Marcus and Todd up a tree

Like the prodigal son, Todd came back. Todd came back in disgrace and he's changed. Not for the better. When we first met Todd Grimshaw, he was a gentle, nice boy without a malicious bone in his body. He tried to do the right thing, make his Mum proud, and do what was expected but it just wasn't in him. He gave it all up for a girl, and then gave all that up for a boy.

Todd realized and accepted he was gay but in the wake of that discovery, his life and that of lover Sarah's was looking like ground zero after the wars. He left for That London to make a new life. Turns out that new life wasn't quite the climb up the ladder of success that he thought it would be. We saw a glimpse of that when he returned with posh Jules in tow. Todd was acting very snobby, trying to be like Jules but Jules took him down a peg or two for disrespecting his family.

Todd and humble apparently had a parting of the ways. He's back in Weatherfield, tail between his legs, having turned into a manipulator and a user. His mum is not proud and can see it as much as it pains her to admit it. He's been using people for jobs, drinks and money and now he seems to be using Marcus. He strung Sean along for a bit before letting him down and started making eyes at Marcus. But we can see that he's not falling for Marcus and indeed, he admitted to Eileen at one point that it was more of a challenge. He didn't think a gay man could have a successful relationship with a woman and seems out to prove it.

Enter Marcus. He's a lovely bloke. He is gay and still insists that is true even though he's fallen in love with Maria though to be honest, it's probably more about the little family package he so badly wanted. Still, it must be working in all aspects of the relationship. She seems happy enough and all loved up. But the clouds are on the horizon and it looks like Maria's about to realize she's chosen wrong yet again.

Todd started off flirting with Marcus and he's continued to make inroads. It seems like Marcus is starting to warm to Todd. Why doesn't he see that Todd is a scheming toady? And why hasn't Eileen warned him yet? She's fully aware that Todd is playing with Marcus.

Todd is a very good looking man. Marcus would have to be blind if he hasn't noticed. And when a good looking man chats you up and it seems like they really fancy you, it's flattering. You may develop a crush, an infatuation, and under those circumstances, you don't usually look at the negative traits. After all, Bad Boys (or Girls, depending on your choice) are always more attractive, right? They have that element of danger, of excitement. I wouldn't really class Todd as a Bad Boy. I'm going to be blunt here. He's just an asshole. But a lot of people are still attracted to assholes as much as or even more often than Bad Boys. Unfortunately true.

I know Todd "confessed" to Sean that he was falling for someone but I don't believe it's true. He's using Sean again, knowing that Sean, as Marcus' ex, doesn't approve of M&M. When Todd lures Marcus away and back to the gay bus and Maria's heart is broken, Marcus is going to lose that family he treasures. Todd will be triumphant and have no further use for Marcus who will be humiliated that he was suckered by Todd into his schemes and Sean will probably be used to engineer the discovery. The scales will fall from the eyes of all concerned and Todd will be the Street "pirhana" (Les Battersby reference, there. Anyone remember that?).

Will that change Todd? Will it 'eck. He'll smugly revel in the chaos he's caused, if the actor is planning on staying. If not, he'll swiftly fade into the night in a black cab in disgrace. At this point, as far as we know, the actor is staying so I wouldn't bet on that second scenario. He will likely stick around to cause more embarassment to his old Mum.

As much as I don't like Todd, I don't mind this storyline. I know it's facilitating Charlie Condou's exit but even if it wasn't, it's a good storyline, I think. Or maybe it's like watching a tram crash. Either way, it's holding my interest. That might be contrary to a lot of viewers but that's ok. To each their own, right? I'm waiting to see the inevitable fallout to see if I'm guessing correctly, and poor Maria, another lousy relationship up the pipes. She's far too naive when it comes to men, isn't she? Kirk will look properly disgusted at Todd and Marcus and Audrey will have her work cut out for her supporting Maria again, mmm???

State of the Street - January 2014

Peter, cold hearted cheating manipulating bastard. Loves and is in love with his wife, but like a dog in heat. Tina is only infatuated no matter what she herself thinks and he knows it. He's  using it, pouring on the charm so that she won't leave town. She tried but she left anyway but I'm sure she'll be back. She can't stay away. Just as well she left before Hayley died so we didn't have to have that distract us from the important stuff.


Hayley went downhill very quickly from New Year and it was so hard to watch. Only the actors themselves and some top notch writing kept me glued to the screen, tears often streaming down my face. Talk about pulling out all the stops! We've been through a month of an amazing story, top notch performances and writing and it isn't over.

At the end of the month. Fiz has discovered the truth of the timing of Hayley's death. I've read that some fans were angry that Fiz made it all about her at first but wouldn't you do the same? Wouldn't you react that way to find out someone that close to you decided to die at their own chosen time and didn't tell you? That's the kind of reaction people have to the suicides of their loved ones and add to that the fact that two people knew and didn't stop her? If you'll pardon the pun, that is a very bitter pill to swallow.

But I loved the scene between Carla and Fiz with Carla gently making Fiz understand and later, Roy explaining Hayley's true motivation. Fiz is coming around to it but Roy is not only angry, he's resentful as hell. We weren't sure he wasn't going to blow the whistle at the funeral but he didn't and he made as touching and as appropriate a speech as he did at their wedding. It doesn't mean he's over it though because he's gone walkabout. I'm surprised he's not been sleepwalking and maybe we'll see a recurrence of it in the weeks to come as he grapples with it.

Some thoughts on the funeral episodes:

As usual, there's always people glaringly missing. This time, it was Liz. Where was she? Neither Todd nor Eva was there. Todd I can understand, but Eva worked with Hayley. I guess David and Kylie kept the salon open and the Price lot kept the Bistro going so that's fair enough. I guess the corner shop was closed during the funeral because everyone else possible that could have been working was somewhere else. The Kabin was clearly closed as was the Garage and factory. No Owen or Gary that I saw. Odd that they wouldn't be there to support Anna. Didn't see Marcus or Maria either but maybe they were working as well. I thought, even though Rob had to keep the shop open, we might have seen a scene somewhere this week where he gave his sister a hug of comfort.

