So, with Doctors, Home and Away and Neighbours done for the year, it’s left to Eastenders, Corrie, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks to entertain us over the festive period.
Eastenders
I am so excited for Eastenders this Christmas! This week, Whitney is desperately tying to get to the truth about Gray and to protect Chelsea from him and things look set to get far more intense at Christmas. I will be on the edge of my seat. I love Eastenders for putting Whitney in the hero/rescuer role instead of the victim role. I cannot applaud them enough.
Then we are due the big reveal about Rocky actually being Tom Cotton (although I like him so much that I want everything to be forgiven anyway! If we can forgive Stuart for everything he did…)
I am also very interested to see the first Mitchell/Slater Christmas… I love Kat and Phil together; I just hope that Sharon pining for the granddaughter she completely mishandled the custody of doesn’t mess up the relationship. I am also hoping for lots of Eve!
And from reading my beloved Inside Soap, I gather that Eastenders are not letting up after Christmas and the Square will also be bringing in an explosive New Year as well. I cannot wait!
Emmerdale
I am equally gripped by Emmerdale’s plots this Christmas, particularly Meena’s psychotic rampaging through the Village! This week, she has discovered that Billy, her newest obsession just isn’t that into her either! He is still in love with Dawn. And she is not happy about it. She has also fallen out with Manpreet, who is well on her way to discovering some truths about her past that Meena would rather she didn’t.
So I am pretty sure that not everyone is going to come through Christmas alive… Well, I hope not anyway! Honestly, I have never enjoyed a soap serial killer storyline so much – I think there might be something wrong with me…
Whoever created the character of Meena and the people who write for her deserve awards. She is incredible. And I can’t seem to stop saying how wonderful and talented Paige Sandhu is.
The Woolpack will also be left very vulnerable on Christmas Day, with Al’s scheming coming to a head. I called it ages ago that when Chas was being all compliant with him that she was playing him at his own game. She is far too clever to let him come and take her precious pub away from her. And I loved Nicola standing up publicly for the pub and the Village this week as well.
Coronation Street
I confess I am not quite as enthralled by the Corrie Christmas stories as I am for what Eastenders and Emmerdale have to offer this year but I am looking forward to them proving me wrong. You just never know with the soaps; they are full of surprises.
I adore Emma and I have been following her and Curtis’s story very closely. I felt so sorry for her this week when Curtis was arrested on their wedding day. I felt less sorry for him. Then there’s little Sam, who will apparently speak for the first time in weeks over Christmas. I also believe with are due some emotional scenes from Abi, not to mention some shocks! Sally Carmen has been stealing so many scenes recently. She’s just wonderful, as is Mollie Gallagher, who plays Nina.
Hollyoaks
Now, I don’t know about you but I have already blitzed Hollyoaks on All4, taking me right up to the episodes due to air on 30th December. I’m not even sorry. I couldn’t wait!
However, I can report that it is definitely worth watching and there are some really amazing moments. The bit that really got me was Cindy’s desperation to have a positive Christmas with/for Luke and the almost impossibility of it and of the situation. It was utterly heartbreaking.
The Maalik Family confront Ali
The Osbourne Family get a big surprise
Cindy struggles through Christmas with Luke
Ollie’s new relationship with conspiracy theorist, Becky causes problems
Little Sam in Coronation Street is one of the cutest, loveliest characters. Jude Riordan, who plays him is a real talent and he should be so proud of himself for everything he has achieved so far. He reminds me of how we all felt about Alex Bain (Simon Barlow) and Sam Aston (Chesney Brown) when they were child stars. Watching Corrie, we have watched them grow and develop into talented young men who have continued to shine throughout.
Sam (Manchester Evening News)
From his first scene as Sam, Jude absolutely stole my heart! Sam is so clever and so charming. He is absolutely adorable and undoubtedly steals the limelight from all his co-stars! The gentleness with which Sam has handled Leanne after the loss of her baby boy has been heart rendering. And now we are watching a little boy grieve for the loss of his mother, his only constant for his entire life. The scenes where he and Natasha said goodbye to each other had me in tears and when Sam was worried that Nick would be left out if he wrote about it being him and Natasha against the world in her card pretty much finished me off!
Sam had to say goodbye to his mother (Liverpool Echo)
I wonder now what will be the breaking point that will make Sam feel able to speak again. I had hoped that it would be Roy who would come through for him but alas, that was not to be. I miss his lovely voice and all the contributions to conversation he has to offer. I will watch with heartfelt eagerness to see who or what it will be that is able to connect with him and make him feel safe again. But whatever the case, lots more Sam and Jude please!
