Ashley, Ashley, Ashley

First off, just a note. CBC and Granada have signed a new long term contract so we'll have Corrie on CBC for the foreseeable future. They're also going to create a website for Canadian fans with (i think) streaming video of the shows for catch ups as well as interviews and other features. No eta on that yet.

Some spoilers below but it's pretty obvious where this storyline is going anyway.


I know what the powers that be are doing. Casey lost her baby and now she want's Claire's life. She's slowly pushing Claire out and sucking Ashley in. Ashley is at a vulnerable point. He went through a lot dealing with Claire's post natal depression and he's still grieving for his father. Someone tried to burn down his house, kidnap his son and kill his wife in the fire. We are to believe that all this makes him vulnerable to Casey and he'll end up doing something he'll later regret. He's already kissed Casey once, and this week, it's happening again and much worse! No mistake this time either. The thing is, I just don't buy it. Ashley *might* kiss someone else in a low and weak moment but he'd *never* ever cheat on Claire. Not after what he'd been through with Maxine and the tall doctor.

After all the grief over Maxine's one night stand (which was pretty contrived in itself) and dealing with Matt Ramsden being Joshua's biological father and him wanting visitation, I just don't buy that Ashley would turn around and do the same thing to Claire. Mind you i never bought Kevin's affair with Natalie either but there was no damning precendent. Some people have affairs in retaliation for their partners' affairs. This is not the case here either. It's all about Ashley's vulnerability.

Ok, maybe i'm just being pedantic. Maybe i'm just being sniffy because every soap couple seems to go through this tired old plot device at one time or another. Ashley is just so honest and upstanding. You just want to believe that there are some people that just don't cheat. Ever. Roy and Hayley are one of those couples that are loyal and true. Ken and Deirdre are not. I thought Ashley and Claire were the faithful type, too so maybe i'm only ranting because i'm disillusioned that Ashley ends up being like most men on soaps, feet of clay. (yes, and some women too. Sally's had loose knicker elastic for years!) Soaps are geared primarily towards women and women are mainly the stronger ones of the species, where men are portrayed as weaker, if usually loveable fools just the same.

The actress that's playing Casey, Zoe Henry, is really good though, isn't she? She's not playing it like a crazed stalker with that mad glint in her eye. You can really believe that she really isn't a manipulative cow, she's just totalling inside a whole different world in her head. Something is very broken inside her and she's unraveling but so slowly that nobody notices. She's being Best Friend to both Claire and Ashley all the while making subtle remarks and looks that are pushing the two of them apart, casting doubts, twisting words. I've gotta say that the writers are really quite good and she's really playing it letter perfect.

That's one thing about Corrie. You might not always like the storyline, but most of them are always quite well written. The writers always seem to peg the characters pretty well and are consistent with them. Their remarks, their reactions, their dialogue are always spot on. The actors do ad lib a little i think but not that often. The writers often will pick up on things the actors do and how the actors portray the characters and work with that. It's the mark of a good team. Corrie's always had that. Long may it reign!