Funeral music. Don't Stop Me Now by Queen? I guess that's appropriate considering she wouldn't let Roy talk her out of taking her own life. But she touched Roy's heart with a Bach violin concerto because he thought it was the perfect duet. Just like them. "Close to You" as a singsong at the wake was heartbreaking. Nice, but just that little bit too much for Roy I think. I think it would have been better, though, to have Chesney as a pallbearer rather than Beth. She didn't quite fit in, for me. And laughed at Sally squabbling about being a bearer but only because she was put at the back. It was nice that Sean was one of them, too. Roy brought his satchel to the service. It seems to be his security blanket, doesn't it?

On with the show...

Kylie also hit rock bottom and when did David grow up? Man, even though he went off the rails last year, he sure pulled himself together after the shock of what happened to Nick. It was clear, as he said, that Kylie couldn't forgive David because she couldn't forgive herself and once she could admit that, it seems like she and David will rebuild their life together. I've really enjoyed this whole storyline in the whole year it's been ongoing. It's not over, because Nick is still dealing with his recovery which I feel has been shown quite well. Leanne's bruises lasted far longer than most bruises on the show and served as a daily reminder to Nick that he's damaged the one he loves the most.

Meanwhile Nick has managed to push Leanne away and is now walking around like a sulky child. It's your bed, mate, you lie in it. He's going to push her right into someone else's bed, I reckon and I figure it's going to be Kal's. I like him. I think he could be good for Leanne, as well. I know you should support your husband/wife through better, worse, sickness and health and she tried but it just wore her out. Gail's going around blaming Leanne and ranting that she should have stuck with Nick no matter what and Nick was only testing her when he said he was leaving. Then she That's not a bluff anyone should try if they don't want to lose and maybe that's exactly what he was doing, going by his miserable sour face after she let him leave. But it's too bad. He asked for it.

And while we're at it, as everyone else is pointing out, if Nick's too volatile to live with Simon, why is it ok for him to be around Max and a baby? Never mind, he's going back to the flat and Gail's even more upset because she's blaming Leanne that Nick is leaving mummy now! Is anyone else getting creeped out?


So Beth, Kirk, Craig and the caged rat are moving in with Chesney and Sinead and sometimes Joseph. Where are they putting everyone? That's a two bedroom house and they do this all the time in the Street, Someone's going to have to sleep on the sofa, and it's going to have to be Craig unless he's kipping in the old outhouse in the back yard. Same thing down the street where Leanne and Simon are moving in with Stella, Gloria and Eva.

Character Study: Nicholas Paul Tilsley

Nicholas, or Nick as we all now know him, is the oldest son and firstborn child of Gail Potter Tilsley Platt Hillman McIntyre, or Gail, to make life easier. Gail married Brian Tilsley, the son of "Saint" Ivy Tilsley (later Brennan) in 1979 and as per usual for soap characters, didn't wait too long to get pregnant. Nick was born on New Year's Eve, 1980 looking into 1981.

The character of Nick has had three heads over the course of his lifetime. Warren Jackson played him from infant to mid teens. Adam Rickett was cast after Nick returned from finishing his schooling in Canada, hoping his pinup good looks would draw in the younger viewers. He stayed a few years, left and returned for a few more before taking off for New Zealand and made a name for himself in a soap there called Shortland Street.  While on Corrie, Adam had a lot to learn about acting and let's just leave it at that. Ben Price is the current Nick, having arrived at Christmas 2009. Coincidentally, Nick Tilsley was born on Dec. 31. Ben Price's birthday is January 1 though he's older than Nick is by 9 years and, to be honest, looks it! Never mind. He's done well as Nick.

Nick was the golden boy, blonde and blue eyed as a child and young adult and the apple of Granny Ivy's eye even if she didn't approve of Gail's motherhood methods. She was apalled when Gail decided to go back to work at the caff and marraige to Brian had many ups and downs though Brian did love his son. During a rocky patch, Gail had an affair with his cousin and about the time she and Brian got back together, she realized she was pregnant and wasn't sure who the father was. When that all came out, Brian left her and took Nick with him, even though the baby, daughter Sarah Louise, was proven to be his. Brian did forgive Gail and they remarried in 1988 but it didn't really go well. After another row, Brian went clubbing and got stabbed to death while trying to stop some thugs from bothering a woman.

At the age of 8, Nick had lost his beloved dad and had a difficult time adjusting.  This was one of the first storylines I remember when I started watching the show in 1989. By the end of that year, Gail had taken up with Martin Platt whom she married. Nick didn't mind Martin and agreed he wouldn't mind being adopted. Granny Ivy was horrified that her precious grandchildren, the last connection to her beloved Brian, would not carry his name. She held it against Gail for the rest of her life.

Nick entered his teenage years with a growth spurt and an attitude problem. He ran away once but came back a few weeks later, broke. He and Martin clashed many times and he seemed to resent Martin's authority when, of course, he wasn't Nick's "real" dad.

When Ivy died, she left her house to Nick on the proviso that he change his name back to Tilsley. Nick felt very entitled, thinking that, at the tender age of 15, he could live in his own house but Gail put her foot down. She did allow him to take back the name Tilsley because he wanted that but she sold the house to Ivy's husband, Don and saved the money for Nick's education. With all the stress and rowing, Gail and Martin's marraige was suffering. When they went to Canada with her new-found brother, Stephen, Nick decided to stay there and go to school. Gail seemed relieved at the distance and Nick seemed to be happy.

About a year later, Nick (now played by Adam Rickett) returned for Don's funeral, having completed his schooling and now was looking forward to some kind of post-secondary college or uni, at least, that's what Gail hoped for. Nick, now nearly grown, handsome and full of hormones, laid eyes on teenage tearaway, Leanne Battersby and fell in love. Leanne would prove to be the love of his life over time but not just yet. The Battersby family were not well liked and thought of as common. Gail was not amused to find that her son had taken up with Leanne but there wasn't much she could do about it. The young couple ran away to Scotland to get married. They kept it secret for a few weeks but it came out as secrets do and Gail was furious that Nick was on his way to ruining his life.