(Friday 9th October – Friday 13th November 2020)
Apologies, it’s been a few weeks since my last Corrie update and a fair bit has happened on the Street…
Things finally moved on with this whole Johnny and Scott storyline. I’m grateful, to be honest. That Scott is very annoying and I don’t really care about Johnny’s ‘dark past’. Anyway, Scott carried out an armed robbery on the Bistro but rather than join him, Johnny, who was suffering MS symptoms from the stress, called the police instead. Craig, who has feelings for Faye, charged in against advice and ended up getting shot but thankfully, he is alright. And Faye who has recently been dumped by Noah (who the hell is Noah?!), asked Craig out.
Craig gets caught in the crossfire… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Todd resurfaced and attempted to persuade Eileen to identify a random dead body as him to get the guy he owed money to off his back. As it turned out, the guy was someone he was having an affair with and after some aggression, fighting and waving a gun about, all it really took to sort things out was a) returning the money and b) Eileen giving the bloke a bit of counselling and he went off with his husband.
Todd was then back on the Street, eager to derail Paul and Billy’s relationship. He scored a job at the factory and generally popped up at any given moment with an opportunistic comment to either get Billy very flustered or upset Paul. I’m not happy. I cannot stand Todd. He’s horrible. And Paul and Billy have been through so much together. It’s such a shame that they are very clearly going to break up because of this.
Alya reported to Yasmeen that Abi locked Geoff in the conservatory in order to prevent him from attending Tim and Sally’s wedding. She laughed her head off! It was a lovely scene. Alya was thrilled to report back to Geoff. Imran also happened upon the possibility of charging Geoff with fraud after they discovered Yasmeen’s terrible credit score but Yasmeen unhappily admitted she probably signed for loans without knowing what they were. She then admitted the depth of the financial abuse and control she suffered.
There were definitely some teething problems when Shona moved back into the family home, as David struggled to have to look after her as if she was a child. He struggled with patience and she struggled to feel loved. This is such a sad storyline. She has to learn everything new every day, what to do, what not to do. I’m impressed that the show hasn’t miraculously cured her like soaps tend to do when they get bored of stories like these.
Gary reluctantly got involved in Ray’s plot to take over the whole Street with his building development plan. He persuaded David to sell up on the promise that he would be allowed to rent the house back. For now. It was also revealed that Debbie, who randomly turned up after lockdown and has been hanging around like a bad smell, is there for a reason – she is working with Ray. She set her sights on Sally and Tim’s house, winding Geoff up into smashing up their garden and persuading them that they shouldn’t have to live next door to such an angry man. But Ray swooped in too quickly with an offer, making Sally think she could hold out for more.
Debbie manipulated the fragile situation between Tim and Geoff (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Things got very heavy in the story surrounding little Oliver and it really is so heartbreaking. Leanne and Nick have now been torn apart, as the truth came out about his own feelings regarding whether they are doing the right thing, fighting the hospital to keep him alive. I feel ever so sorry for Nick. He never wanted to give his opinion. He only wanted to stand by Leanne and support her. And he loves Oliver like his own son. I am not sure how he and Leanne will get through this. It’s so sad after everything they have already been through.
I have to say though that Tracy has been amazing throughout this storyline. She has made her own opinion clear – she doesn’t think putting Oliver through the courts is the right thing – however, she is committed to him and to Steve and the family and she has been nothing but supportive. Even when Leanne hit on Steve, she charged over to the hospital and offered Leanne kindness, compassion and friendship. Something has really changed in Tracy over the last year and it’s for the good. She’s still witty and funny. She hasn’t lost that. But she’s developed a lot of heart. Long may it continue.
Tracy is kind to Leanne… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Simon also stepped up for Leanne, Oliver and his family, giving his testimony in court and fighting to prolong Oliver’s life and attempt to save him. But it doesn’t look likely, in my humble opinion. Oliver’s team only have their love on their side. The medical team have the medical opinions and actual evidence. As much as I want a happy ending and for that little boy to recover and live, I don’t think it’s going to happen. It’s so very sad. I am still a bit shocked that Coronation Street have gone so far with this story.
Emma made things a bit worse when she accepted stolen money from Scott after she caught him with a load of cash from the Bistro and a gun. Bless her, she used the money for Oliver’s legal fees but eventually, she had to confess and was arrested for handling stolen goods and fined.
On Friday 13th, everyone waited with baited breath for the judge to deliver her verdict. And as expected, she sided with the hospital and the medical evidence they had provided, that it would not be possible for Oliver to recover in any way and that it would not be the right thing to continue to keep him alive. I was expecting it. I thought I was prepared for it. To be honest, I thought there was something wrong with me in that I haven’t been as affected by this story as I know others have been. But I was not prepared. I was a mess. A weeping mess.
