The week ahead (week 12)

Hello! As you can imagine there’s quite a bit to talk about, but let’s take a look at what’s coming up this week first:

Callum’s got a small part in the Carter story on Monday once Stuart becomes involved, and he asks Callum to put him in touch with Frankie, as he’s found out about Mick’s abuse and he knows Frankie as Callum’s friend. Not sure whether Stuart will tell Callum anything, but at the same time, wanting to get in touch with his friend is a bit random so I’m guessing Stuart must tell him something. As always, things are embargoed so Callum could have more to do or that could be the extent of his involvement.
If it is though, at least he’s got another role in that episode, when he’s giving advice to his new friend Vinny. Vinny gets stick from his family for reporting the shop thief (following up from when he first reported it to Callum the other week and is now giving a statement) and Callum’s there (probably taking the statement) to remind him to stand his ground, following on from their chat when Callum suggested he break away from the family business and forge his own path. Vinny’s trying to prove himself on Friday with an assignment from his brother, but guess depending on how that goes, it might help him make his mind up.

The Panesars are victims of a hate crime on Tuesday when the shop is graffitied with racist rhetoric, and it knocks Suki and we get her opening up a bit more about the past. Ben, who’s now the Panesar’s BFF, wants to find the culprit behind the graffiti and teach them a lesson. The best kind of criming, really – punishing racists.

Moving onto Thursday, it’s Callum’s birthday, and it’s actually being acknowledged! It’s his big 30th, after all. It also just so happens that Ben’s 25th birthday is today (the 21st). Because Ben was born on the show there’s never been any doubt about his birthday, but there’s always been a little bit of a debate over the date of Callum’s and whether it’s the 23rd or the 25th, because all there was to go on was a blurry handwritten date on a whiteboard back in 2018. With the date of his party on the 25th though, it seems we may have a definitive answer to that. I’m looking forward to the birthday scenes!
First though, Ben and Kheerat put their plan into action to punish the thief (who is also presumably the racist behind the graffiti – and of course, is also the reason Vinny was late to their stand off with Stas.) It remains to be seen what their plan is but I reckon Callum would understand Ben being late to the party if he was busy out punishing racists. I’m sure he does turn up though, because the spoiler is that they celebrate Callum’s birthday, so I’m taking it to mean that it definitely happens! I am very much looking forward to seeing a fuss made of Callum, because he deserves it!

Nothing for us on Friday, but it’s another new writer to EE, Fraser Ayres (though he’s previously written a few episodes of Doctors.) We’ve got Daran of course for Monday and Tuesday (I Smell Queer, Mitchell Kitchen Kiss, Boyfriends scene, Do You In A Heartbeat, Move In With Me Cal) and Yasmeen Khan (Chris’ memorial) writing Callum’s birthday on Thursday. It sounds like a good week for us!

And now for other news, and it’s big news. Spoilers ahead!

Firstly, after the speculation/wishes about Mother Highway turning up – we’re actually getting GRANDmother Highway! Gwen Taylor’s been cast as Violet Highway (and going by the surname, presumably Jonno’s mum) and she arrives for Ben and Callum’s wedding, despite apparently not having spent much time with Stuart and Callum. She’s described as blunt and quick witted but with a big heart. (Digital Spy, Metro)
Let the speculation begin! She arrives for the wedding, but was she invited? From the press release it sounds like Stuart and Callum want shot of her, but she ends up sticking around. Maybe she finds out another way. Could Ben reach out to her if he’s heard she exists? Or maybe she’s just heard through the mythical grapevine that her grandson is marrying a man and turns up for a nosey (or a fight, who knows.) Is she close with her son (please no) or did she cut ties with him because he’s, as Callum put it, a pig? Does she know things about their mum that they don’t? Stuart and Callum seem to think highly of their granddad, so how do they feel about grandma? And if she’s sticking around, where’s she going to stay?
My personal guess is that she’ll turn up possibly showing signs of disapproval or intolerance, but then mellows out. Of course, she could turn up already all for it – but then it makes you wonder why she didn’t rescue Stuart and Callum from Jonno, or indeed get back in touch sooner once they’d escaped him – or why they don’t want her to stick around initially. It’s exciting that we might actually get more detail about their history whatever she’s like, and it’s a great sign of an investment in the Highways – and of course, a sign that the wedding is going to be a big deal if they’re bringing in a character for it, and connecting at least one story – her arrival – to it.
And speaking of the wedding, we basically got confirmation that the wedding is much sooner than anticipated – Violet’s first scenes are airing in May, and if she’s arriving for the wedding, then that must be when the wedding is. Better buy your hats!