Cue further aggro and tension between mother and son. Never mind. Nick and Leanne settled into married life and lodged at Number 4 with Ashley Peacock. Leanne seemed to take to marraige well and matured while Nick still seemed more self centered.

He nearly got her into a bad situation when he contacted the man in prison who killed his father but pretended he was pretty young Leanne writing so the man would not recognise his name. When released, that man came looking for him and found Leanne but in the end, everyone was safe and by breeching parole, he was back in jail. Nick also did some life modelling at the art college to make extra money and found himself at the hands of a sexy art teacher. He stayed faithful but he flirted just the same and Leanne didn't like it one bit.

The ultimate end came when Leanne found herself pregnant. Nick was adamant that he was not ready to be a father and insisted that she have an abortion. She did, but the marraige broke down anyway. Nick left for Canada to work for his uncle Stephen and Leanne did not go with him.

Nick returned several years later, when his mother married Richard Hillman. He had a fling with Maria Sutherland whom he persuaded to return to Canada with him but  he worked long hours and neglected her so she came back. He didn't return again for another 2 years and soon found himself in a brief fling with Candice, a friend of his sister Sarah and then he took up with Maria again. He worked for Mike Baldwin for a short while, saving the life of his former mother-in-law Janice from a factory fire.

Leanne did her best to break them up because Maria had stolen Leanne's sister's boyfriend but Nick and Maria nearly got married anyway. It was not to be. He took a job in Nottingham without talking to her and she decided he was too selfish and she wanted to stay in Weatherfield. That was that.

In 2009, Nick returned to Weatherfield with a new face (Ben Price). He was almost 30, single and a grown-up business man now. He seems to have developed a somewhat ruthless streak as befits his new image, possibly taking a page out of Mike Baldwin's book, or trying to at least. He decided he wanted to buy into Underworld and when Carla refused, he used machinist Kelly Crabtree to steal information, using bribery and flattery. When he finally gets his hooks into the factory, Carla made him fire Kelly!

About this time, his mother was on trial for murdering her husband, Joe McIntyre. Joe had actually attempted to fake his own death and was accidentally killed but the police weren't buying it. Nick let his brother David talk him into bribing a witness and Nick took the money from Underworld to do it. Not a good move. He and Carla were on the outs but after Tony Gordon burned down the factory and Carla fled to L.A., Nick pulled the machinists together and set up the factory in the premises under the viaduct where ex-wife Leanne had tried to open a bar. Carla returned, took back her factory and there ensued a war with Nick over the staff and business contracts. They eventually settled their differences and Nick took the money and ran.

He ended up buying the bar premises and persuaded Leanne to help him open it as the Bistro. He still had old feelings for her and it turned out, probably due to pre-wedding (to Peter Barlow) jitters, so did she. They launched into an affair that came to a head just before her wedding. Nick was going to tell Peter about the affair but before he could, the Bistro caught fire, exploded and sent a passing tram crashing down over their heads. Peter nearly died and Leanne married him in hospital, much to Nick's anguish.

Nick, selfish as always, decided Peter wasn't good enough for Leanne and started a campaign to lure recovering alcoholic Peter, who was temporarily paralysed, into drinking again, hoping it would push Leanne away for good and back to him. Peter found out about the affair that happened months before and jilted Leanne at the altar when they were going to renew their vows. Nick's glee was short lived though, because Peter and Leanne made up even though Carla was waiting in the wings, just in case.

Nick continued to keep his eye on Leanne but dated hairdresser Natasha for awhile since the one he really wanted was unavailable. Natasha knew Nick was still drawn to Leanne so just when Nick was going to break up with her, she told him she was pregnant. She was but Nick wanted nothing to do with the baby so she had a termination. When Nick had second thoughts about the baby, Natasha pretended she was still pregnant. That lasted a short while until Gail blew the secret out of the water, having snooped in Natasha's medical records. Natasha attempted suicide but Nick found her and got her help in time. He begged forgiveness but knowing he didn't really love her, Natasha walked away.

Nick also had a brief fling with Becky McDonald after her marraige to Steve fell apart, horrifying Gail but Becky and Nick agreed they really would be better off as friends. Still, when Becky found herself drunk and alone on Christmas and caused a fire in her flat, it was Nick that pulled her out, saving her life.

Nick dated Eva Price for awhile but eventually she realized he really wasn't that into her and finally, after Peter and Leanne broke up over his affair with Carla Connor, he got the girl he really wanted.

Leanne seemed to lean back to Nick in rebound and though she insisted she loved Nick, still had a last minute wobble over Peter on her Christmas wedding day to him. Nick, hurt and angry, jilted her but soon forgave her when she professed her feelings for him profusely. They got married and seem to be strong together, now.

>But here's the thing. On that aborted wedding day, Nick and David's wife, Kylie, had a drunken one night stand. Kylie's baby could be Nick's and David has been wreaking havoc taking his revenge on his brother.

In a confrontation, Nick was determined to tell Leanne and everyone else what happened but, panicked, David caused the car nearly to crash. While catching their breath over the near miss, a large truck crashed into them, leaving Nick in a coma. It was a close call and even though most of his physical injuries are healed, he has brain damage that may or may not ever be repaired. He can be surly, stressed and he has trouble holding his temper. He's not himself and Nick is worried he'll hurt Leanne even more than when he lashed out and slapped her on Christmas Day. 

He knows Kylie's baby isn't his and he knows David's part in everything. He can see that Leanne is pulling away from him, though she professes that she still loves him. The disappointment, stress and resentment has added to the personality change caused by the damage. Will Nick pull out of this or will he remain a "bad boy"? I think he will improve over time, gradually but it's going to be an uphill battle for both him and all the people he loves. Whether he will ever forgive David is yet to be known. I'm guessing not.

Nick has always had a selfish streak, most likely because his mother Gail has always treated him like the golden boy who could do no wrong. It's kind of creepy the way she still fawns over him!  Everyone knows Gail can't seem to let go of the apron strings but nobody can really accuse Nick of being a Mama's boy. He respects his mother but is pretty much his own man.

