Now then. Over the past week or so, I've been getting angry while watching certain scenes on Coronation Street. There have also been several comments on the Coronation Street blog that have echoed my growing dismay. The general tone of all this is the systematic demonization of Gary by his family. Like others have stated, it's not fair!
It all started with Gary being friendly with his ex-girlfriend (remember that. "EX"!) Izzy while persuing Alya Nazir in secret due to the anticipated disapproval of her family. Izzy got the wrong end of the stick and thought they might be getting back together. At no time did Gary give her that impression. There was no serious flirting, no taking her up on her offer of a sofa when the Wind-strongs moved into the betting shop flat. Yet when the big reveal about Gary and Alya hit the cobbles, everyone started acting like Gary was a love rat and had cheated on Izzy.
At first, it seemed like Izzy, though angry, was more moritified than upset. She seemed to realize she'd gotten it all wrong but her uppity sister, Katy and her over protective father, Owen, ratcheted up the hate on Gary and are in the process of winding everyone up, making Gary seem like the spawn of some demon of evil. Izzy totally over reacted when Jake first dropped his hat and later got a little scratch while Gary was defending Roy against a gang of bullies. Owen is even calling him a waste of space. Mind you, he said it when Anna was gone off to visit her cousin. He wouldn't have the cojones to do it within earshot of her. Owen also blamed the family's complete and utter downfall on him for assaulting their former boss, Phelan after finding out that Phelan was coming on to his mother.
One commenter, ChiaGwen, joins me in pointing out that Owen, in spite of everyone warning him off, went into a deal with said Phelan against everyone's better judgement, including his own because the lure of the almighty pound was just too tempting.
The only person that has any right to have any reason to harbour negativity towards Gary is Kal, Alya's father. Even he's overreacted a bit but he's only got his "little girl's" reputation to consider. From his point of view, you can understand why he'd consider Gary a less than exemplary example of son-in-law material. He knows a lot about Gary's history, his mental health issues, his temper, and he's barely employed. Not really someone you would want for your daughter, who's got a lofty future ahead of her. He sees Gary as a man who would drag her down. The fact that Gary's not Muslim almost seems a secondary issue.
Even so, there's no need for Kal to get all Terminator on Gary like he's been doing, all threats and intimidation. Gary's got a good case for unfair dismissal (building the sauna at the gym) unless he didn't have a contract. Kal's even dating someone that's got a dodgey past herself and is not a Muslim. I guess that's the old "do as I say, not as I do" attitude that fathers sometimes wield. The rest of Alya's family are cold towards Gary, hurling sarcastic insults his way, treating him like something they've trod on but they haven't gone as far as his own family have.
But it's his own family that are pushing Gary to the bottom of the barrel, so much so that, in desperation, he is going to break into the cafe to rob it to buy his son a better Christmas gift and is going to be battered for his troubles, quite literally by a mild mannered man who'd been bullied and pushed beyond his limits. That's only going to give everyone even more reason to shun Gary instead of realizing that they pushed him over the edge.
Gary might not be a favourite character of mine but I always liked him well enough. He's not got a lot of luck at the best of times, he's a slave to his temper and his impulsive nature makes him his own worst enemy.
As for Gary and Alya's on and off relationship, that's a topic for another blog post, another day.
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Just imagine if Gary hadn't punched Pat Phelan, none of this chain of events would have gotten off the ground. Idiot.
ReplyDeleteMy point was, if Owen hadn't done the deal with Phelan, against everyone's including his own better judgement, none of it would have happened either.
ReplyDeleteor rather, ChiaGwen's point was that and I wholeheartedly was thinking the same thing.
ReplyDelete100 percent agree, Tvor. I can just about understand the Nazirs' reaction to under-employed, ex-criminal Gary, even if it's over the top. But the response of the increasingly Clampett-esque Windstrongs is completely baffling. I don't often agree with people who comment on here that it's time to get rid of characters just because their behaviour is a bit trying, but I'm actively looking forward to seeing the back of Katy and Owen. Hopefully they'll take Izzy with them. Enough already.
ReplyDeleteOnce again, shoddy writing to get from point A to B, pretty much par for the course for Corrie in 2014. So much of the writing has become contrived and forced. Instead of coming up with actual stories to show why the Nazir's would be against Gary, they just have them be over the top opposed. I expect we'll see a scene where Alya is being dragged from Gary's arms screaming out his name in tears.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely with your post Anonymous. The writing has been particularly bad this past year, with some terrible story lines. This is 2014 after all, who do they think Gary and Alya are - Romeo and Juliet??
