Episode 10461 (20th October 2021)

Plot[]

Part One: Roy reasons with Abi, asking her if this is what Seb would have wanted. She realises she's not a killer and drops the gun, letting the stream carry it away. Roy takes off his coat and lowers it into the manhole for Abi and Corey to grab onto. Leanne hides from Harvey in Brewery Lane. Despite her being bound and gagged, nobody comes to her aid as they assume she's in costume. Toyah and Simon find the bistro empty. Leo confirms that the sinkhole has been moving due to the extreme weather. Roy helps Corey climb to safety but Abi remains in the manhole, breaking down at the thought of her son's killer never facing justice. In hospital, Asha is treated for cuts and bruises while Aadi is stable with a stomach injury and first degree burns. A guilt-ridden Dev keeps a vigil by his son's bedside. Debbie also arrives as Kevin is brought in. Roy reminds Abi about the happiness she's found with Kevin and Jack in the hope that she'll decide to live. She says they're better off without her and she's not fit to be a mother as she's failed every child in her care. Roy calls her selfish and suggests that justice for Seb would be Abi turning her grief into something positive. His words resonating with her, Abi turns to him just as the grate gives way and water comes gushing into the sewer. David gets everyone out of the beer tent. With difficulty, Abi manages to grab hold of Roy's coat and pull herself to safety. Leanne goes into the House of Horrors, where she bumps into Harvey. Suddenly, the tarmac under Harvey's feet give way and he falls into the manhole. Meanwhile, Jenny looks for Leo at No.8 and is swallowed up when the sinkhole expands.

Part Two: Toyah and Simon locate a petrified Leanne and take charge of her. The police arrive in the street and cordon off Brewery Lane. Johnny admits to Carla that he's leaving as it's too painful seeing Jenny with someone else. Looking for his wife to say goodbye, he overhears Leo on the phone saying that someone has fallen into one of the holes. He confirms that it's Jenny. Corey tells a policeman at the scene that Abi pointed a gun at him. Abi is asked to come to the police station to make a statement. Roy realises that he's going to be asked what he saw when their stories don't match. Nina questions the whereabouts of Abi's gun. The fire brigade are called in to rescue Jenny but they're held up by the storm. Leo insists that no one's to enter the sinkhole but Johnny ignores his instructions and climbs down after his wife, ignoring Shona's offer to go in his place. Harvey's body washes up at a storm drain, along with Abi's gun. The drug dealer arms himself.

Cast[]

Regular cast[]

Guest cast[]

Places[]

Coronation Street
Rovers Return Inn - Public
8 Coronation Street - Garden
Brewery Lane
House of Horrors tent
Sewers
Unknown street
Weatherfield General - A&E reception

Notes[]

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this episode was made with social distancing rules being observed by both cast and production crew. Exceptions were occasionally made for instances in which characters were required to be in close contact. These were made in accordance with the rules by employing measures such as more frequent testing and cast members bubbling up together prior to recording. For this episode, part of ITV's "Super Soap Week", over 70 such bubbles were employed by the cast and crew [1].
The episode is unusual in having four credited directors. This was due both to COVID restrictions and the amount of preparation needed to film the week's six episodes. Four film crews worked separately to record the episodes, each headed by one of the directors. Here, George C. Siougas directed the sewer scenes involving Abi Franklin and Corey Brent, while scenes on the outdoor set were handled by Suri Krishnamma [2].
For the scenes of Abi Franklin and Corey Brent climbing out of the manhole, Curtis Rivers was credited as stunt co-ordinator, with Tracy Caudle doubling for Abi, Tim Halloran for Corey and Ryan Green for Roy Cropper in certain shots [3].
Due to the amount of water needed in the underground scenes, these segments were recorded at Space Studios in Vaughan Street, Manchester. where the production team used portable swimming pools and suspended the sets into the pools. Five tanker loads of water were used for filming across the six episodes [4].
In a scene where Leanne Battersby is led away to safety by Toyah Battersby and Simon Barlow, the camera lingers on an individual wearing a ghostly costume. This piece of direction led some viewers on Twitter to speculate that the individual was a known character, though the programme later clarified to Digital Spy that it was not a person of significance [5].
This episode's extended end credits, running to 50", uses a longer version of the Coronation Street theme music.
TV Times synopsis: Dev awaits news at the hospital; and more sinkholes appear and claim unsuspecting victims.
Viewing Figures: First UK broadcast: 5,257,000 viewers (16th place).

Notable dialogue[]

Roy Cropper (to Abi Franklin): "Since you seem determined to drown, not in the water but in your own self-pity, perhaps there's nothing more that I can do. I might add, you talk about getting justice for Seb, well, this is not it. I suspect justice for Seb would be you pulling yourself together and being a mother to that little boy who, whether you believe it or not, knows you are more than capable. You would be supporting a man who has stood by you through thick and thin. You would be turning your grief into something positive and meaningful rather than ruining their lives through your untimely demise."

October 2021 episodes
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