Coronation Street Episode Review Monday 18th December ~ CookingFood.Org

Leanne doesn't understand why Toyah would want strangers staying in the spare room in the pub. For plot purposes? She is also fed up of the men she's met on her dating app (maybe she should join WhamBam?) and Toyah reckons she should fix her sis up with her chum, Zac the dentist. Tracy interrupts them, wanting to share her tips on how she gets blokes to come back to hers. Chloroform? suggests Leanne. Well, that was how Tracy got Roy to sleep with her. Anyway, Zac cancels, so Eva tries to set Leanne up with Matthew Singh by gatecrashing his business meeting with Adam in the Bistro, but arrogant Aidan decides the set-up is all about him and interrupts the meeting slash blind date. Adam leaves, Matthew leaves, they return to the pub, and Lee makes eyes at Chris the B&B guest. We got there in the end! Oh, and Leanne asks Eva to move in with her, well, help her pay the mortgage at any rate.

Anna's under flat arrest, unable to leave Roy's as "every copper in Weatherfield" is looking for her. However, Detective Windass is on her own case, wanting to prove her innocence. She shares a tearful reconciliation with Faye before breaking into the builder's yard (whilst Gary takes Phelan on a wild Nicola chase) and rings one of Pat's customers to get info on his whereabouts. Unfortunately, Eileen interrupts her and is rewarded with a crack on the head from a wrench. Blummin' heck, Anna, you don't want to go down for womanslaughter as well as ladder infractions. She runs back to the flat, collects Faye and tries to make a run for it to Scotland, but her guilt gets the better of her and she goes back to check on Eileen, leaving her DNA everywhere, and is found by Phelan, who calls the cops and Eileen is taken off in an ambulance. Anna gets as far as a car park before being caught by the coppers; despite once being part of the "most feared family in Weatherfield", she's about as much a master criminal as Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards is a champion skier.

Talking of detectives, Daniel accuses Tracy of being in cahoots with Chesney. He, like "Leonard Bernstein" (sic) is even trying to record the conversation, but our Trace denies everything. So Danny-boy tries a difference tack, fake-apologising to Chesney, which Ches has to accept, as it's in front of Sinead.

Fiz trusts Ruby enough with a rolling pin to make mince pies without smashing Hope over the head with it. But Fiz has other things to worry about - ~~going to the jungle~~ looking after Cilla who is ill. Presumably not so ill that her bezzie has to sit in a bath full of baked beans. Fiz is going to miss Christmas so Ty and the girls put on a Christmas dinner/nativity play for her and all is well in the Stape-Dobbs household (for now).

See you next week for the Christmas episode!

Rachel Stevenson - personal blog