Bye Bye Becky, Goodbye

Becky Granger McDonald flew out of Weatherfield and Manchester last night in high style after wreaking havoc on the lives of Tracy and Steve McDonald. She cleared her name of the wrongful charges that she pushed Tracy down a flight of stairs causing a miscarraige and it looks like she's found love and a family of her own. Perfect!

Becky has always been one of my favourite characters. Not from day one, when she was pretty much a lowlife, making Kelly Crabtree's life hell. She left for awhile and when they brought her back, they put her under the wing of Roy and Hayley Cropper and it was golden from then on.

Becky came from a very rough  home life filled with neglect, abuse, years in and out of care and then survived on the streets as best she could. She was fierce and wild, drinking, drugs, sex, you name it. She was in and out of prison but she stood up for herself, too, when she was wronged. That big bald police officer discovered that to his career's expense. She had no confidence in herself and had no idea what love was or how anyone could ever love her when she hated herself.

Little by little, with the faith that Roy and Hayley found in her, she began to believe in herself. It took a long time, though. She had lots of setbacks and when she felt threatened, she would lash out violently. Time and again, though, Roy and Hayley would gently point her in the right direction. Little by Little she made a life for herself but it never seemed to be enough.

She nearly married Jason Grimshaw and it seemed like they would be a pretty good couple. But then came Steve McDonald, her white knight. He lied for her in court, saving her from another stint of time inside even though she really did do the crime. It ruined his relationship with Michelle but it turns out, he found himself massively attracted to this loose cannon, good time girl after the misery that was Michelle's life was dragging him down. It's not surprise, Becky was just like his last wife, Karen and not that far from his sparky mother, Liz. Seems like Steve often gravitates to the same type of woman.

Becky even managed to make some friends over the years, something else she didn't really have before. Not real, true friends. And the friends she did make, she defended with staunch loyalty. Roy and Hayley became like parents to her and she would brook no criticism of them. She would even face down Roy's mother and if anyone dared hurt Hayles, watch out. Hayley discovered she'd fathered a son when she was Harold but the son, Christian, didn't want to know her and he'd pushed her and bruised her. Becky returned the punishment in spades.

Claire Peacock, not the sort of person you would think Becky would have anything in common with at all, turned out to be a really good mate, especially when Becky first got pregnant and Claire was fully supportive when Becky herself miscarried. Becky was one of the instigators in helping Claire skip the country so she wouldn't be arrested for assault on Tracy Barlow (it was accidental but Tracy was pressing charges anyway).

Even her on again off again war with Liz had it's kind and gentle moments. Liz was there for Becky when she miscarried and Becky was kind to Liz after Jim was arrested for bank robbery. It was tenuous, but Becky knew when to back off and be giving. Becky and her sister Kylie even found a peace between them, putting their painful past behind them.

Steve really seemed to be exactly what Becky needed. His faith and love really made Becky bloom. She drove him mad, sometimes, because she still had that self destructive button that would go off when least expected, and it took them two tries to get wed but they made it in the end. Love's young dream didn't last long. The wars between Becky and Steve's mother, Liz, sparked off. The mother of Steve's daughter, Tracy, though she was in prison at first, caused as much trouble as she could and even more when she was let out. Becky suffered two miscarraiges and the subsequent adoption quest ended badly when her long lost sister bitterly gave a horrid reference.

Oh yes, Kylie, her sister came into the picture with a dear little boy Max who would prove to be Becky and Steve's final undoing. Becky, once she got her head around being a mother, was heartbroken that she couldn't carry a child and latched onto little Max, nominally to save him from being raised in care since Kylie had not been able to cope herself. She fell in love with the wee boy and did anything and everything she could to keep him, including giving in to Kylie's demands for money even though it put Steve in deep debt, even though Steve's father Jim decided to rob a bank to get the money to buy the pub which would help Steve out of that debt and ended up in jail, even though Becky stole cash from the Alahan's in the aftermath and wreckage from the tram crash to pay Kylie off one more time.

With Kylie's new husband David Platt making noises about wanting Max back for Kylie, and Tracy causing as much trouble as she could, blackmailing them because she knew about the payments, Steve broke. He called Social Services, thinking the truth, once out, would set them free and when they saw Max was being well cared for, nothing would change. How wrong could he be. When Becky lost Max to the Social, she lashed out with a sledghammer, thinking Tracy Barlow was behind the call. Finding out it was her husband? That was the end. The ultimate betrayal.

