The past week on Coronation Street has felt a bit like The Phelan Show. I guess it makes a change from The Michelle Show but I do dislike Corrie when one character dominates. However Patrick has his fingers in so many pies it would be hard for him not to feature prominently.
Let's see. There's Andy pathetically still locked in the cellar with his tubs of mixed beans (nice with a bit of tuna mixed through apparently); daughter Nicola carrying a ginger Windass sprog; Vinny (Harvey) webcamming around with his poor old mam (shades of Joy Fishwick here); a snarling Anna Windass poisoning his pasty with her downtrodden glare; Daniel following in his father's footsteps (as opposed to pushing him down the stairs) as a reporter on the way to a big scoop and even at home, Eileen is already furnishing that big old house, completely unaware of what lies beneath.
Don't get me wrong, I love a storyline in Corrie that is multi-layered and involves a number of different characters interacting together. For me though, Phelan's reign has gone on just a bit too long now. It beggars belief that he has not been caught out, even when he's tripped up. Ok, those around him aren't the sharpest tools in the box (that's you I'm referring to Eileen) but as viewers, we're having to suspend disbelief even longer than normal. What's kept this pot boiling as long as it has is the wonderfully down to earth, believable performance from Connor McIntyre. He is quite obviously relishing being a part of such a high profile Coronation Street storyline and although I'd hate to curtail his fun, I think the time has come to bring this story to an end. As with all Corrie villains, an end must come and they must be caught out and banged to rights. And Patrick is no exception.
I get that the powers that be are drawing this out as much as possible to maximise the fallout when it all goes belly up, which it will. And although Phelan is yet another villain we love to hate, he's getting too creepy for me so I'll be glad to see the back of him. I don't want to be too critical of this story so in dissecting it, I'd like to bring you some positives and negatives, as I see it.
Some positives to begin:
The most important of these is the standout performance from Connor McIntyre as Phelan. While it must be great fun playing a conniving conman, it's also not easy to make a baddie likeable and appear as a down to earth, ordinary bloke. Despite all his nefarious acts over the past year and a bit, Pat still feels like a bloke you could meet in your local pub and the story is all the better for it. He's not the black gloved, moustache twirling villain like Richard Hillman, the quietly menacing Alan Bradley or the comedy thug of a Jez Quigley. Phelan really is a Corrie bad boy unlike any other. Giving him a conscience has been a masterstroke and there has been much mileage in seeing Patrick struggle with guilt and an attempt to do the right thing. So far, that hasn't happened but we live in hope. Also, he's not the traditional serial killer we're now used to in soaps. Despite death having occurred, he's not actually committed the act of murder and this makes for a more interesting "reign of terror".
Another positive has been the introduction of Nicola Thorp as Nicola Rubenstein, the daughter Phelan never knew he had. This has shown a more human side to Pat and you can tell he genuinely cares about her. I think the same can be said for new wife Eileen. The thread with Nicola has been interesting to watch and in Thorp, Corrie have found a terrific actor who adds intelligence, strength and quite a spark as Ms Rubenstein. Her strong performances so far makes me hope she stays around long after Phelan's downfall. I do regret her instant pregnancy courtesy of everyone's favourite fiery redhead (sorry Reet) but I understand it's importance to the story and Pat's anti-abortion stance has been an intriguing addition.
Finally, I did love the shock value of finding Andy Carver alive and sniveling in that rank old cellar so long after his disappearance. For years nothing was sacred when it came to spoilers and I was getting thoroughly fed up with Coronation Street signposting each new plot development to the media weeks in advance. This has changed under Kate Oates and it was a genuine surprise when Andy popped up, chained up.
Now to some of the less positive aspects to this long-running saga:
As I've already mentioned I think the story is being played out over far too long a period, but I think this is to generate as much mileage as possible when it eventually hits the fan. The big flaw in this for me is that where Eileen is concerned at least, I already feel no sympathy. Eileen started out as a sharp, sparky, funny character who followed a long line of long suffering Corrie women who managed as best they could even when life dealt them endless misery. However these days Eileen is that misery and it's all become rather unlikable. She's also endlessly thick despite her history of being played for a fool or making bad decisions when it comes to men. Various people have warned her about Phelan but she is totally blinkered. The same could be said for Gail when she was shacked up with Hillman, but at least she wasn't totally unpleasant at that stage. The full Ivy transformation was yet to take place. Eileen is quite unpleasant and can be surprisingly unsupportive of others. Therefore when the worst happens, I will really struggle to feel for the character.
Although I mentioned that I really enjoyed the shock reveal that Andy was still alive, his cellar ordeal, although always tinged with surreal humour, has gone on far too long. While much care has been taken to paint in the fine detail of Phelan's character, his motivations and how the past has made him the man he is today, Andy was and remains quite a weak character in every sense of the word. And don't forget he wasn't exactly whiter than white himself with his treatment of Michael. I'm really fed up watching dishevelled Andy pleading miserably for his life, especially when only a few weeks back he had the ideal opportunity to scream for help when Eileen stumbled upon the cellar. Not only do I think it has gone on too long, I also no longer care what happens to him.
