There are problems, of course. The lack of Italian accent and the fact that they look closer together in age than a mother and daughter would, but I'm willing to forgive and forget and move on. I was also unsure why Bethany was working out in the gym with Sarah the other night. She's 14 years old, shouldn't she be hanging around outside the chip shop instead or throwing crisps at some lad on the Red Rec? Maybe 14 year olds don't do that any more.
Sarah and Bethany have been brought in with a bang to Weatherfield and that's never a good thing to do with any character, much less two together. But give them time, let them settle down and we'll see what happens then.
I'm particularly enjoying the way Sarah winds David up and stands up to him in the way that no-one else dares to, or does any more. She's the archetypal older sister and I should know, I am one. Got to keep the little whippersnapper of a brother in line, that's part of her role.
Bethany is gobby and lairy and full of backchat, disrespectful to Gail in whose house she is living. Ok, so it's David's house but I'll always think of it as Gail's. In short, Bethany is an exaggerated stereotype of a 14 year old girl. Wait till Sarah sends her back to school, that should bring a storyline of its own, if she lasts that long in the confines of Weatherfield High or wherever she goes. Er... just look what it did for Rosie Webster, Bethany could well go the same way!
Sarah and Beth, we all know, can't continue living in Gail's house. It's too small, it's ridiculous to think of them all bunking down there in rooms that don't even exist. I'd like to see them both go and live with Audrey who could try her best to bring some order to the chaos of their lives. I wonder, instead though, if they'll move into the flat above Dev's corner shop which is empty right now. It just needs a bit of a dust around and a mopping up after Faye went into labour up there, but apart from that, it should suit them both fine.
I don't even mind Sarah snogging Callum despite not being back on the Street for more than five minutes. She always was a cheeky little minx and right fond of the lads, so there's no change there.
Add to that the fact that Sarah's going to start working in the Rovers Return and I think we'll see some fireworks. Sarah is not your typical, servile, happy-smiley customer-focussed type of person. She could well end up making Liz call for Eileen to be reinstated behind the bar. I predict at least one pint being chucked in someone's face, some bags of nuts going missing and a couple of warnings before she loses her job.
Give them time, let them settle in and Sarah and Bethany could be pure Corrie gold.
Read the back-stories of Sarah Platt and Bethany Platt.
See also: Coronation Street Blog interview with Tina O'Brien (Sarah Platt) by our blogger Ruth
See also: Coronation Street Blog interview with Lucy Fallon (Bethany Platt) by our blogger Ruth
Glenda Young
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Either Sarah or Bethany (logistics apart) might have been fine to return on their own. Together, they create a problem, mainly because it's Platt over-load. Bethany is a complete invention on the part of the writing team. They'd like us to forget they used to live in Milan. Bethany, having never visited the Street, knows the shops, the currency, the pub. She never compares the two countries. Can't you just see her complaining to Nick that the Bistro is nothing like the ristorantes in Milan? And, I'm sorry to say this, the actress needs some strong directing. The storyline is OTT enough and there's too much OTT acting. Bethany, on her own, could have come sooner to fill the Kylie gap.
ReplyDeleteSarah, oth, is a great addition and Tina O'Brien's acting elsewhere shows that she can really step up to the mark given the right script. I read somewhere, and hope it's not true, that Sarah has a pregnancy scare... Right, we haven't had one of them for a long time.
Still not enjoying them being back. Trying to give it time but they are thoroughly disliked in our house
ReplyDeleteNo blowback from this reader - I like your blog a great deal. I especially appreciate your insight into archetypes - older siblings, stroppy teenagers, the lot.
ReplyDeleteI have a 14 year old daughter, so the subject is - shall we say - on my mind, whether I like it or not:/
What real, as opposed to archetypal, 14 year olds do is try to spend as little time with their parents or family as possible. In the 21st century, they spend time on facebook figuring out where the gang is heading, then try to connect with them, adding in a dose of rebellion, so the parents don't know where they're headed. I've even heard some upsetting stories about Grade 9 drug use. Glad to say my kid isn't there yet.
