Quadrangle future predictions

Love triangles are classic soap stuff. We've had what is in effect a quadrangle on Corrie recently. There's Nick, Peter and Leanne forming the main triangle but there's Carla too, who has an unrequited thing for Peter, forming the fourth arm of the geometric drawing.  So what's next for these four?

Leanne dragged Nick off to a quiet spot in hospital to tell him about marrying Peter.  He accepted it but still lurked around in the corridors while the ceremony went ahead. That little snap/crackle/pop sound you heard was his heart breaking.

Leanne really does love Peter, I knew it all along. She told Nick he was the past and I think that's exactly where the fling came from. It was all about unresolved feelings and old hurts and yes, old attractions at a time when Leanne was facing committment, something she doesn't do all that well. She called it the Battersby gene.

I really hope she's not going to get pregnant and we have to suffer another "Who's the Daddy" story so soon on the heels of the last disaster of an ill-received affair. I have a feeling Nick is going to move on sooner than you think in a big rebounder. The two possibilities i see it being are either Carla or Tracy Barlow who is more than willing to put it about. She's been in the nick for a couple of years so she must be feeling like a cat in heat. A cat with big claws, as Steve and Becky are probably about to find out.

Carla? Well she's got a broken heart, too, right? It might be logical for her and Nick to seek refuge together. They could start off having a mutual pity party in the pub, get drunk, and Robert's your mother's brother! Yes, i know Carla is struggling with sobriety but the loss of Peter to Leanne (or worse) could send her back over the edge at least temporarily. Or the horizontal bop (boff?) could happen sober. Either way. It's just a guess, not a spoiler.

This is all hinging on Peter's survival, of course. I maintain my position at this point, with tonight's episodes still to be aired, that they won't kill off yet another of Ken Barlow's immediate family or leave Simon an orphan. Come on, we've got Ashley, father of two, dying and Molly, mother of an infant dying. It just isn't logical for a soap that all three victims will be leaving children behind like that, especially one having lost both parents.

What say you, dear readers? What's next for Peter (if he survives), Leanne, Nick and Carla?

50th Anniversary Week: Day 4

Happy Birthday Coronation Street! Today is the official golden anniversary of the first episode in 1960 and they gave us an episode with pain, grief and a little bit of hope.

Wow, live episode.... word perfect! Consummate professionals all! Well done cast and crew, I say!

People comforting each other, clutching onto their loved ones that they could have lost. Kirk and Maria, Lloyd and Cheryl, Eileen and Jason. Trying to support the grieving ones and keep up the spirits of others. It's all community, isn't it?

Nick is walking out under his own steam. I knew it! Where was Gail? She'd been there and not with the doctor and when Nick finally came out it was David and Audrey that ran to him and David in hospital with him. Huh? Gail would normally have had to be surgically detached from him, much like Eileen to Jason! Her absence was glaring. And there's David and Nick hugging in hospital, the last thing you thought you'd see, isn't it!

Oh that bitch that bitch that bitch! Kylie had Max the whole time (Whew, at least he's ok, though!) and she wants more money! And if that were me, i'd tell her to keep the kid and shop her to Social even if i got in trouble myself. She already had £20,000 and she only wants another £5000?? What does Becky do? rob the safe in the shop's back room while the crew work on getting Molly out in the front of it and  Stape drags poor Charlotte down the ginnel.

Mary's over the top dramatics over Norris and giggling was just jarring next to Claire's grief and anger which was heart wrenching and everyone else's sober sadness. I suppose she was there for comic relief from the tragedy but i just found it off-putting this time around though i normally do find her amusing. Surely even Mary would be more aware of others' suffering and be less jovial and giggly under the circumstances?

I'm surprised Claire didn't insist on staying to see Ashley brought out. Maybe it would be awhile anyway because of the roof collapse. But calling herself a "widow woman"??? Didn't that term go out with the ark? It was chilling when she played the message from Ashley in the pub! The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and i don't mind saying, i was in puddles!

Sally insisted on sitting with Molly. You wouldn't have thought she'd have felt like that close a friend but i suppose delivering the baby gave her that bonding feeling. That, and the fact that Tyrone went to the hospital with little Jack. Wow, i didn't expect Molly to confess, though. That sure shocked Sally to her core as she drew back just as Molly took her last breath.

Peter .... I really thought he'd survive but it doesn't look good, does it? How much loss can Ken take? Carla looks so isolated, doesn't she? Could she actually stand there and watch Peter and Leanne marry? Could she stand not to if it's Peter's last moments? No, she couldn't stand it and fled the scene. How long did that marraige ceremony take?! War and Peace was flaming shorter! I can't believe they'd make him repeat all that. Still, tonight ended with Peter in cardiac arrest. If they can get his heart going again and the specialist gets there,... and if Peter can live through surgery... "if, if, if"....I really, truly believe he will live. I think we'll know for sure tomorrow though the early newspaper reports seem to count him out. Are they letting the cat out of the bag? or are they speculating?

