I've just finished watching two very emotional episodes of Coronation Street. I don't think I've seen better performances all year. The tributes will be pouring in. Here's mine.
As I speculated yesterday, Kylie got stabbed while defending Gemma from Clayton. I was leaning towards David being threatened but it was Gemma after all and the yobbo tried to rob the shop after Gemma gave him short shrift earlier on, full of the confidence that Kylie'd given her. He returned, tried to rob the shop and Gemma wrestled him out the door, getting knocked unconscious for her trouble but Kylie came charging around the corner to help her old mate and got it in the chest. No surprise that Clayton was carrying a deadly looking knife. His sort usually do.
When she died and David howled, I gasped and was in floods. I've seen the best performance from Jack P. Shepherd in particular tonight and I've seen Jack P. Shepherd put in some mighty ones over the years.
I'm also very glad that Gail brought up the similarity to Brian Tilsley's death and how she made a mess of telling Nick about his father. Nick was about the same age as Max and Sarah Lou was probably close to Lily's age. Gail is going to have flashbacks about that one for some time to come. She admitted she didn't handle telling Nick the right way and urged David to be very clear about Kylie's being dead, not just gone away. I think he did a pretty good job. He did tell the children she was dead though in heaven waiting for them. There may or may not be a Heaven but children don't have to think about that aspect.
This is the kind of Coronation Street that we fans want. I know they can't do high emotion like this all the time, but it's what they do so well. When we see the mundane and the rushed, the over-sensational and the underwhelming, we get frustrated because we know it can hit these stupendous heights of greatness. And it was great. Top stuff.
Well done to all involved. Rest in Peace, Kylie.
Tvor (Twitter @tvordlj)
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19 comments:
Sorry but as you have said it has all been done before when Brian got stabbed. So it wasn't a situation that had never been seen before. Shame on the writers for lying. As for whether it was well acted well not really too many gaps in story line.
It's already been done on Eastenders with Dennis Rickman and he dies in Sharon Watts arms
The medical centre likely was closed after 17:00, and Kylie's death was announced just before 18:00. I thought the wait for the ambulance was more realistic than what we usually see... At least 15 minutes of 'TV time' time passed by.
As well done as it was, the impact would've been tremendous if they had kept her death secret. She had been trying to put some things right in recent days, but her guilt was still there. David could have suggested going to Barbados but we could've seen Kylie preparing to hand herself in - which could've been the hook to bring in viewers. And as we sat there expecting that to play out - events turned and she ran to Gemma's aid etc.
A not very brilliant ending saved by excellent performances all round. What's the first thing you would say to a loved one dying on the ground: 'Who did this to you?' Not one word of crazy threats from David about revenge. There was long enough for some of that dialogue before Kylie would have shut him up to say her piece.
I was sorry that Kylie was fatally stabbed. When the bottle of champagne smashed and she fell, I thought she was going to land on the shards of glass. She could initially have been stabbed, but not seriously, dropped the bottle, attempted to run away and slipped on the champagne. That ending would have been a freak accident which I don't think we've seen in a soap. It would also mean that Clayton would face a lesser charge than attempted/murder and David would hand out his own justice.
Beth's reaction was a brilliant counterpoint. Her only concern was to keep Craig out of it - morally wrong but totally understandable.
They didn't lie,a stabbing may have been done before but in this situation it was not.Can you think of a way to kill someone off that hasn't already been done in a show that is 56 years old?Didn't think so.Why do people always have to complain why can't you just enjoy it for what it was.And how is their gaps in the storyline.Clayton had been pestering Gemma for a while now and its no surprise Kylie tried to help,Gemma is her friend and she knows Clayton,their are no gaps in the story at all,so take your negative comments and shove them somewhere else.
It wasn't never done in history of soap,it was never done in the history of that soap.
I too thought the champagne bottle was going to be what killed her. I haven't quite figured out the hype about something new when it wasn't new at all. Originally I thought it was going to have something to do with the dressing table David bought, the way they kept going on about it made me think "death by furniture" was the plotline.