He's been a bit less arrogant in this latest incarnation and his brain injury seems to have humbled him quite a bit. He was never all that close to his sister and brother, mainly due to the age difference and living away from home for much of his adult life but he still felt some degree of loyalty towards them up until now, as far as David is concerned and David has always resented Nick so their relationship will likely  always be difficult.

Whether Nick and Leanne will keep their marraige intact after all the stress remains to be seen. Nick isn't always a very likeable person but he's a good, classic Corrie character.

Thanks to Corriepedia, Corrie.net and several of Daran Little's excellent books.

I'm in floods, me

I've just seen tonight's two episodes, ending with Hayley's death.

All I can say is that it was full of love, pain, dignity and grief. Perfection from David Neilson and Julie Hesmondhalgh. It will break your heart and impress you in equal parts. If they don't win awards for this, there is no justice. That is all.

The year of the Platts

2013 was definitely the Year of the Platts on Coronation Street. What began on Christmas Day, 2012 had repercussions that are still having an impact today, early in 2014. I, for one, have enjoyed the ride!

We began with Kylie and David "on a break" and Nick jilting Leanne at the altar, having discovered that she'd ran after Peter earlier that day. She could possibly be forgiven, as Peter, thinking Carla had left him, made a beeline for the other woman he knew he could charm. Carla came back, Leanne was a distant memory but she didn't know it until she went to Peter to offer to call off her own wedding and saw Carla behind Peter. What to do? Marry Nick anyway and hope he never found out. Fail.

Nick and Kylie had a one night stand to soothe their pain and it all kicked off from there. Nick and Leanne made up and so did Kylie and David but, this is Soap land, and one of the prime Soap Opera Plot Devices states that if you have sex with the wrong person, you will get pregnant. Yep. And ironically, the main reason Kylie and David had temporarily split is because he wanted a baby and she didn't. Now she's up the duff and doesn't know who the daddy is.

Thing is, she'd confessed all to her mother-in-law, which was probably not such a good idea and was then persuaded not to give up the baby like she planned. It might be Nick's but it might be David's. Kylie began walking the tightrope.

David found out and went right off the rails, but since he couldn't face losing Kylie, who should carry equal blame for the fiasco, he directed his rage against Nick, the older brother he'd always resented anyway. He tried to ruin Nick, both in business and in his marraige to Leanne (which had taken place a few weeks after the jilting), all the while playing up to Nick's sympathies and pretending to be the concerned brother. That culminated in a near-fatal car crash when Nick finally figured out David was behind all the tricks and confronted him. David tried to take control of the steering wheel to stop Nick from telling all to the family. They came to a stop in the middle of an intersection and a large truck (lorry) was unable to stop and smashed into them on Nick's side of the car.

I still don't believe that David tried to kill Nick even though everyone else has accused him of that (once the truth finally came out because it always does). But even so, his actions did result in the crash so he was still responsible for Nick's injuries.  Nick survived but is suffering from brain damage which has caused him to have uncontrolled rages and is breaking down his marraige as Leanne struggles to cope.

While Nick recovered, he insisted that David do a paternity test on the little baby girl that Kylie produced. The test was sloppily done, in my opinion with only a sample from David and the baby sent away. Why not one from Kylie and Nick as well? Nick would have been happy to contribute and he could have managed a few strands of Kylie's hair from a hairbrush. Never mind. It turned out that David was the father, much to Nick's disappointment.

When Kylie found out about the test she went ballistic, realizing finally that David had known all along about the paternity issues and that he was behind the hate campaign and accident.  She outed David in front of the family at baby Lily's christening in classic soap style.

The whole family turned against David. The only reluctant friend he had was Tina but even that friendship caused her own relationship to blow up so she pushed David back out again. Rather than see him homeless, Audrey took him in at Gail's request even though Gail wasn't ready to forgive him. Maternal instincts are strong!

Inch by inch, David has been working his way back into his family and job at the salon. He's very, very contrite and remorseful but Nick was having none of it and insisted on the family taking sides. You can't blame him, he feels David has ruined his life. Kylie was angrier and angrier and when she saw that the family was beginning to warm up to David again, albeit reluctantly, it was her turn to go off the rails.

Kylie never had any self confidence. She never thought she was worth having a good life because she was brought up to believe she was less than nothing. She thought having a family of her own, a home, a job, all of that was too good to be true and now she's been made to pay for it. She spiralled downwards into a bottle until she hit bottom. Finally, David and Kylie were able to be honest with each other. Kylie took her share of responsibility for her fling with Nick and she and David have reconciled, much to Nick's dismay.

It's not quite over. Nick is still struggling and he's pushing his beloved Leanne away because he fears he'll hurt her after lashing out and slapping her on Christmas Day. She's just as determined to stand by her man but it looks very much like things will get worse before they get better. I'm glad they're not having Nick experience a miraculous recovery. It's far more realistic and it's continuing to have twists and turns. I have been speculating for the past few weeks that Leanne will have a fling herself, probably with Kal, Nick's new trainer. After many months of worry, stress and anxiety, and add Nick's rejection of her at the moment, and she's ripe for it.

Will Nick and Leanne manage to come out of it happy? It's hard to say. Nick has loved Leanne all his life and surely would want nothing more. If she has a fling, he'd be devastated but would probably blame himself for pushing her to it. We'll get more huffing and puffing from Gail who would certainly believe that Leanne is no better than Gail ever thought she was for hurting her baby boy yet again.

I have enjoyed the storyline, long though it was. All the actors involved were excellent and I felt that even Kylie's weeks of self destruction was completely understandable and far better than just one or two drunken nights with epic hangovers.  I realized that on top of the storyline covering Hayley's terminal illness, Corrie has been rather grim overall of late, but with performances like these, in both storylines, it's Corrie at its best.

State of the Street - December 2013

Coronation Street this month was dominated by the PlattTilsley storyline and watching Hayley's downward progress. There were little things, big things, other things and small things as there always is. There was a wedding and we have been launched into a classic Soap storyline of an affair on the cusp of beginning and we had the ending of another relationship.

