Inside Soap UK 14 - 2022

“He was up with a flirty wink by Wednesday” It’s a funny thing when two soaps serve up superficially similar scenarios on the same night, but treat them in very different ways. Last week, we found Emmerdale in educational mode, here to show the reality of life for a stroke victim: the risks of brain surgery; the long, uncertain recovery; the burden of care placed on the family. Mere minutes later, Corrie’s Adam plumeted what sounded like 100ft onto a shopping centre coffee machine, prompting an urgent operation for a bleed behind his eye. This was Monday. He was up with a flirty wink by Wednesday. Yes, the Dales plot made Corrie look pat in comparison – but we need those stories for different reasons. We’re not here to look…

There are dramatic scenes at Tina’s final farewell this week, as intoxicated Linda storms into the Vic – and rages at Janine for stealing her husband! Though the relationship between Mick and Linda had already been strained for months, it was sneaky Janine who convinced the alcoholic that she should divorce her husband, after posing as a brewery rep and visiting Linda at her mum’s bar. So when Linda arrives back in Walford for Tina’s funeral and finds Janine cosying up to Mick, she’s incandescent with rage – and causes a scene… “Nobody can blame Linda for being furious; she’s been played like a cheap fiddle by Janine!” points out our Square spy. “But Linda does herself no favours by kicking off after downing a bottle of vodka. When she…

Smug Janine is like the cat that got the cream as she and Mick bask in the glow of their new relationship – but is she rushing into things? Mick’s hardly in the right place to start something new, having only just split from Linda, plus he’s still grieving murdered Tina. Janine may have been his rock over the past few weeks, yet is that really the basis for rushing into a new romance? When Janine confides in Sonia about her feelings for Mick, her pal urges caution, pointing out that Mick and Linda have been together forever, and are made for each other. Sonia’s words certainly give Janine pause for thought, and she later heads back to the Vic, where she attempts to put the brakes on things with…

There’s bad news for the victims of Meena’s evil crimes this week – as the scheming serial killer plots to win her freedom in court. She’s gearing up to put on the performance of a lifetime in front of the jury, and convince them that she’s no cold-blooded murderer. Her other goal is to destroy sister Manpreet on the stand with a character assassination from her legal team. Meena is confident that the jury will buy her story if she gets this right, and she will stop at nothing to get out of jail free… “This is Meena’s endgame, and she’s determined to win!” warns our Dales spy. “She’s buzzing about the opportunity to put on a show in the courtroom, and can barely contain her excitement about being the…

Prepare to be shocked this week, when Meena manages to win over a prison guard and start a new manipulation campaign. She’s set her sights on a male officer, and works overtime to charm him. Meena wants to see how much control she can exert, and starts small by asking him to smuggle in a chocolate bar. After her new accompliace goes against protocol to do her bidding, Meena’s next move is to request a newspaper. She wants to see the coverage of her impending court battle, and is thrilled to discover she’s made the front page. We know that Meena’s every move is carefully calculated – so might she be cosying up to this guard as part of an elaborate plot to escape? Or is her end game something…

There’s heartache for Kelly this week, when she hears that her mum Laura has only hours to live. Kelly now believes Laura killed her dad, Rick, so the troubled young woman has a very difficult decision to make. Having disowned her mum – who is taking the blame for the true culprit, Gary – Kelly even refuses Laura’s dying request to see her one final time. And as the hours tick by, guilty Gary is desperate to change Kelly’s mind… “Laura is determined to make this sacrifice, even if she dies with Kelly believing she’s a murderer,” explains Kel Allen, who plays the terminally ill mum. “She has to make the person whom she loves the most hate her – in order to help her.” Gary is all too aware…