Wedding Blues

The brides looked really lovely in fairytale frothy dresses. The house and the church were decorated in white flowers, white for innocence. But one of the brides had doubts and in the face of God, couldn't manage to get the words out. The father of that bride spoke up. He knew his daughter had some collywobbles. So did her friend/employer, even more than her father. And the bridesmaid who was at the root of the doubts knew that the bride was making a mistake.

I think the guests at Coronation Street weddings must be getting used to weddings getting interrupted and not coming off. We had two this year alone! No wonder Rita hasn't bought a new hat for one in awhile. She's worn that black furry thing for most occasions in the last few years.

Sophie might be over her crush on Amber, but it served to show her that maybe she's not ready to settle down. I do believe she loves Sian and loved her all through everything else she was feeling but at 17, is that enough? Kevin didn't think so. He tried to talk to her in the conservatory with that sad Adele song in the background and then he was the one that stopped the wedding when Sophie was hesitating.

Sophie herself tried to talk to Sian but Sian overwhelmed her with loved up words and gifts. Most of us grownups have been watching this unfold and thinking that we knew 17 was far too young to get married and it will all end in tears and that's what happened. Kevin and Sally both felt that way about it but when the girls tried to elope, they backed off and went along with it. Sometimes  you have to let your kids make their own mistakes but faced with them running way, they were in a hard place. I'm sure both of them felt it was a mistake, too, even before Kevin discovered Sophie was having doubts.

And it most definitely did all end in tears. Wailing, crying, sobbing, shrieking on the street. Should Kevin have interrupted the wedding like that? Did it hurt him like a knife through his heart to see his little girl in a white, frothy, soggy heap on the pavement with her heart in pieces all over the cobbles? I bet it did but I also think he did the right thing.

Sophie had a crush on Sian and she had doubts. By the time she got to the altar, she was over it but the doubts were still there and before her God, she couldn't say the words. She's 17. She's a kid no matter that she wants to be considered grown up. Sian was her first love and it was difficult because coming out as a lesbian is not going to be easy for anyone much less a teenager. All of that is a lot to get your head around at the best of times but at 16 and 17 when your hormones are all over the place and when you aren't as mature as you think you are, marraige a disaster in the making.

It's telling that Sophie wanted to hurry along the wedding to prove to herself that she didn't love Amber. Amber was only winding up Sophie at first but she knew Sophie was making a mistake. I think she just went about it the wrong way, trying to play on her emotions. Or maybe that was the only way she could have done it to really make Sophie think.

Sophie and Sian were a really good couple, I'm not saying thatthey weren't. Best friends turned into lovers and they were really sweet together. But they were still kids. I think the same way about Chesney and Katy, moving in together and planning a baby. They really aren't equipped to handle the really tough times that are going to happen. Relationships are hard work and even harder at that age. Chesney might be more mature than Sophie because he's not had a sheltered life. He's had to learn how to survive in spite of Cilla so maybe he's grown up a bit faster but Katy has been most definitely sheltered even though Owen has brought her up on his own. I don't know if they can survive as a couple, as sweet as they are together.

But this isn't about them, I only mentioned them to point out some similarities and so you know I am not approving of one and not the other as "too young".

I still felt bad for both Sophie and Sian and had to swallow hard a few times watching Sophie in a heap on the ground and Sian crying her eyes out in the car. Sophie is blaming her father but down deep I think she'll realize she really only has herself to blame. She's got to find a way to pick up and make a future for herself. She's had a bad year, too, what with the revelation of her parents' breakup, the tram crash, dropping out of college, falling off the church and now having her relationship blow up. I'd like to see her go back to school and maybe university. She always had the potential before and would have been ok in college if her life hadn't got on top of her.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, Streeters!

Wishing everyone that visits us here a very happy holiday season, whichever holiday you celebrate! All the best for a peaceful and happy New Year!

Defending Peter and Carla...sort of

I've been reading a lot of really negative reaction to the pairing of Peter and Carla and I'm here to defend them. Kind of. I am not a fan of the couple. I really prefer Leanne and Peter together but I don't think this is the worst couple "ever", as I've read some people declare. One person even said it was worse than Kevin and Molly.

At the risk of coming over all Panto, Oh No It Isn't! Nothing could be as cringeworthy as "Molvin". That had to be the most ill-conceived pairing every and that is most definitely pun-intended.