Regardless, it was a tough pair of episodes to watch and Jack P Shepherd did a terrific job with it. I'll be curious to see what happens next with him as well as Gemma since they both have reason to avenge Kylie's death.
Totally agree with Cirah. Why do people have to be so negative about 2 great episodes with superb acting?
First, the writers haven't lied; the publicity department is responsible for the claim, not the writers, who are busy doing their own job writing more dialogue. Second, the quality of the acting has nothing to do with plot holes in the storyline.
Powerful, moving stuff, thanks to the fantastic acting talents of all concerned. As for 'never been done before' - yes, of course death by knife crime has been done - Gail referenced the fact vis. Brian, but Brian's death was the violent action followed by the credits rolling. What I can't think has been done before was the slow death in her husband's arms, and that made for masterful, visceral, heartbreaking drama. True Aristotelian catharsis - I feel like a rung-out rag after watching it. Paula and Jack were absolutely on top form and deserve to be remembered when the awards come around next time. I think this will rank, for me, with the deaths of Alma and Hailey. I can't find anything to criticise in these episodes. As for Beth's reaction, which I'm seeing criticised - put yourself in the position of a mother, desperate to shield her only child from the horror of the situation; it was entirely understandable in the heat of the moment. Roy, Leanne, Audrey - brilliant (as I'd expect from these performers)
The only negative point I'd make is directed at Granada's publicity department. That Kylie was to die was only revealed a couple of weeks ago (we normally have wind of these things months in advance). If they'd only sat on this storyline and surprised us, I guarantee the entire nation would have been reeling, then talking about this tomorrow. Okay, so we didn't know 'how' she'd die ... big deal! We knew she would die! I know it's about making people tune in on the night (but really, is that hugely relevant anymore with Catch-up services?) but all they needed to do was big up Paula Lane's final episodes. People would have watched ... and what a gut-wrenching shock that would have been to people expecting David to get cold feel & Kylie heading off to Barbados. I remember the deep shock I felt at Peter Barlow's apparent death in Tram Crash Week, just after his marriage to Leanne. Okay, so next night we learned they'd revived him, but it was still unforgettable tv. The publicity department should be sacked en masse!
Cobblestone, I'm in full agreement. The publicity and hype were deplorable and that's what people are being negative about. The episodes themselves, the writing and the performances were flawless.
Jack P Shepherd is a phenomenal actor. I hope he doesn't waste his whole career at Corrie because he's capable of so much more.
Another storyline parallel is to the 1971 dash of Val Barlow, just as her young family was on the eve of departing for the West Indies ...
Oops should have read "death" not "dash"
Oops should have read "death" not "dash"
Another storyline parallel is to the 1971 dash of Val Barlow, just as her young family was on the eve of departing for the West Indies ...
Re Beth's reaction and desire to protect her son.
My teenage daughter witnessed a stabbing in her school (troubled kid went on stabbing spree in the hallways, lucky no-one was critically injured). I was shook up, to say the least while my daughter text me from school to tell me what was happening. Even more scared when I tuned into the local news stations. The school was on lockdown; my daughter was lying on a classroom floor, secretly texting me. I tried to remain calm, while updating her what the outside of the school looked like (swarmed with police, media, helicopters). I eventually informed her the police had spoken, and the girl/stabbed was in custody. All was now safe, she would be released from school, class by class.
I did however, instruct my daughter not to talk to anyone about what she saw. I was scared for her to be involved. I warned her to come directly to my car, head down, no eye contact to media or police, just please get to my car asap. That day, I only worked about my own child, what she saw, how bad was what she saw, how do I get her to open up without making her more frightened, etc. I was terrified of her talking to police, without my supervision. So as such, I find Beth's reaction completely normal.
Good for you Cirah Quinn. Many who claim to be fans are just armchair critics who find negativity in everything.
As for Craig. He saw something the night Sunita was killed in the fire, it led to him being threatened by Stella's husband. So for him to be so afraid and useless in this situation is true to the character. He is a gentle soul who unfortunately did not learn from his other experience. I mean really....he could have helped Gemma...there was no knife seen until after the stabbing.
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