A few days ago one of our readers, Ena's Hairnet, left a comment here on this post here on The Coronation Street Blog, suggesting a topic for conversation. When a character leaves for an extended time, do they really fit in when they return?She mentioned characters like Carla, Hayley and Leanne. It got me thinking and then it got me writing and you know what happens next... a few thoughts I meant to add to that post went on and on and turned into a blog post of its own. Have a read and have your say, there or here!
4 comments:
I think it's just a matter of getting used to the character being back. For instance when Hayley was away for over a year, you always knew she was there in the background and so her physical presence back on the Street wasn't too great a shock but for characters like Leanne and Carla they weren't mentioned as much while they've been away so you kind of forget about them a bit.
It also depends on whether the writers and producer know what they want to do with the character. Some returns just fall flat for whatever reason, writing or audience reception i suppose.
I think characters who have family and/or a good circle of friends on the Street fit in well when they come back, or if it was always intended that they would come back. This is probably why Hayley and Leanne still fit in well. And Leanne has left and come back a lot over the years, so in a way it is part of her character, to not settle down etc.
As for Carla, in the real world I don't think it makes sense that she would come back. Corrie has a lot of bad memories for her, she doesn't really have any friends or family there and I would say that Los Angeles suits Carla quite well!
In many ways Carla never did fit into the Street - she's not a character who can believable sit in the Rovers and have a drink with other characters - and that is the acid test of someone that "fits in". On the other hand she has become a first class bitch (and I mean that in a good way) and I'm delighted that she is back. Now if only Tracie could win an appeal (she certainly had grounds for one) and the two of them could go head to head, we'd be in for a real treat... although I think Carla would eat Tracie for breakfast!
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