I think Peter and Carla do have a certain chemistry and and I like both characters as well, just not as a romantic couple but you have to have triangles on soaps, it's a stape plot device. We could see this one building up for over a year so at least it didn't feel like it was thrown together. Kevin and Molly should never have been a full blown affair. It would have been understandable if Kevin had developed a middle age crush on a cute young woman but all the rest was repugnant even if it did provide storyline fallout and fodder for another whole year.

Some people don't like Alison King as an actor. I didn't at first but she seems to have relaxed into her character and they've written some vulnerabilities into her character as well. I've long been a fan of Chris Gascoyne and I find he has chemistry with whoever he's on screen with. I do find it a bit out of character that Peter would disappear for 24 hours without letting anyone know he was ok, mainly for Simon's sake but he's an addict and I think he's about to replace booze with Carla.

I don't think they'll end up together long term but this will again create a catalyst for the storylines without which we wouldn't have much to watch, now, would we? With Leanne fighting her corner, and Ken lecturing Peter on his failures and Simon's disappointed little face tugging at our heartstrings, we will ride this one out as we do everything else, waiting for the outcome and fallout.

Why Peter and Carla won't work out

Right. So after that blog post from a few weeks back about who Peter will choose and who he *should* choose, he's now gone after Carla. He loves her, he thinks maybe marrying Leanne was a mistake and is going to leave her.

One of the things he said on Friday night's episode was that he was treating her like he did booze, like a bad thing he had to stay away from. That is it in a nutshell. That's why this isn't going to work in the long run.

Peter is a man of addictions and I think Carla is one of them for him. It may or may not really be love but then he really loves booze too, in a love/hate sort of way. He thinks it makes all his problems go away but really, they only make them worse and that's what is going to happen with Carla, too.

Carla understands him in ways that Leanne doesn't because she's flawed like he is. So is Leanne but it's different. Carla has a drink problem and can identify with Peter's. Pity the writers seem to have forgotten that Leanne was once addicted to cocaine but then, that was only a flash in the pan thing anyway and probably best left in the past.

If I was Leanne's friend, and Simon wasn't involved in the equation, I think I'd tell her to leave him and let him stew in his own boozy juices. Love him she may but he's going to drag her down eventually. But Simon is involved and if he's going to have to watch his father's ups and downs like this, at least he's got Leanne to hold on to and help keep a little normalcy in his life. If she can stick it out, that is. And if she can't, then she might almost have a case for getting custody. Too bad she's not formally adopted Simon yet. I know there was talk about it but I don't think it went any further than that.

You know all this business about Leanne having trouble getting pregnant, already having been assured by the doctor that though it may take a bit longer, it could still very likely happen? Don't you think it's pretty obvious that she's going to get pregnant and quite likely Carla will as well? Standard Plot device. They used it before with Maria when Carla nearly took Liam off her. Maybe that's Weatherfield's cure for infertility, have your fella fall in love with Carla and bob's your uncle!

I really don't think Peter and Carla are suited, not for the long run. I think Peter needs Leanne and Simon a lot more than he realizes. I really don't think this relationship with Carla is going to go the distance but whether he and Leanne will manage to salvage anything is still up in the air.

State of the Street - November 2011

Fiz was sentenced but don't worry, She was later released pending an appeal which of course, she'll get. Meanwhile, Chesney lost his beloved dog and nearly put him and Katy in the poorhouse. One question was answered, I see Ches and Katy did in fact give up their flat to move into Number 5 because that's the flat that Brian and Julie are now renting. I guess they're all sharing the house now. Gonna be a bit crowded when the baby comes along!

John's funeral was appalling, only in that Sally really made a show of herself. I can understand her anger but for someone that thrives on appearances, she sure made a nasty scene. The man is dead, for whatever he did, his funeral is not the time to muck rake. She didn't like Rosie airing the dirty laundry all over the newspaper. Was doing this any different because she wasn't paid for it and there was no photographer? And the Vicar asking for memories? Surely Chesney who arranged it would have given him a heads up to keep the service short.

