Bluenose Corrie Blogger: The Wet Blanket

Friday, 24 February 2017

The Wet Blanket

(This post was originally posted by Scott Willison on the Coronation Street Blog in February 2017, reposted to this blog with permission.)

Poor Daniel. His first time with a lady and it's a swift bunk up after hours in the stock room of a knicker factory. It's not exactly romantic, is it? Not exactly conducive to unbridled pleasure, naked up against a box of size 14 hip thongs, trying not to topple over onto a stack of knackered sewing machines and a mop. You don't get that in Fifty Shades of Grey.

And worse, he's experiencing his first shared orgasm with Sinead. What exactly is the point of Sinead? I've been wondering it for weeks. She mopes around the street, downtrodden, whinging, complaining that she's hard done by. I can't see why Daniel is suddenly swept off his feet by her personality and charm; she's like Droopy with a pony tail.

She was far more interesting when she arrived, quirky and distinctive, Beth's sensible niece. She made her own soaps, she went to craft fairs, she was teetotal. That's a personality. It was a refreshing change to have a young woman in the show who wasn't a vamp, or a bimbo, or a thief. She was a nice, ordinary girl, happy with herself and her place in the world.

It was easy to see why Chesney would be drawn to her. He has, and this is often glossed over by the show, had a terrible childhood. In and out of foster homes, only around his mother when she could use him to scrounge some cash, regularly separated from his sister Fiz. Things got so bad that he looked up to Les Battersby as a father figure and role model.

It's not surprising, therefore, that Chesney likes comfortable, homely, family life. Katie wanted a baby and a boyfriend and a nice quiet existence. That's all Chesney wants. Unfortunately she got bored and left; the fact that she was tempted away by the absolutely awful Ryan (v.2.0) should tell you just how desperate to leave she really was. Chesney thought he would have better luck with Sinead: a nice bit of normality, a settled, comfortable existence with a down-to-earth girl. But apparently she got bored too, though it seems to have come out of nowhere. Apparently life with Chesney is just such a drain on her, but then everything is a drain on Sinead, because she lets everything be a drain on her.

She is an incredibly passive character. When she broke her back in the bus crash in 2015, I was surprised they could even find a spine. Sinead whines that she wants more but doesn't do anything about it. She was virtually forced into a second career as a model, moaning about how difficult it was, dropping it as soon as possible. Poor Raquel Wolstenhulme spent six years on the show desperately trying to be a model; she'd have killed to be the face and body of an underwear line, but apparently it was all just too much effort for Sinead. Similarly, she worked as a junior in Alya's plan for high fashion underwear, then acted all hurt when Alya took it to the next level. Alya (a trained fashion graduate and junior management) came up with the plan and the designs, invested £14,000 in the scheme and became a partner; Sinead's contribution was to roll her eyes, say "that bra's a bit over the top" and stitch a prototype, but for some reason, she expected a cut of the profits.

She can't even get up the effort to dump Chesney. Sleeping on the sofa, talking vaguely to Kirk and Fizz about how she likes Chesney but she's not sure if she loves Chesney, now telling some bloke she's unattached before she even tells the boyfriend. She managed to complain about not making her soaps any more in last night's episode, yet somehow this was Chesney's fault, because she can't take responsibility for anything. Sinead is hoping that if she acts passive aggressive around him long enough he'll take the hint and end the relationship. Then no doubt she'll complain that he took the decision away from her.

Now, if the rumours are to be believed, she's going to get pregnant and consider an abortion. The baby will be going to school before she finally makes a decision on whether to have a termination or not. Chesney's too good for her, Daniel's too good for her; at this moment in time, even the hateful ball of unpalatable spite and bile that is Adam Barlow is too good for her. Maybe some time on her own would give Sinead a bit of backbone, but until then, I'll continue to reach for the vodka every time her mithering fills my screen.