It's Ashley and Claire's wedding anniversary and also David Platt's birthday (Oh, and it's Christmas Day) I don't think Ashley is going to be getting any celebratory rumpeh pumpeh, though, because he seems to have crossed Claire's rules and had TWO glasses of wine instead of her allowed one! Ah well, it wouldn't be a Corrie Christmas without someone falling out!
Sally was generous with her gifts. Kevin had to go upstairs to retrieve the gift he bought for her. Did anyone else think he was going to get the gifts mixed up a la Stape? All he really wanted to do was get an opportunity to try to contact Molly who's busy opening a karaoke machine from Ty. Eh? But he has a bottle of fancy perfume for her too and she looks a lot happier with that!
Sally's very pragmatic as well. She forgives the Christmas morning mess, and isn't worried about what time all the meal comes together. Very unlike her. Meanwhile, Pam, Bill, Jack and Connie liven up Number 9 with the karaoke machine. Molly keeps ignoring Kevin's texts so he makes his way across the road and gets a smack for his troubles but his crawling and begging talk her round and they decided it's time, they'll leave their families and be together. Today! It nearly killed me to see Tyrone drag Molly up to the microphone shortly after and sing "Don't go breaking my heart", knowing what was about to happen.
Only, as we expected, while the girls were out seeing their mates, Sally finally told Kevin that she's facing breast cancer. It shocked Kevin (and nearly broke my heart!). Nice camera direction, moving from Kevin and Sally talking about her health to a shot of them in their wedding photo from 1986, emphasizing all the history they have together. Kevin had to do a mad scramble, bursting in the back door on a "sage and onion stuffing emergency" to stop Molly telling Tyrone she was leaving him and managed it just in time. He and Molly go to the shop for "stuffing" but Molly selfishly started implying that they could still be together if Sally got better. He gave Molly a dressing down that had half the country punching the air and cheering, and told her (Also my top line of the week!) "My wife's got cancer. So this 'us', it's nothing. It's less than nothing. My wife needs me. Go on... grow up!" Later, the Webster family dinner looked a bit shaky but Sally kept it together while, across the road, with everyone else in the pub, Molly dropped the turkey and burst into tears. Kevin later cancelled the hotel he'd booked for he and Molly, probably having to suck up a good sized cancellation fee and all.
Things started off well at the Barlow's house. Ken got to give Simon his bicycle. Of course George and Eve's gift, a Wii, trumps the bike and Ken's got a gargantuan knot in his face and goes off to sulk while he tries to fix a puncture in the tyre. It doesn't help that Deirdre suggests that George could fix it and Simon seems distracted by the Wii anyway. I'm really missing Blanche insulting Deirdre's turkey. We are told she's staying in Portugal as her friend had a fall. (Of course at this point in filming, Maggie Jones was in hospital.) Anyway, the Barlow dinner seemed to go ok until George unthinkingly offered to pour wine for Peter. Ken took the opportunity to embarass him. George made an honest mistake but it stopped the dinner cold. George and Eve made a hasty retreat, followed awkwardly by Peter, Leanne, Janice and Simon.
Gail and Joe are all huggy and lovey dovey. Audrey and David both can barely contain their eye rolling. David actually respects his Gran for being manipulative and inviting Nick to try to put the scuppers on Joe and Gail's relationship. Tina and Jason arrive for dinner and her heart nearly stops when she sees that her handsome stranger from the other night is Nick, David's older brother. They have a quick confer in the back garden where he teases her that they're going to be related. Nick keeps his counsel but is he going to hold it over her head?
Everything seems happy families in the McDonald household, too. Liz is actually recognizing that Becky isn't so bad and she's great with Amy. but it seems Steve is getting broody. Things are going really well with Becky and he thinks he might like to have a baby with her. He's hoping that Becky might come to that conclusion without him asking her so hints that Christmas is for families. Only, the thing is, Becky doesn't pick up the hint and reckons hormones could make her homicidal. Guess that "family" suggestion isn't going to make her come over all maternal, Steve.
At the day's end, Claire and Ashley are sitting silently in the pub, only exchanging a few cutting remarks but she ends up forgiving him. A woman has needs on her wedding anniversary. All is well in the Peacock house. Tina's wondering how long Nick's going to stay. Jason reckons just over Christmas. Becky's playing with Amy and ends up leading the pub in a cheerful rendition of a Christmas song. Everyone's laughing and singing and happy.
Elsewhere, as the music plays over the scenes, Gail is happily
All in all, a really good Christmas episode. I really enjoyed it!