It's not even as if John really did threaten Rosie's life, ever. Both times he kidnapped her, he never harmed her. It doesn't make it right and of course Sally was scared witless but she really did blow it all out of proportion but that's typical Sally. At least she finally backed off and realized what she'd done but did she apologize? Of course not, she had time to think about it and when Fiz came back to the Street, she started right up again until Fiz found her inner Cilla and nearly put Sally in hospital and she'd have had it coming if Fiz actually did hit her! I kind of wish she had really. Sophie, Rosie and Rita brought Sally up short and maybe made her think even if she never will change her mind completely.


And nobody really thought Fiz would leave the Street, did they? So what happens next? Surely Fiz must be able to get some job seekers' benefits now she's out of prison, at least until she gets a job with the rapist. Does she know about Frank and Carla? Surely someone has told her. But she's desperate for a job at the moment. Even so, I really don't think she would ever consider working for Sally who's the supervisor nor would I ever believe Sally would actually hire her, having to work under the same roof as the woman who was married to the man that kidnapped Rosie twice, and who she believes knew all about it no matter what she says or how she may have backed off a bit. Sally did recommend Fiz check at Fosterworld but we haven't seen Fiz since. Did she apply for the job? Is she working?

Speaking of flats, Jason's and Tina's flat went forgotten since it was rebuilt in January/February. No word about how difficult it was to sell. Why didn't Jason just move in there since he's been paying mortgage anyway? Rosie might not have liked it but surely it was better than staying in the Grimshaw Boarding House? Besides, rebuilt, it isn't really the same flat he stayed in with Tina. And why doesn't Tina ever mention it? Why didn't she stay there instead of Tyrone's? She must be contributing to the mortgage too so would be equally entitled to it. Now, neither of them have can use it since it's Chris and Cheryl's love nest. For a minute. It was hardly worth them moving in, they moved out again so quickly. I consider it my  Christmas miracle that they were gone before then.

Eileen has been dragged into Pitiful Paul's life again. He wanted her to help him find his wandering wife. But he had the police on it and he could have had the whole Fire Department at his disposal. I guess he really does care for her and I'm sure is a very lonely man. Tugs at your heartstrings doesn't it? I'm sure it's a tough position to be in. The lady playing his wife Leslie is very believable.

Michelle and Ciaran are back and it seems Michelle has got her degree from the S.S. Carribean Cruise line, that offshore floating college where you sing for your qualifications. She's running the factory and loving it and Ciaran's feeling like dead weight. He likes life on the high seas and it just wasn't meant to be. I think even if they had got married, he'd have ended up hating Weatherfield and feeling tied down. It wouldn't have lasted.

I've already blogged about the exit of Cheryl and Chris and Lloyd's hearbreak here.

Peter's choice

Spoilers say Peter Barlow is going to drink again and is going to finally give in to his feelings for Carla.  I know that happy families on soaps are said to be boring and hardly anyone stays married for long. Love triangles are the staple of soaps and with Peter and Carla sniffing around each other for so long, I guess it was inevitable. But it still makes me sad.

I really liked Leanne and Peter and Simon as a family. They've managed to overcome an awful lot and still stick together. They're a far better family than Peter and Carla and Simon would be even if Carla discovers her inner maternal gene. I don't think Simon will take to her easily if it goes so far as to have the three of them move in together. There's no word on the horizon yet what the outcome of this all will be but if and when Leanne finds out about an affair with Carla, will she be able to get past it? Or will she take it as Karma after her fling with Nick?

And does Peter truly love Carla? We know he probably feels she understands him better than Leanne because she, too, has a drinking problem. But then, she's never really completely accepted she's got one and has never stayed sober for very long. She's not a raging drunk, but she does drink too much and she knows it but she doesn't really consider herself an alcoholic, I think.

Carla always seems to me to be the epitome of "The Other Woman" with her dark, exotic and sultry looks. She's not the type you would expect to see in the kitchen with a pinny on, busy baking chocolate chip cookies is she? She always looks more like the glamour girlfriend of a footballer. Leanne, on the other hand, is pretty but less glamourous but does have that homemaker ability.

Both women are strong and both women came from a rough background. Both are flawed and have made some big mistakes in the past but have clawed their way past them to make better lives for themselves. They've loved, lost, loved and lost again. Leanne is softer, less brittle. Carla just might have the edge over Leanne in determination.