The family wait for the verdict… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
It was just so sad, watching each of Oliver’s loved ones receive the news. Utterly heartbreaking. And then it only got worse at the hospital when Leanne took everything out on the Doctor. And then when Steve finally had to tell her the truth – they couldn’t appeal, they had to let their son go. The way Leanne broke down and begged him absolutely broke me. Jane Danson is absolutely incredible. My only criticism of this story really is that they could at least have attempted to make it look like the kid was lying in the bed during scenes!
Leanne doesn’t want to hear what Steve has to say… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
In other news:
Sean struggled to bond with his son, Dylan, during a visit. Who even remembered he had a son?!
Michael was in turmoil when Grace told him she was pregnant.
Dev and the twins made peace and he attempted to accept Corey.
Billy lost a promotion due to Paul’s drunken antics.
Adam set his sights on Alina but after advice from Carla, she backed off, not wanting to get in between Adam and Sarah.
Evelyn and Arthur split up when he revealed that he was married but that his wife was in hospital, unresponsive with brain damage after a stroke.
Coronation Street airs on ITV on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays @ 7:30pm and 8:30pm
(Friday 18th September – Wednesday 7th October 2020)
Abi got herself into a bit of a pickle between hiding her addiction issues from Kevin, relying a bit too heavily on Peter, getting some feelings confused, Kevin’s sister, Debbie finding out (where did she pop up from again?!), Kevin finding out that being an addict is actual quite a big deal and you don’t get your kids taken off you for no reason and then it all getting sorted out rather easily.
Actually the romantic casualty of it turned out to be Peter and Carla who have been papering over the cracks in their relationship for a long time. He has been harbouring a lot of resentment over her ‘infidelity’ for a while. Well, let’s call it what it was. Rape. And quite frankly, I thought better of Peter than that. I really do hope that they can learn to communicate better and get things back on track. How many times can these two go to hell and make it back again?
Geoff was physically prevented from going to the wedding… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Tim and Sally’s wedding was never actually cancelled so they decided to go ahead after all but failed to keep it secret from Geoff who was determined to attend, despite being specifically not invited. Good old Abi saved the day by tricking him into the conservatory and locking him in for the duration of the ceremony so he couldn’t ruin the day. As soon as he was released, he contacted the police, only for the wedding party to vouch for Abi, claiming that she attended the wedding. Craig, who was off duty for once, decided he didn’t want to know. And is this the beginning of a romance between Craig and Faye…?
Everyone vouches for Abi… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Daniel and Nicky got closer but ultimately, their relationship was doomed, which, quite frankly was a relief as the storyline was quite boring. However, Daniel did make himself an enemy of Geoff right at the end when he nabbed an opportunity to steal £5000 in cash from him. He handed the cash over to Nicky so that she and her child could go and start a new life together. Geoff caught him out when he spotted her giving some of the money back, having had no idea it was stolen and wanting him to spend it on Bertie. Once arrested, Daniel told the truth and Geoff opted not to press charges so long as he received an apology and the money back.
Michael takes drastic action to keep hold of his family… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Fully committed to Tianna and Grace, Michael got down on one knee and proposed. He was upset when she turned him down and informed him she was already in a relationship and was moving to Spain. In a bid to stop her leaving, Michael abducted Tianna and managed to get himself arrested. At the police station, he was informed that Tianna was not his and Grace’s child. Grace is Tianna’s nanny and she has been lying to him all this time. Now, I don’t like to blow my own trumpet but it’s not often that a storyline completely flaws me. I usually have at least a hint. But I did not see this coming at all!
Grace attempted to sort things out with Michael and explain things to him, including that she lost the baby she was pregnant with when they broke up, the one he assumed was Tianna. She begged him to run off to Spain with her (there was no boyfriend and the whole plan from the beginning had been designed to hurt him, except she developed feelings from him again). Despite clearly being tempted, he did the right thing and contacted the police instead. She never got the chance to tell him she was pregnant again.
Things at the hospital became even more heartbreaking when the clinic in Germany decided that little Oliver was not a suitable candidate for treatment. With the hospital certain that their interventions would not be beneficial to his life, Leanne and Steve were determined to fight them legally to keep their son alive. Nick went along with it for the love of Leanne and of course, Oliver but Tracy could be trusted to give an honest opinion: Oliver isn’t going to get better and sadly, it isn’t in his best interests to fight the hospital’s decision.
Nick, meanwhile, had other things on his mind when he finally met Sam, the little boy he never knew he hand. And gosh, he is a cutie! When a meeting with Sam conflicted with a legal appointment for Oliver (and Nick chose Oliver), Leanne laid into Nick for being distracted. Nick finally told her the truth about Sam and she asked to meet him. She genuinely tried with the little lad but it was clear that his energy and quirkiness and ambitions for the future broke her heart in light of her own son’s tragedy. She later told Nick that she hated him (Nick, not Sam) for having everything she now she didn’t have. Heartbreaking. Utterly heartbreaking.