ReplyDeleteGary suffered/suffers from PTSD. The story doesn't focus on that anymore, but it's not something that a guy just "gets over". Some soldiers suffer for years & years. Did Gary get intense therapy? No, the storyline just magically made it go away. BIG fail on the part of Corrie writers, in my opinion.
ReplyDelete~JB in Canada
Yeah but as Frosty recalls, Owen had reservations about going into business with Phelan but Gary got so agitated by it, he went behind his back. I dont mind Gary but he has been made beyond annoying and ridiculous now with his obsession with Ayla who is way out of his league. He was the same with the obsession with his right to be a father, then developed a crush on the surrogate. He lurches from mishap to mishap, put dodgy flooring into a neighbours extension so he was nearly killed so its unbelievable that Kal would then ask him to carry out a large job like putting in a sauna which should be done by a specialist. I agree that why should he think he and the ever more annoying Izzy would get back together just because "they were getting on so well"? With Owen and Katie moving on, and new extended families its time for the demise of the Windass-Armstrong clan. Izzy and sing song voice Anna need to go to and Faye would not be missed. If Gary is involve some way in Roy going to prison over Xmas, then his role will be untenable and he will definitely have to GO.
ReplyDeleteWell put Tvor. I was beginning to think I had imagined it was Owen who started the downward spiral with his rush to take Phelan's money, despite everyone else's reservations. Gary's character is suffering from the dodgy writing of the Pen of Doom for the sake of boring, unbelievable and badly written story. Izzy has metamorphosed into an arm crossing bitter harridan just like MeMeMichelle (heaven help us with two of those on the street). And I'm wondering just when Katy is meant to be leaving? (Soon, very soon, pleeeeeeeease!)
ReplyDeleteIt was Katy who pushed her dad into the deal with Phelan by saying that Anna was used to not having any money but the Armstrongs (by implication) were used to/could get used to a better lifestyle. I remember Katy drooling over Phelan's wife's designer clothes.
ReplyDeleteI gotta say, though, Phelan was a really good villain, and the actor playing him did such a good job of creeping me out! In spite of it all, i did enjoy that storyline mainly because of him. A lesser actor would have made him into a panto villain
ReplyDeleteExcellent blog. Tv or is right, Owen did the deal with Phelan so he has some reflecting to do this Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad Katy is leaving (or rather, the actress who plays her is). The writers have never known what to do with her character. She's portrayed as bland and innocuous, but she frequently causes trouble within her own family, as well as beyond it. She's opinionated and hasty and often very wrong, but she never seems to learn from her mistakes, maybe because her actions hurt other people and not herself. She wanted a "baby", but has become an indifferent mother (maybe because the writers don't know how to write her motherly responsibilities into the storylines). Whatever the causes, Katy has never worked as a believable character. She was brought in as a pretty young thing to attract a young demographic, with no long-term plan for her development. She's going not a moment too soon.
ReplyDeleteFrosty I agree completely with all of your comments. I would love to say goodbye to the Armstrong and Windass Families.
ReplyDeleteCan't stand Katy or Izzie. Faye is rarely seen anymore. Anna can be very tiresome. The sooner they all leave the better.
"Clampettesque". Brilliant!
ReplyDeleteWith regards to the 'Clampetteque Windasses reaction to Gary,I think it's because of his lack of concern for his mother's and Owen's situation right now.While Owen had to declare bankruptcy and his mother who was also helped by Roy went to a food bank because there was no food house,Gary acted like he didn't have a care in the world seeing Alya in secret while leading on Izzy and using her as a 'cover'With the exception of Anna who's been a good friend to Roy,I do agree that it's time for the Windasses\Armstrongs to go especially if Gary is to be a 'victim at Roy's expense.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas!
It's sad to see what Gary has become. I was so incredibly moved by the scenes he had during the tram crash, especially the live issue, when he barricaded himself in the house having flashbacks to the war. There was such potential there for storyline and also for some great acting. But as usual, that gets thrown out to make way for silly storylines.
ReplyDeleteI liked that Gary was getting together with Alya. It's nice to see a "mismatched" couple that enjoy each other for their company and not for their job. And quite frankly, if the Nazir's can do so much better and are so much better than Gary and his family, what are they doing moving into their neighbourhood?
Agree with you Tvor. I really dislike the Armstrongs and can't wait for Katy and Owen to leave. They are unsympathetic, unpleasant characters who add nothing.
ReplyDeleteThe whole storyline has been poor, and I see the one with Steve and his depression doing the same. Too much jumping around in the storylines because they have too many characters. As far as Kal looking down his nose at Gary--just why is he living with mom and pop Nazir? When they introduced his character, I got the impression he was on his own, but now they have all moved in together. Some of these storylines have way too many holes lately.
ReplyDelete