Daniel Brocklebank and Bruno Langley really went for those kisses. Reminded me of Rupert Graves and James Wilby in Maurice. Those kisses are burned into my brain, so seeing something so similar to them on Corrie was...um...unexpected. 

 

 

Normally, I feel bad for the jilted party but not in this instance. I am ALL for Todd and Billy. I can't wait to see Sean sob over the loss of yet another man and he's left out in the cold.

Too bad he can't just stay in London, never to be heard from again. I also thought that Tracy was so well used tonight. I've always loved her friendship with Todd since it started, but to see it so strong and cemented in this episode did her a world of good.

 

Todd is the ONLY thing I've liked about Tracey in recent years. Otherwise, I wanted Carla to mow Tracey's stankin' ass down a few months ago before she left.

 

 

It started off with what I would have expected, but as it continued I was quite impressed. Could Kate Oates be responsible? It would certainly be more in tune with her work that Blackburn's. It's so strange that Sean O'Connor will be credited before her. He's very brave for choosing to put his name on work that isn't truly his.

I wonder if the producers have much choice in when they're first credited. 

 

Blackburn had some passion with Todd and Marcus (they were pretty hot together, in spite of Todd's awful haircut), although there were more cutaways, so maybe this was Kate Oates. 

 

I know some people wish Billy and Todd had just stayed friends. A part of me wishes that too, but I do think they have chemistry and I think if done the right way, a story of two morally complex men pushing and pulling each other would be great drama. And Todd and Billy are both classic Corrie characters (Billy is a lot like '60s Corrie men), which the show also needs more of. Hopefully it will work out for the show.

 

Here's Todd's big kiss with Karl, 12 years ago. Needless to say it's of the times (actually it's a bit more than the other soaps were doing in 2004):

 

Good God, Anthony Cotton was atrocious in Sean's "big scene." His line reading of "By yelling 'Stop!' in the cab on the WAY to the airport?' made me roll my eyes. If I was directing that episode I'd yell "Cut! Uhhh, Anthony, luv, far be it from me to give you a line reading but the stress needs to be on the word 'airport,' not the word 'way." I mean...come on.

Poor Kylie. What a sh-tty way to die. It is somewhat of a nod to the Platt's history as Nick's father was killed the same way. 

I thought it was very moving. I'm interested in what the repercussions will be. I can imagine Callum's mother going after custody of Max since David hadn't formally adopted him yet.

I thought it was very moving. I'm interested in what the repercussions will be. I can imagine Callum's mother going after custody of Max since David hadn't formally adopted him yet.

I think that too. I think that'll be good story potential. Especially, if they drudge up all of David's sketchy past and how it affects him. 

I thought the episodes were a good example of what Corrie can be and what it often is. Some parts just weren't good (most of the first episode, the awful acting from everyone in the kebab place, the "noooo!!!" from David, the ambulance getting there just as she died, and the whole cliche nature of the "it was just another day" and "life can be taken away and it's unfair" type dialogue from Maria and Leanne), while others were the most raw and honest I can remember for a soap death in some years. Kylie telling David that it was better she died and he lived, because she'd been a bad mother, and then that agonizing scene where Gail told David to make sure he told the kids in the right way because she didn't with Nick and it caused him all kinds of damage - superb. Certainly one of Gail's best scenes in a very long time. Soaps can present death and its effect on a family in a way that no other TV genre can, when it makes the effort. I hope the best of this episode is what we will see from now on. 

I thought the episodes were a good example of what Corrie can be and what it often is. Some parts just weren't good (most of the first episode, the awful acting from everyone in the kebab place, the "noooo!!!" from David, the ambulance getting there just as she died, and the whole cliche nature of the "it was just another day" and "life can be taken away and it's unfair" type dialogue from Maria and Leanne), while others were the most raw and honest I can remember for a soap death in some years. Kylie telling David that it was better she died and he lived, because she'd been a bad mother, and then that agonizing scene where Gail told David to make sure he told the kids in the right way because she didn't with Nick and it caused him all kinds of damage - superb. Certainly one of Gail's best scenes in a very long time. Soaps can present death and its effect on a family in a way that no other TV genre can, when it makes the effort. I hope the best of this episode is what we will see from now on. 