Nick and Leanne are at breaking point… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
While the police confirmed that Kel’s death was accidental, things have become a little wobbly between Billy and Paul. This is clearly only going to get worse with the imminent return of Todd, who I presume is the person responsible for breaking into Eileen’s…
While professing to Carla that Sarah was ‘the one’, he then ended up sleeping with someone else in his office. Which Sarah overheard. Lovely.
Coronation Street airs on ITV on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays @ 7:30pm and 8:30pm
(Friday 28th August – Monday 14th September 2020)
Things finally came crashing down around vile Geoff this past fortnight with not only him being carted off by the police but his son Tim, also has also had the scales fallen from his eyes and can finally see him for what he truly is – an abuser. It all started after yet another row between Geoff and Alya where Tim was clearly rattled by the way Alya is clearly so broken and so desperate over the way she believes Geoff has destroyed her Gran. He and Faye have both seen flickers of a different side to him and when he mentioned the cameras in the house, Sally bravely took it upon herself to steal Geoff’s laptop and even managed to wriggle out of it, despite her fear, when she got caught.
Tim was clearly uncomfortable but helped her break into the laptop and was satisfied when they uncovered nothing. However, when Fay returned and discovered what they were doing, she had a millennial’s way of examining a laptop and although Geoff had done a good job of deleting the camera footage, there was a link to his phone gallery and on it was that awful, hideous video he took of Yasmeen on the night of the magic show. All three of them watched it in horrified shock.
Faye and Sally examine Geoff’s laptop… (photo credit: Metro)
At home, Geoff realised the computer was missing but it was too late. Sally and Faye had already taken it to the police station, leaving him to come face to face with is heartbroken son. Tim now seems sure that Elaine is his Mum and Geoff is the reason she has disappeared. He even called him an abuser, referencing the video, the red dress, burning Yasmeen’s clothes, how frightened she has seemed for months, locking her in the box – everything is suddenly clear. Then the police turned up to arrest Geoff. Finally, the truth is coming out!
Of course, Geoff managed to squirm out of it somehow and the people didn’t hold him. However, he didn’t manage to win Tim back. Tim located Elaine’s address and attempted to find her but she hadn’t been home for some time.
David lost patience with Shona after an entire day of inappropriate behaviour, including nearly stripping off in the Street, insulting customers, losing Lily and then eating the kids’ dinner. This was a very creative way of dealing with maternity leave! Most people have a row and go to Spain…
Upset about the day before, Shona decided she wanted to leave Wetherfield and start again. It was Nina who pushed her back to David and the family (plus Nina) spent the day in the garden, having a barbeque while Shona annoyingly jumped up and down on a trampoline. That was until a big sinkhole opened up in the garden, narrowly missing swallowing Shona. I mean, that really would be terrible luck, considering everything.
A random sinkhole appears in the Platt’s back garden… (photo credit: Metro)
When the house was declared unsafe, Ray stepped out of nowhere and saved the day, putting them all up in his hotel, which allowed David and Shona the chance to start anew in their relationship. Now, somehow, the whole thing has been set up by Ray, who seems to want to take the house or something. I don’t know. Orchestrating a sinkhole seems a little outrageous but we are in bizarre times… Anyway, he proposed to David, once the insurers wouldn’t have a bar of it, that a friend of his would buy the house. David saw through all his kindness instantly and knew something was amiss but that doesn’t necessarily mean he can do anything about it. Anyway, it’s all a bit weird.
Todd still hasn’t reappeared. A body turned up in the canal, which Billy thought may be Kel. He opted to go the police first and they seemed to agree that it was indeed him, leaving Billy with the task of breaking the news to distraught Paul who had only just started to put the past behind him.
Toyah and Imran were passed to be foster carers. Dev has to sell the kebab shop to cover the kids’ school fees despite the fact that ignorant Asha has started seeing Corey again. She even wants to move out with him, if you please. That weird and slightly annoying storyline between Daniel and Nicky (I thought her name was Vicky, I cared that much) continued. Oh and apparently Ali got four months. I can’t actually remember what he did, he was so boring. Drugs, wasn’t it?
And in an actually important storyline, Leanne’s plans to take Oliver on holiday were scuppered when he was rushed back into intensive care and they were told he may not recover this time. Poor Leanne wasn’t able to process the news and remained fixated on the holiday. Jane Danson is breaking my heart in every scene. Meanwhile, Nick bumped into old flame Natasha (who I vaguely remember) from ten years ago. Keeping the news from Leanne, Nick overheard Natasha talking to the medical staff about her son, who would be just the right age to be his son. Apparently she aborted his child at the end of their relationship (which I didn’t remember). He confronted her and after a bit of faffing about, she confessed that her little boy was indeed his son. Well, that’s bad timing, isn’t it?
