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Anna's Weekly Soap Update - 30th September

Missed this week's Eastenders, Coronation Street or Emmerdale? Welcome to Anna Howell's weekly soap update bringing you all the latest gossip for the week ending 30th September, including some links to spoilers if you can't wait...

Anna, from Southbourne, writes for entertainment website www.unrealitytv.co.uk and you can also hear her on Express FM with her weekly update every Tuesday morning at 8.30.

Follow Anna on twitter at @annahowelll

Quite a tidy-over week for the soaps this week, you know the sort - after a big storyline ends but before the lead up to Christmas plots begin, so lots of scenes involving people in pubs moaning about other people in pubs.  Still, I shall re-cap now for those who missed it, or who just cants get enough of the excitement that was this week's soapland.

Emmerdale

So, the main plot for the Dales this week was Aaron's (Danny Miller) self-harming being discovered by his mum, Chastity (Lucy Pargeter) and ex almost step-dad Paddy (Dominic Brunt).  The soap is handling this very well, it has to be said.  Never one to promote a happy ending, Emmerdale have shown a deep dark reaction to Aaron's part in the assisted suicide of his boyfriend.  It has nothing to do with the fact that Danny Miller has won best actor at several soap award ceremonies and they are just trying to milk this golden goose for as many tears as possible!  Anyway, Chas finds out and instantly falls to pieces not knowing what to do or how to cope, so phones Paddy to sort it all out, again!  After being told in no uncertain terms that he will not stop mutilating himself in an attempt to ease his suffering, Chas turns to drastic measures and takes a knife and threatens to cut herself too.  Aaron tells her ‘dont...' (and we all wondered if his next line would be, ‘you don't do it like that'.) and takes the knife from her.  Could this be the start of a thawing of the hostility between mother and son, I doubt it but we will wait and see.

Elsewhere, The Bartons are struggling to make ends meet (still - and still incredibly tedious to watch) and in an attempt to economise they sack Alex (Kurtis Stacey) after already not paying him for a month of non-stop gruelling labour, and reduce Andy's (Kelvin Fletcher) hours too.  Declan (Jason Merrells) swoops in to kick some more pig muck at the mess he has deliberately caused the family by offering Andy a job, which Andy accepts.  Sacking Alex looks a bit hasty now, doesn't it Pa Barton?  Alex, who is loyal to the core to The Bartons continues to work for free for them and in an attempt to get back at Declan, takes possession of his house for sale with girlfriend, Victoria, claiming squatter's rights.  I can't see this going badly wrong, can you???

David (Matthew Wolfenden) is back in the village after honeymooning alone, and is met by pregnant Amy (Chelsea Half-Penny) causing the growing suspicion of new confidante, Belle (Eden Elenor Taylor-Draper) to now focus on David's part in Amy's pregnancy!  That is the least of David's problems though, as he gets back to a house filled with his ex nearly sister-in-law, Alisha (Natalie Anderson) and son Jake who have moved in after Andy ended his and Alisha's relationship.

This brings me to Alisha's new love interest.  Carl King (Tom Lister) returns from France this week to find his actual sister-in-law, Nicola (Nicola Wheeler) has moved back in to his house to give her marriage to his long suffering brother, Jimmy (Nick Miles) another go.  One of his first missions when returning is to chase up that kiss he and Alisha shared before his trip, and see if it could be repeated after a dinner date.  The date goes well, apart from a lot of negative energy from all the punters at the Woolpack on seeing them together (even though Andy dumped her), in particular for Andy who has confided to ex partner, Debbie (Charley Webb) that he may have made a mistake. 

On the other side of the pub, Laurel (Charlotte Bellamy) is trying to convince secret crush Marlon (Mark Charnock) to start dating newcomer Rachel (Gemma Oaten), in an attempt to quash the quite obvious feelings they have for one another, because that always works - adding someone else who will get hurt into the equation!

Jai (Chris Bisson) is also back this week after a visit to his parents where he planned to tell them the happy news that he is about to marry a Dingle.  He is acting very cagey when asked by fiancé Charity (Emma Atkins) about their reaction, especially when she announces that she wants to meet them and do it properly as she has never done the ‘in laws' bit before - of course she hasn't, they have all been from the same family up until now.  I think he thinks the same as me, that Jai is telling porky pies and hasn't told mummy and daddy about Charity at all!  They will be coming over soon enough and will find out one way or another... (http://primetime.unrealitytv.co.uk/emmerdale-the-bills-trudie-goodwin-holbys-bhasker-patel-and-fiona-wade-join-cast/)

Coronation Street

The main storyline this week in Weatherfield is still centred on Carla Connor (Alison King) and her coming to terms with the brutal rape she endured last week at the hands of ex fiancé, Frank Foster (Andrew Lancel). 