Hayley struggled through chemotherapy all month though it wasn't until the end of the month that they started making her look a bit more frail and pale. Not even a word about losing her hair or tossing her cookies and with the kind of cancer she has, it would have been all guns blazing as pancreatic cancer is very aggressive and so would be the treatment.  Her erstwhile son came back looking for her. She finally got to meet her grandchildren but it cost her 5 grand. Christian certainly played all his cards didn't he?

It's been suggested that he sucked Hayley in, even going so far as to borrow two kids but before you buy into that, remember he'd shown her the photos of the kids the first time he showed up and he didn't know she was ill then. I think he returned the second time, even before he knew of her illness, intent on getting cash out of her and using his own children to do it. I don't think we'll see any more of him now. He was as thoroughly contemptible the second time as the first and as he was when we first met him years ago.

Hayley finally got angry and scared and her cheery optimistic facade cracked just after their lovely and memorable last Christmas together. She accused Roy of burying his feelings but she's every bit as guilty of that, whether she's doing it for his sake or her own or both. Phew, that was a difficult episode to watch. This storyline hits so close to the bone for a lot of people, some of whom just cannot watch. It's difficult for me, too, but the performances are the best I've ever seen on Corrie. I can't look away, even with tears running down my face.

It's been very difficult watching Hayley get weaker and watching Roy watching her as well. He knows what she wants to do and he knows he only wants every last minute she can be with him. I'm sure he realizes that she wants that too, but quality of life is a big thing for Hayley. I don't know if she really will take her own life but it's starting to look like she just might. It would be even more controversial than just the discussion of it. We've only got weeks to go so we'll know soon enough.

David and Kylie and Nick and Leanne are in quite a pickle. Finding out that David knew and set out to destroy Nick, putting him in the position where the car accident happened, his lies and betrayal have really hurt her and have sent her in a downward spiral of pain and self pity. Everyone else is finally in a place where they can start to look forward, maybe even forgive David in time though never forgetting. Nobody can beat themselves up more than David is with himself but Kylie can't pull herself out of it, drinking and causing all manner of upset.

She's even spilled all the beans about her fling with Nick and David more or less causing the accident. He might not have caused the crash per se, but he did cause the car to go out of control and come to a halt in a dangerous position in the road in the way of a truck that couldn't stop in time but I still don't think he meant to try to kill Nick. I do feel bad for Kylie in some ways. She's had a very rough life and just when she thought she could be happy, something happens that makes her think it was all too good to be true. She believes that she doesn't deserve to be happy so she's going about proving that she's as bad as everyone else, including she believes she is.

I think she'll reach bottom and maybe then will reach out to David again because she really does love him and he wants her. Meanwhile, Nick and Leanne separated for about five minutes due to Nick trying to spare Leanne the struggle. Poor Nick, he feels so out of control and unable to do anything about it. He's causing Leanne undue stress and so he's finally pushing her away. I keep coming back to the feeling that Leanne is going to have a fling, someone that can make her happy for awhile and since Peter is already occupied with thoughts of Tina, I think it's going to be Kal. That's my prediction.

Peter and Carla's wedding was good fun with the bride getting legless. Carla did look lovely. You would expect that. However, it went downhill from there. Peter couldn't keep his eyes off Tina, not after that kiss in the smoking shelter the night before. How romantic, a smelly grubby back yard under the stars. And by the end of the month, they'd had sex on the sofa and elsewhere while Carla was with her dying friend. Peter seems to be completely unrepentant no matter what he seems to be telling Tina. He's not upset at cheating on Carla, he's more concerned with trying to keep it from her. I can't help thinking that this wouldn't have happened had Ken been around this year. He tends to be Peter's moral compass or at least that little conscience on his shoulder. This won't end well. Carla should remember the last time she married in December. That really ended in a bang with murderer Tony blowing up the factory! 

After all that bullying story with Grace and Faye, we've not seen Faye all month. That really *is* grounded isn't it! Seriously, though, aside from seeing her with the police and being told she's grounded, there have been no repercussions. Have we seen her apologize to Simon? We never found out if Grace was cautioned by the police as well and there has been seemingly no threats or glares from her at school. Faye worried that nobody would speak to her or want to be her friend if she wasn't Grace's friend. Has that happened? Inquiring minds want to know.

We finally met Steve's new friend from school, Andrea. More scowling and arm crossing from Michelle who really isn't very nice at all these days. She's miserable and sour and I really can't see what Steve sees in her. He went for Becky last time he was with Michelle because Becky was a lot more fun. Michelle dragged him down with all her problems then and she's doing the same thing now. 

Brian and Julie have split up as well. That makes me sad. They were a really wonderful couple, really great Corrie characters. Brian isn't particularly likeable but he's not meant to be and he and Julie together were just superb. I always maintained that they were the Mavis and Derek of the new millenium. Brian pompous and Julie wittering but Julie, of course, has much more style and independence than Mavis.

I guess now she and Eileen can be moaning singles together. I do like how their sisterhood has grown. I'm refusing to discuss Todd because I really dislike the personality they've now given him. He was snotty  on his last visit but he's descented into what we like to call a "piece of work" and perilously close to unredemption.

January is going to be sad, with Hayley's death and frustrating with Tina mooning around Peter.

And so it begins

It's the beginning of the end for Julie and Brian. There's no way he can come back into her good graces after his most recent cowardly stunt. He says he didn't want to break her heart by admitting he was taking a job in Wales and by going along with her plan to foster. He says "IF" I was lying... eh? *IF*??? He's always been selfish and cowardly and Julie now knows it and he's broken her heart. The ultimate betrayal was him sabotaging their fostering chance behind her back. That really was the ultimate in underhandedness. He only admitted it when his back was against the wall in the face of her determination to appeal the decision.

We've already seen the beginnings of Peter and Tina. Whether that will continue after the honeymoon or not, whether we'll be in for a full on affair or a lot of angst, doe eyed looks across the bar and "come here, no, go away" over and over remains to be seen. After everything Carla has gone through to finally be happy, it's only inevitable that her world comes crashing down around her ears. She's uttered far too many Phrases of Doom in the past couple of weeks for it to be any other way.