^

This. 

 

I found the Maria/Sally exchange to be so damn weird and flowery. It was so not needed. 

 

I agree that Gail/David's exchange was the highlight of the whole incident for me. You could see and feel the emotion Gail had for David and it reminding her of what happened with Brian decades ago. 

 

IMO, I feel like Helen Worth carried the episode. For some reason, Jack P. Shepard fell flat with me. 

 

Two Hollyoaks legends. Come back home boys. Anytime.

Oh dear. Hopefully this will make Corrie rethink their approach of constantly shoehorning bizarre pop culture references into the dialogue: 

http://www.digitalspy.com/soaps/coronation-street/news/a806321/coronation-street-apologises-after-complaints-over-racist-dialogue/

Leanne's pregnancy story is so stupid.... This is something you'd give to a female character in her early 30s. Someone like Eva not Leanne. Leanne is too damn old for a baby story. Then we have Liz getting mad over not be a grandma to Leanne's baby.... This story is just so stupid. 

 

The actor that plays Craig is dreadful. Doesn't help that the actress who plays Beth is no better. Those reveal scenes were horrid. I also get that Kirk is supposed to be the dopey, comedic character but I am OVER it. They need to grow him up or scrap him too. 

 

IMO, Corrie is the show (besides EE) that needs a major casting cull. There are about 15 characters I can see them cutting now and it'll make no difference to the show.

NBA, they just aren't treating you right at all it seems. Fortunately for me I'm all over this double baby story. I absolutely loved it when Steve and Liz were losing their [!@#$%^&*] when Nick and Leanne announced "they" were pregnant.

 

I liked the Craig/Beth scenes, too, if only because I kept expecting them to go the typical route and have him call her a bitch or something nasty, but they kept him respectful. DTC surely wouldn't have had the strength to not jump on that opportunity.

NBA, they just aren't treating you right at all it seems. Fortunately for me I'm all over this double baby story. I absolutely loved it when Steve and Liz were losing their [!@#$%^&*] when Nick and Leanne announced "they" were pregnant.

 

I liked the Craig/Beth scenes, too, if only because I kept expecting them to go the typical route and have him call her a bitch or something nasty, but they kept him respectful. DTC surely wouldn't have had the strength to not jump on that opportunity.

I don't mind the baby story itself. I just find it stupid with characters like Steve, Michelle, and Leanne. All of Steve's kids (minus his current one with Michelle) have been born out of wedlock. His other kids have died while he was married to his wife. It's just old and tiring. Again, this is a story you'd give to Alya or Eva. I get writers want to give Leanne her own blood child but seriously ... an affair story is not the way to do it. Plus, I hate that Nick is in yet another story where he gets the short end of the stick. Can the man catch a break? I don't care for Michelle at all, so 'meh' when it comes to her. 

 

SN: Thinking about young women on this canvas on that should've gotten this story made me realize that Corrie is lacking young female heroines/vixens. They need to cast a few more or bring back a few. 

 

Craig's scenes were just too cheesy for me. Neither actor was pulling at my heartstrings. If anything, my eyebrows were furrowed the entire time as to what director accepted these lackluster performances. It only got worse when they implanted Faye's ass into the mix to be the 'voice of reason.' 

 

Only thing that captured my attention tonight was fine ass Shayne Ward/Aiden. That man....

 

He needs to be shirtless and on top of somebody at all times. 

I don't mind Craig. The actor isn't that good, but he has a lot of heart, which is missing in much of an increasingly sour Corrie. I will say that it makes it laugh that Beth is opposed to criminals but is friends with Tracy. I have a soft spot for Tracy, but really now. 

 

I saw a bit of that woeful "strike" story that managed to make everyone involved look like even bigger assholes than usual (no mean feat) and I'm reminded again of how out of date Corrie is and how much that factory - and most of the people who work in it - need to go.

 

I can't watch any of that baby story but I read that Liz was badmouthing Janice and Leanne told her to shut up.  I'm glad I missed that. Janice was one of Corrie's best and if I have to hear that tired old whore with the limp poodle hair say a word about her I would drop a house on her.