After that, even though both sides softened eventually, both sides apologized (at different times), they just couldn't make their way back together, especially once Steve turned to Tracy for temporary comfort and ended up getting her pregnant, another knife in Becky's heart.

Tracy miscarried but as "luck" would have it, she fell down the stairs at Becky's flat just a few days later, feeling wobbly and dizzy after an argument. She took full advantage, blamed Becky and Steve believed her. More betrayal. Becky couldn't understand how Steve could believe it. Everyone else believed it too, and that had more to do with her volatile past than their love for the tragic victim. It must have been a difficult choice, who to believe? Becky, who had caused a lot of damage and broken a few hearts, or a convicted liar and bitch?

Tracy, though she's a nightmare, was a lifelong resident of the community where Becky is not and it seemed most of the neighbours closed rants. Most, but not all. Kyle and Becky had made up their differences and with a little help from her friends, and Tracy's enemies, Becky cleared her name and threw Tracy's lies in Steve's face after he married Tracy.

Becky leaves Weatherfield in triumph, looking to the stars in hope for a bright future and I hope she gets it. She seems to know she's worthy of being loved, she has a lot more confidence in herself these days though you know the party girl is still close to the surface. Getting to be a step-mom to little Billy, son of the gorgeous Danny is going to be the making of her. She'll get to be a mom, something she wants with all her heart. Billy won't fill the Max-shaped hole but she knows Max is going to be ok with his mum and David now and Billy will make his own space in her heart as will delicious Danny.

Becky had to leave with her head up. I would have hated for her to leave with her name besmirched, her head hung low, without hope, tail between her legs. Katherine Kelly, the wonderful Katherine Kelly who played Becky, wanted to leave Coronation Street. She's spoken about how they would probably not have split up Steve and Becky if she hadn't wanted to go but she gave them plenty of notice to work up a good storyline, rather than slap something together half-hazardly.

Katherine Kelly is an amazing actress and she'll go far. She had chemistry with everyone she worked with and, for me, made Becky entirely believable. I know some people gave her stick for overacting, and they didn't like that Becky was always screeching and going off the rails, loud and violently, but I always felt that was entirely within character for Becky. Everyone has their own opinion but my place on Team Becky has never wavered.

Corrie's "big" week - Yay or Nay?

There's been a lot of negative comments about the Street lately but for the most part, I don't agree with them. This week has seen the culmination of two major storylines with the inevitable slide down the slope to the end of another one. In all cases, the acting has been excellent and I have nothing but praise for the performers. In most cases, the writing has been good, too, even with a few plot holes but nothing really that I can't overlook.

Let's get the one negative out of the way first. Graeme and Xin have been limping along this week. They've been filler in between the other two major storylines and it's been dull, dull, dull. Torn between two lovers has been Graeme's theme this week and I just don't care. No criticisms to the actors but they're so much better than this drivel but the whole storyline has been an epic fail all along, all in the name of an exit storyine for the wonderful Craig Gazey who was wonderful as the quirky Graeme, double act to first, David and then, Ashley.

There. That's that done and dusted.

On to Fiz and John. I've enjoyed this storyline and all it's twists and turns from the start even if I've loathed and detested the character of John and hated what he's done to Fiz. All the emotional blackmail, the manipulating, the selfish obsessive single mindedness he laid on her infuriated me, as it was supposed to. The story and the actors kept me rivetted to the screen. This week has been a fantastic denouement. The digging up of the body was horrific. The van accident looked a bit lame but didn't you think John reading Paradise Lost in the loft was a touch of genius?

Stape babbling on about them being able to run away, insisting he had a plan but never really explaining it because, of course, he didn't really have one. He was just in the throes of madness and desperation, completely out of control. Oh, Sally Webster is never going to let anyone forget she was right about him all along! I hope she's a bit more sensitive to Fiz, though.

The kidnapping of the Hoyles and Chesney might have seemed hokey and people have pointed out that though he did seem to manage to visit once a day to feed them and let them have "comfort breaks" that wouldn't be nearly enough. Point taken but I'm willing to overlook that. You would have thought that Chesney would have been able to break through the door eventually or, even though the room was soundproofed, one of the neighbours would have heard the banging on the basement door at least. Surely it wouldn't have been a steel door?