It's the beginning of the end for Marcus and Maria too, if Todd's lascivious look at Marcus' backside is anything to go on. I applaud Corrie for breaking the mold and showing us the unlikely love affair between a gay man and a straight woman. It does happen, probably more often than we might thing but it's not all that common either. It is meant to show us that you really can be surprised by who you fall for. But in the end, Marcus still identifies as gay and it's bound to come between them sooner or later. I just wish it wasn't with the manipulative tosser that Todd has turned into. Todd may fancy Marcus but I wouldn't put it past this version of Todd to chase after Marcus just to stir the pot and break he and Maria up on purpose. With some people, it's more about the chase than about the catch and I think Todd is one of those people.

I'm going way out on a limb here and predicting another beginning, if not an end. With the arrival of the handsome Kal, everyone wants to know which woman he'll get involved with. There were rumours that Liz would get her claws into him but now that we've seen Kal, even just a little, I don't think he'd be lured by Liz in the least. I'm predicting another L-ady. I'm going to point the fickle finger of fate at Leanne Tilsley who is probably ripe for a bit of fun after the uphill battle she's having with damaged husband Nick. Kal will start working with Nick and be around more and I think Nick's tirades are wearing her down, little by little. I never really thought Nick and Leanne were suited this time around anyway. She might be the love of his life but I never felt that he was the love of hers. That honour went to Peter, in my feeling. I think she went to Nick on the rebound from Peter and while she loves Nick, it was more about stability and maybe to make up for hurting him in the past (the affair just before the tram crash when she had the affair with Nick but married Peter on his deathbed).

I can picture Leanne and Kal together and I think they would have a lot of chemistry. She's already proven she can be a good mother so his kids would be in good hands. He's a dad so he'd be good to Simon, too.



And the last beginning of the end is the final few weeks for our beloved Hayley Anne Cropper. So far, chemotherapy hasn't seemed to have had a lot of residual effect, not that we've seen but I do think that they're dressing her in clothes just a little too big, to imply she's losing weight. She's starting to look a bit more tired and pale around the edges. She's planning her funeral and it's all going to be terribly sad for all of us who have come to love her over all these years. Now that her son has popped up again, only to be just as horrible as it was the last time and the first time, she's at least got some sort of closure even if it's not really a peace made between them. More of a resignation.

And in this, the anniversary week of the tram crash three years ago, I do wish someone would have mentioned the fact. Three people died, one of them integral to the street for many years and who might still count quite a few neighbours as his friends. I still miss Ashley Peacock. It would have been nice for Nick, whose life Ashley saved, or Kirk, who worked with him, or some of the other regulars to make a mention of him.

Analyzing Peter Barlow

Peter Barlow is a bit of a hound dog when it comes to women, just like his father. He's not quite as excitable as Ken, though. Ken Barlow had a much higher relationship count by the time he was Peter's age, mid to late 40s, but he never married two women at the same time, either.

Peter, like Ken, finds it hard to resist when a woman starts batting her mascara at him. No, I shouldn't say that. Blinky Gail has been doing that for years and it's never moved Peter to flirt with her though at least, she's a little closer to being a similar age than Peter's latest object of lust, Tina McIntyre, who, by the way, is Gail's erstwhile step-daughter.

Tina is young enough to be Peter's daughter, a fact that's been mentioned on the show by Tina herself. It's not stopped her obvious interest. The last time something like this happened was between Kevin and Molly and the nation cringed. Partly, that was because Kevin had teenage daughters not that much younger than Molly herself. It certainly added an element of squickiness for sure.

Tina's on the rebound from Tommy. Peter's had a massive kick to his ego and self esteem in recent months. He loves Carla but she's a force to be reckoned with and while Peter may like that in a woman, he must also take the down side of that, her love of being the one to wear the pants in the family. After he went bankrupt (ouch!) she bailed him out and then hired him at the factory, making him a minority partner, not equals. (ouch!) She bought her own engagement ring because the one she wanted was far more than he could afford and she's paying for a posh wedding for the same reason. (ouch!)

She isn't very maternal so with all the problems Simon has had dealing with an injured and angry Nick and with the bullying he's gone through, she's not really been a lot of help. In fact, Peter sees her as being unsympathetic and cold, being more focussed on the wedding and angry at him for letting her do all the work to put it together.  Simon is his priority and far more important to him now than flowers and napkins. Why Carla didn't hire a posh wedding planner in the first place is beyond me.

Poor Peter! I kind of anticipated this might send him back to the bottle but this time, he's looking for a different sort of vice to iron out the kinks. So to speak. 

Enter Tina, someone to help out with Simon, someone for Simon to take a real shine to, unlike his feelings for Carla which live in the general realm of resentment and contempt most of the time. She does like Simon but she doesn't know how to relate to a child. Tina is a mate, and understands what it's like to be a troubled kid. Tina shows affection freely. Tina is stunningly beautiful, probably the only one on the Street that can rival Carla aside from maybe Eva who's equally lovely but a bit dim. Tina is razor sharp.

The age difference? Yep, it's wide enough for concern even if there were no Carla involved but there's a vast difference between Kevin Webster and Peter Barlow, both of a similar age to each other. Kevin Webster is no poster boy, and Peter? Peter is downright gorgeous! (in my opinion!) When Peter smiles, those brown eyes and dimples are captivating.  With Kevin and Molly, it was a case of a mild flirt on his part which sparked Molly into chasing him into the ground shamelessly. Peter and Tina are coming to it on equal terms. There's interest on both sides but at the moment, neither one is really pushing it though Peter may become the instigator. I guess that's the male instinct oozing out.

Peter's hormones are perking up. His genes are kicking in. Ken would probably be proud and disappointed in equal measures though he wouldn't admit to the pride bit. "Oh, Peter!" he'd sigh. And if Tracy gets wind of it, you know everyone else is going to hear about it. She hates Tina already and she's got history. She's the one that knew he was a bigamist and she's the one that outed Leanne's affair to Nick to Peter. She won't sit still if it means she gets to cause trouble even if it ends up breaking Carla's heart and causing Rob to rake her over the coals for it.

 

 As it is, Liz can already see the train wreck about to happen. She won't be quite so indiscreet as Tracy would be but it looks like all her warnings will be ignored and she'll end up mopping up Tina's tears more than once. 