Well, Ian Wylie brings up an interesting point over here. I did hear the EMT people talking about someone else that had died, someone that had been driving by as the crash happened. Ian is wondering if that is meant to be significant (i.e. the fourth death) or not. Very, VERY interesting and i predict he's not called "Wylie" for no reason! He could be on to something there. Ashley, Molly, passerby, Charlotte. It adds up!

Sunita looks fairly chipper, considering and i thought she'd be one of the soon-to-be dead. Gary certainly doesn't look too good, racked with guilt and still half in the horrific firestorm he must have endured. Even Eddie looked shocked, sitting in the pub.

Tyrone and Kevin realize the baby needs a transplant but he didn't look to have lost much blood. I'll have to watch again to see if i can catch why they are even thinking it's a possibility. Kevin knows he's the dad but he can just say he'll donate blood because he might have the right blood type anyway if it's not a rare one. And what was to stop him donating blood while Tyrone went back to the street? He did tell the doctor but will Tyrone find out? Sally knows now too!

Fiz had her baby and they whipped it away. No crying but i don't think a baby that young probably has the lungs for it anyway. Still, there's hope for Hope. We didn't see John's excuse for getting away from the hospital. Presumably he left Fiz asleep and recovering.

No surprise seeing John hide Charlotte's body near the rubble, you'd think he might even get away with it except i have no doubt that if Fiz finds out Charlotte's died or injured, she's going to have a few hard questions as to why Charlotte was in the neighbourhood in the first place. Did you see John's face, frozen in shock when he heard the EMT say Charlotte still had a pulse?

Poor Fiz's going to have to endure more lies from John the Deceiver in another twist in the Stape-gate scandal. There are more twists and turns in this storyline than in my tangled Christmas lights in the box in the closet! Just when you think you've found the end, there's another knot! When i knew Stape was going to kill Charlotte, i knew he'd use the accident to hide the body and pretend she was caught in it. Does a brick in the back of the head look like the same kind of wound as a  hammer, i wonder?

You know, it's got so quiet! The last three nights there was a lot of noise, people, machinery and tonight there wasn't really a whole lot out on the street aside from a bit of motor sounds. I suppose they aren't able to add the sound effects as they're going out live.


Lines of the night
Sally to Fireman Paul "You're talking, you aren't doing!"
Fiz "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHH!!!!! No, i'm fine!"
Dev "It's just bricks and mortar" (and you have 4 or 5 more shops anyway)
Leanne to Nick "You're the past"
Molly to Sally "He chose you because you are beautiful inside and out"

For my own records as much as anything:
Here's the MEN's review. 
The Guardian's review
The Daily Mail

Me and Coronation Street

Happy Golden Anniversary, Coronation Street!

Everyone's talking about it, everyone's writing about it. You can't open a newspaper website originating in the UK for seeing an interview or an article, and even over here in Canada, newspapers and television feature short pieces about Coronation Street.

I've been watching Coronation Street since 1989 when I started watching the Sunday morning omnibus with my breakfast and I got hooked pretty quickly. I was aware of Corrie before that, and even saw an episode now and then but it was on in the daytime at 3 pm for years here so I was either at school or working. This was pre-vcr days. If it had been on in the evening, I have no doubt I would have watched it. Like everyone else, I love it because the characters are so real to life, and everyone knows people like Ken, Ena, Hilda, David, Gail, Steve, Mike and all the rest. I like that they aren't glossy, perfect looking people. I like that most of them wear the same clothes more than once! I like that Corrie shows everyday conversations and little scenes that add nothing to the plot but are part of everyday life.

Once I got online, in the mid 90s, like most fans, I did searches for Coronation Street. I found a usenet "newsgroup" and a mailing list and met our Flaming Nora through those along with a few other lovely people. I found the chat room which was busy most of the time (sadly is sparsely populated these days as everyone has migrated to social networking sites). In the chat rooms, I met more lovely people, many of which are still very good friends. I also met someone very special and we're now engaged, though at the moment, he lives in Salford, the real life Weatherfield!

I've been lucky enough to visit the Granada studios three times in the last 10 years, including one visit where I was even luckier to get a tour of the inside sets, not just the outdoors Street set. There are photos here, a fraction of how many I've actually got but the ones that I like the best!

I've been fortunate to have met some of the actors that bring the Corrie magic to the screen. Many of them have been here where I live, Halifax, Nova Scotia. Here's a link to my Corrie website with links to each event where I've met one of the actors.

I have a number of Corrie books, many written by Daran Little and have read a few of the biographies and autobiographies. I have lots of dvds of selected episodes from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. I download the UK episodes and write an episode summary every week as part of a team that does this for a mailing list. I've been a past member of and always supporter of the Downeast Streeters here in Halifax. I maintain and/or contribute to a few websites such as Corrie.net and especially The Coronation Street Blog. I even wrote about Corrie for a commercial blog for a little while a few years back and got paid for it!

Tonight, on CBC in Canada, you'll see me and my fiance in Corrie Crazy, a documentary about Canadian Corrie fans. I'm excited to see it yet a bit nervous too. There are a few more of my Corrie friends that are in it as well and they'll be showing fans from coast to coast, talking about why they love the show.

