loved one died. Because she got together with Nick after Kal died, she'd know what he was feeling. But when he found out Shona's secret, David can't get his head around Shona being the mother of the kid that killed Kylie. It would be pretty strange, that's for sure. How could the kids manage it, growing up knowing that, as well? I realize she was not the one that made Clayton kill Kylie and it's really not her responsibility but it's difficult to separate the two. Anyway, she ran out of town but I don't think we've seen the last of her.


Tvor (Twitter @tvordlj)