The following article contains spoilers from Friday, January 16’s episode of Coronation Street. It hasn’t aired on ITV1 yet, but can be viewed on ITVX.
Taking the fall for a weapons grade scumbag like Carl Webster (Jonathan Howard) has consequences. Debbie Webster (Sue Devaney) is about to experience those consequences during an explosive conflict in Coronation Street.
Debbie is Carl’s biggest – and only – defender. Even though he had a torrid affair with Kevin Webster’s (Michael Le Vell) wife Abi Webster (Sally Carmine-Duttine), all she wanted was her two brother to bury the hatchet for her wedding day. Despite the fact that Carl’s been taking advantage of her dementia to treat the Chariot Hotel’s business bank accounts like his personal piggy bank, she won’t hear a word against him.
Most terribly and damningly of all, Carl caused the catastrophic Corriedale carcrash by drowning his sorrows and driving drunk. This resulted in the tragic death of Weatherfield’s favourite beardy man of God, the Reverend Billy Mayhew (Daniel Brocklebank). Was this the rock bottom Carl needed to hit to change his ways and finally take accountability for his actions?
Of course not. This is Soapland. He slid his unconscious sister into the driving seat and used her dementia to gaslight Debbie into believing she’d been behind the wheel the whole time. Even for the Worst Webster, that was a new low.
Nonetheless, Debbie diligently stuck by Carl’s side and against all advice from family and friends, pled guilty to causing Billy’s death by dangerous driving. This was an infuriating decision that left viewers wondering why in the world Debbie was willing to sacrifice so much for her worthless brother.
That’s easy. Carl’s not her brother at all. He’s her son.
This truth bomb was dropped while Debbie was getting nostalgic over a box of keepsakes, where she found a baby’s hospital band with the label “Carl, 15-12-1986. Mother: Deborah Webster.”
This new revelation definitely explains Debbie’s unwavering support for Carl and why she’s prepared to go to prison for him. What she might not be prepared for however, is the explosive fallout she’s about to face on the Cobbles.
The lost of Billy has hit the residents of Coronation Street hard, and none more so than Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby). Billy was her adoptive father, who he looked after like his own and invited into his home when he was still with Todd Grimshaw (Gareth Pierce). His death has left Summer’s been grief-stricken. Now Debbie has taken responsibility for the crash, that grief is turning to rage. By the time tomorrow’s episode is over, Debbie will wish that she was already in prison…
Friday’s visit to the Cobbles sees Todd and Summer overwhelmed when George Shuttleworth (Tony Maudsley) receives Billy’s body at the Funeral Director’s.
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After viewing Billy’s body, Summer is struggling to make sense of his death as she angrily vents to Asha Alahan (Tanisha Gorey). ‘Debbie Webster killed Billy!’ She cries. ‘And I hope she rots in prison for the rest of her life!’
Meanwhile, Debbie is spending the day calmly getting her affairs in order and asks Ronnie Bailey (Vinta Morgan) to look after Carl while she’s in prison. Ever the doting husband, Ronnie feels duty bound to do so. But later in the cabin, he hears Mary Taylor (Patti Clare) discussing the accident with Asha and gets overwhelmed with emotion. It’s up to his brother Ed Bailey (Trevor Michael Georges) to talk him down and encourage him to be there for Debbie.
Then later, as Debbie and Ronnie go for a walk, they share a sweet moment together and end up laughing… just in time for Summer and Todd to walk by. Disgusted , Summer rails at the injustice of Debbie getting to enjoy life when Billy is dead because of her. ‘Death by dangerous driving?’ She shouts. ‘You’re disgusting! It should be murder!
Then, in a moment of pure rage, Summer slaps Debbie hard in the face. Ronnie tries to intervene and tell her that’s enough. But Summer screams back ‘It’s nowhere near enough! She killed my dad!’
As a sobbing Summer storms off, a despairing Debbie can only reply ‘She’s right. I deserve it.’
When will the truth come out?