It's all going to end in heartbreak but this pairing, at least, isn't making me cringe. I think the actors involved are far better than the Molvin disaster although, admittedly, seeing Sally throw Kevin out and seeing Tyrone knocking Kevin into Molly's grave were supremely satisfying.

Fact: Carla stole Peter from Leanne.

Carla should probably remember the old saying "If he runs *with* you, he'll probably run *on* you".

State of the Street - November 2013

It's been so hard watching Roy and Hayley grapple. Hayley wants to end her life before she gets to the point where she's stupified on drugs and Roy doesn't want to waste a single minute he can get. The Great Divide seemed uncloseable until Roy realized that lying for the one he loved on this was the only way to close it and make Hayley's last months happy for her. It's the unselfish thing to do though it goes against every fibre of his being. He's got to pretend to support her decision when he can't bear the thought of it. I wonder if they'll actually have her go through with it or if she'll slip away before she gets the chance. Or maybe they'll just leave it ambiguous and we'll be left to decide for ourselves if she did or didn't. I don't know how long she's got but I reckon we'll have one heart wrenching bittersweet Christmas at least.

I hope they start having her showing effects of her illness soon because she still looks the picture of health. She's just had her first chemotherapy session and jumped right back in and finished Carla's wedding dress. You'd think she'd have been wiped out after the treatment. Are they not going to show her suffering any ill effects at all? We did get one scene where we finally saw her break down and tell Roy she was scared and didn't want to die.That was something I expected to see a lot earlier. Roy is hovering and fretting over her and she keeps pushing him away as getting under her feet. Or she's forcing him to face the things he's trying to avoid. The first I think might be a bit hard, the second seems to be a bit of a necessity with Roy's head in the sand so much.

It's such a tough thing on everyone involved. I thought we'd be seeing more of Fiz and Tyrone through this but so far, not a lot. I do like the closeness between Hayley and Carla that we have seen since Hayley got ill. We didn't really see a lot of that before.

David's lurching around from pillar to post and while I understand Kylie's anger and disgust, I don't think she can legally keep him from the kids unless she tries to go to court. He must have a lawyer/solicitor over the sale of the house at least so why doesn't he get him/her to write a letter? They're all ganging up on David and rightly so but is it fair to keep him from the children who don't understand? Audrey was the first one to crack, though, letting David at least come live with her. You could see that coming. Tina had had enough. Weird, David was full of help with cooking and cleaning at first but obviously it didn't last. As much as what David did with Nick was awful, you can't help feeling a bit sorry for him. Just a little bit.

Now Tina's helping out with Simon. Because, you know, a kid that can find his way home from Blackpool at the age of 6 can't manage to walk a couple of blocks to school in his own neighbourhood. He's also at that awkward age where he can't really be left home alone but is almost too old for a sitter. Not too old to be the victim of bullying though. Poor kid!


Ironic isn't it, that Faye was bullied and was drawn into Grace's bullying, mostly letting Grace to the dirty work but going along with it. Grace bullies Faye as well but Faye is desperate to have a best friend, something she's never had. You can tell, though, that little by little Faye had doubts but was both afraid of Grace and afraid of losing her only friend. I bet Grace has been bullying a lot of the kids and now that Faye has finally outed her, more kids might want to be her friend, too, kids that would be true friends, not false ones. I wonder if we actually will see Grace having any consequences now that Faye has shopped her to the cops. I certainly hope we see a bit of fallout in the coming weeks or else it was a real, pardon the pun, cop out. It was a good storyline, I thought.

The girl that played Grace really nailed it and Ellie Leach played Faye well, too, with those little looks that the viewer could see, letting us know Faye knew she was doing wrong. It was frustrating, though, watching Anna be so blind for so long even though Owen and even Izzy suspected Grace and Sally had her number from the start. Sally probably *was* Grace when she was young!

Nick's still forgetful and tempermental while he's recovering. It's a good storyline, something a bit different, isn't it? Once Nick's physical issues are healed, there really isn't any type of therapy you can do for a brain injury except wait it out and hope for the best.

By the end of the month we're careening wildly towards Peter having a fling with Tina. Is it appropriate? No. Is the age difference as appalling as it was with Molly and Kevin? Yes. Does it make sense? Yes. And the reason I say yes is because Peter's ego and self esteem has been taking a kicking these last few months. Carla's barging ahead with the wedding, as do most brides but Peter's been focusing on Simon and Carla doesn't understand the lad is his priority. Then there's the lovely Tina and there's Peter's Barlow genes kicking in. Tina's on the rebound from Tommy and vulnerable and Peter? He might be old enough to be her father, but he's a hell of a lot sexier and good looking than Kevin. And in that fling, it was Molly that did all the initial flirting. Kevin never had a roving eye utnil she put the idea into his head. Kevin being the father of daughters not so much younger than Molly also added to the ick factor.

State of the Street - October 2013

Nick's awake, Nick's recovering and he's determined to make David pay. Boot's on the other foot now! This damaged Nick is frustrated and angry. He wanted the truth to be out there and it is and he thinks he's lost everything. Lily turned out to be David's and I think he's kind of disappointed in that. Leanne's gone and he's living within the elastic walls of his mother's house again. I've no idea whether Audrey's roof is fixed, they seem to have dropped that, but if it is, why couldn't he stay there? She has loads of space and a private spare room, I would imagine. Why? Because then he wouldn't be in the middle of all the action with Gail to help him with his physio and Kylie to make him cups of tea and lend a sympathetic ear. Meanwhile David's in situ at newly single Tina's and both of them are being all matey too. I do hope both couples aren't careening towards real affairs on the rebound. Please, Powers That Be, do something different! Let men and women just be friends!

It's also a bit hypocritical of Leanne don't you think? Ok, she's allowed to be pissed but when she got that note, she told Nick it didn't matter that he had that fling on what would have been their wedding day. She took some of the blame for it herself. She insisted he could tell her the truth without repercussions. He didn't and lied to her face. So, of course, finding out he did and with who is bound to upset her. She arrived back just at the end of the month but doesn't seem inclined to want to take him back yet. I think she will. She's probably more upset that he lied to her face when she gave him the out than that he did it in the first place. They'll probably be back together long before Christmas.