That aside, of course we knew Chesney would get out in time to stop Katy from terminating the pregnancy, that's just a soap standard plot. Having that bubbling in the background the first few days added to the urgency. I can understand Owen's horror finding out his 16 year old daughter was pregnant and, Owen being Owen, isn't going to be the most sensitive Dad about it all. Emotional and sick, Katy would be likely to lose a bit of faith in Chesney with her father insisting that Ches ran off on her. Young love won out in the end. Is that a good thing? Time will tell.

Then we come to the final confrontation at the hospital. I wondered why Fiz took so long to ring the nurse's buzzer! But then Fiz wouldn't have heard the full confession. She did ring it, finally, but it took her long enough! The stupid thing was there should have been police all over that hospital and some stationed out front of her door. John never should have got in the room much less get out of it!

That aside, didn't Graeme Hawley play a blinder! That last scene on the roof was spellbinding! It was already obvious that he wouldn't die. There was a point to mentioning earlier in the week that he had his passport with him but the thing is, there would be no use. If he tried to run and leave the country, the minute he tried to use it, he'd be caught. I still wish John had died. It feels like unfinished business that he is out there somewhere. Fiz can never really move on with her life and she'll be looking over her shoulder always.

Lastly, we've got the crisis in McDonald Mansions. The truth burst out of the closet about Kylie selling Max to Steve and Becky and the Social Services investigation was put into motion by Steve himself, not the usual suspects, David or Tracy though Becky doesn't know that. Steve had had enough of it all, he'd reached the end of his rope, financially and emotionally and called up the Social after night of drinking. David has been obsessed with getting Max back for Kylie for weeks and she's been trying to cover the fact that A. she isn't being bullied by Steve and Becky B. she blackmailed them for the money and C. She doesn't really want Max back. She says he's better where he is and though she says she wants him back, it feels more like she's saying it because that's what David wants to hear. It doesn't seem to me that her heart's really in it.

I don't think Kylie ever really bonded with Max. The circumstances of her childhood, with abuse and neglect, didn't really give her any idea of what a parent should be like and though it didn't sound like she was pregnant from her abuser, she certainly was a wild child and probably got pregnant after a drunken night out with someone she probably barely knew. It doesn't seem to make a lot of sense why David is suddenly all fired up about being a step-dad but you may remember how gutted he was when Tina aborted his baby. Maybe it goes back to that, and maybe David really does want to be a dad.

He didn't even blink, hardly, when he found out Kylie got money for Max but he still doesn't *really* know the truth about his grasping wife. Will he? Will it bother him? Maybe not, considering what he's been like in the past. He would probably understand where she was coming from and she could probably convince him well enough that she was in no fit state to be logical anyway.

Now Max has been taken away while they investigate the problem. That's another apparent plot hole. It doesn't seem like they would do that normally if Max is in no danger but Becky trying to take Max back from the foster family certainly didn't help matters. Katherine Kelly has been playing a blinder this week. Up to tonight, she's been quiet, tense, anxious but has held it in. Finding out someone turned them in, with all the jealousy she's had over Tracy, flipped the switch. And let's face it, Tracy could easily have been the one that anonymously tipped off the Social even if, this time, she didn't do it. Becky thought she did, though, and that was all it took.

When Karen snapped over Tracy, she burned a car and Tracy thought she'd killed Amy. Becky took a sledgehammer to the Barlow house though not to Tracy herself. Are we spotting a pattern? Tracy likes to wind up her so-called rivals for Steve and it always lands her with a backlash far worse than she expected. Tracy didn't cause this outburst, mind you, but because she'd spent so much time blackmailing and emotionally throwing the red rag in front of the Becky Bull, it was Becky's natural conclusion and after a slow burn and a confrontation with Kylie, who rightly pointed out she would never have deliberately caused Max to go into care, she was off with a sledgehammer.

Ken should have called the police the minute that glass broke. David had a great time recording it for evidence. oh heck, Becky, don't break the Barlow table! That's original props, that is! But Steve was too late confessing to save the table.

I can understand Becky leaving him no matter what Steve tried to say to justify it.  I can  understand why he got to the end of his rope and really, it's better that it's all out in the open. Tracy can't hold it over their heads anymore which can't be a bad thing. But why did the Barlows NOT have Becky charged for the damage? (or maybe they will next week and if not, they better take it out of Steve's hide!)

