Sweet Revenge

I’m sure everyone who has ever lost a love to a lying, two-faced schemer stood up and cheered when Becky got back at Tracy. I sure did. What a wonderful moment when Tracy’s treachery was revealed. It was made sublime by Becky leaving her revenge until the reception, after Steve had pledged Tracy his troth in their very beautiful wedding.

She decided to keep quiet until after the marriage when Steve told her that he truly believed her capable of causing Tracy’s miscarriage. When Steve’s delusions are shattered, he’s trapped, legally “chained to that cow” as Becky put it.

She still almost backed out, though, not wanting to hurt him that much. Tracy’s smirking suggestion of ‘X’ as her new middle name made Becky see clearly again.

After dropping her bombshell, she walked away and, like a weeping Bet Lynch, Becky in her leopard skin jacket left in a taxi. Steve chased her to the airport to beg her forgiveness, then watched her leave with her new man and son.

Classic Corrie

The whole week was great. Three storylines struck me as having classic Corrie, and soap, elements. First, the Tracy/Becky dénouement had evil deeds being eventually repaid, something that soaps do well because of their long story arc. It also had a particularly Corrie aspect. Despite having earlier involved the police in order to expose Tracy, Becky did not take the incriminating medical record to them. She relied on her neighbours. That fits perfectly with Corrie’s tradition of people helping themselves instead of going to the authorities. Don’t trust the rozzers, as Kylie says.

Fish Story

Second, the Owen/Faye/Anna/fish story giving an exposition of all sides of the issues. Continuing serials can do this better than other television forms. Especially explaining without giving a pat answer, which Corrie does very well. Owen presented a good case against Faye: that her revenge on him was calculated cruelty and violence directed elsewhere, to living creatures. Where might this stop, with her wielding an AK-47 in the street?

Anna presented the other side. What Faye did was unconscionable. But it wasn’t Owen’s place to discipline her, especially with corporal punishment and especially doing so in anger. I agree with her but I also thought – what about “it takes a village to raise a child”? Surely, that doesn’t just mean comforting and cuddling, it also means everyone has the duty to correct wrongdoing.

And Owen asking his daughters’ opinion of him as a father and of childrearing methods in general – wonderful. The discussion was thoughtful and presented all sides, from personal experience and general philosophy. I particularly loved Katy, teenage mom of infant, saying “I’ll never…” and Owen saying “I’ll remind you of that when…”

Poor Leslie

Third, Eileen/Paul/Leslie exploring the trauma of Alzheimer’s and the strain put on caregivers. This is an important story, fraught with pitfalls just in the telling. Obviously taking Leslie to Eileen’s was a mistake. Leslie should have stayed in the familiar surroundings of her home.

I can see a production reason for what Corrie did: saves building a set of Paul and Leslie’s living room. But, in the nice way that art (and its production) and life can reflect each other, it is also very easy in real life to make mistakes like this. In caring for those with Alzheimer’s, you learn by trial and error.

Fabulous week

Fabulous writing, acting and storyline development all week. And if Becky never returns to the Street, I’ll always picture her in Barbados, having a wonderful life and watching her new son grow up. Sweet revenge indeed. And for now, I’m consoled by having Kylie as Becky Mach 2.