We wish all of you out there the very best of the season! Christmas on Coronation Street won't hit Canadian screens for another couple of weeks (but it's better than 10 months away like we used to be!)
This week, there's something about Mary. Erica still thinks Mary's papers, the ones she burned, has to do with her mother but it wasn't. Norris is quite concerned so Erica passed on the woman's name and Norris came to see her. Mary tried not talking about it but Norris wouldn't let it go. She blurted out that she was trying to find her son. Her son????
In powerful scenes, Mary told Norris what happened. A minister, the father of children she babysat and he raped her in the car when she was 14. We always heard that Mary's mother was very judgemental and from the story she told, I can see that's true and we can understand clearly why Mary has always had a huge dose of resentment towards her mother. Her son is called Jude. She told Norris she won't look for him. She's had a lovely fantasy about finding him and it being a wonderful reunion but she's scared it will be exactly the opposite. She has so much guilt and regret and I imagine that's not unusual in her situation. Mary is usually portrayed as a querky nutter most of the time but we always knew there must be something else behind the funny stories.
Norris won't leave it alone, though. He is hovering over Mary who just wants to forget it all. His poking his nose in trying to help is only upsetting her more. Mary accepted that Jude is not part of her life, she just has moments of melancholy. She asks Norris to back off. Will he? He will not. Norris has no intention of backing off from Mary's problem. He's diving into ancestry websites.
Oh and it turns out her son is 32 which makes Mary 46, a tad older than I thought but not overly. You know that makes her just a shade older than Tracy and Steve and not much younger than Sally. She and Beth might even be the same age. Brian is making up buzz words as if we don't have enough of them already. Cathy and Nessa made a peace treaty. No idea how long that will last but there it is. Do you believe Eva is sending out 150 cards?? She did have adequate compensation, though, presenting herself in slinky lingerie. Clearly, his infatuation with Maria hasn't eroded his lust for the lushious Eva!
Nessa woke up to find Roy sitting on the bed. Sound asleep with his eyes wide open. Roy's done that before, sleepwalk, when he was over stressed about his father you may remember. Roy had no memory of sleepwalking and it's distressing him even more. Cathy's not un-stressed herself, with the spectre of Alan and Nessa's affair and his parentage of Alex hanging over her. She has never really discussed that last aspect with her sister. Not in any detail, at least. A brush off and an insincere Sorry doesn't really lay it to rest. Yasmeen keeps urging her to get it out of the way. Nessa is there for the wedding but of course is making it all about her.
Roy is still doing the last minute planning. But wow, didn't Yasmeen go off on Nessa for flirting with Freddie right under Audrey's nose! Nessa really is shameless, isn't she? Flirting, double entendres, the lot. Cathy finally did take a strip off her and threw her out for awhile. There's so much rivalry between the sisters and Cathy still has trouble dealing with it. She doesn't have the confidence that she can keep the relationship going and told Roy she thought they should cancel the wedding. Not quite sure what she was getting at but she didn't get the response from Roy that she was after. You could tell, when he went along with it because it was what she wanted, that she really wanted him to insist they would be ok and not to worry. Poor Roy can't read signals very well.
Roy didn't waste any time cancelling wedding plans. It was obvious that it wasn't what Cathy really wanted. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot. She noticed Roy's rash was gone and that should have been a pretty clear signal. I guess she's not any better at picking up subtleties. Well, Nessa might have taken out her frustration over men on Cathy but Alex was angry at her for it. Roy overheard Alex remarking on how he made a promise to Cathy but Nessa has clumped Roy in with every man that ever let her down.
Roy finally got a clue and she confirmed it. She only wanted reassurance and even realizing he cancelled the plans so fast there was not a trace afterwards, still didn't make her realize that Roy really doesn't want to get married. But he talked her around and the wedding is back on. I think Roy hates to go back on a promise and his honour is more important than his better judgement. Cathy immediately started to memorize her vows. Billy suggested using a dictaphone. Cathy has eight. Roy rushed around everywhere uncancelling things and telling people it was back on and landed in the Bistro with a panic attack. That's as big an alarm bell as you can get.
Steph helped Roy with his panic attack but Tyrone saw it and was very concerned. We know Roy does care for Cathy but it doesn't really seem like he's ready to take that step and Tyrone and Brian confronted him on it later in a little intervention. Roy tried to brush it off but in the end, with the rash back on his neck, he's insisting he's keeping his promise. Tyrone and Brian keep haranguing Roy. Cathy heads out leaving the men in the flat right after Cathy was recording in the dictaphone. Roy as much as admitted it might not be what he wants but he's not letting Cathy down. One camera show of the dictaphone, red light on and still recording.