And as if that wasn’t enough – Friday brought us pap pictures of Tony and Jamie (and Gwen) on location, filming for the wedding itself!! (Metro, The Sun)
It looks like Jay and Callum have similar outfits – Jay was bound to be one of the best men anyway, but that’s confirmed it – and the fact that maroon is a feature in the outfits has made me inexplicably happy. I think the grey and maroon is gorgeous – and it’s a three piece, as Tony hinted at in Inside Soap back in January. Max wasn’t caught on camera so it’s all spec about his outfit – I was wondering if it’s the reverse – a maroon suit with grey tie/waistcoat. Or maybe it’s a whole different colour (although with Jay dressed like he is, I’m not sure how likely that is.) There’s also no good look at the venue, so again that’s up for speculation. Although something that’s not up for speculation apparently is whether they make it down the aisle – because it looks like Callum’s got a wedding ring on! The wedding, as with all soap weddings, is going to be a backdrop for some drama, but whether it’s the resolution or maybe even the trigger remains to be seen.
They film about 9 weeks ahead normally, but location filming varies because of the availability of the location (for example the boat crash scenes on the Thames were filmed a lot closer to transmission), and also we don’t know how long ago these pictures were taken, because my guess is that they were held back until the Gwen casting was announced, since she’s in some of the pictures. 31st May (two years since I Smell Queer) would be great, but I get the feeling it’ll be a little earlier in the month than that. Although that’s on a Monday, so there’s the potential for a week of wedding drama! Anything can still happen between now and May, but I am reassured that if the conflict comes before the wedding (because there will be conflict somewhere in some form), they’ll come out the other end as husbands. Eek!

Of course, when the team planned Ballum’s wedding (most likely during the first lockdown or whenever they started planning the year ahead of them), they’d have hoped for some more normality than what we’re currently experiencing. And it’s a real shame that things are still the way they are. No one wants social distancing, in real life or in their favourite soap. The team don’t want to be working that way either, I’m sure. But the engagement was such a special episode, and it took representation one step further with the real life queer couple acting as body doubles for the intimiate moments. I have full faith the wedding will have a similar level of care and attention. Ballum are fictional characters in a story and I fully support them giving them life in whatever means they have available to them in order to tell their story. And I think it’s a story that should be told whatever limitations exist in the real world.
I also think that even if arranging things wasn’t a logistical nightmare that EE only do in emergencies, and their wedding was able to be plucked out and inserted at a later date (where social distancing could still be in place anyway, Covid is unpredictable), then it would be a sign that it’s not important to the stories around it, that it’s tokenistic, and I’d feel less confident in it. But EE have shown that they care more about Ballum than that, and I have a good feeling that the wedding will be woven in amongst other stories, existing as a catalyst or culmination of other drama and with other characters a part of it. Grandma Highway is the first sign of that, I reckon.
So I’m just suggesting that with the wedding, we look for whatever joy we can find, because god knows we need it. We could have it so much worse (and in time, we may find ourselves experiencing as such), our ship getting married is one of the high points. Pete said on Twitter that life goes on, and while EE can be called out for many things (and I have done so on this very blog!), how they navigate cast and crew’s safety in an ongoing and unpredictable pandemic, and the attitude they have that Covid will not stop them telling stories, is really not one of them.
With that in mind (and also by harnessing the power of headcanons and imagination if necessary) I hope the wedding winds up as a Ballum highlight for all of us. In the meantime – hope you all have a good week ahead!