The Archdeacon of Weatherfield has got men confessing their love for him left, right and centre this week, and it's got Billy's head in a spin. With this, one thing I've noticed is that Billy is lacking in the friend department. Shona has probably forgotten his existence after her memory loss, and Eva left the country. While Billy does still have friends in Sean and Eileen, they are not ideal candidates for him to discuss his tangled love-life with, seeing as one is his ex-boyfriend and the other is his ex's mum. So, fear not, Billy, I am here to offer some of my own wisdom.
The biggest question I have for Billy is: why would he want to be with either Paul or Todd? It was nice to see Todd's plan backfire on him as Billy was hardly left swooning after Todd's declaration of love- he was due a socially distanced slap and Billy delivered it in the form of a severe dressing down. Tonight, we'll also see Paul confessing his undying love. While it's unknown what reaction Billy will have to this, it's sure to throw a spanner in the works. Despite both men falling at his feet, I sincerely hope that Billy tells them both to do one, and here's why.
Let's start with Todd. I'll clear this up now- I like Todd, but isn't it time he was either honest with Billy about his feelings, or moved on entirely? With Todd acting like a you-know-what all the time, he and Billy are no longer suited. Any respect he once had for Billy has gone right out the window and has little sign of returning any time soon. Todd has done nothing but manipulate and lie to Billy since he clapped eyes on him last year. Next.
Now we have Paul, who appears to be pretty harmless. He and Billy lived a moderately happy life together and of course there were bumps in the road, but this is Coronation Street and happiness is only allowed in 5-minute intervals. These days, these pockets of happiness occur when someone has a good hotpot in the pub, swiftly ruined by finding a bag of cocaine hidden in the gravy, or seeing their partner doing things they shouldn't with their neighbour in the corner. I digress. Billy and Paul's relationship was never healthy. Paul became heavily reliant on Billy, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it always seemed very one-sided. Paul never seemed available to offer Billy support when he needed it, and it evolved into something quite parental. Paul's strops paired with Billy's holier-than-thou attitude equals an unhealthy dynamic.
Billy now faces a choice. Get back together with manipulative (and quite frankly, sociopathic) Todd, or fall back into the arms of whinging Paul. My advice to Billy would be to not bother with either of them. Paul and Todd have a way of getting inside Billy's head and making him miserable. Last Friday, Billy was the life and soul of The Rovers with Sean and Eileen until Todd came waltzing in, smirking about his latest plan. As soon as Todd sat down, Billy's aura diminished as he started worrying about Paul, and then got manipulated into believing he'd upset Todd by quite rightly thinking it weird that his two exes have suddenly become best friends. The best thing Billy can do now is invest in some self-care books and realise his worth without these two men making his life hell. Maybe I'm being crazy here, or could Billy even venture a bit further than Weatherfield to find a man who will actually respect him? If he had a mate knocking around, they'd have told him that months ago.
Taking my advisory hat off for a moment, it's worth noting that Dan Brocklebank and Gareth Pierce do work really well together on-screen. Their scenes explode with energy, so perhaps that could be an interesting avenue to explore. Billy and Summer also have a wonderful relationship- they have a lovely father/daughter dynamic that I'd love to see more of.
Billy is a unique and brilliant character, so if he has to choose either Todd or Paul, I hope to God he makes the right decision for himself.
Sophie Williams
I'm on Twitter @sophie_writer1
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All original work on Coronation Street Blog is covered by a Creative Commons License
All original work on Coronation Street Blog is covered by a Creative Commons License
6 comments:
Great write up Sophie.
We share the same feelings that he shouldn't enter back into a relationship with either of them. How desperately tragic that the show are offering these two specimen of men to Billy as though he's the luckiest guy in the world. Both make him utterly miserable.
Todd is unrecognisable from the man he was when they dated before and I don't just mean because of the obvious difference. In his first stint Todd was my favourite character, he was cheeky, witty, lovable, he returned back in 2013 different, harder and devious, but somehow he still retained that sparkle about him.
Then he fell for Billy and he vowed to Billy that he would be a better man because of him/for him, and he did. Throughout their relationship he respected him, Todd was the one holding their relationship together in the later part of 2017.
I don't understand why we've returned Todd like this. It's sad. Gareth is playing the part that he's being asked to play well, but we need to see it toned down corrie. He's not human. Who arranges for a persons flat to be trashed in the name of love? It feels to me like we're making Todd look so unbelievably awful to give the Paul/Billy pairing more credibility. But just because one person isn't suitable for Billy it doesn't mean the other one is.
Like Sophie has said, Billy and Pauls relationship has always been very parental, in fact Billy often comes across like Paul's case worker. As a huge fan of Billy's it's unfair to throw him back into this relationship where he seems like an older, controlling Dad type figure. I feel Paul often gets a free pass from viewers because of his past, but it shouldn't excuse his thuggish selfish nature. It's a very one sided relationship and also repetitive. They're "happy" for a bit, then Paul gets upset about something, strops off, punches someone/something, Billy apologises even though he didn't do anything and then they make up.
I'd like the show to concentrate more on Billy's other relationships, his relationship with Summer, have scenes with Sarah again and reintroduce him into Shona's life, like this blog says, he is massively missing a friend. We could even bring Lee back or introduce his mum who he's mentioned briefly before. I'd love to see Mr Brocklebank get his teeth stuck into a storyline where Billy's mum re-enters his life.
He's a vicar (ARCHDEACON) and there really is endless possibilities for storylines for this character outside of men drama. I worry this is his life now :-(
I agree. I don't think either of these fellas are good for Billy. He needs to move on from both of them!
Todd's clever, sly and manipulative and moody Paul sometimes behaves like a child in a tantrum.
I read that Billy is going to get married.
Cue to the dramatic scene when the rejected ex bursts into the church to stop the wedding!
Can he get married and remain a vicar?
I think today is a very bad person who has made Paul into this pardoned person who don't deserve your harsh words I know its only a soap but remember we are dealing with a lot of people with mental health and showing that all that tod has done to Paul is hurtful and cruel as this happens in real life and could end up giving up and killing them self so please think before you rear Paul apart happy easter
I do agree with you, Sophie and Den,but I also have a big soft spot for Paul, so I'd prefer for him to be the "winner" in this weird love triangle.
This is soap land, and sometime Billy is going to find out about what Todd has done. Maybe that young lad will return. I'll be happy to see Todd get his comeuppance.
I don't like at all how the "new" Todd is being written. At this point, the character makes me want to turn off the TV. I am not sure whether it is just the writing which is bad, or whether the acting is bad. Whichever, I hope they fix it soon.
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