The Funeral
Liam is on the phone with Maria trying to understand why she is not coming to the funeral of their child. While he is on the phone Carla comes by with a suit for Liam, and a bit of a shoulder rub as well, once he is off the phone with his wife.
Bill and Audrey try to persuade Maria to go to the funeral, telling her that she has to say goodbye to her baby. Maria tells them that she already said goodbye at the hospital, and besides, her presence at the funeral will just make things worse.
Fiz and Kirk, suitably attired in funeral garb, stop by to visit Liam. Carla is there as well, and a bit of an unpleasant conversation kicks off, with Carla commenting that Maria is ‘sick in the head.’ Fiz asks Liam if there is anything they should tell Maria. Liam says he thought she loved me. Fiz tells him she does, you know she does, which prompts Liam to wonder why she would need anyone to talk to her for him.
Fiz and Kirk then go to visit Maria, and they also try to persuade her to attend the funeral. Maria tells them that everyone thinks she is a ‘nasty, selfish little cow’ and she will only be an unwelcome distraction at the funeral.
Carla and Liam stop in at The Rovers for a drink. Sean asks them ‘Can I get you a drink, or is it gong to turn nasty like last time?’ Marcus and Sean are obviously dressed for the funeral, prompting Carla to ask, in a less than welcoming voice, if they are planning on attending. Marcus says that was their intent, unless it is a problem. Liam assures them it is not a problem, civility prevails, and Liam gets a brandy in for all of them. Carla makes a point of telling them that Maria is leaving Liam on his own to bury their son.
Audrey continues to reason with Maria, telling her that ‘We all make mistakes, it’s what happens after that matters.’ Too true. Maria can stay cooped up and let her life slip away and dhe can get out there and try to fix things with Liam.
At the church there is a hearse parked in front with a tiny coffin in the back. Kirk bemoans the fact that will never be able to share his love of animals with his nephew. Fiz sums it up best when she says ‘That has got to be the saddest sight in the world.’
The Vicar greets Liam and Carla, and assuming that Carla is the grieving mother, offers her his condolences. Liam corrects his mistake and asks for a few more minutes. The Vicar, a picture of compassion, readily agrees. A short while later Carla tells Liam that there no point in waiting any longer, and they proceed with the funeral. Liam is given the casket to carry, as as he holds it in his arms he looks out the gate, I think to see if Maria is coming. No one is there however, so Liam turns around with his painful burden, and to the accompaniment of the church bell, the funeral party makes their way toward the church.
As they make their way to the church Audrey and Maria arrive at the church gate.
Other Less Important Things
Ches has decided to stay home from school to comfort Kirk, but Julie tells him that she can take care of Kirk and sends Chesney on his way. Fiz is in the living room iroming a shirt for Kirk to wear to the funeral, till Julie tells Fiz that she ironed one for him last night already. Fiz seems less than enamored with Julie…
Tina visits Gail at the clinic.
Gail talks to Bill, and then Audrey, about getting in touch with Ted.
Claire and Sal are going ahead with the house swap plan. Sal wonders what changed Ashley’s mind. Claire tells Sal that Ashley had it ‘changed for him.’
Kev pops in at home to use the loo, but Sal tells him that he has to go to the cafe and use their loo instead, as she is cleaning the house for the estate agent who is coming to give the house a valuation. Then Sal, loving wife that she is, tells Kev that he is so working class, and in anticipation of living in their new house ‘You ought to try drinking wine, cause cans of beer in a conservatory – it’s just not right.’ The estate agent shows up, followed by Claire and Ashley, who have come to see what he has to say. Some awkward conversation ensues. Kev makes a joke about how the agent must look like Brad Pitt, the way the women are following him around.
Mare
corriecanuck
debbie1975
Glacia
t. kunzie
mayfairgirl
papasmurf1964
John
thepinklady
whitehorsefan
Corrie Canuck 
Carla and Liam visit the pub BEFORE the baby’s funeral! Does anyone else think that’s kind of odd? Or is it just me?
Carla really seems to be taking completely over driving Liam around giving orders at the funeral.
Sally=Hyacinth Bucket. When will Kevin put his foot down? It’s Corrie – so he won’t – he will probably have an affair with someone instead.
Carla is priming him with liquor – ready to pounce. How long will it take her? She will have to be quick before Tony gets back from China.
Carla’s priming Liam – not Kevin.
Is anyone else totally irritated by Maria? She did the same thing with her wedding in terms of not wanting to go, blah blah blah … The character is so irresponsible and self absorbed.
Seriously, when she let Liam go to the hospital himself and she just called from the hallway that wee doe-like ‘Bye.’ – I wanted to break my television.
Oh Haili, you are so right about Sally. Thanks for that.
Margaret:
YES! Maria is making me nuts. It is all about her- not the baby, not her husband, not her marriage. I don’t get it. I did ER work for years and have spent an entire night sitting with parents and taking turns holding their dead infant before they felt ready to relinquish to the ME. I have never seen someone respond like Maria. Carla is waaayyy more important to her than the baby or Liam. It is Carla that she is focused on, after herself, that is.