Archetypally speaking, Bethany and Zeedan both do their own version of young person angst. Bethany seems more interested in winding up the relatives, while Zeedan just wants to get away from them and take a nap.
Realistically speaking, I think Blackburn scored on the Faye-Craig pregnancy storyline, because we saw teenagers doing what they do best - avoiding adult intervention until the last possible moment, when suddenly they decide they need help.
Maybe someone at Corrie is trying to develop a new generation of young almost adults - Amy, Simon, Faye, Craig, Zeedan, and Bethany. It doesn't seem like the worst investment overall.
There will always be the tension between archetype and realism, but like Glenda says, these things need time to coalesce.
Thanks for a great blog and - on another note - I thought Ruth and Humpty's ideas for new storylines involving the young people were provocative.
I don't mind them either. Bethany did actually live on the Street her first 7 year or so, so you can't really say she never visited there or knew the money etc. I didn't expect an Italian accent, she's English with a Weatherfield mother and Canadian uncle that was in her life and she went to an English school. She likely is fluent in the Italian language but it's not unbelievable that she'd not have an accent, not to me anyway.
ReplyDeleteAs for the gym, it's a good place to ogle lads, so why not?
Sarah really hasn't changed much, still has loose knickers and does anything she can to get at DAvid, which is half or more of the attraction to Callum, isn't it!
I'm just disappointed in Sarah's return. I WAS looking forward to it, in part to see how she had grown up, changed and became more worldly. Well that didn't happen. It's as if she went to London for a weekend and came back. The writers sorely missed a chance to have a better Sarah 2.0 on the street. Instead she's still acting like a teenager who never left the street. I'm sorry but when siblings grow up and have their own kids, they generally do not keep acting like 10 year olds arguing over a toy all the time. And since Sarah has a child of her own, you would think she would be in David's court with keeping custody of Max. What a missed opportunity. How great would it have been to see Sarah come back as the adult she is supposed to be, maybe give Carla run and open a shop (with all of her supposed experience from Milan) and have an adult relationship with her brothers for a change. The addition of two uber gobby girls is not my cup of tea.
ReplyDeleteAnd Bethany....I won't even go there again.
ReplyDeleteI think Sarah and Bethany have been given enough 'time' and it's time for them to go!
It's sad that Julie a wonderful. genuine character is let go in favour of these two brats!
There's a difference between winding someone up and doing things for the sake of being cruel. Sarah hates David and would do anything to see him suffer. And I get the feeling Sarah is going to be at least partially responsible for David losing custody of Max and possibly Lily as well, and then mock him for it being his fault.
ReplyDeleteShe won't know anything about Callum's kidnapping scheme, but I bet anything she'll say that David "made it up" or something stupid when it comes out. I don't think Callum is actually going to hurt David, but get him out of the way for a few days when they're supposed to go to court, and then release him knowing that nobody would believe what he says.
David aside, I think the real reason Sarah's character was brought back is to be the resident troublemaker that hasn't really been around the street since Tina died.
I agree with Humpty about Platt overload. My main problem with these two is that they're forcing us to spend even more time in the Platt house, and I'm just over the whole lot of them. Now Sarah has taken up with Callum he's on screen more too, with the effect that the storyline between him and David, which already feels like it's been going for years, is being dragged out even more.
ReplyDeleteAs for Bethany, I don't have a problem with her as a convincing 14 year old. Teenage girls come in all forms, including gobby, obnoxious and overly made-up. The issue is that, unlike every other teenager in the western world, she spends absolutely no time with her face in a device looking at instagram, etc, and ignoring the adults. As Anon above says, that's what makes Zeedan much more realistic, if unpleasant.
I can't stand these two...why bring them back in the first place? Tired old story lines, tired old characters, tired old plots. What is up with Corrie St. lately?
ReplyDeleteZagg, I agree with you completely. Sarah still acts like a teenager hasn't matured at all. Very disappointing. Hooking up with the jerk who is trying to take her brother's stepchild away from him? Sickening. No offense to the folks who enjoy their characters I cannot stand either one of them.