There are times that Coronation Street has storylines that I don't enjoy, that seem to drag on forever and that seem very out of place. But equally, and more often than not, Coronation Street keeps me captivated, makes me laugh and cry, cheer and gasp. I love to talk about the show. I love to speculate what's going to happen. I love to write about it and share my enthusiasm with like-minded people.

Coronation Street is a big part of my life but I do have other interests and I don't think I'm a completely obsessed fangirl unable to separate television from reality. But on weeks like this one, where the show has gone into overdrive to celebrate a huge, record breaking milestone, it's foremost in my thoughts and i can't wait for the next episode to be ready to download. I would watch it on ITV's iplayer if I could but that's not an option if you don't live in the UK. This is the next best thing because I can't wait 10 months to see it on CBC though I'll watch it all over again when we get to it in our timeline. And anyway, downloading means i can save my favourite episodes to watch again!


I'm sure that Coronation Street will end at some point in the future, but I hope it has a good many years of life left in it. With the top team of writers and actors it attracts, it's got a pretty good chance at a continuing long life and this fan will be there every step of the way!

50th Anniversary Week: Day 3

Holy crap, this was even more intense than the last episode!!!


I've seen a photo from next week with a funeral car that has DADDY flowers in it. When i first saw it, there were only three people that had small children that it could be, Dev, Peter and Ashley. Oh the suspense was killing me, especially after the first two days where it looked like Peter was the only one injured of the three! But now i've finished watching Wednesday's episode, where Ashley and Claire exchanged loving voice mail messages, sure sign of doom, that.

It's pretty clear that Ashley's a goner. *sob* Were you in tears as the episode ended like me? The defining moment was when he was coughing blood earlier and said nothing, internal injuries for sure, but kept on helping to get Peter out. Then he was either trapped by a beam or holding it up desperately so Nick could get Peter to the opening but then the whole thing collapsed and he knew it was coming. Did Nick get caught in the collapse too? I think he was close enough to the opening that he'll have followed the EMT guys through behind Peter or he'll have leaped out as the roof came down, and will be seen walking out through the smoke like Rambo after he's blown something up.  Of all the heroes this week, I think Ashley tops the lot.
Here's a video off You Tube with an emotional goodbye  interview with Stephen Arnold and some clips throughout Ashley's time on Coronation Street.

Uhoh, is Sunita is going to pull through? I'm really worried. I expect the internal injuries and bleeding may be just too much. Dev isn't going to find it easy to cope with those two energetic little ones on his own. It looked like it was mainly Ciaran that brought Sunita back out to the front to Dev from the rear. I am surprised Dev wasn't back there in the thick of it too, helping. Maybe i gotta watch that bit again or did i miss where Dev came around as well? Ciaran is probably the second top hero of the night.


I do hope Fiz's baby is going to survive. We've already had Maria lose a 5-6 month gestation baby. At only 6 months along, the baby won't have a very good chance but it does happen. After everything John has done, maybe the only justice isn't just that he's going to jail (he has to pay somehow, at some point, it's soap law!) but that Fiz finally dumps him and he loses the family he was so desperate to keep.

Gail was more or less forced to go to the health centre to help as she'd have first aid training but she obviously didn't stay there because she was back at the crash site tonight. Clearly she's frantic about Nick, just as Eileen was frantic about Jason. Mind you, Dr. Carter set up shop in the cafe. Wouldn't it have made more sense to stay in the medical centre where the drugs and equipment are? But i suppose there's no power there either and the cafe had emergency lanterns.

More Random thoughts:
It's chaos, utter chaos!

Carla looks dazed. And guilty. If she hadn't urged Nick to reveal all to Peter, they wouldn't have been in the office. Then when they finally got Peter out, she's freaking. I would too if i'd lost so many men in my life to tragedy like she has. Oh speaking of which, where was Michelle? She's usually front and centre shrieking like a banshee when stuff happens!

Eileen is panicked, too, but yay! They got Jason and Simon out the window. And then she smacks Jason up side the head when he's safe. Typical Eileen!

No passengers on the tram aside from the driver and it looks like he survived!

Gary's still in Afghanistan sat in his living room, poor lad. I feel for him, i really do. Why hasn't Anna checked the house?

I really liked the fireman that was in with Molly but i kept hollering "take the freaking baby out man!" Whew! baby Jack is out and ok, with both baby Daddies to see to him! Molly is in a lot of pain and apparently there's a lot of blood. Fireman Paul looks a bit scared at that. I'm sure he's seen it all and he looks like urgency is the order of the day there!

John's off to the hospital, nearly got away with running back to the house to "pack an overnight bag". Yeesh! So the dead body is still in Number 5!!!

Katy? Chesney? Wouldn't they have come running after the explosion? The flat is only round the corner.

And still no Max!!!

Rita still seems to be alive. She tried reaching for her mobile but nobody knows she's in there! I bet Max is in there too.