What of Peter? Certainly, he's not a strong man. He's definitely got parent issues. He lost his mother when he was a child and his father sent him away to be brought up by his grandparents. It felt like he was abandoned by both parents. He seems to have inherited his father's gene for the lack of ability to resist women and he's carrying a chip on his shoulder the size of the Blackpool tower. He's an alcoholic, one still prone to lapses. He means well, but he doesn't always manage it. He's a screw up and a bit of a nightmare but somehow, I always thought that he and Leanne really fit together.

Carla seems to have touched something inside him. Maybe it's two damaged people reaching out, trying to keep each other from going under. For her, it does seem like she's grown to love him. This is at least the second time she's fallen hard for a man that she shouldn't. The first time, she was with Paul Connor when she fell for his brother and this time, she's gone for Peter who's married. She runs to other men that she doesn't really love (Tony, Frank) when she can't have the ones she really wanted and look how that's turned out? Also, two of her lovers/husbands have died with rumours of a death in store for Frank as well. Should Peter be worried?

Each coupling has their fans. Some do think Peter and Carla are better together than Peter and Leanne but I don't. It makes me sad that the little Barlow family may be split up. I'm also not surprised that Peter will start drinking again, though it's unknown as to whether it will be a long stretch or just a short lapse. Peter being the type of person he is, is more likely to fall off the wagon numerous times. He's weak when it comes to resolve for anything and seems to be able to resist anything except temptation.

Speculation:

If Peter leaves Leanne for Carla, I suppose it will provide storyline ramifications to play out into the future, which is what they need. How will Carla cope with a very unruly Simon who will resent her for ousting Leanne from his life? We'll definitely see little Simon acting out, maybe running away, getting into trouble. Will Leanne fight for Peter? Will she even want to ? Or will the classic soap twist happen all over again, same as when Liam was going to leave Maria for Carla... Will Leanne get pregnant just as the marriage crumbles? Carla may see her nightmare happening all over again. This time, though, maybe Leanne will refuse to take Peter back and raise the baby on her own.

In soaps, it all goes around in circles. There are only so many storylines you can tell but you can tell them each in different ways. People complain about repetitive storylines. Why do they never complain about yet another love triangle? They are the stuff soaps are made of, with standard plots and plot devices. Marriages will always fall to the influence of another woman or man. Babies will be conceived via a fling with someone, usually ill-advised. Alcoholics usually fall off the wagon. Murderers die or go to jail. Long time "villains" (like Mike Baldwin) always have some redeeming qualities. Some people are perpetual losers in love.

Thus, Peter falls off the wagon and is going to have an affair. So it goes.

edited to add: On a very related note, Inside TV has a great interview with Jane Danson and Chris Gascoyne on just this very thing!

Lloyd's Heartbreak

Usually when a man gets his heart broken on a soap, he gets drunk, he gets angry and maybe he shags or at least snogs someone else, someone he shouldn't. He might stare off into space moodily. He might snap at his mates. Maybe, just maybe, he might squeeze a little tear out or punch a hole in a wall.

That's why it's refreshing to watch pool Lloyd in bits and pieces. I don't mean that in a smug way. I just mean it's unusual to see a man barely holding his feelings back and it's unusual to see him baring his soul to his male friends and even a female friend without there being any other agenda or mis-placed snogs. You just don't see that side of a male character on a soap.

When it first happened, when he found out about Cheryl and Chris, we saw Lloyd and Steve in the bog of the pub, Lloyd crying in Steve's arms. Have you ever seen that before, one bloke holding another comforting him, in a bog no less? Girlfriends, yes. Absolutely. Then one will help fix the other's runny mascara and shore her up to go face the world again with her brave face on. But two men? Straight men? Never! Most of them are written to be far too macho for that. It's booze and broken knuckles and shattered glass usually.

I also loved the scenes with Lloyd and Becky, who wanted company to drown her sorrows the day she got her final divorce papers. The two of them listened to sad soul music ("What Becomes of the Broken Hearted" comes to mind) and downing shots of tequila while comparing notes. 

I feel so bad for Lloyd! I want to cry every time I see that adorable puppy dog face with tears brimming over. If Lloyd were a woman he'd have had mascara streaks down his cheeks for weeks! It makes it seem so much more real, seeing a man in that much distress over a bimbo that broke his heart. He really loved her, body and northern soul.

