Corrie's Karl: The end is nigh?

(This post was originally posted by Graeme N on the Coronation Street Blog in April 2013.)

When Karl Munro first arrived in Weatherfield I thought he had a decent future ahead of him. Out of all of the Price family, he was the one I took to the most. 

However since his arrival in 2011, the powers that be have taken Karl from being a loveable rogue to a love rat to an arsonist and now, by the looks of it, a murderer.

To be honest I am not complaining about this. Anything that enlivens the Price family is fine by me, even if it does mean extra screen time. John Michie is brilliant at playing the villain of the piece. He has just the right combination of menace and vulnerability. One minute you think he is going to crack and reveal all and the next he is spurred on by his desperate situation and adds another devilish deed to his growing list of crimes. In many ways he is a rather good combination of past villains John Stape and Richard Hillman.

Last Friday's dénouement saw St Ella dump poor Jason in the most desultory way. I mean honestly, who dumps their boyfriend in the ginnel? Karl was lurking behind so a reunion between these two hopeless cases is par for the course. I predict that as is usual in such storylines, Karl and St Ella will get back together, but they won't live happily ever after. Obviously the guilt of his actions will eat away at him. What happens next is anybody's guess, but as we know, Corrie villains always receive their comeuppance. Unless, that is, you are Tracy Barlow.

While Karl's turn to the dark side has been quite entertaining I worry that this development means we will lose John Michie sooner rather than later. Once you have gone bad on Corrie the clock is normally ticking on your character. The truth will naturally come out, exposing the story to maximum drama. However once everyone knows, where else is there to go? This for me, is a shame as I think Michie's character had broad appeal and real longevity.

There is, however, perhaps a more interesting question. Given Karl's run of form - Toni dead thanks to his arson attack in the Rovers and Sunita possibly silenced in her hospital bed - will he be forced to kill again? We've seen this storyline pattern several times since Richard Hillman stalked the cobbles so it would be no surprise. 

If Karl was to silence another Weatherfield resident who might it be? Grim Gloria, who seems to be even more besotted with him that her darling daughter? Jason Grimshaw, for a long time a thorn in Karl's side? We've heard that Leanne becomes suspicious of Karl, so maybe she bites off more than she can chew? Could it be that Karl even goes so far as to bump off the woman he loves: St Ella of the Back Room?


Place your bets folks! What do you think the future holds for Karl Munro? Will he kill again? And if so, who is your money on?


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