Kylie!!! What the heck?? Is she back for more money? She wouldn't have known about the crash obviously. Fat Brenda from Streetcars twittered that she could smell a compensation claim all the way from Aya Napa! LOL!

Lines of the night:
Simon "It's a bit smoky up there!"
Ashley to Nick "I'll do it, you've got your best clothes on, don't want to get them mucky"
Norris "The vision of Hell itself"

50th Anniversary Week: Day 2

I'm still catching my breath after that crash last night and i had Corrie dreams, i did! Tonight,  we pick up immediately from where we left off, fire raging, smoke pouring out of windows, rubble everywhere, people hollering and screaming, hand wringing and pulling people out of the rubble.

I had some thoughts on Peter's fate before tonight's show aired.

I thought he could be a candidate for the off but then... First, I don't think they'll make Simon an orphan. Second, Carla thinks she loves Peter. How many of her men are going to die violently? Somehow I can't see them doing that to her yet again. Paul, Liam, Tony... so probably not Peter.

I'm guessing it's going to be a near thing with a "deathbed" wedding in hospital. That would be the ultimate Barlow moment for the 50th live episode, wouldn't it? All the Barlows around a "dying" Peter marrying Leanne in the hospital. It could be that a crisis like this is enough to make Leanne realize it really is Peter she loves or, she's thinking Peter is on his deathbed and how can she not marry him when he's begging her to give him a reason to live? Cue more angst and longing looks between Leanne and Nick over the Rovers' bar. Will she end up pregnant and wonder who's the daddy? I know it's been done and we've just gone through that with Tyrone and Molly so please God not again.

Ok, so the above was written as i thought about the week opener, while waiting for Tuesday's show. On with random thoughts and impressions from Day 2:

Poor Fiz, not only is she going into early labour and is it any wonder? Carla was a rock, probably to keep her mind off worrying about Peter. John is beside her and beside himself and seems to have forgot about the body in his house. I hope Chesney doesn't run in to see if everyone's ok and discover Charlotte on the floor!

 Did you notice last night when the explosion happened, the effect that they shot around John's face had the room i.e. his world, shrink away from him, as if he went into another dimension or something? I liked that.

I really had Ashley pegged to be a goner but there he is with Nick helping to get Peter out except they're still trapped in there! Claire and the little boys are ok too. Well i always did hope they'd go off to France in a happy ending and it looks like all four Peacocks are ok but Ashley's not out of that rubble yet.  If Ashley's not one of the dead, then i guess my next guess is going to be Sunita, leaving Dev to be Gary Mallett the second, tragically widowed with twins. It doesn't look good for her from what i can see. If that's what happens, i'll be very sad to see her go.

So glad Graeme survived! I am going to make a guess that he'll be one of the ones that rescues Rita.

Gary's flashing back really bad!! Did we see Emily and Norris on screen? Probably at the back of the crowds.

It's been so strange not seeing Liz around and now she's apparently hopped a plane to see Andy. I hope the actress is not having more health problems and is only on her honeymoon as she did just get married.

Why are they trying to get into the shop from the front when Becky just walked right in the back? It didn't look that blocked in through to the other part of the shop where Molly has passed out and the doll baby is crying.

A lot of real heros, diving in to rescue people... Ciaran, Lloyd, Jason, Tyrone, Kevin, Eddie, and even David Platt, not that Gail was too happy about it but you need any able bodied person to help out.

Last but not least, it doesn't look good for Jason and Simon!! Gail and Eileen really could identify with each other for once and are going through much the same thing at the moment. The fire department has arrived, though, just at the end and i'm hoping they manage to help get them out of Number 13.


A few lines of the night:
Sean "When you're done that, start dishing out the brandies and make'em large ones"
Nick "That's the last time i have a stag do in here!"

50th Anniversary Week: Day 1

So much to talk about and nobody wants to read a whole book so i think a day by day blogging of the events on Coronation Street this week is probably better for you, the reader, and me the writer. The good thing about downloading episodes is that you can pause and rewind if you need to, just like using a PVR/DVR (Sky+?)

Monday's episodes were setting the scene leading to the disaster, at the end of episode 2 and excuse my language but... HOLY FUCK!!!!

Tyrone to Molly "So you don't love me? Can't you just take pity on me instead?"
Desperation isn't attractive, Ty....But didn't Alan Halsall pull a real blinder? What an amazing acting job he did tonight from disbelieve to sobbing in Sally's arms. Now that he knows the baby isn't his, if Molly dies, will he think that she said it to hurt him and stay in denial? Or will he reject the baby? Molly yet again reaches out for Kevin and he yet again rejects her. He cares but he doesn't want her. This is still a soap, and the truth has to come out at some point. Some how.

Pretty obvious what was going to happen since they had Max slip out of the house last week. Now where has that little bugger got to? Did anyone check the cellar of the pub? I doubt they'll kill off any children though he might be badly injured. Then there's the four kids in Number 13 with Claire. Simon and little Russ were with the little Peacocks. Poor Simon, he's already been through one fire, can you imagine how traumatized that child is going to be?

