Evening Corrie fans, it’s Kelly here with your Friday night review.
It’s the day of the court decision over Oliver, and Leanne and Steve are keeping a vigil at their son’s bedside while the rest of his extended family wait nervously for news.
Back on the Street, Nick gets a lovely Get Well Soon card from Sam, (who believes in the power of positivity), and decides to go to the courtroom to support Leanne, despite her not wanting him there. Meanwhile Aggie is forced to deliver some terrible forced polemic about healthcare workers being seen as the enemy when they’re trying to do their best. Not sure we really needed that.
In the courtroom, with Steve, Leanne, Nick and Imran watching on, the judge delivers her verdict. She acknowledges the deep love and care of Oliver’s family but says that his brain is dying and there is no prospect of recovery or a cure. If they continue to keep him alive it could cause him considerable suffering, so it’s in his best interests that life support be withdrawn. Leanne breaks down in tears.
As everyone struggles to cope with the terrible reality, Leanne decides she wants to launch an appeal. Their barrister tells her that it would be unlikely to succeed but she refuses to listen and browbeats a traumatised Steve into agreeing with her.
Steve rings No.1 to tell Tracy and the family the verdict and their plans for an appeal, but when Amy innocently asks if they have new evidence, Steve realises that it’s fruitless and there is nothing more they can do for Oliver.
Back at the bedside Leanne is planning her next line of attack when Steve tells her to stop. With a heavy heart he says that he can’t support the appeal and that it’s time to let Oliver go. Predictably Leanne lobbies some terrible accusations and abuse at him, telling him that he doesn’t love Oliver as much as she does. But Steve bravely sticks to his guns.
Leanne pleads with him not to give up on their son but when he remains adamant she screams at him to get out, as she has with just about everyone else at the hospital. In the final scene a kind nurse finds her sobbing uncontrollably over Oliver and we see her telling her colleague to look out for Leanne as she is completely alone.
Well that was a hard slog wasn’t it. The only relief came from the wonderful Jenny offering to console Gail by getting thoroughly sozzled with her. I’d like to say that next week will be a bit more upbeat, but since Weatherfield is apparently built on top of a Hellmouth I reckon we’re most likely in line for a couple of deaths, some widespread injuries, a fire and a freak shark attack.
If you'd like to join me in lobbying for a whole episode of Jenny getting various residents drunk for increasingly trivial reasons: “Stubbed your toe, Roy? I’m opening the Chardonnay!”, then please let me know in the comments or on twitter @mskelstar
All original work on Coronation Street Blog is covered by a Creative Commons License