Still relying on unofficial AA sponsor, Peter Barlow (Chris Gasgoyne) who she not quite so secretly loves, his wife Lianne (Jane Danson) goes to visit Frank in prison to find out what truth there was to his allegations of an affair between Carla and Peter.  Whilst there she discovers the truth about Carla being responsible for the car crash that nearly killed her long lost mother, Stella (Michelle Collins) and that Peter knew about it and covered for her.  Armed with that information, Lianne marches round to Carla, who has just evicted Maria (Samia Smith) from her apartment in a drunken rant session, and warns her away from her husband.  With tensions still running very high in the Barlow household, Peter receives a call from what appears to be a very drunk Carla.  The reality of the situation is that Carla has taken an overdose and is phoning to say goodbye.  Peter rushes round to her, with Lianne in tow, and whilst the paramedics are trying to revive her, is very over the top upset, the type of upset you would be if you loved that person.  All this is witnessed by Lianne, and once Carla has been given the all clear, she changes her war plan to convince Peter to stay away for Carla's own good, which he very reluctantly agrees to.  The end?  I think not!

Elsewhere Pam (Kate Anthony) and Bill (Peter Armitage) have returned from their travels  (http://primetime.unrealitytv.co.uk/coronation-street-spoilers-molly-dobbs-auntie-pam-to-return/ with news that they are getting married which ruffles the feathers of many, especially when Pam pays Sally (Sally Whittaker) a visit after being outraged at the news that she has let Kevin (Michael Le Vell) move back in.  With Sally finally smells the coffee she gives Kevin his marching orders, adding to the already buzzing hornets nest he had already stirred up with Tyrone by informing him of his intention to change baby Jack's name (http://primetime.unrealitytv.co.uk/coronation-street-spoilers-kevin-webster-to-change-baby-jacks-surname/). 

The final nail in the coffin comes when Pam announces that Kevin is not allowed to attend his father's wedding and the row that follows causes Bill to collapse with a heart attack, although he is given the all clear this time, rumours would have us believe he is no way out of the woods yet.  (http://primetime.unrealitytv.co.uk/coronation-street-bill-webster-peter-armitage-to-leave/.  It does, however, momentarily call a cease fire between the ridiculously dysfunctional family, who surround Bill's hospital bed and do their best to live happily von-trappily ever after, or at least they do in Bill's presence.  However, alone in the house later that evening, Kevin and Sally have a heart to heart which results in a bit of a snog....

Eastenders

After Ben's (Joshua Pascoe) new relationship with boxing partner, Duncan, is discovered by Patrick (Rudolf Walker), Ben ends up having a heart to heart with the Walford vetran, where he realises that Patrick is a bit of a homophobe.  Taking this quite personally he sets about trashing the shop.  After taunting Patrick about his own children, Phil (Steve McFadden) walks in as Patrick is about to punch Ben, and quite clearly isn't happy about that.  A huge war then begins between the two families, with Phil trying to intimidate Patrick, whilst the Truman's respond by calling him a racist.  Ben goes to see Patrick and convince him to just do what his dad is asking of him (which is to apologise) but Patrick won't back down, leaving Ben's guilt increasing with every stone being thrown.  Of course, Patrick tries to convince Ben to tell his dad about his sexuality, which he almost does, and that then his dad would understand the situation and leave Patrick alone.  Really, as far as I can see, gay or not, Patrick was still about the child (asbo youth or not), and everyone is blaming Phil for his outburst, despite Patrick's confession that he was about to hit Ben.  Even Heather (Cheryl Ferguson) jumps on the band wagon and moves out of Phil's house in protest, with threats of ‘I'm gonna tell Shirl when she gets back' (does anyone actually remember where Shirley is?).

Elsewhere, Ian (Adam Woodyat) returned from his mercy mission to supply the twins with more pot noodles and is upset to discover that Mandy had stripped for Daren's stag do (did I miss the moment when these two became an actual couple?), but soon warms to her again and the pair continue to frolic like children at Alto Towers.  Believable.

This week saw the official Muslim end to the Masood marriage, much to everyone (except Dr Evil Yuesef of course), leaving that love window well and truly open for Denise.  Predictable.

The Michael Moon (Steve John Shepherd) plot to take over Walford backfires slightly this week, when he tries to pay Vanessa off to leave for good, only for her to take the money and move in with Eddie instead.  This plot threatens to finish next week as Zoe Lucker who plays Vanessa is leaving the show (http://primetime.unrealitytv.co.uk/eastenders-vanessa-and-darren-zoe-lucker-and-charlie-g-hawkins-to-leave/). 

Also, at the Moon's, Eddie (David Essex) tells Tyler (Tony Discipline) and Anthony (Matt Lapinskas) about their half brother, Craig, which they don't take very well for like 5 minutes, then are all happy families.  Tyler sets up some sort of cringey mock parade in honour of Whitney (Shona McGarthy), but is disappointed when she seems to knock him back.  Later that day though, and after Fat Boy has accidentally told Tyler that Whitney is a virgin (could that be any further from the truth?), Whitney and Tyler share a snog.  Unfortunately, in the meantime, his dad and brother have discovered the truth about Whitney's chequered past, what on earth will happen next?

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