Coronation Street: Discussion Thread

[Sylph]

Has David framed Gary for burgling Audrey's house?

[DRW50]

Yes.

[Ben]

And you care, because?

It's really just another David plot, where they fail to explore his real motivations, leaving him on his little merry-go-round of mediocrity. There's only so much that you can blame your mum's serial killer boyfriend, for.

IMO, this show is one big bore. The majority of the storylines are either mediocre, bad, or out-of-character. Half the cast never really get used, while the other half are over used. It's in a rut.

[Sylph]

So that I can and

completely agree with this.

[YRBB]

Can't say I agree at all--the show is very brilliantly and consistently written. The Ken & Martha affair storyline, resolution and repercussions were just amazing.

[Ben]

I liked the Ken & Martha story; I was rooting for them to be together, and for Stephanie Beacham to be a permanent player... but alas, that was never meant to be. However, I didn't like the underlining message that, chasing ones dream is a fantasy. I couldn't see any problem with Ken wanting to be with a woman who he connected with, and got along with better than his wife. He's never been completely content with Deirdre, so why should he have to stay with her? The resolution was good - Ken wanted the relationship on his terms; he didn't want to fit into her life. Overall, this story didn't really paint Ken in a flattering light - he really is a cruel coward. Breaking up with Deirdre in a letter was bad, but leaving Martha, planning their future, thinking she's talking to him, as she sets sail, only for Ken to be standing on the bridge, suitcase in hand, was low. He didn't even have the guts to tell her in a letter - he just ran.

Since then, the show has been all shades of mediocre. Nothing works for me. Kevin/Molly are out of character; John is a waste of space - they ruined his character the moment he kidnapped Rosie (another terrible story); Fiz is pathetic, and Rosie is annoying (she's lost her depth) - it's really stupid how John gave her "compensation;" David never develops; Joe is a bore, and his addiction to prescription pills was predictable; The Windasses don't work (Anna should've been a single mother); They wasted Poppy, and dropped Amber to recurring (the only one who works well with Dev); Tony/Maria was badly executed, and it makes her look like such a tool; there are heaps of characters just drifting...

I liked the idea of Janice - an uneducated, older woman - wanting to become a nurse. It was quite inspiring. But they dropped it. And why has Becky become so obnoxious lately? Basically, I'm not enthralled with anything... Wait. Actually, Auntie Pam is awesome, but she doesn't get used that much.

Edited June 17, 2009 by Ben

[DRW50]

The show seems very aimless at the moment. I wouldn't be bothered about the lack of big stories if they were focusing on character moments. For years the show told stories about things like Mavis wanting to find a mate for her bird, and Mavis becoming a poet, and that worked, because it was about her character. Now so much is so plot-driven, and lacks heart. They also seem to be reluctant to write out most of their worst characters. The pacing also needs improvement. They could have milked so much story out of slowly putting Becky and Steve together. This also would have given Michelle more of a place on the show, instead of her being all on her own, with no ties to anyone and no chemistry with any love interests, even though Kym Marsh is supposedly some big star for the show.

[All My Shadows]

I can agree with this. I've been watching on and off since about March, and there are still characters that I haven't seen at all or were even talked about at all. I may have seen Dev Alahan once or twice.

[YRBB]

I'm close to the mid-June episodes and now I have to completely agree: The show is hella boring.

[Cat]

I feel like I am stepping with trepidation into the "Unpopular Opinions" thread here when I say that I am really enjoying the Tony/Maria story. Tony may be a bastard and a killer (mind you, it was that smug Liam -- silver lining!), but I do feel that when he is looking after Maria, he is genuinely caring of her and her baby. He wants to make amends to some extent, and this is probably the happiest, most normal relationship either character has ever experienced.

[YRBB]

I completely agree--I am loving the story, for a variety of reasons. Yes, it is highly plot-driven, and to an extent predictable that the pregnant-damsel-in-distress falls in love with her husband's killer while carrying the husband's child but it is being helped by the extremely slow pace that they have been developing this story. It's fun to see how they are using her loneliness to sort of have Maria lean on Tony and I especially agree about him genuinely caring. I wouldn't say either one of them has feelings yet, but I think there's a mutual liking, guilt from Tony's side, and need from Maria's.

[Cat]

Agreed -- if they rushed this towards "Romance" it would ruin the story. For now, I find the friendship that has developed between them much more powerful and, in a way, intimate. I would rather they maintained that for a while because underpinning all this is, as you say, Maria's loneliness and Tony's guilt.

Plus... Carla's likely to come back soon. And she is Tony's achilles heel.

[Ben]

I see what you mean, Cat, but for me, it's been tainted by the route they took to get there. It's a credibility issue on Maria's side, more than anything else. Maria was convinced that Tony killed Liam (even going so far as to mow him down), he even threatened to hurt her and her baby, if she didn't back off! Yet she randomly puts it all down to hormones - WTF! Hormones might make her act irrational, but they do not make you believe your husband was murdered by his love rival. And for Maria to have Tony move in, without any kind of doubt (even though Natasha told her about Tony's threats), just make her look beyond stupid.

And Tony's feelings for Maria, have come out of nowhere. Him feeling obligated, and wanting to make amens makes sense, but to actually fall for her...?! It just feels random.

And in other news: I see Craig Kelly (Luke) and Reese Dinsdale (Joe) are both leaving. They've missed a trick with developing Luke's character, but I'll be glad to see the back of Joe. Although, I can't believe his prescription drug addiction will drag out until he leaves!

[All My Shadows]

So

, I've read. Interesting. Looks like Sal is gonna have a lot on her plate in the coming months.

Poor David, being all sobby and mopey about Tina and Jason. I felt for the kid, but at the same time, why is he surprised that being a sociopath doesn't really turn him on to the ladies? Oh, I forget, Gail is a total enabler.

Unpopular opinion: Graeme annoys the hell out of me.

[Bright Eyes]

I've been watching some David Platt videos on YT and was just wondering, why is he so fucked up?