Peter didn't tell Ken about Denise but he insisted that Daniel report her as a missing person to the police. Didn't it look like Daniel was relieved when Peter said he'd go with him? Just that little look and a sigh made me feel like Daniel was very glad to have someone take over and look after him for a change, after many years of being alone and taking care of himself. He probably missed that parental/big brother figure in his life more than he even realized. Daniel found it difficult going over all that old ground. All that rejection bubbled to the surface and he went right back to being a kid again.
Because he was so wrapped up with Daniel, Peter missed the appointment with Simon's last council session and Leanne ripped him a new one on the street. But she did back down in sympathy when he told Leanne the reason at least but Nick wasn't too keen to see them friendly again after she did ease up. But since she couldn't really tell Nick what Peter told her about Daniel as it was kind of in confidence, Nick doesn't know what to think. Peter, meanwhile, was fielding flirtation from a very nice looking blonde, who looked to be exactly his type but he didn't really seem interested, did he? He told Daniel there was only one woman he was interested in.
Just then, Nick comes in. Probably overhears even though he was at the other side of the bar but you know the acoustics in the Rovers are strange like that. You can stand next to someone and not hear a dicky bird but hear them clearly from the other side of the room. Nick started grilling Peter about his women, and likely thinking Peter still has a thing for Leanne.
Now Leanne wants to go to Toyah's in Liverpool for Christmas but isn't sure how Nick is going to take it and is very sure their families will be upset. I think Nick agreed because it would put Peter's nose out of joint not to see Simon. In a way it backfired, though because Leanne ended up going Christmas shopping with Peter. Then the car was clamped for them parking in a disabled spot, the sign which was flipped up and hidden. They could probably make a case for using it given Leanne's pregnancy. Anyway, they had to wait for the company to come and unclamp them for a fine and they got on really well and put a lot of old demons to bed, I think. Being late home didn't help Nick's attitude.
Peter had an idea, have an early Christmas so he can see Simon open his presents from the Barlows and his dad. Leanne likes the idea. They set December 23 as the date. Nick ranting at Robert only got one thing, advise to have it out with Peter and so he did, insisting Ken vacate as well. It was the cliche "stay away from her!" I'd like to know how many times Nick has told that to Peter over the years. Being heavy handed only makes Nick look like the prize prat he is. Peter said what I've felt all along, Leanne is Nick's rebound from Carla. Peter did well. Didn't lose his temper and even got a parting shot in, mentioning his and Leanne's wedding anniversary but Nick's accusations of being jobless did give him pause for thought. Peter's told Anna he wants to move back into his flat so she'll have to leave. That sets things up for her to move in with Kevin, I'm sure. Surely he has to give her a certain amount of notice, in writing, not just a verbal "I need me flat back". Guess not. Apparently, there never was a contract so he can get away with it.
Adam spent the night with Maria. Eva and Aidan saw them on the doorstep. Eva was chuffed and rather fizzy with excitement over the developments while the knot in Aidan's face grew into a tangle. So when Eva attempted to babysit Liam so Maria could have another session with Adam, Aidan made up plans to take Eva out as a "surprise" which would mean Liam goes back home which in turn, meant that Liam saw his Christmas present, a bike, not a strange man in the house like Aidan thought. I'm glad she gave him a hard time over his obvious jealousy. Then he pretended he was in a bad mood because he was responsible for Liam seeing his present before Christmas. It's so tedious.
Oh Todd and Billy are back on screen. I guess Billy was on a sort of leave of absence because he's set to get back in his vestments. Todd seems to be accepting of it even though he wishes it was a different way. The Bishop was understanding but Billy decided he really wasn't in the right frame of mind to do the job anymore. He needs to be himself and not have to hide his life from his parisioners. Todd was pretty happy about it. Let's hope Billy can find some other way to help people because that's what he's good at. Todd is going to try to get a job at a solicitor's office like he used to do. Todd didn't have much luck looking for a job but Billy did, he's got a job interview. These letters that Eileen and Phelan are getting are upsetting but even more, there was another letter that really threw Eileen for a loop. What's that all about?
Eileen and Phelan are getting letters from shafted clients now. Todd's looking for a job but I suppose Phelan can still run the building site though will have to hustle for work now. Someone else who is upset is Andy who is shooting daggers every time he spies Phelan out and about. Anna is still hiding away from people but seemed pleased that Eileen and Phelan were fielding legal letters.
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