Guest blog post by Charles Burns
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Emotions are certainly running high between the Connors and the Nazirs right now as Carla intends to contest Aidan’s will and ensure that Alya cannot take control of the factory. If Alya does become the boss, it could mean yet another big change for a business that has only just got back on its feet, in large part due to the work of a man who is now dead. It would seem that only Johnny can see Underworld for the poisoned chalice it is.
The conflict escalated in Wednesday night’s episodes as Carla confronted Alya before the funeral, and Alya responded by having the locks changed on the factory door. Although Imran tried to calm things, Alya refused to accept Carla’s eventual offer of an 18% share in the business. Carla is struggling to cope with losing what she sees as her brother’s legacy, whereas Alya feels that having been there for Aidan both professionally and personally when few others were, this is what he would have wanted.
There’s plenty of discussion being had about the rights and wrongs of the situation, and it’s certainly making me reassess my views on these characters. Normally I'd be Team Carla, as I generally like her and I find Alya pretty insufferable, but on this one I'm not sure. Although it was cold of Alya to have the locks changed on the day of the funeral, Carla has been such an awful bully throughout all of this that I've been starting to really feel for Alya.
She often makes mistakes at the factory, but she's only young. Carla has much more experience, but over the years has still managed to nearly destroy Underworld through her chaotic antics - after all, that was how Aidan got involved in the business to begin with. I imagine that Alya’s inexperience will work against her, but she’s certainly proven herself to be a grafter in the time she’s spent on the Street.
Prior to this storyline, Alya wasn’t doing much to win viewers over - the fact that her mourning of Luke seemed to last longer than their relationship didn’t win her any fans, and her brief coupling with Josh seemed like a strange move. The criticism of Alya's instant attachment and dialled-up grief is understandable, but it seems like a pretty realistic character trait for somebody who tragically lost both her parents at a fairly young age. The rapid disappearances of her grandfather and brother probably haven’t helped much!
Alya may not be particularly likeable right now, but storylines such as this one will hopefully give her the chance to develop into a more well-rounded character. It's much more difficult to see Carla coming off well in this, especially considering how she keeps trying to physically intimidate Alya. Even if the Connors manage to get their hands back on Underworld, they need to be brought down a peg or two. When the dust settles, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Carla get the factory, but Alya get the win.
By Charles Burns
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