There is much attention on Phelan and his dastardly dealings, at the moment, along with speculation as to who might be his next victim. But, I’d like to take a moment and reflect on the life of Andy Carver.
When Andy was shot dead by Phelan, he was 32 years old. He
was in the early summer of his life and if he had been released, his joy and
relief would have made him live a good and happy life, his imprisonment having
most surely shifted his perspective as to what is important in this life.
To have your freedom snatched away, to live in a filthy damp
cellar, in almost solitary confinement, apart from the odd, brief exchanges
between him and Phelan, his jailer, not having any idea as to when or indeed if,
you will ever be released, must be one of the cruellest punishments. This, as well as knowing that the world continues to turn
without you and that your chances of joining the society you were so cruelly
removed from must be diminishing with each passing hour. Deprived of comfort,
light, warmth and company, it is a testament to Andy that he survived it all
for so long. Phelan did bring him food and medical supplies intermittently, but
no promises were made about Andy’s chances of escape.
Andy must have craved
contact with the outside world and when a chance appeared, Andy promised that
he would say nothing to the police about Phelan and what had happened. A plan
was hatched, and Andy would be released. Andy’s mixture of fear and relief was
almost tangible. But Phelan, nothing if not cunning, staged an ‘escape’ and crashed the van, ‘allowing’ Andy
to run to freedom. According to Phelan, Andy had failed his ‘test’ and was recaptured.
It’s hard to imagine the state of Andy’s emotions as he felt freedom was his,
only to find himself recaptured and back in the cellar, chained up.
Devastating.
Andy, I’m sure, will have thought of his beautiful girlfriend
Steph, played by the stunning Tisha Merry. The plan was that they would meet at
the airport and fly to Portugal. Phelan intercepted the plans and sent a text
from Andy’s phone saying that Steph was better off without him. Poor Steph and
poor Andy – both ensnared by Phelan and ensuing misery for both.
On his discovery that Nicola was his daughter, it seemed as
if a change for the better was imminent in Phelan. Andy suggested the idea of
the replacement prisoner, which Phelan thought initially, was ridiculous. He
then had a rethink and thought it would be a good idea to capture Vinny, the man
who ran off with the money after the flats fraud. Andy must surely now have
been thinking that his freedom was but hours away.
Instead, Andy was forced to murder Vinny, and then, after
all that time, hopes dashed, then renewed, time and time again, Phelan shot and
killed Andy. Andy pleaded for his life, ‘Because underneath it all you’re a
good man and no murderer.’ These words rang out hollowly for Phelan.
Phelan would never have taken Andy at his word, so in Phelan’s
head, there could only be one solution for Andy. This was heart-breaking – bad enough
that he had been held in a cellar for months, but to then be murdered is just
too unbearable.
Did we, as viewers, really believe that Phelan would allow
Andy to be free? I believe we hoped he would, but in our heart of hearts, we
knew that Andy was doomed, once caught in Phelan’s web, the man who watched
dispassionately as Michael Rodwell lay in front of him breathing his last and
making no effort to help.
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12 comments:
Andy suffered from Stockholm Syndrome for about a fortnight. It covered the period during which Oliver Farnsworth (right name?) did an interview in which he/publicity machine kindly informed us that was why he didn't shout up to Eileen when she came to the house. Really, all authenticity went out of the window at that point. Then the syndrome was forgotten and Andy was back to trying to escape. Thank goodness there are good actors in this storyline because it doesn't hold up on its own. Perhaps that's why it's gone on forever. Tptb can't believe their luck and have pushed the story as far as it can. Rotten actors would have meant a much shorter storyline.
Well said, Ruth.
The worst of it for me is that if Andy hadn't become a better man during his stay on Corrie he wouldn't have been looking for dirt on Phelan to avenge Michael's death and prove that he'd scammed the flat buyers . He sealed his fate by being a better and more loyal son to Michael than the real one could have been.
Excellent points Humpty and Maricha. Your thoughts are much appreciated.
Nice blog, Ruth. Humpty, I agree with your comment about authenticity of the storyline going out the window when Andy was still trying to escape after he had the perfect opportunity to escape when Eileen shouted down the cellar.
I was so hoping that Andy would escape and that Steph would come back. They were such a lovely couple.
(But hey a happy couple on Corrie? the writers would never let that happen.)
I never thought Phelan would let Andy go unless (and this is what I had hoped and expected) Andy were to be discovered by Nicola after she revealed to Phelan she was pregnant and keeping the child. Phelan would have had to decide at that moment whether to kill/imprison Nicola (and his grandchild) in order to keep his own freedom.
I think Phelan ultimately would have let Nicola and his grandchild live. Andy would have been freed as he deserved, and Phelan would have gone to prison as a redeemed character (as much as possible).
If the writers didn't want the ending to be that happy, they could have had Nicola arrive just after Andy had shot Vinny. The story could then have ended with both Phelan and Andy going to jail. It would still have been a tragic end to Andy's story, but at least he would have been alive, which is what I think most viewers would have wanted.
I find it irritating that the writers constantly jam characters together in unbelievable relationships because they claim "it's what the viewers want", then come out with a storyline like this, that I highly doubt many, if any, viewers wanted to see, particularly what ultimately happened to Andy.
Until I read somewhere that Phelan wasn't going anytime soon, I knew the ending I wanted; Andy killing him, wasn't going to happen. Much as I like Connor McIntyre's acting and wish him a brilliant career after Corrie, I can't wait for this to end since I'd had enough of Phelan the first time around.If TPTB admired the man's acting as much as they claim to they should have redeemed Phelan as they said they would when bringing in Nicola. Instead he went from bad to inhuman.
Great comments from everyone.
Laura, I like your scenarios for how this could have ended.
And yes,many less capable actors, and this story would have been long finished. TPTB got way more than they bargained for, in Connon McIntyre. The man is brilliant.
Canadian Fan
I meant * Any Less capable actors * and this story would have fallen apart.
Jeanie (anon):
Great post and comments! A bit ironic that after entering on such a lame storyline (why did he impersonate Michael's son again?)and then languishing for a few years as little more than a scene filler in the Bistro, Andy/Farnsworth finally gets an exciting storyline and comes centre stage...but in such a bleak and ultimately pointless storyline.
Unfortunately, the character left as he entered--a meaningless bit player in someone else's drama (Michael and Phelan), present for no good reason. A real shame that the show didn't do much with his character! He, Rob Donovan, and Luke entered with such hoopla from the show's publicity team--three new hotties--but none of these three were really given great roles, nor did their characters become central (with the possible exception of Rob). Not quite sure why.
Except Andy might still be alive... Look, I'm not saying I have any inside information, but consider two things.
1. The camera angle we immediately see after Phelan shoots Andy. The camera is looking up at Phelan, as though we're looking through Andy's eyes.
2. The camera angle when the bodies are dumped in the river. Once again, it is as though we're looking through Andy's eyes under the water.
Andy could have been playing dead or merely unconscious. I can't say anymore than that. Just think about it.
Andy carver could be playing dead or faking his death and his eyes might be open and he might return one day.
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