I seem to be swimming against the tide of popular opinion on this one. Most people I've encountered on Twitter seem to love the blossoming romance between Roy and Cathy in Coronation Street, but sadly I'm still not feeling it.
Independently I appreciate both characters. Roy Cropper is a bona fide Corrie legend. David Neilson is an actor who continues to be at the top of his game, finding fresh things to do with a character he has now played for over twenty years. In my opinion, the man is a genius. Roy is a multi-layered character amidst a sea of Weatherfield residents who mostly lack depth and who we, the collective viewing public, struggle to empathise with at all. Roy is Corrie of old and long may David continue to bring him to life.
Cathy is a welcome addition to Coronation Street. Melanie Hill is an actress well-suited to the Street and I think she fits in well with the established cast. I like her interactions with the likes of Tyrone and Anna and at least she has squeezed out the interfering, over the top Fiz from dictating to poor Roy. I thought making Cathy a hoarder was a great idea and something Corrie has not tackled before. Unfortunately, as with other issues such as Tim's illiteracy, Faye's pregnancy and Steve's depression, Cathy's hoarding did not play out well in practice. I wasn't a fan.
When Cathy's arrival was announced, I quite clearly remember the powers that be making it clear that fans shouldn't worry - Roy and Cathy would be friends but it would stay platonic. So here we are, not that far down the storyline track and Roy and Cathy are embarking on dates and things are moving along further than originally anticipated. As friends it really works, as something more, I'm really not sure. For a start, I just don't think Roy would move on so quickly from Hayley. Before Hayley, Roy was a loner, uncomfortable socially and it became clear she was the only woman for him. The storyline that led to Hayley's death was so traumatic I just can't see Roy moving on at this point.
I really didn't enjoy the recent Blackpool scenes. It was laid on with a trowel. Every single Roy and Hayley Blackpool memory came clumsily out of an unknowing Cathy's mouth. It was painful. The ice creams, the paddling, the dancing at the ballroom. It was too much and it jarred for me.
Above all else, Roy and Cathy getting together is another example of the apparent view that characters in Corrie need to be constantly romantically involved with someone. Nick and Carla are another example. Never before had they shown the slightest interest in each other. We also have Ken and Audrey to look forward to - why Corrie, just why!? It's bonkers.
I think Roy and Cathy as a friendship was a potentially rich, alternative storyline. I may still be convinced that they are right for each other but i can't see it happening at the moment.
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