I never really believed that Cheryl loved Lloyd genuinely. I believe she liked him but he also rescued her from a bad relationship and I always thought it was more of a rebound than true love on her part. Lloyd was the knight driving a shining taxi. He stood up for her, he loved her kid, he was kind to her and gentle with her. He loved her and she deluded herself into thinking she loved him back.

Nobody suggested that Chris' tumour was to blame for his violence and indeed I don't believe it was. I think that's been going on long before there could have been any inkling of a tumour though medically, I could be wrong. Still, it wasn't brought up as a reason but as he dealt with it, he seemed to be the "old" Chris she fell in love with. In reality, he was milking it, using it for all he was worth to gain her sympathy. Sympathy and the old magic lured her back into his bed but when she found out about the lies, she went crawling back to Lloyd. To me, that's one of the worst things you can do and I'm so glad he didn't take her back.

A man's got to have his pride. He'd never trust her again and he knew it.

Lloyd has always been a really brilliant character and Craig Charles always puts in a hugely impressive performance with dramatic scenes like this. He and Simon Gregson make a superb double act and he pretty much has that sparking chemistry with anyone he's in a scene with. Except Cheryl. I'm sorry to say that I never thought the pair of them had any chemistry but that's also not down to the actress. The writers just created a character that was bland and uninteresting and it all went downhill from there, unfortunately.

Anyway, I digress somewhat.

As much as the whole Lloyd/Cheryl/Chris triangle was dreadful, it did show off Craig Charles' acting chops and gave Lloyd some great scenes, real Classic Coronation Street, I think.

Kirk plays a blinder this week

Kirkeh. He's gormless, he's not the sharpest knife in the drawer, and he's true, honest, loyal and the best friend you could have. Kirk has been on Coronation Street screens since October, 2000. He is the older brother of Maria and worked at and ran the dog kennel his parents owned for quite some time.

He's shown time and time again that he can be relied on as a friend and brother and this week surely proves it. As someone that's spent most of his life working with dogs, he knew that Schmeichel was gravely ill and he knew that Chesney wasn't ready to hear it. He took the dog to the vet and broke the bad news and supported Chesney even though he knew Chesney was trying to save a dog that couldn't be saved. But he quietly waited until Ches came to the right conclusion and was there to help the lad grieve.

Later, he paid the vet for the cremation and gave Chesney the urn. What a sweet thing to do! Kirk might not always have a clue but he's kind and generous and he can be thoughtful like that.He also tried to lead a prayer moment in the pub in dedication to a great Dane which had Peter, Karl, Dev and Ciaran giggling into their pints along with me and it was a Classic Corrie moment, that!

After the kennels went out of business, Kirk worked with Ashley in the butcher shop, but I don't think he was all that good at it. Probably frustrated Ashley to no end but even so, it was hard for Ash to lay him off when times got hard. I found it very unfair of Ashley not to rehire him. He hired Graeme instead, when Ashley was already trained and he'd promised Kirk the job back if things got better. Probably Graeme was less clumsy with a cleaver, but that's not the point. How could you look at that puppy dog face of Kirk's and not feel bad?

Now he's working at the factory in the packing department. Probably safer than running a machine. This week he also proved that he's not that bad a poker player. He did learn from Les and said he never could beat him, but I reckon Les cheated! Kirk proved he had a great puh-puh-puh-poker face (sorry, couldn't resist the Gaga moment there). He bested the odious Devster and then got out while he was ahead, claiming priorities. He was hungry!

Over the years, Kirk has provided much amusement for this Corrie fan. What of the matching leather jackets he and Jason got? yes, that was a bit boyfriend/girlfriendly but it wouldn't have dawned on Kirk. He's always been the pawn in various schemes, victim of Les, Cilla, and even Tyrone and Jason, his other best mates. Recently he helped Tyrone and Tommy collar a drug dealer to help Fiz out!

Kirk is one of the lads, mates with Jason and Tyrone from away back but makes friends easily. He's the best brother you could every want. He sure has been there for Maria when it counts.

Kirk also took the blame when Gary got into a fight outside the pub, reckoning that Gary already had a record but Kirk, being clean, would get off with a caution. He hardly knew Gary but stuck his neck out because that's the kind of guy Kirk is.

