Archive

“Coronation Street” recap: How Sophie Webster got sorted into Gryffindor

Last time: The Hogwarts Express took everyone to a wedding! Oh, and Sophie and Sian got outed.

This time: I’m going to need a minute; I’m still crying.

Deep breath.

Okay.

Before Sophie and Sian, I’d never heard of Coronation Street, and even after I started listening to murmurs about a lesbian storyline, I didn’t pay much attention. I gathered the basics: 50 year old soap geared toward an older, more conservative audience decides to explore a teen character’s sexuality. But I am so jaded by the false promise of these kinds of storylines (thanks, America!) and so accustomed to soaps being a lightning rod for less-than-stellar acting and writing (thanks again, America!) that I just glossed over the whole thing.

When I finally did decide to give it a go, I was really surprised with the caliber of the acting and writing. I was surprised at the sweetness of Sophie and Sian, both as individual characters and as a couple. And I was shocked that I actually started caring about them. Like really caring about them. The way you do when characters become more than one-dimensional vessels for ad revenue.

The mistake I made, from the very beginning, was listening to people compare Skins to Corrie – because immediately my hackles got raised on account of how can anyone anywhere on any plane of the space-time continuum think that anything could ever be as awesome as Naomi and Emily? But I see now that you can’t compare them because they’re not the same commodity.

Skins is a show about the very real phenomenon of teenagers forming their own urban families. The entire premise is heightened reality, and there are very few adults who are not caricatures. They serve their purpose, these adults, by adding weight to the friendships and they lend that absurd comedy that only the British can pull off. Naomi and Emily are my favorite TV couple ever, and I’d bet all the gold in my Gringotts vault that they’ll remain my favorite TV couple for all eternity. If narrative really is a lightning rod, Naomily was the perfect storm. But now I see that there’s really no need to compare them with Sophie and Sian at all. Because Coronation Street is a whole other thing.

For one thing, it is written for a wider, older audience – and that doesn’t give the lesbian storylines any more gravity, but it does change the social impact. Not in magnitude, but in bearing. And for another thing, the exploration of coming out and living out as teenagers within a community that has practically raised you is not the kind of storyline I have ever seen explored. I mean, it’s kind of revolutionary.

The adults on Corrie are an integral part of the story. Yes, we see through the eyes of Sophie and Sian as they work out their own self-acceptance while they’re working out their relationship, and we can never underestimate the impact that has on gays and lesbians at any age of life. But also we see the story through the eyes of a community of adults – especially in this episode – and the acting and writing is nuanced enough that I’m actually really, seriously moved by the whole thing. Like, I just felt lucky to have the opportunity watch it.

In case you’ve forgotten, here’s the wedding transportation!

Inside the Hogwarts Express, Sally is still having a full-on fit on Claire. Outside, Sian is panicked because she thinks her dad is going to find out about her and Sian now that Claire has shouted their lesbianism to everyone within a ten-kilometer radius. I don’t know if now is the right time to say it, but I kind of think Sophie should be like, “Sian, darling, you don’t have a father.” Or, “Sian, sweetheart, you have a father but he doesn’t love you. Like at all. If he did, he would have come to the hospital when your internal organs ruptured.” You know? I mean, yeah, that’s sad or whatever. But on the bright side: Your dad – real or imagined! – doesn’t care if you’re gay!

Sally bounces off the train and says not to worry, that everyone knows Claire is nuts.

Inside the church, Gay Sean and his friend decide they actually do want Sophie and Sian to be together. “Juliet and Juliet!” Shawn says (and so did Nikki Wade on Bad Girls! Helen Stewart, mmm!). And then they sing “Teenager in Love” with spirit fingers and jazz hands, and I start packing a bag to move to Manchester for real.

While the choir readies for the ceremony, Sophie and Sian lez it up outside about their feelings. It’s actually kind of heartbreaking. Sophie reaches out to touch Sian’s arm in a gesture of comfort and Sian smacks it away because what will people say? She says everything is all effed up now, that they’ll be under a microscope, that they won’t get to see each other as much, that maybe she should just move back to Southpaw (with her supposed Mother). Sophie tells her not to talk like that, but Sian bolts for the church.

Outside, Sophie gets a face full of Claire who shouts about how Sophie is a shit Christian because she lied and let everyone think Claire was a mental basket. And I actually like that delineation: Sophie’s spirituality, which is kind of a big part of her story, isn’t called into question because of her sexuality. In fact, no one on the show so far has asserted a dichotomy between her sexuality and spirituality. Claire calls it into question because of the lying and lack of compassion.

Sophie joins Sian inside the church while the choir sings “Lean on Me,” and it’s so poignant: the lyrics and how they’re looking at each other in turn with all their fears and hope and love and turmoil just right at the surface.

This wedding, as I understand it, is historic because Hayley is a transsexual character who used to be called Harold. And Roy’s toast at the reception is the sweetest thing possibly ever.

It is 11 years since we last registered to be married, and we were informed that we could not. We have remained still, and the world has turned, to meet us. My message to you, Hayley, is this: the world can change its rules, its laws, and its opinions, as frequently as it chooses. But I will remain standing beside you. That will not change.

Sophie and Sian exchange glances across the toast because what if that could be their reality too? What if they could remain steadfast in their love for one another and the world could turn to embrace their relationship with open arms?

Man. I cannot believe this is happening on actual television.

Rosie busts up the sap by explaining the societal benefits of having lesbians around: More dudes for her! Sian’s face when she says it, and then she just rests her weary gay head on her champagne flute.

Sophie convinces her family to leave the wedding early. (How did they get back home? Does the Hogwarts Express make trips on demand? Or – ooh! – Knight Bus, probably!) When they get home, Sally says she’ll take Sian home, and when Sophie and Sian dance around and act awkward, Sally goes, “Oh, go on and hug. No one thinks you’re not normal around here!” She leaves to fetch her car keys and Sophie hugs Sian with so much tenderness and just absolute terror that Sian is about to bolt for Southpaw that it kind of breaks me. She closes her eyes and whispers “I love you,” willing it to be enough to make Sian be brave.

After Sian leaves, Sophie sits with her dad on the couch. He sweetly says that if something happened the night of the babysitting, that she can tell him, that he’s going to love her no matter what. She thinks he’s talking about Sian, but actually he’s talking about Aadi. He says he knows her better than anyone. She goes upstairs to try to find some peace away from prying eyes, but comes back and snuggles into her dad on the couch.

What happens next is kind of perfect:

Sophie: Dad, you know what you were saying before, about how you know me? [voice breaking] You don’t.

Kevin: So something did happen that night?

Sophie: No, not with Aadi.

Kevin: Eh?

Sophie: People just shouldn’t think bad of Claire. You know, it’s been so stressful.

Kevin: She shouldn’t hit out, telling lies.

Sophie: She didn’t; I’m so sorry.

Kevin: Sorry?

Sophie: Pease don’t hate me, Dad.

Kevin: Tell me what it is, sweetheart; if you don’t tell me, I can’t help.

Sophie: Me and Sian, what Claire said: it’s true. We’re together.

And that, dear Reader, is how Sophie Webster got sorted into Gryffindor.

Lesbian Apparel and Accessories Gay All Day sweatshirt -- AE exclusive

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Back to top button