Carla is bound and determined to stir it up isn't she? She wants Peter and she doesn't seem to have any conscience. She figured she could goad Nick into telling Peter the truth and she could pick up the pieces. Problem is, it may be literally picking up the pieces!

There's joy and hilarity, singing and drinking in the Rovers, but with an undercurrent of regret and desperation as Leanne tries to convince herself that this wedding is what she wants. I still think this thing with Nick is about old wounds, he being her first love and her having a wobbler about getting married. The media says there's going to be a wedding in the live episode on Thursday so it's bound to be a hospital one. So since she was going to marry Peter, will it be him on what may be his deathbed or will it be Nick? Quite often a disaster like this makes people realize who they truly love and I really do believe that she truly loves Peter.

As for Stape, look where his lies have got him? Another death. I thought it would be self defence but it wasn't really, was it? It wasn't planned, it was the "heat of the moment" but he wouldn't get off on self defence, it would be manslaughter if he gets done. And how's he going to explain all the blood in the house? The carpet, the door, you know he might wipe it up but it won't be easy. It did look like he finally realized though and was about to call 999 to report the death, and face the consequences. Finally. But alas, fate intervened and there's a pile of rubble and carnage at the end of the street. Perfect spot to hide a body with a blunt wound on the back of the head. Back to his usual, then. No responsibility taken there, then.

Will Rita cop it under the sweets? It didn't look like any major beams came down but it was hard to tell. I'm going with a concussion. What about Graeme? He was supposed to be in the flat having a night in! That tram drove right into the shop and there can't be much left of the flat. Maybe he nipped out to have a few rounds of XBox with David or pick up a takeway kebab.

The special effects were awesome weren't they? And i mean that in the original sense of the word. My jaw dropped and i was breathless watching it! Seeing that tram chase Molly through the door and the back end of it flip up and crash down on the Kabin? Jesus, Mary and Joseph!!!!

And let's finish, not with lines of the night but with Phrases of Doom uttered:
Carla - Let's hope this is a night where we all get lucky, eh?"
Ashley - It's a stag night, what's going to happen?
John - Anyone can hit a nail with a hammer (and a bigger target is even easier)
Dr. Carter "What's the worst that could happen?" Tina "Well you might not get out of here alive"
Nick to Rita "Seize the day. You never know what tomorrow may bring"
Ashley about Claire "I couldn't live without her" (uh oh!)

Grace Dent's review in the Guardian

Holy Crap, Batman

I saw a small clip that ITV had uploaded to their site, kindly uploaded to YouTube which is where i saw it. It doesn't show the crash, but the aftermath, with everyone screaming and trying to get people out, reactions, brief glimpses of carnage and i was already nearly in tears with the emotion and gasping! Fiz, terrified for her baby. Gary, terrified and flashing back to Afghanistan. Sunita, bloodied and unconscious. Little Max missing. Number 13 exploding in flames. Rubble where the viaduct used to be. I'm so ready for this week!

I've decided rather than do a week-end blog about it, i think i'll blog it all day by day as i watch it.

State of the Street - November 2010 (and speculation)

 As we head into Anniversary week, November sees storylines hot up, twist and turn and so along with some discussion of those, there's also some musing and speculation about the upcoming carnage.

So...Kevin is baby Jack's father and he instantly regrets finding out. I really wish the baby had been Tyrone's but it's a soap, and and affair or a one night stand with someone you should not be with always ends in a pregnancy and 9 times out of 10 the father is the one you've flung with. Thing is, Kevin has no intention of leaving Sally and if he wanted to raise the baby himself, Sally would have to find out and he'd lose her, very likely. I hope the truth comes out soon and i hope Sally throws Kevin's sorry ass out on the cobbles.

In the meantime, Tyrone has to deal with the grief of losing Jack who died in his armchair, dancing with his Swampduck as he faded away. *gulp* Watching Jack find out about Molly's betrayal was hard too. You could see it broke his heart, just simply crushed him! I'm sure it probably just hurried on his death, though it wasn't much longer in coming anyway. The funeral was dignified but I kept expecting Terry to crash it no matter that he wasn't invited and didn't want to come anyway. Now another long time character is gone.

When push comes to shove, Molly still wants Kevin. She seems to think that because he wanted to know if he was the baby's father, it means he wants to acknowledge it and be with her. It's weird though. He was all horny to find out if he was the father but then he's backing down and doesn't want to know Molly. So why did he want to know if he wasn't going to want to be any part of the baby's life? He certainly doesn't want Molly, he wants Sally (see above). Molly figures feelings of love don't go away. They didn't for her but probably hers were more genuine than his. I always said he was just infatuated.

Molly's leaving the show so odds are that she's going to be a tram victim. Will Tyrone raise the baby himself? How could he work side by side with Kevin? He'd have to leave as well. Still, Molly reached the end of her rope and it looks like she's planning to leave Tyrone and take the baby. It seems to me now that she's going to have to die in the crash. That way Tyrone still has the baby but if he ends up knowing it's not his, will  he convince himself Molly just said it to hurt him? The truth has to come out eventually, it's a soap but when and how is up to the writers.