I laugh at gormless Kirk but I also love him. He's such a steady guy, open and kind, honest to a fault sometimes, and he doesn't know how funny he really is. Kirk is played by the talented Andy Whyment. I've met Andy and of course he's nothing like Kirk but when you see him smile, you can't help seeing goofy Kirk. However there's a lot more behind Andy's sharp eyes than Kirk and he doesn't bumble or stumble and man, can he ever sing! That's when you realize just how much talent he really has.

What's your favourite Kirk moment?

Chesney's got to grow up

It's devastating to lose a pet. I feel for Chesney, I really do. He's desperate to hang on to his beloved Schmeichel, but there comes a time when you have to do what's best for the dog and for your family.

This storyline, to me, shows me how young Chesney really is and how much more he's got to mature. It's not a criticism. It is what it is. Chesney has always been an old soul in a young body and has had a rough life. He's been in and out of care and had his mother and Les both leave him. His sister, in his opinion, has ruined her life by hooking up with a nutter like John Stape.

But rather than give the dog up, he and his teen love decided they were old enough to move in to a flat together and have a baby. At 16. I've no doubt they'd love the child, but that's an awful lot of responsibility to carry at that young age. Chesney works in a market stall, not the most steadiest of incomes and Katy was trying to finish school before giving birth.



Now Schmeichel is very ill. Chesney is over his head in debt already, not able to keep up the rent payments on Number 5 while Fiz was in prison. He's been distracted and worried about his sister so hasn't been working. Bills are going unpaid. He swallowed his pride and accepted money from Owen for the back rent but then stole it for the veterinarian bills and is about to rack up more with an expensive operation that isn't going to really help the dog in the long run. Chesney is very emotional but Katy can't understand why he can't take responsibility for his bills and provide for her and the baby. That would be the mature thing to do. Chesney doesn't feel very mature right now but right now is not the time to have a meltdown, not with fatherhood impending.

Schmeichel was the only stable thing in his childhood for awhile. It's understandable that he'd be emotional. But if he believes he's old enough to be independent, to be a father and hold up his end of a relationship, he also needs to realize that he has to make hard decisions. Sometimes it's kinder to put an animal to sleep when there's no hope. It's the right thing to do. Everyone else knows it but Chesney can't accept it. It's as if he's reverted to being 12 again and there are no parents left to make him understand that. He won't take advice from Owen who wants to help but has his daughter to think of first.

Poor Ches. I feel bad for him but he's got to grow up and face the reality of the situation. It's going to be the most difficult thing he's had to do to date but we all know it's going to have to be done. Perhaps this will push Chesney into adulthood a bit further. He's going to need every ounce of it he can get with all his other problems on his young shoulders.

State of the Street - October 2011

The buried fact of Jason and Tina owning the flat over the Kabin has finally reared it's ugly head but only so that John Stape would have a place to tie up Rosie and try to persuade her to testify to his crimes so Fiz will get off. Yeah, right. It was contrived of course but then you could make the argument that a lot of the Stapewich Chronicles was. Now, after yet another kidnapping,  Rosie can be smug and bray that she told them all so, yet again. Because it's all about Rosie, right?

It was kind of funny watching John and his flow charts and diagrams and explanations, trying to teach Rosie all the facts surrounding all the murders and crimes. Yet again, though, John continued to blame Rosie for it all, didn't he? She was to blame for his downfall. It wasn't my fault, M'Lud! Why didn't John just write a letter and send it to the judge or something? That would be too easy.

Except now it's all over but the legalities. It's so frustrating watching a trial when the testimonies all get twisted and turned around on the testifiers. You can see the case building up and you can see all the people that mean well have what they say turned into a death sentence when we all know Fiz is innocent. Innocents don't usually get sent down but Fiz was convicted on circumstantial evidence on the same day John's car crashed, persued by enraged Kevin Webster (but then, when isn't he enraged?). He manage to gasp out his confession to Fiz and hold his baby before he died and the lawyers are going to have to hash it all out but you know Fiz will walk free. There's too much reasonable doubt.

Fiz blamed herself. And in a way, she's right. She got sucked in by Stape and he manipulated her emotions. If she hadn't taken him back, she wouldn't be in this position.