Natasha accidentally stumbles back into Nick’s life… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
At the hospital, Leanne and Steve were told that it was only life support keeping Oliver alive. Neither of them could accept that it was the end.
Coronation Street airs on ITV on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays @ 7:30pm and 8:30pm
(Monday 15th June – Wednesday 26th August 2020)Â
So, it’s been a huge few months on Coronation Street, with some of their biggest stories coming into focus. We passed through VE day with it’s infamous type of Corrie sing-song (‘We’ll Meet Again’) through the 27th July when we flashforward to all the characters having apparently lived through months of lockdown (and Mary singing opera out the window) and they began to emerge back into socially distanced civilisation. It’s actually pretty cool to watch them learning to live in a new, socially distanced world, the way the rest of us are, from navigating their way round the shop, keeping two metres apart to Jenny serving an empty pub, constantly on the phone to Rita, who never appears as none of the older cast are currently allowed on set. There was also special reference to Aggie, who works as a nurse. Abi lent the family a car when their broke down, we saw rainbows in windows and sadly, Aggie was forced to isolate in a hotel when there was an outbreak on her ward.
So, to the storylines…
One story kind of flared and then fizzled; I think the lockdown may have prompted a rewrite. But during the flare, it was fantastically done and showed Alison King at her best. Two creeps surfaced in the pub and attempted to blackmail Carla for things she had done (and didn’t remember) just to get by when she was on the streets and suffering her mental breakdown. Essentially, they abused her and were now abusing her again. But rather than give in to their demands, she told the pub the truth about what had happened, thus taking away their power. They were then removed from the pub. Later, that bloke, Scott assaulted them and I presume he was meant to have more of a role in the show but when they resumed filming and referencing Covid-19 and the lockdown, Jenny informed Geoff that Scott had left and the B&B was empty. So, who knows if and when he’ll return? Now Johnny has returned and it’s been mentioned that Scott is renting somewhere round the corner so who knows…?
Without Yasmeen to protect him, Geoff really hasn’t been able to conceal his ugly behaviour and by the end of these few months, even Tim, who has always stood up for him, is starting to see his true colours. And Faye, who has also always stood up for him, has now caught him lying to the police and being very cruel to Sally. Sally, meanwhile, has absolutely seen through Geoff. She has visited Yasmeen in prison and understood her story. She has teamed up with Alya and handed over the wedding money Geoff gave them in order to help her buy Geoff out of Speed Daal.
Yasmeen is struggling… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
In prison, Yasmeen was still torn over her feelings for her husband and the pain he had caused her until she spoke to him on the phone and the way he spoke to her finally decided things once and for all. This was helped along by the arrival of Elaine Jones, Geoff’s first wife and Tim’s mother – formerly known as Philippa, who Geoff claimed had died. With a lot of persuasion from Alya, Elaine agreed to testify for Yasmeen (as did Sally) but Tim refused to accept that she was his mother and after a confrontation with Geoff, tragic Elaine vanished. Did he kill her?!
Geoff is beginning to lose control… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Sadly (in another rewrite, I think), the trial was postponed as the stress got too much, Yasmeen ended up in hospital with a heart attack. This story has been utterly gripping. I could watch entire episodes just of this. It has been pitched so perfectly. I hope Corrie get award after award for it. It’s been absolutely brilliant.
Things got intense for Gary when Bernie discovered Rick’s watch in the woods. With Adam obsessed with proving that Gary killed Rick, when she heard the inscription on the watch, Sarah bought it, prompting Gary to desperately try and buy it back. A socially distanced argument broke out, with Sarah running down the Street, calling the police. When she was about to walk in front of car, Gary pushed her out the way and fell in front of it, all without actually touching her. I know a lot of people criticised the stunt but actually, I thought they shot it pretty well, considering the limits on how they could do it.
Things are intense between Gary and Sarah… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Anyway, Gary was hailed a hero. He told Sarah he loved her. She stopped wanting to call the police on him and instead, got rid of the watch, successfully prompting the breakdown of her marriage to Adam, who was furious that not only was she protecting a murderer but she had also willingly become an accessory. Of course, he has no idea that she’s an old hand at this, being that she, David and Kylie bumped off Callum. But Gary knows that and he understood. Adam probably wouldn’t. Even though he’s shadier than a tree.
Anyway, while Sarah and Adam’s marriage was left in tatters, Gary and Maria went ahead and get hitched (in accordance with social distancing rules), despite Gary having just declared his love for Sarah. Oh, what tangled webs these people weave.
In a very bold and very sad story, Leanne and Steve got the worst possible news about Oliver – he does have the life limiting condition they suspected. I honestly never thought they would go so far as to kill a child. How absolutely devastating. But it is providing Jane Danson in particular with the opportunity to act her socks off! She is absolutely amazing at portraying the sheer heartbreak at the prospect of losing her son. It has been such a rollercoaster of emotion as the whole family come to terms with that has happened, each of them heartbroken in different ways.
