eastenders soap Watch

Relationships involving control come in many forms, and while the psychological bullying of Corrie’s Geoff and the domestic violence of Eastenders’ Gray have attracted publicity (both storylines are brilliantly executed), there are very subtle forms of control operating in soapland, too.

Corrie’s Ken has been cajoled into moving to what Claudia calls an ‘exclusive gated community’. She has manipulated Ken over a long time, even making him give up many of his precious books (though I’m with her on quite why he needs three translations of the same Dostoevsky novel). Now, bumping into Norris at Stillwaters, it seems his old friend has been bullied by Freda into moving there.

Eastenders’ Sharon is the archmanipulator of Phil, even though he is, to others’ eyes, the real bully in their highly volatile relationship.

Emmerdale’s Eric manipulates pretty much everyone in his life, although perhaps this week’s attempt to impress Brenda with his healthy snacks may be underplaying this a little. But then he offers to buy her a drink and we all know where that leads to in Emmerdale (and I’m not just talking about a walk in the Dales).

So, you should beware of wolves lurking in sheep’s clothing.

NAUGHTY BUT FUNNY

‘Walls have hearing aids.’ Norris to Ken, about Freda, Corrie ANY PORT IN A STORM ‘I’m a drowning man, Ken; throw me a lifeline.’ Norris, Corrie

The storylines time will never forget

10 YEARS AGO – EASTENDERS

Teenager Lucy Beale was pregnant but didn’t feel ready to be a mother so had asked stepmum Jane to adopt the baby. However, Lucy’s dad Ian felt Jane had manipulated Lucy (Melissa Suffield, above) into the decision and persuaded her to have an abortion instead.

15 YEARS AGO – EMMERDALE

Carl King found his girlfriend Chloe Atkinson was behind the poison pen letters he and then-girlfriend Chas Dingle had received. Chloe (pictured) then left the village in disgrace after Chas forced her to tell everyone she wasn’t pregnant as she’d claimed.

20 YEARS AGO – CORRIE

When Curly Watts (pictured) had a date with Colette Graham he was unsettled by a series of bizarre events. It transpired these had been orchestrated by Colette’s jealous stalker, policeman Simon Cavanagh, who was duly arrested.