Good Mourning

spoiler alert: this post makes reference to the August 13 episode on CBC

In Coronation Street, as in reality, births, wedding and funerals comprise the major bookmarks or milestones of life (along with Stanley Cup finals - ed). Liam Connor's death is certainly one such milestone and this week's episodes have been testament to a week of mourning on the Street.

As usual, Corrie created a rich subtext to go along with the main event, along with all those little touches that show why Coronation Street, at its best, is great human drama.

My favourite moments from a sombre week included:
- The priest and his warm welcome of Ozzie into the funeral service (Good thing he was wearing black - ed)
- The array of mourners, including the Underworld staff, all lined up on the Street as the black limousines and the hearse pulled away (where was Archie Shuttleworth? - ed)
- The church readings and Ryan's impromptu story
- The subtle tension between Liam's parents and Maria's parents and Mrs. Connor's strong views on decorum, death and the funeral
- The music and the fact that, as the congregation left the church, there was a song by the rock group 'Bread' (popular in the 1970s) called 'Everything I Own' being sung
- The traditional Irish wake at the Rovers, the songs by Liam's dad, Kelly's toast, the tiff between Carla and Mrs. Connor and Tom's observation that "it wouldn't be an Irish funeral without a good scrap."

Last but not least there was the slow boil of agitation and anger on the part of Tony as he comes to realize that Liam, in death, is more loved and cherished than Tony will ever be in life. That's something that money just can't buy - although you can bet the Tonemeister will give it his best shot.

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shots from the hip... that's it for the week. Thanks for stopping by and thanks for your kind comments. Hope you enjoy the Sunday omnibus show on CBC and I'll see you all here next week. Cheers.