Toyah and Imran decide against fostering as Toyah felt it would be inappropriate at the present time (a storyline that seemed to come from nowhere anyway) but upon hearing about it, Leanne insisted that her sister’s dreams should not be put on hold because of her pain. Unfortunately, she let them down with a reference when she had to support Steve.
Simon moved in with Peter when he heard Leanne telling Steve that when Oliver dies, she will have no children left, implying that she doesn’t think of him as her son. She didn’t even remember saying it and desperately tries to make it right but it’s not enough.
When Toyah persuaded Leanne to talk to a professional, Leanne found the strength and hope to make every moment of Oliver’s life count. Unfortunately, her confidence was knocked when she bumped into someone from her antenatal group whose child was doing really well and she was also pregnant again.
Shona returned to the Street and moved in with Roy, maintaining contact with David, which seemed to be going well, apart from that time she tried to kiss her support worker, Aaron. She also made friends with Gemma, who of course has history with her from their old estate. Flashforward to post-lockdown and we aren’t seeing Shona anymore but apparently David has been visiting her window every day during in order to maintain contact, as have the kids.
Shona and David begin spending time together again… (Photo credit: Digital Spy)
Daniel accidentally spent the evening chatting up escort, Vicky and despite being offended at first, he ended up spending the night with her. Then he kept going back. However, he hasn’t been sleeping with her. He’s been getting her to wear Sinead’s cardigan and perfume and holding him – for money. And the poor bloke has been pouring his heart out to her. Post-lockdown though, she kept telling him that she was busy and couldn’t see him. He did attempt to see someone else but it just wasn’t the same. It looks to me like there are reluctant feelings there – on both sides. This is turning into quite the sad storyline.
Seb was furious with his mother when she avoided saying goodbye to the twins before the emigrated to Australia. Abi is trying to do her best for them by letting them go and start a new life. She feels like it’s the least she can do for them after all the mistakes she has made. However, she eventually agreed to go with Seb to see them. Unfortunately, right before she was due to leave, she had an accident in the garage, preventing her from saying goodbye and leaving Seb thinking she had flaked on him and the twins. This left her in a downward spiral as she stole morphine from the hospital, attempting to numb her pain. Thankfully, Peter spotted it (he rescued her from the accident in the first place) and threw the morphine away. She was not happy! However, he did persuade her to agree to go to meeting with him.
An accident preventing Abi from saying goodbye to her kids, sets of a terrible chain of events… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Gemma was contacted on her blog by Vanessa, one of the women who was horrible to her in the mother and baby group, her life having completely fallen apart. Despite Bernie attempting to warn her away, Gemma went ahead and befriended her, not wanting her to be alone. She also very sweetly arranged a surprise birthday for her twin brother, Paul, which she couldn’t attend herself due to social distancing. She gave him a signed photo of PJ and Duncan. Cue a fantastic twin dance to ‘Let’s Get ready to Rumble’, much to the bemusement of Summer, who thought PJ and Duncan looked a lot like Ant and Dec… Kids!
Paul and Gemma do their best PJ and Duncan! (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Sean, Mary and Billy were concerned when Todd contacted them, asking them to deposit money at a drop off point. They agreed but then a random girl showed up and took the cash, claiming that she found Todd’s phone and took a chance. So, was it a scam all along? Well, we know Todd is due to return (with a different actor) so, who knows what trouble he will bring and what this beginning storyline means?! Also, what will it mean for Billy and Paul? I do hope they don’t break them up. I really like them as a couple and I am not a Todd fan at all!
Coronation Street airs on ITV1 @ 7:30pm, Mondays, Wednesday & Fridays
The second Lockdown Episode from Emmerdale was another brilliant two-hander, this time featuring Cain and Aaron, the two grumpiest characters on the show so you can imagine it was full of tension from the get-go! It was a really intense, intricate episode, full of high emotion, despite Cain setting down rules about no emotions and feelings. As Aaron pointed out – anger is an emotion!
As with the previous episode, this covered several weeks of Lockdown as Cain and Aaron battled their own personal demons and Liv remained invisible upstairs. Cain was still running the garage and Aaron was stuck at home. Both of them had rather fetching new haircuts. There were some moments of light relief, including one fabulous moment with the boys enjoying a face mask. Cain Dingle in a face mask. I mean, the episode is worth it just for that!
Cain is still in love with Moira… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
But while Cain was struggling to deal with his feelings for Moira and how he can possibly reconcile his love for her and his grief over her infidelity, not to mention how he feels about Nate, a letter came from the prison for Aaron. Concerned about contact from Robert just as Aaron has started to put things behind him, Cain mistakenly hid the letter but it all came tumbling out one drunken night. Needless to say, Aaron was not a happy boy, especially when Cain couldn’t quite remember where he hid the letter!
