Look back at Amber

spoiler alert: this post makes reference to the January 6 episode on CBC

Congratulations Amber! (yes, that new hairstyle really suits her - ed). You have joined the few, the proud, the elite handful of Coronation Street citizens to escape Weatherfield and attend university. Take your rightful place beside Ken Barlow, Toyah Battersby, Todd Grimshaw and a few select others (what about Kirkie? Didn't he attend King's Kennel Cambridge? - ed).

The achievement is all the more spectacular because of - or should I say - in spite of Daddy Dev. Dev was the quintessential absentee landlord of parents, the silent partner, the uninterested bystander who was quick to make Amber's life difficult and slow to help her in any way. You could say that Dev was there for Amber when she needed a place to go. True enough but Dev got the better deal: cheap, efficient and trustworthy labour for his corner shop. Amber's school and academic achievements? I don't think Dev was even aware that Amber attended school (too busy with his corner shop empire and various dalliances).

At any rate, I'm not suprised that Amber got accepted to uni in London. And it couldn't have happened at a better time. That tag team of Dev and Umed is starting to get on my nerves. They're like the two Ronnies (not as funny - ed) or some kind of insipid Bollywood version of Laurel and Hardy (but not silent, unfortunately - ed).

Amber's moving on at the right time, leaving Dev, Tara and Weatherfield behind. There's only one small fly in the ointment (you mean Peter Barlow's dermatological defence serum? - ed) and that's poor Darryl. You can see the heartbreak in his eyes (just look under the hair - ed). What's left for him once Amber leaves? He'd be out of place in the big city (unless there's a King's Kebab College somewhere in London - ed). I'd be sorry to see them split up. They go together like chips and soggy peas.

In the meantime, I say to Amber: 'You go girl' and I say to Dev: 'send Umed back to Mumbai'

designing women

spoiler alert: this post makes reference to the June 25 episode on CBC

Two designing women are stealing the show on Coronation Street these days with their manipulative skills, raw sexuality and devious ways (Emily Bishop & Rita Sullivan? -ed).

On one corner of the Street, Carla Connor (aka Cruella de Connor or Carla de vil) is 'having her way' with Liam is a most evil way. Poor old Liam has already paid dearly to extricate himself from her clutches. He sold his stake in the factory for mere pennies to Tony, the professional business predator, in order to get away from Carlissima and make a fresh start with Maria. But alas, Liam's quiet life of pubbing and babymaking is torn asunder once more when his hapless business partner, Tom, 'gets into bed' with Carla (surely a metaphor-ed) in order to secure a business deal with a t-shirt manufacturer in America. For the bargain price of 50,000 pounds, Carla is able to get back into Liam's life and make him miserable, uncomfortable and turned on - all at the same time. "Gotcha", she says.

Then there's Nina, or as Vernon calls her: '99 Luftballoons' (ixnay on the German - ed). Here's another designing woman at work. The Bollywood Beauty swans into Dev's corner shop (sorry, I mean signature food emporium) any time she wants just to keep the Devster firmly wrapped around her little ring-encrusted finger. Only Nina could walk into a grotty corner store, ignore the 300 year-old cans of Spam and expired packets of Peek Freans digestives, and say, "I'm scintillating." After Nina cancels a date with Dev, the paramour (or 'Devamour' as Vernon calls him) goes outside to drown his disappointment by putting a few golf balls into a glass jar on the street (Must be just like St. Andrew's on a spring morning). Chalk up another victory for another designing woman.

Gotcha again.

Enjoy the weekend and the Sunday omnibus. See you next Tuesday.