Kevin thought he was in there with Sally after spending one night with her. He made up with Pam and let her take Jack for the night so he and Sally could talk. Of course he thought she was going to take him back and he got a shock. He thinks it's only because he told Sophie and jumped to conclusions but of course he is again not accepting responsibility and he's using guilt, bringing the girls into it as well. I do get the feeling Sally's conflicted but in my opinion, I really think she needs to be apart from Kevin. I'm not altogether sure Jeff is the right one but he might be ok for an unserious relationship. A bridge, so to speak. Now Kevin's back to glaring at Sally from the garage or across the Rovers. I don't want them to get back together but in true soap fashion, that could still happen after the long game.

It seems Tracy is having twins and Steve, probably out of excitement, thinks it's a good idea that he and Tracy give it a try together. He just doesn't want her to have an abortion or run off with Amy. And she's being all mature and reasonable, making out she's a changed woman. Now we all know that's bollox and she's a nightmare, evidenced by her throwing Becky's infertility in her face. Poor Becks, I do feel sorry for her. She may have been somewhat the author of her own misfortune, with her jealousy and stealing the money to pay Kylie off after the crash but it takes two and Steve isn't completely blameless in their breakup either.

Where *is* Kylie anyway? And David? They've dropped off the face of the earth and back into the forgotten storyline cupboard after one visit with Max awhile back. Presumably, she's still visiting the lad. Is David as well? He should be so he's not a stranger for Max. Inevitably, Kylie will probably get Max back. I predict a Christmas joyous return.

Carla hit rock bottom, and is dragging herself back up. It's hard for her to keep relying on people, she's not used to that. Now she has to battle Frank in a he-said she-said rape charge and she's got to battle his mother in the factory and Frank is doing everything he can to get his revenge to ruin her. I don't think Carla is going to give in though, she's risen from the ashes before and she'll do it this time. Frank raped her and he will pay for it. Setting up on his own, nicking her laid off workers, taking business away. Will Frank be able to ruin Carla altogether? Of course not. She'll fight him tooth and nail and she'll come out on top in the end, I'm sure of it.

In the meantime, Peter keeps sniffing around her and to me, that's really sending mixed signals. How on earth is Carla supposed to move on if he keeps hugging her and caring for her? Under normal circumstances, if they'd only ever been just friends without either of them having feelings for the other, it wouldn't be a problem but her feelings are well known and he shouldn't be encouraging it, not just for her own sake either but for the sake of his wife! I can't blame Leanne for going off on him. Her jealousy isn't unreasonable this time around. He's got form.

Why did Eileen have to get involved with yet another loser? It's too bad because I did like Paul but chronic losers in love are never going to be happy. The storyline has a twist, though. His wife his Alzheimer's. So it's ok to carry on with someone who's wife keeps forgetting all about her husband anyway? That's pretty low, isn't it? I mean, I can see how hard it must be for him and how lonely he feels with his wife physically there but not. Still, though, he should have been up front about it. It's a tough spot to be in and purists would say he's married and that's an end of it. But sympathetically, and emotionally, that is one man that badly needs a mate. Eileen's right, though, they'd end up in bed. And because this is a soap, she'll justify it through her sympathy for his plight and that's exactly what will happen.

And in case you've been away, or hiding in that storyline cupboard, you already know we've lost Betty Driver at the age of 91. She will be missed very much. Betty could steal a scene with a raise of an eyebrow and a reshuffling of her blouse over those matronly bosoms and light up the bar with a laugh. Her character's death will be written into the show and we'll have a proper sendoff for her on screen. I shall start stockpiling hankies now, I think I'll need them.

So all that hullabaloo about bringing Pam and Bill back on the show to what... shove them back in the cupboard again after Bill has a heart attack? What the heck was that about? Was that putting the spin on the bad publicity because they were unceremoniously let go? TPTB (The Powers That Be) didn't want to seem like they were being callous so they tossed the fans a bone? Will Bill and Pam be back? I'm guessing probably not or only briefly if we are to see a wedding. They'll have the ceremony and fade away yet again. Why bother? Well I know why. It was contrived so that Sally could give Kevin a pity shag giving Kevin a reason to leap to all sorts of conclusions.

Sally, luv, cut out the dead wood. Kevin is dragging you down. I think these two are going to be the Ken and Deirdre of the future. Don't know what to do with them? Get them back together or split them up. Surely there's more to them than that? Maybe they should have put Sally together with Paul the fireman, dealing with his tough marital situation. Or maybe Anna could have developed sympathetic feelings for Kevin instead of Owen? What would you do with these characters if you wouldn't put them back together?