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In this week’s Corrie, you know there’s going to be few laughs when the announcer warns you that the programme you’re about to watch contains “some scenes which viewers may find distressing.” Yes, the main focus this week has been on Steve and Leanne as they struggle with losing Oliver. There’s a court case and a verdict that every fan was expecting, even Leanne and Steve too, but Leanne’s unwilling to accept what’s been ruled. It’s not in Oliver’s interests, the judge decides, to keep him alive on mechanical ventilation. And so, Leanne and Steve’s son is set to die. I’m sorry, but I feel more empathy for Nick’s son Sam that we’ve seen for all of five minutes on screen than I ever felt for Oliver. I simply just don’t care. As in past weeks, I’ve whizzed through each and every hospital scene and have no idea what’s going on. Don’t hate me. I’m finding life in the pandemic hard enough without subjecting myself to more misery. I know from what I see from fans’ reactions online that this has been a highly emotive storyline with some wonderful acting and real raw pain on display. If you’ve engaged with the storyline so far you’ll probably continue until the bitter end, but I’m afraid, on this one, I’m out.
I wish I could say there were more happy things to report on this week but alas it was all rather dour. Over at Underworld, Sean wears peacock feathers while Todd struts around pecking on Paul’s nerves. Paul feels he’s on dodgy ground with Todd back on the scene, afraid that he’ll lose Billy to Todd. He just might be right, for we can see Billy wavering each time Todd turns up. Paul gets drunk and heads back to the flat where in good old farce style, the Bishop is visiting and on the toilet as Paul strips off for Billy. Bishop comes out of the loo, spots semi-naked Paul and makes a quick escape.
There was a bit of love in the air this week, or if not love then lust of some kind. Alina and Adam make eyes at each other in the factory and on a team-building night out for Underworld a Speed Daal. And in the ‘taking coals to Newcastle’ scene, George brings a bunch of flowers for Mary, who’s not in when he calls, so he chats up Eileen instead. Eileen warns Mary that George isn’t the man she hoped he might be.
In the Rovers, Carla and Peter return from a sailing holiday. Carla rushes back to work at the factory while Peter mopes about in the back room with Johnny.
And that’s just about that for this week.
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This week’s writers were Carmel Morgan and Steven Fay (Monday); David Isaac (Wednesday) and Owen Lloyd-Fox (Friday). Find out all about the Coronation Street writing team at Coronation Street Blog: Exclusive: All Current Corrie writers online
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7 comments:
Why would George bring Mary flowers? She works in a flower shop!
Last night’s episode was a tough watch. Definitely needed tissues handy. While there’s no denying the acting’s been fantastic from all involved, especially from Leanne, who my heart broke for last night, I still have mixed feelings about this storyline as a whole, and here’s why:
It draws attention to the messy family ties: So Amy and Simon and are cousins, who are also Oliver’s half-siblings. Emma, Oliver’s other half-sibling, is Steve’s long-lost daughter from a previous relationship. Emma still doesn’t feel like part of the MacDonald clan to me her concern and her, Amy’s and Simon’s concern for Oliver doesn’t emote much from me because I can’t recall them ever sharing a scene with Oliver until now. Oh, and I should probably mention that Simon is actually Leanne’s adopted son, not her biological son.
See it’s all very complicated, isn’t it? And that’s just the kids!
From the adults we’ve got Leanne and Steve, who were together (sort of), but now Steve’s with Tracy and Leanne’s with Nick (sort of), but Natasha’s lurking in the wings, ready to swoop with Nick’s new son in tow!
From the supporting adults we’ve got the Platts who, until last night’s episode, have been very much on the periphery (they’ve been on the periphery for most of Oliver’s life, to be honest). Then there’s Toyah and Imran, and Carla and Peter – let’s not forget that Toyah and Peter used to be together (and had a baby, sort of), and Carla and Nick were once married!
See what I mean about messy?
And then of course there are those absences you can’t help but notice like Janice, Les, Stella, Gloria, Eva, Liz, Jim – where are they at this hour or need? Don’t they warrant a mention at least?
This storyline has also got me questioning if Leanne and Steve were the right characters to choose for such a harrowing storyline. Oliver is Leanne’s one and only shot at a child and only a few years ago Steve lost another son. Was it really right to inflict this on them as well? Seems a bit much, doesn’t it?
Another aspect I’m not keen on is Nick’s son. This was an unnecessary addition they could’ve done without. If they wanted to cause conflict between Nick and Leanne they could have done so without bringing the cliché of a secret son into the mix. Also with Sam around, I sadly can’t see Nick and Leanne having a future.
My main concern about this storyline is where does it go long term. Oliver dying will change Leanne forever. She’ll never be the same. She can’t just go off to a retreat for a few weeks, come back, and everything be back to the normal. She’s got a long road ahead of her. But given the nature of soaps, will the writers be able to do Leanne’s journey of grief justice? If Carla’s psychosis and Daniel’s grief for Sinead are anything to go by, then no, I don’t think they can.
But my overall problem with this storyline is the nature of it. We’ve had so many issue-based, medical dramas that I’m tired of it. It’s too depressing. And especially in a time when the world’s so bleak, when we’re all in lockdown, is this really the type of content we want to watch? Watching hospital scene after hospital is depressing (not to mention repetitive). I really hope once this story wraps up, that corrie give issue-based stories a wide berth and go back to character-driven content which the show is sorely lacking.
Do we have to assume that Mary and George are in a relationship, but we can't see them together because of distancing? It looks as if he is going to opt for Eileen, which is disappointing because I had high hopes for a bit of happiness for Mary.
I can't not mention Oliver. I've been against this storyline all along, but the acting has been brilliant this week, especially Jane Danson last night. But I really hope they don't do anything like this again.
I for one did not need the tissues handy. Normally I blub at anything remotely sad on tv but the Oliver storyline hasn’t moved me at all. Maybe because I was sick of Leanne ranting and raving and being truly nasty to Dr Howarth or that when every time we saw a bedside scene I wondered how the bed could be so completely flat if there was supposed to be a child in it. Having said that the scenes with Steve by himself at the bedside I felt were way more effective than any with Leanne in it.
Frankly I hope after Oliver passes away, we see the back of Leeanne. She can go visit Janice or something. I have never liked the character and am liking her less and less as this never ending storyline drags on and on (I am a Canadian viewer) so roughly two weeks behind you folks.
I certainly can't see her and Nick having a future together, especially with Nick's new found son on the scene.
This is such a brilliant summary and I agree, especially your last sentence!
Exactly what Eileen had commented to George.
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