The gothic novel hell that is Charlie and Shelley.

[Bridgey]

Having studied "mad ladies in attics/locked rooms", the dangerous effects of patriarchy and the whole madness/lady parallels in English Literature a few months ago - the Charlie being a bastard and Shelley being a mad woman storyline is really getting to me with the over-egging of the gothic novel parallels.

And the thing that really gets my goat? Eastenders have already done the hysterical reactions/errant bastard of a husband gets burned thing so it's going to draw out to a really bad conclusion.

Sigh. Must get back to my Tori Amos cds.

Bridgey xxx

[Steven]

I think the storyline's been quite well done, to be honest. I went through something similar to Shelley when I was at university (totally not going into the details here) and while obviously it has to be bigger and faster in order to make good drama, I still feel like the dramatic truth (argh, such a pretentious phrase, somebody shoot me) is there at the bottom of it.

Put it this way, it's one of the few soap storylines ever where I've had the real-life experience to say whether it's believable, and on the whole I think it is.

[Robbing the Dead]

Shelley today was totally amazing. She looked so bad with the eyes and the manic shouting and crying. I think this is better than Trevor and Mo because that was mostly physical, whereas this is primarily psychological.

[cathybradford]

I think it's a really strong storyline.

And for years now we've been watching Eastenders turn these Charlie type bully characters into anti-heros, I honestly don't see the difference between him and Phil Mitchell (a character the writers still expect us to root for on some level) and his treatment of Lisa for example, it's about time someone redressed the balance.

[klee]

Genuinely chilling stuff - that scene with Bev last night was creepy. This is yet another example of the Corrie storyliners being brave and skilful enough to go for the slow burn and make TV that is uncomfortable, if truthful, viewing.

It's also made all the more distressing because as a soap Corrie has always centred around its strong female characters - and to see one of them crumble before viewers' eyes seems somehow wrong. If the same thing happened in Eastenders (which, to be fair, it does on a weekly basis) no one would even blink.

On a lighter note, re. Shelley's eyes - who would have though the makeup artists would have been fans of Hellraiser?

[Adrian]

It is scary. The actor playing Charlie does a fantastic job of appearing animalistic and just so hideous you want to slap him but knowing that would do no good.

I do love how it can be taken lightly though. First song to come on the jukebox last night whilst we all took in Shelley's eyes - Love at first sight.

-A

[SweatShop]

Shelley's eyes were indeed creepy and rather horrible. I did laugh when I first saw them yes, but then she did go all monster-esque when talking to her staff and others who were commenting on them. What I want to know is why the hell did she get an eye lift? Why that? I thought she was worried about being too fat again? Why pay over £2000 for an eye lift when her eyes have never been commented on as being "ugly" before?

But I am a bit sick, as is my mother, in fits of laughter when Shelley was being dragged down the stairs. Apparantely I find domestic violence funny.

[Jules]

How are Corries make up artists going to show Shelly with sexy new eyes? Sorry but I can't see it ! !

[lowculture.co.uk]

Well, the point is that en eye lift is going to make bugger all difference to a woman of Shelley's age anyway, so they are just going to slap on an extra layer of make-up to disguise any tell-tale lines.

[klee]

An open letter to the producers of Coronation Street

Dear Mr/Ms Producer,

We know you like the slow burn, but this storyline's been in the casserole for so long it's starting to go dry. Shelley now looks as though she's itching to jump soaps to Eastenders and get pregnant by Phil and/or Ian. Can we have the old Shelley back? You remember her - she made jokes about sweet and sour pork and poured tea in the parlour like a cross between Bet Lynch and Betty Turpin.

And will someone tell her that wearing jim-jams like that is no way to keep your man from feeling up Deansgate sluts in the Rover's taproom.

But if you must go through with the wedding, can Charlie do it topless?

Yours in growing desperation,

klee

[Adrian]

I have a feeling they've started something but they're not quite sure of how to conclude it and what seems the logical and natural way to end it. Quite like real-life really. Shelley's life, like her storyline, is sort of floundering.

-A

[frap]

I also think Charlie is really fit. Though I've missed most of this storyline.

[Adrian]

I supressed a little tear last night when Fred offered to give Shelley away. Even though it has been very slow in the running, and mildly infuriating as a result, I do think this has been a very well done story. It has been very subdued, which is the exactly the pitch of how it should be, given that nobody but Charlie, Shelley and Bev (and maybe Fred and Violet a little) react to it.

-A

[si]

I was watching through my fingers last night. I don't think I've ever had as much emotional investment in a soap character as I do in Shelley.

Right at the end, I thought she was going to say yes through the tears but instead I punched the air like an American jock at her answer.

[groopie]

My favourite bit was afterwards when the ITV announcer said "you didn't expect that, did you?"

Err, yes...

[Adrian]

I didn't see the latter half, sadly, but I've just had goosepimples reading about it. I thought Shelley getting ready all by herself and leaving the pub with just Fred was very effective. I agree with Si and think the power of this storyline (particularly in the last few weeks) has been the emotional investment. The actress playing Shelley has done a very solid and sustained performance, I'm really very impressed.

-A

[Steven]

Absolutely. I was in the other room for most of the second episode but I ran in to catch whether Shelley was going to say yes, and the great thing about the performance was that she could quite easily have said "yes" or "no" and neither would have looked out of place in the light of her behaviour. I can't wait for Wednesday now to see the fallout. And I completely agree with Adrian that while the story may have seemed a bit slow and directionless at times, it was necessary for the "emotional truth" (I can't believe I just wrote that) behind it to be believable.

[klee]

Thank Christ for that.

Did anyone else want to punch Bev's lights out, though? She wasn't helping. I was quite looking forward to some ageing Corrie slappers banter about the men of the Street. All we got was Deirdre trying a handstand, though I would have paid good money to see Liz trying the splits.

And what on earth was that mini-story arc about Rita, Alf and Audrey doing in there?

I liked how they continued to drip-feed the next slow burner - Mike's dementia - in there as well.

[Adrian]

Ooh, I really loved the Shelley-walking-the-streets self-empowering having-the-craic-with-game-old-Northern-birds episode.

One thing that really stood out to me was the direction, which in a soap is quite unusual.

Look! It's like Shelley's in a prison.



And I'm really glad that her last line of the episode (which, let's face it, was a defining moment) wasn't something very twee and contrived. It was "mmm, that's bloody gorgeous" and it all worked so naturally and right.

-A

[dentons]

Classique Gold The Street

[Snuff]

It FINALLY ended and it ended brilliantly. Loved her 'Let's cut the cake then." I would have liked her to just keep the bride on top of the cake. It would have been nice.

[Adrian]

But! Also! In saying this, and reading the ITV previews, I do hope this isn't actually the end of the storyline. It would be much too convenient.

-A