ReplyDeleteThey're setting up David for a massive fall. It'll probably go something like this:
ReplyDelete- Callum tells everyone that David tried to plant drugs on him, including the court
- Everyone will hate David despite the fact this news came from Callum and his equally scum friends
- David not being present (kidnapped) will look really bad, like he's running away from what he did
- Callum will release David after missing the court date, careful to have not actually laid a finger on him
- David will yell to everyone that Callum kidnapped him to miss the court date, nobody will believe him
- Police will arrest David for the drugs
- David will lose custody of both Max and Lily
Completely agree with your post Glenda. I've always liked Tina O'Brien's portrayal of Sarah and I'm pleased to have her back. I was dreading the character of Bethany - another stroppy teen:( - but I've been impressed by Lucy Fallon and think she has real potential once her character settles in. But (aside from the Platt tardis) the jarring problem for me is Sarah taking a job as a barmaid. After seven years in Milan's high powered fashion world, wouldn't she be a natural fit for Underworld?
ReplyDeleteI am enjoying the mother daughter interactions between Sarah and Beth. There is only a 13 year age difference and with teens wanting to look older, and ladies looking younger these days I think it is very believable in regard to them looking more like sisters. Also they interact more like sisters, but you still see who is the mom. This is normal for young mothers and first daugthers. Good job Corrie! Only thing I found weird....why did Behtany recognize Todd right away but not Jason. She would have known Jason longer as he was around during her mom's relationship with Todd,,,,,and she ended up marrying Jason....so he was the most recent and longest in her early life. Just saying.....
ReplyDeleteI agree with Tvor that Bethany would't have an Italian accent. She did not learn Italian first with English as a second language, so why would she speak English with an Italian accent? On the other hand, she probably speaks Italian with an English accent.
ReplyDeleteJust because Bethany hasn't been seen in Weatherfield onscreen for 7 years doesn't mean she hasn't come to visit regularly. In fact I wonder why the writers aren't more clever with referencing offscreen events to plug continuity gaps or otherwise add a bit of realism.
ReplyDeleteSo for example, the Platts could have had Martin and his new family over for Christmas dinner every year - with references before and after despite no Christmas Day scenes. Or Hayley could have told people about a special, flying visit she had from Becky - even though we didn't see her.
I would not expect Bethany to have an Italian accent. We have relatives living in Germany. Their children were born there and went to German schools. They speak German fluently, but speak English without any accent, except a touch of Lancashire, because English has always been the language of their home
ReplyDeleteThe negative commenters showed me that they have no imagination. They think if you live Italy, you must be/do this or that. We need to remember that every person is different. I thought the pair of them look like they did come from Italy with their fashion and make ups.
ReplyDeleteAs for Sarah being cruel, we need to remember that David is not a saint, he gave Sarah hard time, and almost lost her custody with Bethany if the authority found out about the drugs.
I am loving it, bring on the Platt drama. Much better than Windstrong.
I'm not known for loving new characters (and that effectively is what they are), but I have thoroughly enjoyed their return.
ReplyDeleteTina O'Brien has picked her character up as if she never left it (albeit a bit older), and Bethany's cheek and manipulation is an absolute hoot.
But, I agree it is ridiculous that there are so many Platts in such a little house, so they really need to move into their own flat a.s.a.p.
And writers, please contrive to let Gail get ownership of her own house back while you are at it. You've written far more implausible plots in the past few years, so I am sure you could think of something.
Sarah's back for 30 seconds and drops her pants for a loser like Callum? Yes..what a role model for her daughter she turned out to be. Watch for another teen pregnancy in the near future..zzzz
ReplyDeleteAnonymous[23;25]I would like to add how Sarah would stand there with her nasty smug smile while David is being arrested while his mother who has committed her own share of crimes of late will say 'Oh David'!
ReplyDeletePerhaps Kylie returns in time to save David and Max and Callum is denied visitation? Otherwise I don't think I could watch Callum get away with it as Tracy does.