Coronation Street Episode Review Monday 4th December ~ CookingFood.Org

It's the season of goodwill, but not for, well, anyone on the street. Firstly, the chief executive of a Ukrainian oil company, the one that Gary was guarding, has been blown up in his car. There are no survivors but they don't know if Gary was amongst the dead. Audrey suggests ringing the foreign office, although given the Foreign Secretary's recent gaffe, I can't see how that would help. David does get through to them though and they admit that a St Christopher, like the one Sarah gave to Gary, was found amongst the wreckage.

David is suspicious of Pat's emotional response to the news of Gary's potential death and follows him to Nicola's house. Instead of Phelan's intended result of the news bringing dad and daughter back together, Nicola blames Phelan as Gary wouldn't have gone back to Ukraine if he hadn't been trying to earn money for Nicola and the baby to leave the area. Nicola tells him to slink his hook, but it's all been witnessed by detective David who demands to know the truth. Nicola admits that they slept together but nothing about the baby, until she drops her bag and he spies the pregnancy vitamins. David is not best pleased, and after insulting Gary, Nicola, and the unborn baby, stomps off home to comfort his sister, whom he decides not to tell - for now.

Secondly, Kate is upset with Rana for not having told Zeedan about their forbidden love. She does tell him something though, that she wants to go ahead with the cafe, and then tells Luke that she is pregnant and she'll tell Kate that it's over. Luke spills the beans to Kate, who finds out from Rana that it was all a lie. I think there's a saying about webs and weaving and deceit, is there not?

Thirdly, Luke is annoyed with the above, but also about the amount of post that's still arriving for Andy. He gets in contact with Matt, Andy's friend who divulges to Luke that Andy never turned up in Bristol and he hasn't heard from him. He asks Phelan, who says that Andy is now in Brum. He promises to send Andy's mail on, but instead puts the letters in a drawer - along with Nicola's photo.

And fourthly, Mary is upset that she's accused of baby-harm and also that she's fallen out with Norris. She won't even stay in the shop when a child comes in. Tracy, showing a bit of common sense for once, tells Mary to stay away from George, then if/when he gets ill again, Jude and Angie (Jangie) will realise that she can't be the one affecting lickle George's health. Norris breaks through Mary's pique and tells her that Jangie are going back to South Africa - for good this time. Yeah, right! Tracy does her good deed for the ~~day~~ year and steals the Appleton passports so that they can't travel. Why not go the whole hog and get them put on the No Fly list?

Finally, Roy is acting the Christmas grinch and decides he's going to spend Christmas Day "in nature". I don't think the residents are going to let that happen are they? First up is Yasmeen who wants "Kipling-esque hero" Roy to be the community centre grotto Santa, much to Brian's chagrin. Roy decides he's going to be Pelznickel instead. I do hope there's going to be a battle of the Santas - although my money would be on Eva, every time.