Aaron still misses Robert… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
I think these episodes so far have been really good. They are filmed very cleverly so you don’t even really notice that the cast are social distancing. It’s nice to see the show tackling the subject of Covid-19 head on rather than pretending it hasn’t happened. It’s a good documentation. It would feel kind of strange for our soaps to pretend that one of the biggest things to happen to us all, never happened and it will be interesting to see what each soap does now. Emmerdale and Doctors have both tacked the subject and I wonder what the others will do. I know Home and Away are going to skip it, as they want to keep Summer Bay as a place to escape to. But anyway, Emmerdale have been very creative with filming and with the script and slotting these episodes into their timeframe. I think they should be very proud of what they’re achieving.
Emmerdale has resumed filming and is showing special lockdown episodes
Emmerdale began their series of Lockdown episodes this week, starting with a particularly brilliant two-hander, starring James Hooten and Karen Blick as Sam and Lydia Dingle, living in lockdown together as a newly married couple with Lydia’s potential Huntington’s diagnosis hanging over them.
The episode covers twenty five days living alone in the house and all the familiar issues we have all endured, making the characters and the episode so relatable, such as Sam spotting Brenda ‘panic walking’ despite never usually going walking in ‘normal life’, the stress of supermarkets and click and collects (including silly substitutions), fretting about other family members, Sam being furloughed, a long discussion about everything they miss, the Clap For Carers and journaling about the situation.
I think everyone would have expected this to be the ‘happy’ episode, being that Sam and Lydia are one of the most solid couples in soap. However, it was filled with the right amount of tension. I think many homes up and down the country and indeed all over the world have endured a lot of this kind of Covid-19 fuelled anxiety, particularly if one partner is more vulnerable than the other.
Sam was so worried about Lydia going out that he found himself unwittingly trying to control the situation (and Lydia) by trying to do everything for her. He was horrified any time she tried to go for a walk, to which she responded that when she had, she licked everyone she saw! I think a lot of people will be able to relate to the communication between them. Sam isn’t trying to be unkind. He is trying to care for Lydia because he is so scared of her becoming unwell or even dying. And Lydia is frustrated by him trying to stifle her; she wants to cling onto her independence.
Sam is desperate to look after his wife… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
But the love between them is clear. There are some fantastic moments. When Sam mentioned wanting to start his own business, she was so encouraging. Perhaps a little too encouraging for dinner time! Ahem. And the episode has the most stand out moment when Lydia gives a truly fantastic speech about people who are enduring so much worse than they are. And those who are in a much better position, for that matter. It covers so many emotions and thoughts and feelings and genuinely makes you stop and take stock of what is going on. The writer of this episode (and Karen Blick for her delivery) have to be praised for this.
Lydia wants to remain independent… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Then it was at the end of the episode when Lydia found an old version of Samson’s best man speech that both she and Sam were reduced to tears. To know just how much the young man loves both his father and his step-mother was enough to move anyone. Sam begged Lydia to take the test.
Sam and Lydia are moved by Samson’s speech… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Emmerdale has resumed filming and is showing special isolation episodes
Jamie tried desperately to explain himself to Andrea but the tables quickly turned when she accidentally let slip that she knew about the affair before the big showdown in the pub and he worked out that she had orchestrated the whole thing so that he would dump Belle. Oops. She was so close! He rushed out to try and make things right with Belle but alas, lashing out at someone with a history of mental health problems by labelling them ‘crazy’ in public might just have been a step too far. Fingers crossed that Belle has enough self-esteem to sending him packing for good. I genuinely liked Jamie when he first arrived but he has slowly unravelled into someone actually worse than his mother. At least Kim is upfront about being a deceitful bitch. Jamie acts holier than thou and yet he is happy to betray everyone he is supposed to love. The apple clearly does not fall very far!
Jamie is worried about his wife and daughter… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Staying the night with his mother, Jamie was out of his mind with worry and when Tracy confirmed she hadn’t taken any money or her car, he called the police who escalated the matter into a high risk missing persons case. Of course, Andrea was just holed up in a hotel with Millie, eager to make her husband suffer.
Meanwhile, back at the pub, Bob and Wendy talked at completely cross-purposes when she bravely approached him about the letter he mistakenly thought was for Rishi. He very unkindly informed her that she was deluded and was embarrassing herself. He even said he could no longer look at her in the same way. Manpreet stepped in and had a strong word with him when she found Wendy crying in the toilets and together they realised what had happened. Both of them were mortified.
