Airing Laundry
Usually I watch Coronation Street on the kitchen tv. I also tape it so if I miss the evening broadcast, I watch next morning on the bedroom tv. But the 50th anniversary episodes were watched on widescreen HD in the living room. Pets going “Huh? We aren’t usually in this room now.” You wanted the big screen! Visually it was great. The story lines? A lot of laundry that needed airing finally was!
Superb Sal
My husband watched too. At the end of the first half of Monday’s episode, he said “I stopped watching because of Sally. Now I might start watching again – because of Sally.” I forget what she’d been doing several years ago that drove him crazy. But he was riveted as she talked to Kevin about Molly’s last minutes of life.
After Sally said maybe she should have made up “a fairy tale” to tell Tyrone, husband said “she’s playing Kev like a fish.” I thought maybe she was neck deep in denial – if I pretend this didn’t happen, then it didn’t. (Molly telling her Kev was the baby’s father.) I’ve lived in that denial-land before, so it seemed plausible that she was too.
At the end of the second half, we saw that his take on it was right. Sally reeled Kevin in, then smacked his head in. “What about your son?”
Missing Persons
Another superb moment was after Nick told Norris and Emily that Rita’s plans had changed and she hadn’t gone out with Doreen. She had gone home. Norris, Emily and Mary racing to the Kabin, blankets flapping, to tell the police Rita was inside. I half expected them to go plunging into the rubble of the building themselves to drag her out with their teeth. And the look on Norris’ face – he would have if need be.
At the other end of the human decency scale was the look on John Stape’s face when the EMT called an ambulance for what John thought was Charlotte’s body – and said “her pulse is weak.” Damn, John just can’t catch a break in disposing of bodies!
He’d succeeded in getting back into his house, successfully dragged Charlotte out and down the lane to where it could look legitimately as if she’d died in the crash. Then Helpful Hannah the EMT comes along, congratulates him on finding this new victim, then discovers she’s still alive! Oh goody. Lucky Charlotte, lucky John.
Molly
Then Thursday and Molly’s funeral. Kevin, forced to help his mate, reading the words that Tyrone wrote, forgetting to change from 1st person to 3rd. Sally unable to handle the double meaning of words like ‘I loved Molly’ coming from Kevin’s mouth. At the grave, Tyrone putting two and two together faster than he ever has, and realizing it’s Kevin. Hitting him, right into the grave on top of the coffin.
Later, on the Street, Connie and Pam have a little spitting match about what is best to cook for Tyrone – stew or a chicken. Connie wins. Then more great action by Sally. With baby Jack being passed around the neighbourhood in order to give Tyrone some space, Sally takes the bull by the horns. Baby in arms, she pounds on Tyrone’s door then gives him a good talking-to about what being a father is all about. She leaves, baby safely with his daddy – at least for the moment.
What a spectacular two weeks! Plotlines heating up to boiling, the explosion and crash, the rescue and aftermath. The large events and the small touches. Incredible special effects and the live episode in the middle. Thank you to everyone involved.
(The Guardian‘s review says that even rival serial EastEnders paid tribute to Corrie’s anniversary, with a character saying she always watched it and another saying she’d “rather watch a lot of dirty laundry going round.” Ha! You might say it’s sometimes the same thing!)