Aside from the Graeme and Xin filler, and a few plot holes, It's a big Yay from me. I'm used to soaps and plot holes and you need to suspend disbelief to some extent for storylines like this. They kept me interested, they kept me coming back every night to see how it would all come out. I was most interested in the Stapegate story, with the McDonald's coming in as runner up.

Judging from a lot of comments this week that I've read on t'other blog, there will be a lot of negativity but surely there are a lot of kudos out there too?

Bye Bye Becky

Yes, another post about Becky McDonald and Katherine Kelly!

I've never been shy about my support for both the character and the actor. A lot of people think Becky is over used and pushed into every storyline. They don't like her histrionics and they don't like her "me me me" attitude. I think because I like Katherine Kelly so much, I don't notice that it's "All Becky All the time" like some people do. I'm just as glad because I enjoy watching the character.

Now we've heard that Katherine Kelly is leaving the show by the end of the year or early next year. I"m gutted that she's leaving but I'm also not really all that surprised. Becky's been a loose cannon at the best of times and she's been spiraling into self destruct mode more and more, especially since Kylie showed up with Max and she persuaded Steve to get the money together to pay Kylie for custody. You just knew that was going to come back and bite her in the ass and it has, several times already. She's now got her worst enemy, Tracy, keeping her and Steve in line with threats of revealing her secret. Becky is being backed into a corner.

She's been dragging Steve down more and more. He's ended up covering for her, lying for her, putting himself in debt for her, and he's close to losing the pub and Streetcars, all because of her. The war with Tracy looks to be going the same way that Karen's war with Tracy went. Tracy pushed and pushed until Karen went over the edge and it looks like she's going to do the same thing to Becky. I reckon this marraige is going to end the same way, with Steve getting fed up finally and throwing her out, wondering why this keeps happening to him! Well, if you *will* keep marrying the same type of woman, exciting though she might be, you're just asking for trouble.

I just hope Tracy doesn't get her claws into Steve. I really *really* don't want them to end up together, and I don't care if it's for Amy. It's wrong, wrong, wrong but that isn't going to make Tracy stop trying. For her, Steve is the prize.


How will Becky leave? What will be her end-story? It's apparently going to be put in motion soon and carry out through the rest of the year, so says ITV. They say Becky will lose Max when Social Services finds out she bought him from her sister. We don't know yet who grassed her but she's going to think it's Tracy and is going to go on a rampage against Tracy. (see above). It could also be David, Kylie or even Gail if she finds out about the payments. Dev and Sunita know, too, as does Lloyd, Liz and Jim. That's a lot of places for it to leak out.

It's not all over yet between Becky and Kylie, either. They're either cut each other to pieces or maybe they'll make their peace before Becky leaves. I have a feeling that Kylie and David will end up with Max and maybe she'll grow up a bit and settle down. Or not. But she might. A bit. Being a dad might be just what David needs. 

Oooh, I just had a thought! Another way Tracy could get the upper hand in Steve's life... Tracy still has that money that Blanche left her (presumably). I bet she's going to invest in the Rovers! I don't imagine she's got enough money to completely clear his debts but she's got enough to keep him from sinking and it gives her more of a hold! Watch this space! Don't you think it's a possibility?

I love speculating!

Smackdown!

With Tracy Barlow's imminent arrival, and the obvious threat to Steve and Becky's marraige, you just know there's going to be more than one confrontation between the two women.

Think back to Tracy's ongoing feud with the last Mrs. McDonald, Karen. Karen was pretty gobby and tough but Tracy still got the best of her and was the last woman standing. Steve couldn't take Karen's off the wall choices when it came to fighting back and finally just had enough. Karen walked away and we've not seen her since.

Becky might be just as likely to go off on one as Karen did and Becky, though she's softened over the years, is not mellowed so much that she won't fight dirty if she has to. Tracy was mainly all about mind games and provoking and unfortunately, Becky tends to rise to provokation like an angry bear poked with a stick. Tracy is just as determined to do what is necessary to get her daughter back and cause as much trouble between Steve and Becky as possible. Even better if she can manage to break them up!

It may or may not happen, depending on whether Katherine Kelly decides to leave at the end of 2011 or renew her contract.

In a physical fight, I think Becky would have the upper hand. Tracy may have spent several years in prison and might have hardened up a bit but I think Becky still has the advantage here. In mind games, though, Tracy is the expert. Becky is full out, in your face and doesn't think and plan things out. Tracy is about cause and effect. Becky is about impulse.