I suspect we'll see a few more of the older guard characters leave over the next couple of years now that the fuss over the Fiftieth will soon be over. I hope they don't kill them all off, though. I would like to see some of the "oldies" go off to retire. Betty Driver is certainly due and I suspect Barbara Knox won't be long either. I do hope Rita isn't going to be trammed, but the crash is going to destroy her flat. Let's just hope she isn't in it! We'll find out in a week!

I really didn't want them to do it. I really hoped Leanne and Nick wouldn't jump in the sack but they've gone and done it. And ok, i can almost buy into a one night stand, but continuing on with it really isn't working for me. It feels forced. Carla is after Peter too, after he's been so helpful to her over the drinking thing. Very likely a dependency thing rather than actual love or something like it. What a bitch, too, knowing Leanne is shagging Nick so feeling free to persue and try to seduce Peter.  Spoilers tell us there will be a wedding so I can only hope it's Peter and Leanne. It's refreshing to see that Peter is on the moral high ground and resisting Carla who's broken hearted, he of the weak will and Barlow womanizer genes. Hmm.. what was i just saying about shagging someone you aren't supposed to ending up in a pregnancy? Doh. Well, if that happens, they can't have Nick be the baby's father if she's marrying Peter. First of all Nick'd be insufferable and second of all, they'd have duplicated Molly and Kevin.

Claire and Ashley are soooo tedious! Ok, he lied about having a heart condition for a day and she decided that was it, she was leaving him and moving to France. Well, she should have packed up and left then and there and in with her mother. Sticking around isn't doing any good if you're planning to go. But of course, that's not what's going to happen, naturally they were going to get back together. They plan to move to France and where does that leave poor old Graeme? Could he manage to buy the shop? Maybe Ashley could keep the shop and let him run it though i expect Graeme would probably run it into the ground, he just doesn't have the experience.

More spoilers have Number 13 in flames after the tram crash. Will any little Peacocks die? Chances are pretty good that the children will be ok as they probably wouldn't kill off the little ones. I would prefer to see them be ok and all move away together but again, as the adult pair are leaving the show, chances are one or the other will be under the wheels or in the fire. I have heard that the night of the incident is the hen/stag night so perhaps Claire and Ashley are both out and there's a sitter! Eek! That might be Sophie and Sian! Danger, Will Robinson! Or maybe the little'uns are at Sunita's? Oh i'm going to worry about this one!

Claire never was overly sympathetic, always a bit headstrong and feisty at times and she certainly rules Ashley's roost with an iron fist, moreso in recent years which really irritates me. But his first wife, Maxine was pretty similar, if you will recall so i suppose that's the type of woman he likes...dominating ones. I reckon he'll be the one to die and she'll leave with the boys with her mother and off to France because he can't be widowed again, left a single dad. They've already done that with his character when Maxine was murdered. No, *if* either of them is going to die, my money's on Ashley. Aw, I would still like to see them go off to France and be happy.

Stape's mishap with Colin has come back to haunt him full blast. There was some speculation that Colin wasn't really dead but it the truth really does have Charlotte doing the "stalking" to get back in John's life and have him for herself and she's getting off on calling him Colin, too! Bonkers, the woman is totally bonkers! John finally found the evidence but she's not letting up. I am actually enjoying all the twists and ins and outs and watching John squirm. I thought the turn up of Colin Fishwick's mother was brilliant! What a morbid old woman! The part i don't like is that Fiz ends up getting the short end of the stick and probably STILL won't leave him when it all comes out. I really hate that he can't stop lying to Fiz, even though she's stressed and pregnant.

There's other spoilers floating around that John is going to kill Charlotte after she attacks him with a hammer. Is he going to end up like Hillman? I can see a lot of parallels. Hillman bashed Emily and Maxine with a spanner and it's said that John is going to bash Charlotte with a hammer after she attacks him with it first. Is he desperate enough to lash out? In the heat of an argument, possibly self defence, he probably could. Richard hid the body of his ex wife in the foundation of a new building. I reckon John will put Charlotte's body in the wreckage of the old ones and hope people believe she was caught in the crash. Either way, though, he has to be found out eventually and please, please, please let Fiz kick him to the curb for good, baby or not!

So there you have it. The tv ad says four deaths and a wedding. My money's on Ashley and Molly and it looks like Charlotte will likely be one of them too. Who will the fourth death be? Again, we can look to characters that are leaving and one of them is Janice. That's a possibility. She's been drinking in the Joinery more since it opened, supporting Leanne. What about Ciaran? Will they have Michelle lose yet another man in a tragic accident? After her husband was killed and both her brothers dying suddenly, perhaps not. Perhaps Ciaran is a serious injury instead. There's a logic behind all this, see. In all my years of soap watching, I've found it's rare for a real surprise to be pulled out of the hat when it comes to people dying. It's almost always an "expendable crew member" or someone already know to be leaving.