The next day, Bob finally managed to explain everything to Wendy, who was terribly embarrassed but the good news is, that they were honest about their feelings and it looks like they are going to make things work. Hooray!
Nate persuaded Rhona to work with him on the restaurant contract that Kim has given him. I mean, this has mistake written all over it. For starters, Moira is cranky enough with Rhona (and everyone) so when she finds out that Rhona has lied to her, she is going to really angry, especially when she discovers that she has teamed up with Nate of all people. Secondly, this only has one of two outcomes (or a mix of both). One, Nate is helping Kim spy on Moira and Rhona. Two, Emmerdale are setting Nate and Rhona up as the next new couple. They already kissed on The Big Night Out, way back when Nate first turned up in the Village and Rhona was dating Pete and we had ‘no idea’ that Nate was Cain’s son. Things got a little tense at the end of last week when Moira caught Nate at the farm and threw him out, nearly catching the pair out in their lie. When Moira worried that Kim had sent Nate to spy on them, surely this should raise some alarm bells for Rhona re: my initial theory.
Rhona is making a big mistake with Nate… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Imran tried again with Yasmeen who had decided to plead guilty to her charges. What he did get out of her though, was that Geoff had been seeing escorts.
Back on the Street, Sally clearly had her doubts about Geoff, prompting her to have a serious conversation with Alya who filled in some gaps about her father in law’s behaviour – his lies about the trip to Spain and faking his heart condition, not to mention the recent revelations about the escorts. Geoff then walked into the pub, clearly annoyed to spot the two women talking. Stood up by Tim, Geoff was further annoyed to realise that nobody else wanted to have a drink with him. It’s a relief to realise that everyone is starting to have their doubts about the vile bully and are beginning to realise that whatever Yasmeen has done, she must have had a reason, even if they don’t know what that reason is.
Back at home, Sally reluctantly informed Tim about the escorts, to which Tim immediately, disbelievingly told his Dad about the ‘lies’ that Yasmeen was spouting about him. With no options left, Geoff admitted that he had seen two escorts and despite Tim being aghast, he empathised with his Dad for Yasmeen’s neglect, alcoholism and horrific treatment of him. And unfortunately, Sally has now unwittingly provided Geoff with a motive for Yasmeen stabbing Geoff, something she then had to confess to angry Alya. It’s not that often I feel sorry for Sally but in this instance, she obviously knows that Geoff is a bad guy and Yasmeen has been mistreated and clearly wants to do the right thing. And being married to Geoff’s son, she is in an almost impossible situation. I have a lot of faith in Sally at this moment that she will be someone that comes through for Yasmeen though. Let’s not forget that many, many years ago, she was subjected to violence at the hands of Greg Kelly. She might well be a huge saving grace for Yasmeen when she needs it most.
Geoff is under pressure to hold all his lies together (photo credit: Digital Spy)
So, while Tim took Geoff off to the police station to change his story and provide Yasmeen with a much more credible motive for attempted murder, Alya rushed to the prison to visit her Gran and beg her to change her plea. While Yasmeen reluctantly revealed that Geoff had given her chlamydia, she refused to tell the court the sordid details of Geoff’s abuse. We can only hope now that Alya will get through to her and persuade her to be brave enough to tell her side of the story. Geoff has to pay for what he has done to her. Yasmeen’s suffering must not continue!
Alya is horrified over what Yasmeen has to say… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Shona agreed to move in with Roy upon release from hospital. Sadly, this new Shona has no empathy for Roy regarding Hayley’s death and she was very rude to Nina. The gentleness and compassion Shona used to have, that made us love her so much has gone. It’ll take a long time to get used to the person in her place. But it will definitely be an interesting journey to go down, I think. And a great character to do this with, to take such a compassionate, sympathetic character and change her so much, through no fault of her own. It just makes it all the more heartbreaking to deal with.
Asha and Aadi’s first day at their new school didn’t get off to a flying start, with Asha walking out after her third lesson. The appalling video that Corey took and Kelly shared, evidently got as far as this posh, private school and was being shared around merrily as soon as she arrived with all the kids making her life hell there as much as they were in her old school. Epic fail. However, she clearly has a good friend in Nina who has some kind words for her and wise words for Dev. And a fantastic moment came when Asha finally stood up for herself and told Corey exactly what she thought of him. Later, he messaged her to grovel. Hopefully, she will not go back there!
Dev only wants the best for his kids… (photo credit: Digital Spy)
Imran’s suspicions regarding Gary looking out for Kelly continued, leading to a somewhat awkward moment when he actually tried to talk to her. I agree with the kid, it was a bit weird. I mean, has he never heard of stranger danger?! Worried that Imran was sniffing around, Gary has clearly decided it’s time for Kelly to move on!
Coronation Street has now resumed filming
It still airs on ITV on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays @ 7:30pm
The Soap Dish 