Friday 23 September 2011

It's Grim up North

You don't see Carla crack very often but ripping at clothes and sobbing in Maria's arms this week, the poor woman was in bits. I know the rape storyline was controversial but I think it's been done really well, with a lot of realism and sensitivity. It's made for a fairly dark week on Corrie but I don't think it's been over the top, either. Coronation Street does drama very well and in spite of all the loud and obnoxious headlines you see in the tabloids when the spoilers first come out, the storylines are usually always handled with a much more even hand.

We didn't have to see the actual event to know what happened. We saw the aftermath, the police and doctors and questioning. We saw Frank released pending further inquiries. And we saw Frank push Peter into an assault that would further back up his own claims that Carla and Peter were having an affair and setting him up for this charge. Frank really does believe that Carla and Peter have and are continuing to have an affair, I think, but using that as an excuse to say they were setting him up for a fall is just him justifying his actions, I believe.

Frank was so creepy! He almost immediately had himself convinced he'd done nothing wrong yet you could still see flickers of doubt cross his mind now and then. Down deep he knows what he's done but he's not going to admit it, even to himself. He is determined to take his revenge, mainly on Peter so far. He whispered to Peter that Carla had "it" coming, he then hissed that Carla liked it rough so that's what he gave her, and he got what he wanted. Peter blew his stack and got arrested for laying a beating on Frank.


Meanwhile, Carla has made amends with Maria, the only person that really knows what Frank can be like. Her newly patched up friendship with Leanne is probably not going to stick together, not with accusations and suspicions still very much forefront in Leanne's mind. It's pretty hard to believe in Peter when you know Carla wanted and probably still does want Peter and his actions seem to be a bit more than necessary for a mere mate. Even if Leanne believes that Peter hasn't actually had sex with Carla, she'd be stupid to think he doesn't have feelings for her.  Peter and Leanne's marriage had a big crack in it when he found out about her affair Nick and it's been in a fragile state ever since. Could this break it irreparably?


It seems like Peter does have some feelings for Carla even though I truly believe he does love Leanne and his little family. I think he is attracted to Carla and maybe even loves her a bit. Infatuated, perhaps. It's a very strong pull. Leanne really is his true love but if he can't get Carla out of his head, it's going to go pear shaped and fast. I really hate to see he and Leanne break up because they really are good for each other but on soaps, there can't be a happy relationship for long.

The performances have also been riveting, I think. All four of the actors are really giving it their all. I'm sure it must have been a huge challenge to do. Carla isn't really one of my favourite characters but I have grown to like her over the years. Peter and Leanne are two of my favourites and I always enjoy their storylines. I hope they really show all of the bumps and struggles Carla is going to have getting over this, between the rape itself,  the trial and dealing with Frank (and his harridan mother).

"Confident Carla" is going to take a real knock back and we should see how she manages to get back on her feet again. Will we see the same old Carla after awhile? The one with the brittle shell? Or will she finally reach out and take the support offered and accept new friendships so she won't be so isolated. Having Maria on her side is a good first step.

Over the next weeks we'll see if Frank is actually charged and if he is, I expect we'll see a trial. Maybe Carla will manage to stitch him up or trick him into a mistake that will help her case. He did rape her. He can't get away with it. It's a soap law! But it's not over by a long shot.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I agree Peter cares about Carla I just don't think its really romantic feelings. His reaction to Carla's situation is similar to the way he handled Tracy's mess with Charlie. He wants to protect her but he doesn't show any jealousy towards Frank just anger.

I agree that the storyline has been well acted I'm just not sure if it was necessary. Rape is something that should be used very carefully and this feels like TPTB are using it to simply make us feel sorry for Carla and could have achieved that another way. Hell they could have just not written her into such a nasty mess in the first place. Frankly the entire Carla/Peter/Leanne mess should have ended ages ago. TPTB should have tried to figure something else out for Carla besides chasing desperately after another married man. Even now many people are still saying they hate her and I think they still have a ways to go before she has any fan support. Allison King is an amazing actress but I'm getting damn tired of watching an amazing actor save second rate material.

Tvor said...

His reaction to Tracy/ Charlie was from the perspective of a brother though.

I suppose no matter which character was used in a rape storyline you are going to feel sorry for her. And some women do keep falling for unobtainable men, i know a few!

I wasn't a Carla fan for a long time but she's growing on me as they make her more vulnerable and multi dimensional.

Anonymous said...

That's part of what I mean though the way Peters related to Carla in general is a lot like he relates to Tracy. Maybe its just that I've been re-watching the Tracy-Charlie stuff recently but last nights episode reminded me a lot of how he reacted to that situation. Even the way he talks to Carla sometimes reminds me of how he is with Tracy, the way he listens and tries to talk her out of things. He doesn't spar with her or try to get her attention like does with Leanne or even Shelley or Lucy. I think Peter has always tried to see more like he does Tracy and I'm not sure if he ever really saw her romantically even now.

Carla's not a bad character and she wonderfully acted its just this storyline is a repeat and does nothing for her character. It almost as bad as Molvin in sheer plot induced stupidity and whats really annoying is that it completely pointless. Peter never going to leave Leanne because there's no story in it so its just drama for dramas sake. Like I said its just bad, character destroying, writing

Tvor said...

I see what you're saying but there was that smokin hot kiss between them. There's an attraction but i agree, probably no love on his part.

I don't see it as a stupid plot, nothing like Molvin but that's just me.

Anonymous said...

Chris Gascoyne once said that Peter and Carla are soulmates, so I want to believe that Carla is Peter's true love but you never know with a soap. Peter was happy with Leanne once and he loved her but it wasn't enough for him or for Leanne (she did cheat on Peter with Nick after all). I feel like Simon was the reason they were together. No matter how many times he tried to fool himself, Peter was always going to leave Leanne for Carla.
He can be himself with Carla and she'll love him, flaws included. Leanne always criticized him and she never understood him like Carla does. Also Peter never really wanted to have a baby with Leanne but he told Carla that they should have a baby. I think that's where the problem will be because I don't think Carla will want children. Although I think she would surprise herself and be a good mom.

tryfanofduncton said...

Reading this now annoys me intensely because of the way they edged Maria right out of it when Michelle came back!! To me theCarla/Maria turnaround was brilliantly built up thru a series of shared traumas whereas with Michelle we suddenly went from her wanting to kill Carla to being her lifelong bezzie mate with little or no explanation at all!!:-[

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