The Incomparable Kylie Platt

(This post was originally posted by Emma Hynes on the Coronation Street Blog in July 2016.)

“Just do one, eh? All I did was save some poor kid from ending up with a mother like you.”

Kylie Turner’s first line was uttered from behind a door that wasn’t hers in a house she pretended was while mid-onslaught from estranged sister Becky. Having dashed the McDonald’s hopes of adoption on foot of a bad reference, their reunion was not an amicable one, but they would eventually come together to fight for and win Kylie custody of son Max. What a happy ending that would have been, only we probably wouldn’t be here almost six years later describing Kylie as a truly great Corrie character.

Despite getting a second chance after a troubled start in life, Kylie wasn't quite ready to be reformed. Thieving, drinking, sleeping around and neglecting her parental responsibilities, she didn’t exactly endear herself to those around her, and on agreeing to leave Max with Steve and Becky permanently in exchange for £25,000 while she jetted off, you wondered if she had any redeeming qualities.

Of course, she squandered the lot, but, reinvention being one of Kylie's enduring traits, it wasn’t long before she bounced back. Enter ‘Candy’, a cage dancer from Tenerife and, to Gail’s abject terror, fiancée of beloved son David Platt.

David and Kylie instantly proved to be a winning combo who appeared to bring out the best in one another. While I had great sympathy for Becky and Steve at the time, David was the driving force behind regaining custody of Max, and proved himself to be a good father, while Kylie showed her sensitive side through revealing her fears about her ability to be a suitable mother.

Kylie began to progress, first with her nail bar and then at the Bistro. For the first time in her life, she felt she had the potential to succeed, which is why David’s insistence that they have a baby wasn’t exactly welcome. On learning that another child wasn’t what she wanted at that time, David publicly humiliated her and she ended up in bed with Nick. The sympathy I felt for Kylie here was a testament to the advancing depth of her character.

Pregnancy, blackmail, a hate campaign and a brain injury followed. Kylie began to realise just what her husband and confirmed father of daughter Lily was capable of, and it scared her. While she thought she could keep him away, resistance was futile as he wormed his way back into the Platt fold, and she ended up turning to drink to cope until Max nearly had an accident, and she came to her senses. This reconciliation with David would prove short lived, as Max being diagnosed with ADHD would lead to Kylie taking his pills to cope with the stress, the discovery of which disgusted David. But things were about to get a whole lot worse.

Enter Callum Logan. Kylie may have wished to find out if there was anything in Max’s father's family history to explain his diagnosis, but her enquiries didn’t end there, as she turned to him to supply her with the drugs she was now lacking, leading her to be thrown out altogether by David.

Returning months later begging forgiveness, David agreed to pretend he and Kylie were back together, knowing it was the only way to stop Callum taking Max. This, of course, lead to them reuniting yet again, and being stronger than ever. 

Kylie really came into her own over this past year, proving without a doubt that those she loves really are everything to her as she tried to stop Callum’s increasing power over her family take hold. From tricking Bethany into dealing drugs to seducing Sarah and doing everything in his power to take Max, he was a force to be reckoned with, even if he was one of the campest villains to hit the cobbles.

The fact that Kylie had finally reached maturity and proven herself redeemed, makes it all the more tragic that she would be the one to kill Callum.  Her horror at David’s calm demeanour and apparent ability to cope with the secret buried beneath the annex, and the aftermath, is evidence of her strong conscience. 

In recent episodes, we’ve watched her pain at seeing Sarah and Bethany suffer the consequences of her actions, and her attempts to hold it all together by being there for everyone. Her guilt has been buried for the sake of others, but there’s no doubting it has been there from the start. Moving into the annex appears a step too far, however, and following a sleepless night, and hearing the terrified screams of Max after being locked into it by Asha Alahan, she decides that moving to Barbados is the only solution if she is to be the parent Max needs, claiming she can’t be that mother as long as they stay in Weatherfield.

When you look back at her first line, it’s actually rather poignant in hindsight. Of course, we could never have known it at the time, but all she wants now is for Max to have the mother he deserves. Considering her past misdemeanours, this motivation is a testament to how far she has come.

I’ve enjoyed seeing the inimitable character of Kylie progress over the years in the exceptionally capable hands of Paula Lane who I've had the pleasure of interviewing her on a couple of occasions. I wish her the very best as she embarks on a new chapter in her life.

While the scenes surrounding Kylie's departure remain a mystery, and I look forward to seeing them tonight, one thing we can be sure of is that Kylie will be a great loss to the Street.

By Emma Hynes

www.emmahynes.net
Twitter: @ELHynes
Facebook: @EmmaHynesWrites

Watch Kylie's first scene on Corrie.
Read my interviews with Paula Lane in 2014 and 2016.
Find out more about Kylie's time on the cobbles via Corriepedia, a great resource for Corrie fans and bloggers like me who like to have their recollections affirmed when taking trips down memory lane.

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