I find that even my compassionate self wants to smack her upside the head then place her in a line with Liam and Carla and knock all their heads together,
Whew! now I feel better (and after all, that’s what’s really important, eh?) having had a chance to channel Maria.
Maria is behaving as though her only value to Liam lay in the fact that she was carrying his son. In her view, he will simply rid himself of her now. The distance she is keeping from the baby seems to suggest that her son, too, belongs within the circled Connor wagons whereas she does not. Her behaviour, sadly, is making these views come to life.
I have no bone to pick with Carla…whatever her motive, her actions are helping to keep Liam going.
As far as the house-swap, let’s not forget the discotheque snog between Kevin and Claire! Could it soon be Mr. Webster with a sausage in the Conservatory?
OMG Kunzie, I forgot about that LOL!
I think Carla comforting Liam at this time is entirely appropriate. I don’t think it’s out of malice or some devious plan to steal him away. I think she genuinely feels bad that his wife isn’t around to support him.
Claire has been so consumed in this house-swapping business she hasn’t even bothered to ask Maria why she closed the salon that day when she had just booked an appointment. Or even bothered to call her up to ask where she’s been. I thought Maria and Claire were still close enough mates for the questions to be asked. I mean, they were roommates once upon a time!
Corriecrazy, good point. I had forgotten that Maria and Claire had been mates. But then I am totally surprised at the insensitivity of the residents of the street concerning the whole loss of the baby. Because the funeral was supposed to be private I can understand that few people would attend, but no one seems to care at all. Ryan and Steve certainly should have been there to represent Michelle.
I don’t think Michelle and the grandparents have been told about the baby. Liam and Maria said they wanted the funeral ASAP and private. If Carla was so caring, why has she done everything she can to undermine Maria and cause trouble, especially sending the cab away so Liam wouldn’t come home, and when Maria tried to find Liam, gave her a lot of verbal abuse? If she was a true friend, she’d encourage Liam to go hug his wife. She will be there, hovering like a vulture for the first sign of weakness and ready to pounce.
As I said before, Carla is a bitch, but I don’t think she’s a heartless deamon.
She does all that stuff to Maria to wind her up, because, bitch that she is, it amuses her. I think Carla gets frustrated (as I find I do) by Maria’s insecurities, etc.
However, when a real tragedy happens she puts aside her bitchiness and steps up to the plate. I could be proven wrong, but I honestly believe she’s helping out Liam as any normal person would do. Let’s face it, Maria’s abandoned him and Michelle’s away – what other family does he have?
Time will tell about Carla but I went off her when the foreign worker fell down the stairs and she couldn’t have cared less except for the consequences to the business. She had no qualms about covering it up. She sent money to the family in Poland, but that was just to shut them up IMO.
I still think a true friend or family member would not try to make trouble in their friend’s marriage, but we are supposed to dislike Carla and every soap needs a bitch. The actress does a good job of playing one.
I agree that Maria can be annoying and she never should have married Liam but I think she knows that deep down and that’s what’s bothering her – besides the cheating (she thinks) husband and dead baby.
Sally was fantastic last night, making all her little irritating comments about the Peacock home! I thought her acting was great – so typical of Sally – exactly what we would expect from her character!
As for the funeral and that whole storyline – thank goodness it’s over. Maria is such a pain in the neck, I am finding myself more tolerant of Carla’s rotten behaviour! Let the sparks fly between Carla and Liam I say, let the sparks fly! (lets give Maria something to really moan about!)
I loved the scenes with Maria and Liam at the graveside. Liam telling his son to be a good boy and mind Uncle Paul was quite touching.
Good to see Maria coming to her senses.
On the plus side, we’ve had a nice little break from Michelle’s emoting and flirting with her son.
Gayle, I completely agree with you. Steve and Ryan should have also been at the funeral.
I also agree with you, Glacia. I don’t think Carla is attempting to be everything to Liam that Maria hasn’t been the past week, but that she just realises this a tragic loss for any parent. Maybe she should’ve been the one to let Steve and Ryan know about the funeral?
I hope Michelle leaves Alex in Ireland… You know, to bond with his grandparents… Not because I’m extremely tired with that character and any storyline remotely related to him. đŸ˜‰
Well, I found myself wondering who this Saint Paul was that Liam told his son about? Would that be the Paul who covered up the worker’s death, visited prostitutes and, oh yeah, kidnapped Leanne, put her in his trunk and smashed into a wall and died?
To be fair, he seemed a good uncle to Ryan. Who, in the absence of Michelle, probably should have been at his cousin’s funeral, eh?
Corrie weddings and funerals often see a weird assortment of attendees, IMO. I kind of guess Marcus should have been there, but Steve or Ryan would have made sense.
Missusmac: I was thinking the exact same thing about “St. Paul”. I would not have named my son after him. I got the feeling that they didn’t have a name picked out and that was the first name that came to mind.
Funny how often rogues become saints after they die!