Coronation Street Scene of the Week (June 3/12)

How would you know?

It didn’t take long. Only a few weeks of sharing hearth and home – and child – and on Monday Peter throws it at Carla. “How would you know?” is his response to her attempt to make him feel better as a parent. Nice one, Peter.

He has come home after a horrible day with his business records being audited and Simon throwing a hissy fit about coming home with him. Leanne picked Simon up from school, at Peter’s request. She took him back to the Rovers and fed him, despite Peter having told her that Carla was busy cooking. As part of her effort to win Simon over to the “new normal,” Carla was attempting a culinary masterpiece – “spagbol from scratch!”

A tug of war between Peter and Leanne, each pulling on one of Simon’s arms, ends with Simon saying he doesn’t want to go back to “her” (Carla) and he hates his father. Peter leaves Simon with Leanne and Stella, and goes home to break the news to Carla. She can cope with that, although disappointed.

What she can’t cope with, understandably, is Peter flinging her childless state in her face when she tries to comfort him. When he tells her Simon said he hated him, she says “oh, all kids do that” – a common if somewhat uncomforting attempt at consolation. His response – “Really? How would you know?” – unfortunately, is also a common response in this situation.

That is too much for her to take. She tells him she’s been vilified by the entire street for everything, including her attempts to do right by Simon, and she storms out.

Peter sits on the couch and feels sorry for himself. Then he hauls Carla’s large bottle of Scotch out of her large purse. Stares at it for a second, then drinks straight from the bottle. End of episode. I had hoped for one more scene, of her coming back through the door, grabbing the bottle out of his hands and guzzling it herself, saying ‘I’m not a parent, I don’t have to be responsible for someone else’s life, and that’s my bottle, thanks very much.’ Instead, for two days, she apologizes and grovels for upsetting him!

Let’s look at The Parents

Carla has had a lot of people telling her that she’s not maternal material. I wish she’d remind them that they might not want to hold their children up as proof of their parenting skills.

Ken and Deirdre, as bio- and step-parents? Ken has kids he never even knew about, few he had anything to do with raising, and none of them being particularly exemplary as human beings. Deirdre? One word, Tracy.

Leanne? She won her “sainted mother” wings exactly the same way that Carla is now trying to do – through stepmothering Simon. Stella? Not there for Leanne. Looking at Eva, maybe that worked out better for Leanne. And Peter? He tried to pack Simon off on anyone when he first got him and hasn’t exactly been father of the year since. So I think all of those who are giving Carla a hard time ought to be boarding up the walls of their glass houses.

Who killed Frank?

At the end of the week, key players have disappeared from public sight and/or said “I’ll kill Frank.” And he is found dead on the factory floor. Who dun it? Many are in the frame. Those with big arrows pointing to them – Carla, Peter, Sally, Kev – are too obvious.

Jenny? Doesn’t make sense, but it’s been suggested at Bluenose Corrie. I think Frank’s mother, another one who should worry about glass houses, is a contender. And there’s Mary – who knows why she would but I’m sure she could rationalize murdering Frank. She’s also my bet for the unanswered question of who beaned Tracy.