Visuals
There were a lot of great visuals this week. The end of the week, of course. Sophie with coked-up, pity-partying Ryan on the highway as traffic whizzes past. Then Sophie splat on the pavement after pushing the waste of space out of the way of a car.
Throughout the week, great images from all of Mary’s café theme nights. They build in complexity and drama as “Chef” becomes increasingly demented and her support staff more rebellious.
Wonderful ‘gurns’ from Steve in his maneuverings to get rid of Tracy. I don’t know exactly what a ‘gurn’ is, but Coronation Street Blog has an open competition to submit Steve’s one of the week. Vast riches this week. Although, here at Lloyd’s flat, I feel quite sorry for him. He was only trying to “do something,” as Michelle kept demanding he do.
Secret Shoppers
But I think, for me, the scene of the week in all ways must be the culmination of Dennis’ scam for free beer. I have no idea why Gloria was so easily taken in by him suddenly appearing with Lancashire Leisure under his arm purporting to be the “mystery drinker”.
I think she’s seen a charlatan or three in her life. She’d hedge her bets before doting on him in the bar, I think. But then the story wouldn’t have played out as it did.
And it was great. She is attending to his every need and whim. He’s getting absolutely wasted. The real mystery drinker comes in, she ignores him. He comes back from the bathroom, saying there’s no paper. She says “let it drip dry like nature intended”. You can see him mentally putting great big x marks in the NO boxes.
Eva comes in and sees what is going on in the pub. For, of course, yet another real Lancashire Leisure judge who can’t keep his mouth shut for five minutes helps her out. You’d think it wouldn’t be that hard to hire secret shoppers who could actually keep their identity secret. The two real ones might as well have had a parade complete with balloons and a brass band preceding their arrival.
But even before she realizes who he is, she makes amends to the customer who is being so badly treated by Gloria. She uses the excuse that Gran has gone senile but family is family and all that.
She might have saved their bacon in the competition, I don’t know. I do know the real judge certainly got the full “local” experience, with Rita coming in and seeing the state of Dennis and rightly knowing that Gloria was the cause of it.
It was wonderful. No one really understanding the full extent of what was happening. But everything that they said, and everything that the others heard, all made perfect sense in each context for every person.
Gloria, Dennis and Rita were the stars with their timing, reactions and lines. But the supporting cast – Eva, the mystery drinker and all the Rovers’ patrons – were perfect too. And great visuals from all!
