One of Coronation Street’s most gripping plots in recent months has been the deep fractures inflicted on the historic Webster clan, mostly courtesy of bad-boy-we-love-to-hate, Carl Webster (Jonathan Howard).

 

 

The truth of the matter? Debbie is Carl’s actual mum, and is seemingly desperate to fix not only their relationship, but Carl himself. Our Deb is a (problematic) angel, but with Carl so far gone, is she his last chance at redemption?

Carl is pretty rotten, isn’t he? In fact, despite his (incredibly momentary) decision to own up to his role in the Corriedale pile up and save Debbie from a stretch at His Majesty’s Pleasure, he has shown very few redeeming features.

He emerged in Weatherfield and, almost immediately, set his sights on his brother, Kevin’s (Michael Le Vell) wife, Abi (Sally Carman-Duttine). His patented blend of that smouldering stare, cheeky grin and the air of excitement and danger that surrounds him had Abi weak at the knees, and Kevin’s paranoia and insecurities permeating his marriage all but shoved his wife into his brothers arms.

It’s not just bro-code he’s happy to break, though, he has little respect for the law either, setting up a fake MOT racket at Kev’s garage and later graduating to actual car theft to combat his debt.

But both of those things could be forgiven, right? He simply fell in love with the wrong woman and was pushed to desperate measures to raise cash fast?

When Kevin discovered the truth about Carl and Abi, kicking his wife out and sending her straight to Carl’s hotel room, he found himself in a very unnatural position: as a domesticated boyfriend. With all of the danger and naughtiness dead in the water, Carl wanted out, and began to use Debbie’s early-onset dementia systems to slyly fleece her of every penny she has.

When we thought that his cruelty could get no worse, he framed Debbie for the car pile up that left Billy Mayhew (Daniel Brocklebank) dead, switching seats with her and relying on the fact that she wouldn’t be able to remember that she wasn’t driving. She did, though, but still sought to cover up Carl’s guilt.

When he questioned why and learned the truth of his parentage, Carl responded viciously, tearing into Debbie and leaving her alone, wounded and in a puddle of her own tears in a scene that broke the hearts of viewers but it seemed, for perhaps the first time, that his vitriol stemmed from a place of pain and abandonment rather than spite.

Though unable to fully dispose of his cold veneer, it seemed Debbie’s revelation provoked an incredibly raw reaction and reached Carl in a place that, until now, had been inaccessible.

There’s absolutely no way back for the likes of Theo, who’s evil torture of Todd and killing of Billy make him irredeemable. Child abuser Megan is of the same ilk, there won’t, and shouldn’t, be any redemption for her. Carl, however, despite his villainous acts, isn’t a right off quite yet.

There’s a recurring theme of baddies and their mum’s being their redeeming feature, in real life and in fiction. Ronnie and Reggie Kray loved Violet more than anything. Norman Bates couldn’t let go of his mother, even after killing her.

Debbie, despite her own manipulative nature when she returned to the Street after a decades-long absence, has become a legend of the cobbles. A throwback to earlier Weatherfield icons with a modern twist, she’s a Northern woman who’s tough as nails when she needs to be, but vulnerable enough to display a true humanity and, thanks in no small part to Sue Devaney’s expert performance and natural warmth and charisma, has been taken into the hearts of soap viewers everywhere.

Battling the horrors of early onset dementia with a determination, grit and bravery that we adore in our Corrie heroines, while retaining her terrified humanity, I’m boldly proclaiming that Debbie will go down in history as one of soaps all-time leading ladies. The early chaos of her wedding, that toilet scene and the eventual turmoil when Carl stormed out on her – she ran the entire gamut of emotions in one episode, and took us all on the ride with her.

He must pay for his crimes. What he did to Tyrone and the death of Billy (though he’d arguably have survived if not for Theo) deserves some jail time, but after that? Could a new Carl emerge from the ashes of the old one with Debbie’s help? Could a mother’s love give him a new perspective on life? Would it encourage him to reconsider his selfish, take-no-prisoners way?

And if so, what will the impact of caring for a mum who’s dementia is progressing look like? Would feeling true, unconditional love for the first time bring out a side that previously seemed impossible? Or would the slow decline and potential of losing another mum reinforce his callous outlook?

Baddies have to have a shelf life. It’s a rule of soap. But we don’t want to see Carl go and, if he’s to stay, we’re gonna need some serious rehabilitation.

all of his Machiavellian glory, destroying the lives of his family in the pursuit of the two things he holds the most dear: sex and money.

Corrie is pretty full to the brim with baddies currently. Psychotic abuser Theo Silverton (James Cartwright), paedophile Megan Walsh (Beth Nixon) and replacing the old bunny boiler Becky Swain (Amy Cudden) is new bunny boiler Jodie Ramsey (Olivia Frances-Brown). Carl is, with the possible exception of Jodie, the most complex.

After an unhappy childhood with an uncaring mum, he’s previously admitted that he finds it difficult to show and accept love, clearly a hold-over from their fractious relationship. He was uncharacteristically emotional to learn that she’d passed away and that (supposed) sister, Debbie Webster (Sue Devaney), had blocked his final opportunity to make peace with her.