Hollyoaks has unveiled Mercedes McQueen as the new landlady of local pub the Dog in the Pond. Tonight’s E4 episode (Thursday 13 September) saw millionaire Russ Owen revealing to his fiancee he’d bought the boozer for her so they could make a fresh start away from the chaotic McQueen house, having snapped up the iconic watering hole from the Nightingales.
Russ hit the nail on the head when he told a thrilled Mercy she was born to be a landlady, and the prospect of the village’s (Mc)Queen Bee taking charge behind the bar is packed with plot potential. So what can we expect from Mercedes’ reign at the Dog?
Family feuds
Minted ex-porn star Russ may be footing the bill but this is not the Owen era, it’s the age of the mighty McQueens as Hollyoaks royalty takes centre stage. Mum Myra has already made herself at home (she’s shocked at the state of the loos) so even though this move is about Mercy gaining independence from her brood, her rowdy relatives are bound to be hanging around – probably hoping for freebies. Instead of one crowded house full of fighting family members, the fractious feuds can now spill over into the pub. It’s going to be noisy.
Marital mayhem
Soap pubs have a history of being run by volatile couples whose roller coaster relationship provides extra drama with their punters’ pints. Mick and Linda, Angie and Den, Jack and Vera – Mercedes and Russ have a lot to live up to. But Mercy’s eventful love life has fuelled Hollyoaks plots for over a decade, and there’s the ticking time bomb of her Magaluf hook-up with sexy cousin Sylver set to explode at some point. We predict a big, fat McQueen wedding for Mercy and Russ to kick off one of the messiest marital double acts any soap pub has ever seen.
Bar brawls
“Get outta my pub” may already be taken, but mouthy Mercedes won’t stand for any kicking off in her kingdom and needs her own battle cry to deal with troublesome customers once the fists start inevitably flying at last orders. Expect to hear “Yer barred!” delivered in her unmistakable gravelly voice at least three times a week as the lairy landlady relishes her position of power, chucking out anyone in the village she’s clashed with over the years. Which is every single character.
Sensational set-pieces
Shootings, sieges, hostage situations, explosions, floods – pubs can be dangerous places in soaps, and Hollyoaks wouldn’t pout a McQueen in charge if they didn’t plan to continue that fine tradition. With their annual autumn stunt looming, perhaps the show’s timing of Mercy’s tenure is setting up an epic disaster to befall the Dog, putting the publican in peril just as she takes over?
Fabulous fashion
Finally, soap landladies need a killer wardrobe immediately identifying them as a force to be reckoned with. Glamorous Mercedes is already known for her style, particularly her love of leopard print which gives her a touch of Corrie’s Bet Lynch, and a penchant for a hoop earring, a la Queen Vic queen Linda Carter. Surely her outfits will be ramped up now she’s a public-facing landlady, especially the leopard print – give her a massive Bet beehive and be done with it.
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from Radio Times https://ift.tt/2MrS9rb
