No doubt many readers will be flexing their typing fingers, ready to respond to the "how do you solve..." question by answering "get rid".
Admittedly, the character of Sean has gone off the boil of late and seems to have been sidelined. A once funny Street resident has spent the past year either moping around or beefing out scenes in the factory. Sean's low-point came in a December episode where all he did was walk into the Rovers and hang his coat up.
When Sean first appeared, around ten years ago, he was welcomed as a real breath of fresh air. Yes, he was camp and catty, yet he had some excellent one-liners. His introduction to the Rovers was a great idea as he followed in a great tradition of bar staff. Rather him than some of the other disasters that have occupied that space - remember that Lauren person or Natalie's grim niece? I digress.
Presumably Sean is knocking-on forty and yet still doesn't seem to have any roots. Is he another Bet Lynch, someone desperately looking for love but putting everyone off because of his needy attitude? Sean used to be the Street's good friend, shoulder to cry on, person to have a laugh with at a party. Now he's free of that slightly moribund relationship with Marcus, is it time for him to settle down? Does he need friends other than Fiz and the increasingly dreadful Julie?
Sean used to be and, with the right storylines, probably could be a good character again. Remember - the challenge is to give Sean a new lease of life. Over to you!
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15 comments:
I would love to see his parents show up. I loved his character in QAF with the bigoted parents who refused to acknowledge his existence. He was funny and sad at the same time. Why isn't he friends with Eva, giving her fashion tips so we can be sparred the sight of her black bra?
Sean is too old to be the cute and camp sweetie that he once was. He should have been developed but he has stayed in a time warp while everyone else has moved on. Well, not quite everyone. Tracy's still acting as though she's 23 and Rosie never got a proper chance to shine. There are occasional moments when you see that Anthony Cotton can act eg when Sean breaks the news to Jason about Maria and Marcus. Again, recently, in the club when he talks to Marcus about his relationship with Maria. I have the feeling that actors are not being directed properly so some of them are OTT, and some you can't understand what they say. Sean could still work as a character if the story didn't involve his sexuality. That would stop him getting stereotyped. How about a sudden fascination with local history and he becomes great pals with Ken? Unlikely? OK,he develops a passion for French cookery and there's a rivalry with Mandy.
To start with when did Mandy become Sean's supervisor?....he telling her he was sorry to be late and then her taking that 'boss' attitude in reply.... I'm getting a bit weary of her. If Sean is to stay he needs to interact with more of the residents besides his 'faktry' co-workers and expand his horizons, be given a serious storyline maybe involving his parents or a sibling.
I always liked Sean and I still do. I think he's been wasted ever since his split with Marcus and we need a new focus for him. Why isn't he depicted as caught between two good friends? He could stick up for Fiz and yet have Julie on his case. Being mates with Eva would be good, too.
They haven't let Sean progress as most of his stories have revolved around his sexuality. As a result he's been left behind while the programme and all the other characters have moved on. I agree with the other comments he now needs another angle, interest, or he's just plain boring. I used to like Sean, his witty one liners. Now I don't think that they know what to do with him.
Heart attack. He can learn to appreciate what's really important in life and become a kinder, gentler and more mature person. Then he might strike out on some life changing dream he's always wanted to pursue (run a business, write a book, something that gives him a purpose outside of working in a knicker faktry and pub while living under he's substitute mom's)?
I used to think that under all that OTT camp nonsense there was a person with a good heart. He cared about his friends and his son. He delighted me and confirmed my opinion of him when the writers had him show an authoritative side during the tram crash episodes. He turned the Rovers into a mini-triage unit! -which is why it was so disappointing to see his vicious behaviour when Marcus decided to try a new relationship with Maria.
A thought: perhaps after the upcoming Rovers fire, Sean could realize he could become a more useful, fulfilled person if he undertook courses to become a paramedic (or another similar rescue or helping job). He could enlist Marcus' help in applying for the job training, thus helping to mend their damaged relationship.
A job of this type would utilize Sean's best qualities and open the potential for some interesting story possibilities.
I think its already been covered that what is considered funny when you are young it not quite so as you age. The character is just exhausted in my opinion. The actor and the character are not popular - Anthony Cotton's stint in the jungle - revealing his true rather unpleasant personality didnt help either. A sad sack 40 year old living in lodgings and not doing very much really. Characters have their time and its Sean's time to go.
He could have a midlife crisis. He is forty, going bald, stuck in a crap job, single, no real home to call his own. The camp facade won't last much longer. There's a good human interest story there.
I think you're al forgetting one important fact: Cotton cannot act! He doesn't have the gravitas or range to pull off ANY serious stories. Remember the whole "he's my son and I want to see him" debacle? Awful. His camp one-liners are looking tired and cliched nowadays and he was unfortunate to have been one half of a couple with the unbelievably talented Charlie Condou who just showed Cotton up in EVERY scene.
As we saw in the jungle, what you see is what you get with him and that isn't acting, it's merely reading from a script.
100% agree with what anonymous said above. Anthony Cotton can't act and it's just not fair to give meaty scenes to him when he can't show any depth of emotion.
Agree with the two comments above. His "acting" is painful to watch sometimes.
I love Sean. He needs more time and better writers. Maybe he could rescue Tyrone- somehow put Kirsty in jail and meet the love of his life in the process. Head of the Rovers would be perfect for him...
Although I agree that Charlie Condou is a better actor, that doesn't mean that Anthony Cotton can't act. I think he is at his best when showing his serious and vulnerable side. I back up the poster who suggested that a Sean/Eva friendship would open up some interesting doors, as in some ways, they have a lot in common.
Bev
Doesn't tell the powers that be something when even die hard fans such as ourselves cant really think of a plausible storyline for Sean. We want the street to return to being character led and this is the problem, Sean as a character is one dimensional and not interesting. In reality he would have moved on from the street years ago. Antony Cotton has more screen time on behind the screens shows and 'Lorraine' than actually on the street itself. So how do you solve a problem like Sean Tully? Put him out of his misery thats how!- Micky
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