The length of time this story has taken to play out has been an issue for me. Phelan's horrible deeds date back over four years now, and although he was absent for a long period in between his two stints, his downfall has felt like a very long time coming. Despite the show moving to six episodes a week, it does still feel like some storylines do dominate and there is a large cast of good actors just not getting a look in. I hope over time this changes but with big grandstanding stories like Phelan, the grooming plot and Michelle's never ending torrent of running mascara, it feels like creativity in other corners of the street is going unexplored.
Having said all that I do find Connor's performances mesmerizing and when the end of his Corrie journey does finally come, I hope he goes on to great success elsewhere.
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12 comments:
When we first saw Andy alive in the basement, I was happy, I quite liked Andy, I was happy when he and Michael set aside their differences. But now, after SO MANY failed opportunities for Andy to be freed, the only reason I hope Andy comes out of that cellar prison alive is so that we can have Steph back on the cobbles. If she's not coming back, then for me, this imprisonment storyline has been for nothing.
Well, I must be in the minority of fans who have never cared for Phelan. No, I didn't hate him or love-to-hate him. Like Tracy, he was far too pantomime. Tracy gurned and grinned; Phelan snarled and sneered. Too late in the game they introduce Nicola to show his human side and this business with Andy is crazy stuff. Andy apparently was suffering from the Stockholm Syndrome, according to soap mag interviews. For about a fortnight, and then he was back to trying to escape. Confusing for viewers. Then they put Phelan with Eileen, one of the most unsympathetic women on the Street, and I couldn't care less what her reaction will be. A golden opportunity was missed with Liz McD. Now that would have been an electrifying relationship, both of the actors on fire in a true love-hate relationship. Almost like having big Jim back on the Street. Let's hope it will all be over by Christmas.
I have mixed feelings about Phelan. I hated him when he had his first stint and his treatment of Anna. He was very much a one-sided character. This time around we are seeing all sorts of different facets. But how long can they keep this going on and keep it interesting without it turning too camp?
I'll be sorry to see Connor McIntyre leave though, I think he's a terrific actor and I love watching his interaction with Corrie fans on Twitter. But we all know that eventually he will have to go, there is no way out of it. Unless they lock him in a basement somewhere.
Jeanie:
I liked Phelan at first--great tension between him, Owen, Gary, Anna. And when he came back with the flats scam and gloated as Michael died in front of him... But a natural conclusion to his story would have been the end of the flats scam.
This business with Andy in the cellar is just too sadistic and disturbed for me. We see Phelan regularly tormenting Andy--and enjoying it--and it's just pretty sick. The worst was when he pretended that he was going to let Andy go, got his hopes up, and then claimed he had "failed" the test, beat him up and dragged him back to the basement. Classic psychological torture designed to break him, destroy any sense left of who he is, and make him submit to his captor (which is what Andy is now doing). It parallels what he did to Anna--forcing her to agree to her own violation--taken up a few notches.
Corrie has portrayed this pretty convincingly and both Andy and Phelan have done great jobs, but it's such an ugly picture and Phelan such a sick, disturbed, sadistic guy that who wants to watch it any more? This scenario is a bit too intense and dark for Corrie.(in my opinion anyways).
On a side note--a lot of people are blaming Andy for not being more proactive and escaping or exposing Phelan but the guy has been broken--physically from being chained up with no exercise and mentally from Phelan's on-going mind f---ing. If a person is chained up in a basement for 8 months he/she will lose all their muscle--there's no way Andy could fight Phelan. And if your life is absolutely in the hands of a guy who can leave you for days, who can torment you, yell at you, abuse you, withhold food, water when you're starving, you will become dependent on that guy in strange ways. Cases like these have been well-documented, from child abuse survivors, to sex slaves, to hostages, to holocaust survivors. There's even a name--soul murder. But do we really need this played out on a soap which is supposed to be essentially warm, kind-spirited entertainment about a working class neighbourhood with a heart of gold under its scruffy exterior?
Perfectly put Jeanie. I cannot see an immediate end to this storyline. He's gotta get his comeuppance soon, but I feel with Daniel not being able to speak to Vinny/Harvey, that's closed another avenue to an ending. I really have no idea when it will end, and I really don't see it being any time soon unfortunately
Amen to Jeanie.
Totally agree with you Jeanie. I despise watching Phelan tormenting Andy, it sickens me.
Just get rid of Phelan and especially the preposterous, ridiculous, tedious, never-ending "Andy in the cellar" story line. I don't care how it is ended. Just end it, please.
Completely agree Jeanie. This torture of Andy has no place on Corrie. I already thought they were crossing the line when Phelan coerced Anna into sex and the fact that the actor is talented doesn't change my opinion.
Also agree with Jeanie! And like Humpty, I have never loved to hate Phelan. I think this is a character that does not deserve our attention in an already dark and disturbed world.
I can't stand Phelan either and can't wait for him to be written out permanently. Also cannot abide Eileen, couldn't care less what happens to her and hope she goes to live with Jason when the sh!t finally hits the fan.
Quite happy to see the back of him and Eileen. Wonder if Anna will get caught up in it all.
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