What about Nick? Or maybe we'll just see Gail blinking and wringing her hands over Nick's bedside with Audrey feeding her cups of tea and David being moody because he loves his brother, really. And no Sarah to be seen of course. Or, the corner shop and Kabin are going to be destroyed. Rita lives in one flat, Graeme and Tina in another and the shop might have Dev and/or Sunita in it at the time, too, if it isn't late at night. I don't think they're going to get rid of Graeme or Tina, they're the golden couple of the moment and Tina is going to be the new Rovers barmaid.

Possibly either Dev or Sunita could be killed. Would they leave Dev as a single dad with the twins? But it's all been done before. Still... it's possible one of them could be killed or, more likely, seriously injured. We're going to have a few of those too, don't forget. How could you not? Will the identity of any of the dead be a total surprise? I'm speculating that it won't be, though one may possibly. It could still happen, of course, and we won't have long to wait to find out. It's fun trying to work things out, though, isn't it?

Aww i'm glad that Graeme and David made up in the end. I don't think Graeme every really believed that David ran him down on purpose. Interesting to see how David is going to settle down to his diagnosis. I'm sure his horror and embarassment is very natural for someone who's now got to control a disease for life with medication.

And one last related note...

The new Joinery has opened and it's all blue lights and black and silver glowing in the subdued lighting. Very nice. Classy. I think Leanne ought to give up her dream though. First time around, Peter ruined the opening with his drinking and this time around, the whole thing's going to be flattened by an explosion and the tram in a few days' time. I think she'd better get the hint, settle down with Peter and have babies.

He's back, so he is!

Yay! Big Jim McDonald is back! I'm always glad to see this character return even if it's only for short visits. I know that Liz and Jim have had a lot of ups and downs and are probably better off apart, but I still see the chemistry there and I'm pretty sure Liz does too. I think it's more than just old feelings. I think she still loves Jim and always will, no matter who else she is with. Now that he's back again, for a bit at least, I'm sure there will be lots of longing gazes across the bar though they haven't clapped eyes on each other yet. There's also sure to be conflict between Jim and Liz's newest squeeze, builder Owen. This time, though, I think Jim might have met his match.

Owen reminds me a lot of Jim. He's feisty, tempermental and has a nasty left hook. If there was a fair fight between them, I'm not sure who would come out the winner. Spoilers say that Owen will have the upper hand and beat up Jim or maybe have someone else do it and if so, it's either going to be unfair odds or they'll have taken him by surprise. If Liz finds out Owen is behind the beating, that will probably be him shown the door in a New York Minute. She knows what Jim's temper is like but does she realize that Owen's is just as bad and probably a bit worse? I do think Liz senses the dangerous side of Owen and that's the big attraction. She always preferred men with an edge which is why Vernon didn't last too long. Too safe.

So Jim is back, and he gets to connect with his Elizabeth and his son Steve and granddaughter Amy. Wasn't he sweet with wee "Maxie"? And, with the departure of Beverly Callard in the New Year, will he and Liz go off into the sunset together? I certainly hope so!

Musing about Nov. 12's Corrie

I do a thing at the end of each month where i touch on some of the storylines that made me go Hmmmmm during that month. It's not a monthly summary as such, though, and i don't tend to do a lot of detail.

Sometimes an episode just stands out that it's worth a bit of rambling commentary all on its own and last night's two episodes are the topic of this blog post. Last night the main storylines were the opening of Nick's new bar The Joinery, the Dobbs and the Websters having dinner and later Molly and Auntie Pam chatting, and Peter and Carla's encounter. There was also a little bit of the Stape-gate storyline with a reveal. The more i think about these two episodes, the more i really enjoyed them and they're going to be keepers for me. Why?

The writing was superb. The acting was stellar. The plot lines moved along into new territory. There was drama and pathos, not a whole lot of humour but a few little smiles here and there.

The new bar opened up, rather early in the evening, i thought, for a nightclub type establishment. After a few hours it was only 8:30. You'd think a club like that would only be just opening their doors by that time. I know they do food but i didn't think it was a proper restaurant. I may be wrong. No matter. The bar looked great! Low lights, blue ambient lights with chrome and black. The music was up beat and the staff all looked sleek and sexy. Even most of the punters turned out in their Friday night best! Julie had on a fab vintage outfit and Rosie turned up in glittery silver and fake fur. Cheryl and Leanne wore little black dresses. Nick looked a bit corporate, though, but then i guess that's him isn't it? He's not really that hip no matter how he'd like to think he is.

Alcoholics Peter and Carla came, too. Peter did just fine but Carla was chomping at the bit and had been all day. Earlier she tried to get Peter's attention but he was busy and she just boiled over at the bar opening. She had three glasses of champagne and left, her complexion looking distinctly green as she watched Peter and Leanne together. Who couldn't see that coming a mile away? I think it's got more to do with her depending on him to help her with her sobriety, that transference thing. Later on, she finally admitted it to Peter and he was gentle with his rejections. He insisted that they could get past it and stay friends and i know he was worried about her staying sober if he just ran away. He was probably right.

