Sunday Canadian Corrie Comments, March 18

We say good bye to a few characters this week, including a beloved pet, a dreary family and a man full of the blarney.

And so we've said goodbye to the faithful Schmeichel. Chesney fought the inevitable with everything he had, forsaking Katy, the baby, the bills, the bailiff, you name it. Owen saved his bacon with the bailiff and Chesney finally had to make the hard decision which is difficult even for an adult let alone a 16 year old. Yet even the worst day of his life has a little ray of sunshine at the end, Fiz is being released on bail! That's not necessarily going to make for happy neighbour relations, though. Sally and Rosie go ballistic, though mostly Sally, insisting Fiz helped John with all his crimes no matter that John drummed it into Rosie that Fiz knew nothing. I loved it when Fiz collared Sally in the pub but it wasn't fair that Fiz got chucked out when Sally started it and it was Fiz's party to start with! Now she thinks she has to leave town! It won't happen though, you know that.

Fiz needs a job but Underworld isn't hiring and though Sally did tell her Frank was hiring, I don't think she'll work for him. Fair enough considering the bind they're in. We haven't seen anyone in the kebab shop for ages, maybe Fiz can work there! So Rosie was ranting one moment and a day or so later, after Sally upped her vindictive game, Rosie backed down and defended Fiz. Sally just badgered on and on at Fiz until both her daughters tore a strip off her. Sally might think she's defending Rosie but as Rosie pointed out, from who? Fiz? When Rosie now knows Fiz had nothing to do with it, why does she need defending from a widder woman and a baby. Rita put her two pennies in too and Sally backed down finally. Armed truce, I suppose. Fiz and Sally are never going to be best friends!


Good old Kirkey, though, didn't he play a blinder? Trying to raise money knowing full well the dog wouldn't survive and after, paying to have the dog cremated and giving a bit of a eulogy in the pub. Kirk sometimes just rocks my world! He was also great at the card game with his puh puh puh poker face, besting out the smarmy Dev. He must have learned one or two lessons from Les all those years, except of course Les probably cheated! Kirk left while he was ahead and people think he's thick! It was highly enjoyable to see Kirk beat Dev, the one who was bragging the most.


As annoying as I find Faye, I also think she's being portrayed really well. She's a damaged child from all her natural mother put her through and she's not altogether sure this new life is going to stick since nothing else in her short life ever has. She's unwilling to let anyone else take Anna's attention except Gary and they've clicked into place nicely as brother and sister. The actress is good too and did you know she's cousin to the gal that plays Sophie Webster?


Michelle, Saviour of Underworld, is throwing herself into the job while Ciaran is feeling very much like a spare part and part time wedding planner. She got all friendly with Rita who also, like her, used to be in show biz and became her own boss. Um Michelle? Not your own boss, just manager albeit with a Wonderwoman complex and a helpful sidekick like Nick to actually save your backside. Ciaran really isn't happy and it now seems like they each want different things. He's looking to go back on the high seas and she's seduced by the power of being in charge. Never mind that she's only ever been a singer and barmaid with absolutely no experience in management, buying, marketing, procurement, HR etc.


Oh by the way, Ciaran refered to Michelle as being 33 years old. We do remember that Ryan is about 19 yes? I was under the impression she had him young but not that young. Either she's lying about her age or Ciaran can't add up very well. Both, maybe! And why is she that concerned about time running out? She's probably got a good 10 years or more of fertility left.

Michelle informed Ciaran that her parents are paying for the reception but she had a wad of cash for him to put on the deposit. Did they magic it over from Ireland with a Leprechaun and a pot of gold? and Michelle said Maria was helping her pick out a wedding dress and the deposit was due Friday, but then later it sounded like the wedding was actually on Friday, too. Coincidentally enough, Ciaran was handed the money on the same day as Nick asked him to work extra (missed paying the deposit, place was closed. It's a hotel. Didn't think they ever closed!) and a poker game in the back room of the Rovers and he lost it all to Karl who then lost it on the horses. Not that he would have given Ciaran back the money anyway and did Ciaran really think Peter would just hand it over because Karl lost it at his shop?


He did though, in the end, loan him the cash but it was too late. How does Ciaran get out of this mess? By nicking Nick's supplies, working overnight to supply a private function with food and getting err.. nicked for it and losing his job. He also got caught out about not putting the deposit down on the venue when Michelle went to see the venue while out wedding dress shopping (she said she wasn't going to get a white one, but she did in the end!) and Michelle realized how many lies he's been telling her. Ciaran really doesn't seem to be suited to committment does he? That's the end of him from our screens, too, just as Carla comes back from L.A. I guess Michelle will end up being her Girl Friday.


I think it really sucks that Cheryl moved in with Chris right across the road from Lloyd. Talk about rubbing it Lloyd's nose in it! I'm glad Lloyd didn't take any of her apologies but he's really handling this breakup badly, isn't he? You don't often see men go through the tears and the visible heartbreak like he's doing and it's kind of refreshing, in a sad sort of way. Russ is glad his parents are back together but he misses Lloyd, too. And how rude is it that Cheryl tried to take the furniture out of the flat? Chris got all snarly and aggressive. If he was a better father, there wouldn't be an problem, would there? Then they attempted to pull the furniture out of number 13. I'm glad Lloyd burned that ugly pink sofa, to tell you the truth.