As for Kylie and David, that may take a bit longer but I'm hoping they'll make it back together. They really are so perfect for each other. They "get" each other and very few people "get" David. I also hope David finally mans up and gets councilling, the thing he should have had after the Hillman incident but only got a lackadaisical one or two sessons which Gail never enforced, but I don't suppose that will happen. I've really liked this whole story and the dynamic between all the characters of the Plattilsley family.

Hayley has a bucket list, and her new friend Jane, Jane makes her own decisions and inspires Hayley to make hers except it's caused a rift between she and Roy. She wants to end her own life when it gets too debilitating and Roy cannot possibly go along with it. I really can't see the writers actually going through with this on screen. The discussion is controversial indeed and it's good to bring it up, but I don't think they'll follow this through because what Hayley wants to do is actually illegal and they won't want to encourage people to do something illegal. I'm speculating that Hayley won't have a choice, she'll die naturally before she has the chance or else she'll capitulate and not put Roy through it.

So far we've had a magical day in Blackpool. That was wonderful and one of the best bits was Roy and Norris practicing the foxtrot in preparation! We've seen a bit of Roy learing to drive. I want more! Some of Hayley's bucket list has been online only at Itv.com which is a bit of a shame. I'd like to see her doing more of her bucket list on screen.

The remaining time that we have Hayley is going to be one bittersweet moment after another and it's going to be heartbreaking but, we hope, a satisfying soap experience with stunningly good performances. David Neilson won a Best Acting award from Inside Soap magazine and rightly so. If neither of these actors don't win the British Acting award (BAFTA) it will be a travesty.

Steve, Michelle and Liz are now entrenched behind the bar and having Liz there is wonderful! It feels like she never left and she's got far more spark to her than Stella ever thought of having. She's great. Liz is a force to be reckoned with. If she breaks up a fight or shouts at someone that they're barred, you know she means it! Stella struggled to shout and she'd never break up a tussle for fear of breaking a nail or getting a speck of colour (blood red!) on one of her beige outfits. Right now she and Gloria are running the Bistro for Leanne and Nick but once normal service is resumed there, I'm sure they'll fade into the background and become little more than a Greek chorus.

But Liz, Liz was never the background chorus. She's a lead player and she'll get into all sorts of trouble. Once she's established, it'll be time to break out a new fella for her because Liz can't go very long without a man in her life. It would be interesting to see her in a triangle with a man and a woman who's younger than Liz, something to tweak her insecurities but have Liz win out in the end.

I still don't like Steve and Michelle as a couple. I didn't the first time and I don't this time. They don't have to be a roller coaster like Steve was with Becky. Michelle seems to treat Steve with very little respect. Ok, he is often an idiot and exasperates her, I'll give you that. But when things are good, she still seems to treat him like a bad and utterly clueless little boy. Becky made Steve laugh and smile. Becky loved Steve with a joy that was palpable. So did Karen. There was passion in both women that inspired it in Steve, too. With Michelle, it's all about her and if Steve isn't up to par with what she thinks he should be or doesn't do what she wants, he's in the doghouse.

Sophie and Jenna have finally broken up. I couldn't be happier. I like Jenna's character. Many don't but I think she's quite good and the actor is good too but they haven't written very well for her and it was a huge mistake to put her together with Sophie. Age difference isn't normally a big deal on Corrie but this 10 year gap was glaring. Sophie really is a stroppy kid still. She dropped out of college when she does (or did back in her earlier years) have the brains for it, and she's got no real ambition. Jenna was a professional who got a crush on her patient and allowed it to ruin her career. She's bound to have big regrets over that.

The pair of them never seemed to have any chemistry or anything whatsoever in common. Sophie and Sian clicked. Sophie and Jenna didn't. Jenna seemed to have more in common with Sally! You could see them having adult conversations and hanging out as mates. We never saw any of that with Sophie. She and Jenna were never pictured giggling over a film, or dressing up and going out clubbing or having long conversations late into the night over a bottle of wine. Sophie had more chemistry with Ryan and that's saying something because he was a plank! Jenna, however, is great with Lloyd and I think that they do have a spark. I don't know if it's enough to keep Jenna around but as long as she's needed in the cafe, we'll have her there. I don't think she's going to be a long term character. I speculate that she'll get a job in her profession or go back to school or something and that will be it for Jenna on our screens.

The last straw for Jenna was Sophie's continual moaning about Sally and Tim. She did have a point about those two. Tim is proving to be a waster and a user and Sally is bending over backwards to lower herself in desperation to keep him. He doesn't want a committment, just a casual fling with some home cooking tossed in for convenience. Sally is full on and knows it. When Tim decided he should break up with her, Sally agreed and said she was too clingy and learned her lesson. Tim, thinking he was now in the clear for more no-strings sex and free meals, talked his way back in her bed but we all know she is still hoping to change him and snag him. How many more times will he disappoint her or Faye before Sally gives up? Probably until Kevin gets back but that won't be until after Christmas.

I kind of liked Tim at first, as a father who really didn't know how to be a parent and who seemed to be trying and not doing very well at it. Now he just doesn't seem to give a damn at all about being a dad to Faye unless it's convenient to him. I think his shelf life on the show is limited now. He's shooting himself in the foot so many times that he'll end up limping out of Weatherfield and Faye will have lost her dad again. She won't even have that snotty Grace to pick up the pieces. Wow, that's a piece of work isn't it? That Grace is a manipulator in the same class as Tracy Barlow! Poor Faye has no real experience having a proper friend and is thrilled to be someone's BFF. She will end up in trouble just to keep her friend and her friend will drop her like a hot potato the minute there is trouble on the horizon, distancing herself quickly and brutally. Faye is going to learn a hard lesson there.

So that's the state of the street this month. As we cruise closer to Christmas, things are bound to hot up dramatically. Carla and Peter's wedding is coming up (we haven't actually got a date mentioned do we? I think it will be in early December, and weddings never go smoothly, do they?) and Christmas is always an emotional landmine.