Rob Mallard is a class act. His acting tonight was so brilliant, so painfully watchable and so completely credible. His fury with the parents who let him down, brought him to such a sorry pass that it was possible to see the little boy within the frame of the young man. His anger was perhaps bewildering even for himself.
Ken tried to appear conciliatory, tried to convince his neglected son that he wouldn’t contact the police to tell them that it was Daniel who was the one who pushed him down the stairs. Daniel criticises his father for the ‘pretentious, trite comments’ he wrote in the book he gave Daniel, in which Ken had written ‘a golden opportunity’ – and perhaps Daniel was right – Ken could have thought of something more original.
Daniel rounds on Ken again, pretty vicious now. ‘Seventy years of abject failure!’
We learn more about Denise, his mother. She had a breakdown and it was apparently because of Ken. Daniel tells us that ‘Sometimes I hated her.’ According to Daniel, she couldn’t afford food. The power was cut off and eventually she left Daniel. He continues and tells his father that when she left, he wished she was dead – a car crash perhaps, because that way it would make sense. He wonders why she didn’t come back. Understandably the worst case for Daniel was that she left him and chose to stay away. That is the killer.
Denise appears, just as Ken is calling out for the police. Daniel takes a knife and shuts himself in the bathroom. He is utterly devastated and is hyperventilating.
It is quite a while since I have witnessed an actor on Coronation Street give such a consummate performance. The last time was probably Jack P, Shepherd, when Kylie died in his arms and his grief was almost tangible.
Ruth Owen, twitter: @Ruth1722
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10 comments:
Very well acted. It is hard to believe that Daniel's mother would come back at that very instant when Ken and Daniel are facing off though.
Or that he'd have to paint an apartment he'd left months ago. I'm giving it an artistic license pass for now. I'm guessing someone (the landlord?) found her online and got in touch.
Daniel was great tonight. Maybe a touch overly dramatical but that beats wooden anyday. Really felt the anguish. Now I want to know what went wrong with him.
I would definitely not agree with you abbyk that he was over dramatic. As someone who suffers from panic attacks, I thought Rob Mallard's performance of one was the most uncomfortably realistic I've ever seen on screen. His acting was honestly spectacular. For anyone with serious mental health problems, anyone who's ever been to the point where they've locked themselves in the bathroom with a knife - and that's probably more people than you'd think - he absolutely nailed it.
What I've forgotten is when exactly did Daniel's mother leave him. Yes, it was contrived that she should return at the very moment things had reached crisis point. Daniel reported her missing so I wonder if the police found her and that's why she's come back.
I don't think we were ever told when she left, just that it was years ago.
While it's contrived that she returns at exactly the right time, since the landlord contacted Daniel to fix up the flat perhaps he tried to contact her with some old contact info. Maybe she lurks by once in a while unbeknownst to Daniel and saw that the flat was listed as available to rent so she went in to ask where Daniel went.
Soooo good. And it's still only Tuesday *squeeeeal*
His acting is amazing...but I could have done without seeing the thumb incident. OMG I got squeamish and turned away. Did anyone else think this was a bit much. And wow didn't that thumb heal rather well. lol
I am almost afraid to watch the shows for the rest of the week, especially now that he is locked in with a knife. Too much gore for my liking.
Brilliant acting from Rob Mallard but loads of plot holes. Denise is a qualified and experienced hairdresser who had her own salon, so why was she broke? Also, how come nobody spotted that Daniel who was only 12 (I think he told Peter) was on his own? Neighbours, teachers if nobody went to parents' evenings? And what was he living on?!
Denise left Daniel when he was 15, a little over 6 years ago. He said he'd managed to keep the wolf from the door and evade anyone finding out so that social services wouldn't get involved.
Rob Mallard played a real blinder last night. I thought very realistic and heartbreaking, too, Daniel's reaction to his mother's shock return. I don't imagine she'll be back for long but it should tie things up at least.
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