I really don't want a replay of the Tracy/Karen scenario. I would prefer to see Steve and Becky up against Tracy and having each other's backs but I doubt that's what's going to happen since Steve isn't all that strong and will inevitably get caught in the middle, trying to keep Amy's welfare a priority. Unfortunately, with all this upheaval, Amy's going to be the real loser and if Corrie is around long enough, I think the odds are increasing that she's going to turn out just like Tracy at this rate.

State of the Street: February 2010

So Becky was officially pregnant (but spoilers say she's going to lose it in early March). First of all, after everything she went through with Steve, I can understand how she wants to be cautious. Second of all, she made a remark about what she dared to want. See, she wants a baby but she's scared. She knows things might fall apart like they usually do in her life. At least she has enough respect for Steve, no matter how bad things got with him, she didn't take any action before she told him about the baby. Rumours say that eventually it'll be known that she can't carry a baby. More fodder for her low self esteem, poor kid. If that's the way it goes, i'm glad. I can't see Becky as a settled down mother figure on the show. She's better off as a step mum, I think. I thought, oh maybe they can adopt a child that has had a similar rough upbringing as Becky, someone who's life she can help turn around like Roy and Hayley did for her. I think that would work. Then after i thought that, spoilers came out with the exact same thing. Psychic, me.

Jesse and Eileen are all but finished i think. He didn't like it when Jason and Tina moved back in and he had to shift his stuff outside. Why didn't he put it in the van or at his mother's house where he kept it before he moved in? A bit petulant really. He always was a mama's boy but they're making him very dislikeable which is the entrance to his exit. Too bad they wasted John Thompson, he can be so good and there was loads of potential. If you ask me, i kind of think that Trev, Janice's lodger, might make a good bloke for Eileen, but it's early days yet. He could have no spine just like Jesse though he does seem to have a bit more about him. Time will tell.

Ciaran is back and wasted no time chatting up both Michelle and Carla straight away with all the Irish patter. But Peter, who had found staying dry not too much trouble, wasted no time dipping into the booze minutes after hanging out with his old mucker, missing the cameraderie no doubt. You didn't think Peter wouldn't have at least one backslide? And it's going to lead to worse things. I'm glad they went this route. It's realistic and very much in line with Peter's personality and character that he would start hanging out with his old drinking buddy and fool himself into thinking he could handle a few drinks. It's heartbreaking to see the effect on poor little Simon especially but that's realistic too.

I really thought George was going to be the bad guy, someone with ulterior motives but it seems he really is just trying to be a good granddad and look out for Simon after all. Maybe. Someone has to, for Peter's sake. Ken questioned whether George cares about Peter. Good point.

Joe's dead! While i'm not happy to see anyone die, when it's on a tv program, that's different. And don't get me wrong, i'm not happy Gail has to go through losing a spouse YET AGAIN, and have reason to be miserable YET AGAIN, i am glad to see the back of Joe "Mr. Miserable" McIntyre. It's so wearying to have to watch his face whinging and whining and crying and self pitying. He could have been a better character but they made him a loser. That's 3 out of four husbands of Gail's that are dead. Martin should count himself a very lucky man. And i know, in real life, people get into desperate situations but this isn't real life, it's a soap so i am allowed to belittle the late Joe. I never liked him.

I don't know why Gail thought lying was such a good idea. You'd think she'd have learned that protecting people just digs you in deeper and you get found out in the end. By that time, it goes harder for you for covering it all up! Now she's changed her story to the police and it made her look more guilty. Including lying about the text and flowers.... to protect David. Well she's made her bed now. It's going to be lie upon lie. First mistake was bringing that boat back home. It's all going to fall apart from there. Poor Tina, though, she's the victim of all of this. Where's her mother? I wonder if we'll see Tina's mother come to the funeral?

Molly continues to make desperate puppy dog eyes at Kevin, hoping to lure him away but she can't be blatant about it. Kevin remains loyal to his wife and family. But the secret has to come out, it always does on soaps sooner or later. In the meantime, Jackie's back! She was the one bright pink spot in the sadness and misery of Gail and Tina finding out Joe was dead. Gail and Tina sobbing and miserable and cut over to Jackie and Molly chucking flowerpots at each other on the cobbles! Brilliant! I know people really detest Jackie Dobbs and she really is awful, Gobzilla we used to call her, but she's fun to watch because she's just so out there and audacious! More nerve than Dick Tracy, me dad used to say! With Jackie, short doses are best and this was a great one!