How confusing, again no Friday episode this week so I have been shunted back to Thursday. Abi is fussing around Kev and he is not very keen on it. The school has emailed to make Kev aware of Jack's recent fight. Jack wants to go to an end of term party and in the light of the email he cannot go. Jack says he did not cause the fight. Debbie confirms Jack's story. Debbie is distracted as her toilets are blocked. Kev pops into the garage but Tyrone is struggling under the cosh when Jack and Hope appear as school has finished early - and Jack is still not going to the party. Later Abi settles Kev down for the next session at the hospital. He sends her away as he wants to be on his own. Kev recalls his own mother having cancer and will try and talk to Jack when he gets home. Time passes.
Mick wants Chesney to go for a drink later but Chesney doesn't. Chesney joins him in the Rovers before working but is on soft drinks. Mick winds up Chesney up about being honest and owning up to the mistakes he has made. Mick has had a complaint about his attitude via his boss. Much later Chesney tells the quads to sleep and they do so - most unusual. Chesney and Gemma are about to have some rare quality time when Mick and Lou arrive with alcohol at the back door and pour drinks.
Dee Dee has had major surgery but has decided to discharge herself. She just wants to go home. Ed arrives with Laila. Why? Ed explains that James is landing in the USA because Danny has had an accident. Dee Dee refuses to move into the Bailey house and believes she can cope at home alone. Ed gets her back to her flat when Debbie phones wanting her toilets unblocked and Ronnie is ill. Ed feels he has no choice but to take the work leaving the baby with her mother. I am sure Aggie would help her daughter if asked. For a while Dee Dee and Laila are entirely happy but before long the baby either wants changing or a bok bok and the mother is unsure why it is crying. Alya and Sarah respond to a call from Dee Dee so are able to assist. Dee Dee eventually decides that she wants to lodge a formal claim citing negligence against the hospital - correctly based on what we were shown - but for the wrong reason as Dee Dee refers to "people who look like me" and "colour of my skin". I thought we had got over the Bailey family and a link to the "R" word. The treatment was wrong - just cite that - do not attribute cause - that is the responsibility of the hospital management. James texts to say he needs to speak to her urgently (why not just phone?). Danny is in an induced coma. James is in bits. He is unlikely to return soon.
In the cafe Julie wants a day out on the East Lancs Railway and I do not wish to carp but there were no trains running on the line today, they start this weekend. Todd is fascinated by his phone, Eileen is not enthusiastic as she will die of boredom but George says he will bunk off and they can go to the railway. Once they have departed Todd gets tarted up and welcomes Theo at the back door. Theo admits it is weird not using the front door but obviously there is a need for some secrecy. There is some banter and then they have a beer. Theo inspects the family photos and Jason is particularly featured. Within seconds Theo and Jason are snogging and the ad break comes far too late. Later Theo is looking for his phone which Todd brings down from upstairs. Theo stays for a chat and then rushes out when Julie etc return from their day out. Theo disappears out the back door leaving his jacket which he later has to recover. On his brief return Theo says it cannot happen again.
Hope and Jack are hanging around the precinct and see Toyah and Nick get off electric scooters - Toyah is saying that they need to do something different every month as a challenge (next month silent disco) - out of their comfort zones. It gives Hope an idea and she dares Jack to hire scooters and go for a ride. Hope has some dutch courage (medicinal brandy according to Evelyn) in full sight of PC Haywood and PC Tinker, so are promptly challenged, a situation which worsens when Tyrone appears from one direction and Kev climbs out of a taxi behind them. Jack used his father's driving licence and credit card to hire the scooters. Back at Kev's PC Haywood reads the kids the riot act but does not given them a caution and before leaving recalls that her father had chemo last year so Kev sees himself as the recipient of pity, which does not please him.
After a further argument at home with Jacki, Kev takes himself off to the Bistro for a quiet pint where Tyrone finds him. Hope has been grounded for a month but Kev has not yet sorted it out with Jack. Ty tries to be sympathetic but Kev is ultra prickly and calls Hope a bad influence. Kev says she is organ grinder and Ty does not take kindly to the comment. The two men argue and Ty knows Kev is having a difficult time and he would like Kev to be aware that he is doing a 60 hour week at the moment, seeing little of his family so Ty would appreciate less attitude and more gratitude. Kev is not in the right frame of mind and suggests Ty finds a less useless business partner. Ty just wants his mate Kev back. Kev ask what that means. Ty responds with "I quit".
I cannot put my finger on it but tonight did not feel right. I do not think Jack would fall for being the monkey to Hope the organ grinder - and might be aware of the pain he is causing his father. Ty has had his own challenges in the past so might just accept it is the way it is. Dee Dee put herself in an impossible position by discharging herself and simply should not have done that. And I despair at what are going to be two upcoming stories. My concerns are not the writing and directing or the acting - but those providing the underlying direction at the moment may need to go and give their heads a good wobble please.
Written by Mark Burt. Directed by Reece Dinsdale.
Kosmo