Scuffle, shove, argy bargy and the next thing you know, Chris is unconscous on the ground. Ooops! But... that was his undoing and Cheryl found out about the "cured" tumour at the hospital and found out that Chris has been lying. Same old same old. If that wasn't bad enough, she comes crawling back to Lloyd hoping he'll take her back. In a pig's eye! I'm glad he kicked her to the curb along with that burned out sofa! That's the end of her. Seeya! And since there's nothing left for Chris either, no mates who all found out about his lies too, no job, he's off like a dirty shirt and good riddance. I've never been so glad to see the back of a few characters as this dull Gray family. They never clicked for me and Cheryl was never good enough for Lloyd. The actor that plays Chris was good, mind you. Was the actress playing Cheryl not that good or was she just struggling with the bland writing and character they gave her?


Nick's wine supplier has let him down. Wouldn't that be Marc, Audrey's ex? Eva's ex is a wine dealer too and took cash in hand for a new order. I don't know why she'd even want to have any contact with that man, the one that cheated on her and broke her heart.How would he be trusworthy!? Maybe it's a different ex. Who couldn't see it coming? His supplier took the money and ran! Loved the scene with Lloyd and Becky and the pity party. Owen told Chris he was sacked. But he jacked his job in weeks ago when he found out he was ill! Sunita and Leanne are going to organize the school Nativity play (this coming when most schools in the UK are putting an end to any celebration remotely religious in schools in the holiday season). Is this going to be another case of warring mothers?


Seems the homeless shelter scam people went on trial. How come Kevin Webster wasn't involved in that? They certainly took his money. The end result was Norris shooting his mouth off to the newspaper about Dennis and Dennis' past coming back to haunt him in the form of a woman called Norma who works for the benefit agency. Has Dennis been naughty? Well yes but not how you think. He was meant to marry her and backed out, afraid of the committment and admitting he didn't love her.

This all gives petty, jealous Norris a whole new arena of reasons to snipe at Rita who clearly does have feelings for Dennis. It seemed odd having Deirdre go with Rita to look for Dennis. They've always been friendly but not really close mates. (You would think it would be more likely something Emily would do with Rita, wouldn't you? Or Audrey for that matter. Must have been a matter of Anne Kirkbride needing her quote of scenes for the week.) These were all nice scenes this week, though. The more I see of Dennis, the more I like him. Philip Lowrie's acting just leaps off the screen doesn't it?


Leanne has been having pain and symptoms ever since the miscarraige and didn't go see about it? Maybe if she had, she might have been able to get pregnant by now. Her emotions and hormones are all over the place and poor Peter doesn't know what to do for the best.

Tina winds up Kirsty. Kirsty winds up Tina. 6 of one half dozen of the other. Tina obviously has a hearing problem because she hasn't changed her towel for a dressing gown. Why on earth would Tina worry about meeting four new people. She works in a pub! Ok, Matt's university friends and his ex who most definitely was looking down her nose at Tina and making her feel left out though the others weren't at all but they were kind of snobby about her being a barmaid and Matt was just as bad.


Brian thought he saw a UFO but it was a Chinese Lantern. Then it was a big fake one that Tommy and Tyrone created to wind him up! *snort* Dennis had a little reminisce about his mother throwing things in a temper. Love little touches like that. Baby names, James Brown and Chesney has never heard of the famous one! That *is* making me feel old! Loved Karl teasing Dev for being under Sunita's thumb and then Stella ordering him around in the bar. Leanne is still trying to get pregnant after the miscarraige. She's probably not let herself have enough time to heal and she's upset, worried and stroppy about it all, especially now Carla's back and Peter seems happy to see her. Michelle wasn't going to buy a white dress. But she did.

Aww Kylie and David are going to get Max back. That's not really good news for Becky though. More reasons to feel sorry for herself after getting her divorce settlement as well as having Tracy poke sticks at her fragile ego this week. "I'll think of you when I'm relaxing in the spa," says Tracy. "And I'll think of you when I'm smashing coconuts with a rock!" says Becky.

Lovely, golden scenes with Becky and Roy having dinner and then Becky finally standing up to Steve when he whined about her maybe having a holiday with the settlement. Too right it's none of his business! Sylvia is on that cruise she won. And will be away over a month. That's quite a cruise! I thought it was Caribbean but I've never heard of one of those lasting a month.

Anna offers Katy a home with her if she and Chesney break up. And your father only lives around the corner, why can't she just go home? Good grief. There's Tommy, Tyrone AND Kirsty all squashed on the tiny lego sofa when there are other chairs in the room you could see the telly from. It's beyond ridiculous. Lloyd set fire to the sofa, it was hardly ablaze for long but it burned right through to the frame! Wonderful scenes with Lloyd and Becky commiserating and drinking. Just gold.