Sunday Comments December 28

Gary's day goes from bad to worse when Kal sacks him from the sauna job at the gym and offers it to Owen. Alya's feeling the pressure but assures Gary she's not going to back down though everyone is against them. Yasmine tries to make Kal see he's pushing them together with his attitude and even tells Alya herself just to be careful and take things very slowly. If Gary is worth it, he'll be patient and wait. I.e. he won't push her into having sex. It almost sounds like that's the main thing the men are scared of, that she'll jump into bed with him. A Muslim boy would know that he couldn't push that issue and wouldn't even expect it of a good Muslim girl.

So in a way, it *is* different from Kal and Leanne. She's not a never-married Muslim virgin. I bet it also means he's find with being her lover but probably would never marry her.

So Gary is now jobless again and even Tony won't take him back on. Zeedan makes a point of telling Gary that Kal gave the job to Owen. That's one more person against him. I can't blame Gary for being resentful towards Owen. Love isn't going to pay the bills, luvvie. And as much as Alya is determined to make a go of it with Gary, and he is almost sure he's going to lose her as well as everything else, she won't give him a quick kiss at the bus stop and won't see him as planned. If he keeps putting pressure on her, it's going to go badly.

What I really hate is how everyone is treating Gary like he's the spawn of the devil all of a sudden. It's not as if he cheated on Izzy or even gave her the wrong idea that he wanted to get back together. He was getting on ok with her and she leaped to the wrong conclusion. Alya can't take the pressure and tried to break it off with him. She as much as admitted that she wasn't sure he was The One, either.

As usual in Weatherfield, real estate transactions take place very quickly and the Nazirs have packed up their whole other house to move to Number 6 just a couple of days after they've won it at auction.

The school auction day is here. Ken's got a cold, Amy pretends to because she's embarassed by Tracy's nasty old buns that she's sending for the auction. Carla gives Simon a designer keyring and ends up going to the auction with him so that Ken can rest. Tracy now has decided to get all pally with Carla all the while trying to avoid seeing Leanne because she owes her the shop rent! When it's all over, it looks like Carla has bought her own keyring at the auction but it's for charity, right? Too late, Leanne comes into the pub where Carla and Tracy are stood at the bar and Tracy can't avoid the jibe at her expense.

Tracy's still in the dumps over money, with Leanne badgering her for it via Peter. In this case you probably could make a case for beating the messenger! And it's Rob's hearing this week. Meanwhile, Tony does flirt, doesn't he? So she's going to do another deal with Tony but can she sell them off by the end of the week? He's working on her, working to get a partnership in the business. It would be convenient for him, a sure way to fence his dodgey gear. She finally broke down and agreed to his dodgey gear at least.

We come to the day that Rob is sentenced. As expected, he gets a long term imposed. 25 years! It's thrown both Carla and Tracy for a loop, like a kick in the gut. Carla had her women friends. Tracy had Tony. And did him. Well, with the classic Motown on the stereo to set the mood, he couldn't resist her in the end.

Liz's very good mate, Erica, has arrived and she's a little whirlwind! A real spark is Erica and she takes the pub by storm. But then she helps herself to a drink at the Bistro (but pays for it) because there's no staff around. Gail catches her and orders her out after a banter but Erica's having none of it. She doesn't look like "Nicholas Tilsley" the owner! The real Nick does come through from the office and Steph from the direction of the ladies' room. But Gail is fighting a losing battle and Nick just waves it all off so Gail storms out highly affronted. And as he's now lost one of his staff, she offers to take the shift. She knows bars, she assures him.

Liz gets a text from Erica swerving their paella meal at the pub. Liz reckons it must be a bloke. It is, of course. She and Nick seem to have hit it off and she leaves him her number in case he needs any more shifts covering. And wasn't she flirting full on the next day in front of Gail, no less. As if Nick'd be interested in Erica? Does anyone else think that was the reason Nick decided to go for it? Whatever the reason, Steph is right. It's nice to see Nick smiling again. Except Nick is off with Erica leaving Steph to hold the very busy fort.

And Gavin clearly fancies Steph as much as she fancies him! Steve's car is back on screen. It's costing him mega pounds, more every day but how's he going to pay for it? Looks like Roy's planning on a solitary, non-festive Christmas. Tony's flat is quite nice, isn't it?

Kylie is being harassed by Callum by phone and he won't leave her alone so she ends up running off to get a new phone and a new number only David doesn't quite believe that's where she'd gone. She managed to convince him with all the evidence and they return to the salon where there's one last customer. Callum!!!! Eeek! That's what i call invading your personal space! She's terrified he'll say something to David so she won't leave the Salon to go to the pub for the staff do. Can't blame her! Callum gives David a 20 pound tip,telling him to spend it on his son and leaves with a grin in her direction. Kylie looks sick. Naturally, Callum has found out the work do is at the Bistro and gets there ahead of the happy crew who arrive wearing their party hats.

Kylie's day is going from bad to worse with Callum watching from across the room. Kylie insists to Callum she doesn't want any drugs, he's skeptical and he blackmails her into meeting up with him later and she did manage it. He's intent on invading her life. He won't believe she's changed and he reckons he can persuade her that she hasn't and isn't good enough for her new life. He just might do it.

I think the Christmas tree bit with David was just a distraction for him. And why did Tyrone want a tree if he isn't even going to be home for Christmas? By the way, did she take the girls with her? There's been no mention of them since Fiz left.

Sean's invited Billy to Number 11 for tea and was a nervous wreck, expecting Eileen to say something really stupid or embarassing. In typical tv style, everyone is crowded around three sides of the table (so the camera can see everyone). It always looks so stupid! Anyway, poor Sean. He's so nervous that he decides they will call Toad in the Hole a "sausage" dish because the other name sounds heathen and nearly jumps out of his skin when Billy arrives and knocks at the door. Eileen is cynical and Todd is sarcastic. It seems to have gone over well, though. Billy is at ease. Todd gets into a discussion about hoodlums that are running the streets but Billy turns it around on Todd, allowing that he's probably not found a way to put it behind him and forgive. Ouch.

He admits to Eileen that he should have become a vicar about five years before he actually did bend to the call of who he really was. Now he's calmer and steadier and he seems like it too. Perhaps Sean needs someone like that! And it looks like both of them are keen!

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