Carla's good when she's vulnerable like this, something you don't see very often, and i'm really glad Peter stayed sober tonight and strong though he did seem to kiss her back for a few seconds. Well, he's only human and she's gorgeous! Let's face it, with the Barlow genes Peter's got, and his history, we already know he's not got the strongest of wills when it comes to women! I really like Peter and Leanne together and i hope they don't split them up...

Which could happen because Leanne drank champagne on an empty stomach and ended up, as she said, bonking Nick on a sofa in the bar. He called it making love but i think she's right, it was a bonk. A quickie filled with lust. She's been eyeing him for a few weeks and looking distinctly green around the gills herself when she sees him flirting with other women like Maria. She does love Peter, but i think after the Natasha incident, that churned up old hurts and anger she's been holding for years. You remember he insisted she abort their baby and it ruined their marraige. You might move on but that kind of thing can come back to bite you emotionally when you least expect it and i think all of this is got a lot more to do with that history than actual lingering feelings of love.

After they finished and Rosie and Jason arrived to get Rosie's mobile, Leanne came down to earth hard and horrified at what she'd done. She did blame Nick for working on her emotions and encouraging her to drink but I liked that she took responsibility for it, herself, too. She knew how he'd been feeling and she knows she should have seen it coming. He's been poking and prodding her and Peter's relationship trying to make Peter seem like second best. I don't like Nick, have i said that lately? It's all about him but you know what? I think that's in his genes, too! Brian Tilsley was quite the Big I Am in his day. So yes, Leanne was horrified at what she'd done and though Nick tried to put down Peter and insist that Leanne really wants him, she ran off with a great line about having more dignity when she was charging for it by the hour! Down the road, she smacked him one and insisted she was going to marry her "charity case" and be happy.

Now why don't i believe this is going to be a one off? Because the spoilers say it isn't! Oh well. I really hoped this wouldn't happen. I really wished it would have been a one night shag and the other thing i really REALLY hope isn't going to happen is yet ANOTHER "Who's the Daddy" storyline. It's a standard soap plot that when you shag the wrong fella you end up pregnant. It's 50/50 whether it turns out to be the wrong guy's child or not but there's angst and upset and the truth always comes out eventually. What I'm hoping is going to happen is that Peter does find out about Nick but marries her anyway because A. he loves her enough to forgive her and B. he's guilty about all the secrecy over Carla even if he doesn't end up getting physical with her. I hope he stays on the moral high ground and doesn't succumb to temptation. Anyway there was great acting and writing in both of these storylines that are weaving themselves into one as they go along.

Then we have the Dobbs/Webster tangle. And it sure is a tangle, isn't it? Molly has a huge amount of guilt over Jack dying just as he found out that Kevin is the baby's father. He didn't judge her which made her feel even guiltier and she probably figures the shock and heartbreak Jack felt over it all hurried on his death. I'm thinking she's probably right. She now says she does love Tyrone, as she told Pam, but if Kevin crooked his little finger, left Sally and said he wanted to be with her, would she go in a shot? I think she always did love Ty even when she didn't think she did back during the affair. I think she regrew her old affection trying to make it all work but it's not a be-all and end-all love of her life, either. She was settling, like Sally did for Kevin the second time around but Sally and Kevin do love each other down deep and Sally regained her feelings for Kevin over time.

Sally's words to Tyrone about friendship and being there for him were touching and really, just what Tyrone needed. It stabbed Kevin and Molly in the back, emotionally, of course, but it won't hurt them to have a bit of crow to eat. I don't know how long it's going to take but the truth about that affair and the baby must come out eventually and i really wish Sally would chuck Kevin out. What i am speculating is going to happen is that Molly will get killed by the tram crash and I think Kevin will keep the secret. If there's a shock and awe surprise then maybe Tyrone is going to die too though i hope not. If they both die, then as godparents, i figure Kevin and Sally will end up with the baby but Sally won't know the truth. If the truth does come out, there's no way Tyrone would be able to continue living on the street and being partners in the garage with Kevin and he'd have to leave. I don't know whether he would take the baby or not. He would if Molly doesn't die and they leave town.

We know Vicky Binns is leaving and there's no word about Alan Halsall. With the tram crash impending, surely one or more of the announced departures of some of the actors will see their character's die tragically. A young mother? Pure sensational ratings, sure to tug at the heartstrings. Tyrone will mourn not only Jack but his beloved wife too. Kevin surely wouldn't tell the secret after that. We'll know in a few weeks.

The last little string that got picked up last night was the Stape stalking. There was yet another of those patchwork letters and it was sent to Fiz warning her vaguely of her husband's dastardly deeds. Stape managed to convince her it is just someone playing silly beggars but at the end of the night, a shadowy figure dropped something else through the letterbox and we see through the nets that's Charlotte! I guess that solves the mystery! She's the one that's been sending the letters. She's always been a bit bonkers but i think the guilt over Colin has sent her round the twist. She's still after Stape, too and she seems likely to blackmail him into her bed, or at least try to and spineless Stape is likely to succumb. Poor Fiz!

The next few weeks are going to be unmissable for me!