What I'd like to know is, how did they do that monologue between Andy and Jack, when Clive Sugden had aleady passed away?

It veered into absurd territory when she started telling Eric exactly how she'd died though. Eric couldn't have imagined that.

That was a conversation Andy and Jack had while Jack was in prison for starting the fire which killed Sarah which Andy was really responsible for. Andy was remembering that conversation in his head while stood at Jack's grave.

It's called dramatic licence - been around since the dawn of time. It's really not about the minutiae and technicalities. Why do people get so hung up on 'SORs' these days, instead of being able to get into, and enjoy, the spirit of the moment?

Pun intended?

But yes, I agree. It was a scene that could be interpreted in many ways and for many different beliefs. Above all, it was a scene of comfort both for Eric and for us after witnessing her horrific death - and it was lovely.

OP don't forgot to add Deirdre's spirit bursting through the Rovers' doors in Corrie like a hurricane!

I'm sure people understood that Val wasn't really there. I really didn't like it, though.

All she said was "Who snuffs it in a Maze of Mirrors?" Eric knew that she'd snuffed it and knew that he'd locked her in the Maze of Mirrors.

Yes i agree it was necessary so the two characters could have a last scene together too. I thought it was done really well. I think it was just so poignant i cried. I think you can take it as her ghost or his imagination. I am going for ghost as I think she was the sort of person who would come back lol...i loved her comment about seeing herself in the mirror it made me giggle......but then the song made me cry.... I think Val was one of the best characters in the soap.

I thought the Eric/Ghost Val scenes (yes, that's what I'm going with), were well written and, really packed an emotional punch. These kinds of scenes usually only work with characters who have a long and loving partnership that viewers have followed for many years (much like the Marlon/Tricia scenes).

I think it's nice that they left it ambiguous, so that viewers could see Val as both a ghost and a figment of Eric's imagination.

However, I don't understand how people can be emotionally taken out of scenes like this, just b/c of the ambiguity. The emotional impact and attention to character is still there even if you believe Val is a ghost or imaginary. It's like people's cynicism takes over and all you see is something that's negative, absurd or far fetched instead of enjoying it for what it is - a piece of creative fiction.

My two favourite 'ghost' storylines I don't believe have been mentioned in the thread yet. In Neighbours earlier this year when Madge returned as a figment of Harold's imagination brought on by him struggling to cope without her around. And also on Home and Away when Alf began imagining Ailsa as the result of a brain tumour although this storyline was a bit different from the usual because the imaginary Ailsa wasn't the kind loving wife she had been in life she was evil and egged Alf on to be aggressive and horrible to his loved ones

I understood it as being Eric's imagination (same with the Marlon-/ Tricia scene. I think it would have worked better if we had scene where Eric seemed to be talking to someone who wasn't there, as they did when Belle hallucinated. Val herself was a loud, bumptious character and to me hearing and seeing her damaged the scene. I think it has been over used as a device well. Eric, on his own, speaking to an unseen Val would have been more poignant.

What I liked about this was that she seemed - more or less - to be like the old Ailsa at first. But as Alf's tumour got worse, she became more and more demonic and sadistic over the weeks.

Well they could easily bring back Val as Ghost and she could go around the village scaring people but it might be a good idea not to scare the old people like Edna and Sandy as i dont think their heart could take it

It might have been better if we'd seen him through a window talking to an empty space but we did see her suddenly gone so we got the message. As I said on another thread people who have been through a traumatic experience including being raped, attacked and the death of a loved one can hallucinate people. I've experienced it myself. After I was attacked and had a breakdown I hallucinated people (the rapists) at least three times.
I thought it was a touching scene and I don't think it was meant to be her ghost. It was Eric dealing with his trauma before accepting she was gone.

Thank you.

I thought it was a beautiful and painfully emotional scene, but not everyone would've been happy with it whatever they'd done.

This is my interpretation, which I said in another thread when someone questioned how David could hear the song.