Cheesecutter

Thursday, Moira comes bearing gifts for Colin. Norris’ blood sample, a flat cap, and herself.

The blood sample is so that Colin can find out if Norris is his dad. The flat cap – I don’t know why. Maybe Colin had been looking for one? It gave him the opportunity to say that in New Zealand, it’s called a Cheesecutter. Well, you just have to google that, don’t you? Yes, indeed, a Cheesecutter cap is a type of flat cap and you can learn more at Prohibition Hats NZ.

The third gift came from the hat. As Colin was about to try it on, Moira was overwhelmed by his lustrous locks. She ran her fingers through his hair, spurring him to do the same with her hair. “Titian”he murmured, as he ruffled and mussed and apparently painfully tangled her hair, judging by her wince. Still, the flame of passion stayed alight. The last we see of them is a leg in the air as they fall to the floor in the Kabin’s back room.

Comedy atop the drama

I’ve said before that I think Moira and Colin are great. Comedy gold, you could say. However, it strikes me as significant that, in a week of dramatic and emotional events, this is the scene that stood out for me. Kate struck Robert with her car. Robert may have testicularcancer. Kate and Rana became ‘Kana’. Sally was inaugurated as mayor. Bailiffs came to Sally’s door to collect on Gina’s debts. Sinead and Daniel did a mating dance. There’s more too probably, but they’ve all blurred into each other.

So only this one small scene stayed in my mind. And it is between two peripheral characters. Neither Colin nor Moira have been integrated well into the street, the show. But the actors have done wonders with what’s been given them. Ok, you want us to do the comedy bits? We can do that.

But why is Colin here?

I hope this is not a long-lost son storyline. We’ve done that with Mary just recently. Once might work, twice takes us way too far into American soap territory. A new person arrives in town; so how are we going to connect him/her to existing characters? I know! Father and son, mother and daughter, identical twins separated at birth.

What I would rather know is why has Colin come to Coronation Street at all? Why did he leave the presumably high-powered job that he had when we first met him at the radio station? Why did he buy The Kabin?

And Moira? She just recently left her husband. Doesn’t this distress her at all? Why have we heard nothing more about him? He popped in to wrap up a contrived storyline with Liz and the vaping scam. That exposed him as Moira’s dearly beloved and most respected husband. In turn, that expanded Moira’s role outside the medical clinic. But, sadly, she is a vessel for funny lines more than a real character. Are she and Colin there simply so Corrie can say ‘oh yes, we still have comedy’? Extraneous characters there only for a laugh can work in a sitcom. But not here. Please!