I’m a soaps expert and Coronation Street finally got Joel Deering’s murder whodunnit right after months of messiness
CORONATION Street has finally delivered a resolution to the Joel Deering murder storyline, ending months of messy twists and convoluted drama.
Friday night's episode of Coronation Street delivered a dramatic conclusion to the much-anticipated whodunnit storyline, finally revealing Joel Deering's (Calum Lill) murderer and the shocking circumstances of his death in a thrilling, Hollywood blockbuster-style episode.
The exciting episode saw a series of flashbacks from the night of Joel’s murder, interspersed with Kit’s police interviews.
Viewers of the ITV soap finally got the view from the bridge and discover who delivered the final blow that really killed Joel.
The reveal was one of the best in the soap's history.
The culprits were so obvious, yet fans failed to predict them.
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The buzz around the whodunnit storyline received mixed reactions from fans, with Joel’s apparent suicide feeling so random and sudden that no one saw it coming.
Most fans were convinced Joel had faked his death and gone on the run to avoid a trial, so when his body was identified, they were left even more confused.
The seven suspects were gradually revealed in brief flashbacks, which offered no real clues to the murder investigation and were deliberately cryptic.
Most of the suspects were newer characters on the street, making it harder for viewers to understand their backstories and motives.
Ed Bailey (Trevor Michael Georges), Uncle Ronnie (Vinta Morgan), bad boy Mason (Luca Toolan), and cops DS Lisa Swain (Vicky Myers) and DI Kit Green (Jacob Roberts) felt like random fillers thrown in to mislead viewers.
However, the reveal redeemed the storyline, bringing Joel's death to a satisfying conclusion, as the person he hurt the most finally got their revenge.
Additionally, having two culprits added an unexpected twist, elevating the drama and making the conclusion even more impactful.
Before the crucial reveal, we saw Joel get attacked by Dee-Dee Bailey (Channique Sterling-Brown).
It was an eventful night for Joel, with Ronnie and Ed pursuing him with a crowbar.
However, it was his ex-fiancé who ultimately attacked him, adding a shocking twist to the night’s events.
She had every right to lash out at Joel after his lies about his penchant for younger, underprivileged girls.
A guilt-ridden Dee-Dee confessed to her dad, Ed Bailey, and the police about hitting Joel on the head with a crowbar — which she later disposed of after wiping her fingerprints and his blood off it.
Ed assured her that she couldn't have killed Joel, as it was earlier in the night when she attacked him, and his body was found in the river later on.
Later, another suspect was ruled out as Joel's killer after he was threatened by Kit, but it was revealed he wasn't the one who killed him.
The crucial flashback on the bridge revealed that Lauren Bolton (Cait Fitton) delivered the fatal blow to Joel's head, killing him with rock, while he strangled Max Turner (Paddy Bever).
Then, Max had the idea to throw Joel's body into the canal to look like suicide, where he was later found unconscious.
Lauren being the murderer makes complete sense, as she had suffered the most at his hands, so it feels right that she delivered the fatal blow.
But with baby Frankie in the picture, handing herself in was never going to be straightforward.
When Lauren went missing in February of this year, it was later revealed that Joel was responsible, having abused his position as her duty solicitor, to subject her to a torrent of both physical and verbal abuse which led to her fleeing the street fearing for her life.
His evil deeds continued as he drugged Lauren in an attempt to abort his own son and reported her to social services for being a incompetent mother.
So obviously Lauren would be the prime suspect, but how did viewers overlook her?
With Frankie in hospital for a prolonged period of time, her storyline was paused, meaning she wasn't on-screen for weeks and other storylines took to the forefront.
From Carla Connor (Alison King) growing friendship with Lisa Swain, Mason's redemption, Kit pursuing Daisy Midgeley (Charlotte Jordan) and Paul Foreman's (Peter Ash) death.
The soap successfully made viewers forget about Lauren's ordeal as these other plots unfolded.
WHAT NEXT?
With Kit still handling Joel's case, he could become further entangled in the drama, balancing professional duty and personal vendettas.
Kit may find himself at a crossroads, having to decide whether to protect the truth for personal reasons or expose it, even if it means losing his position in the police force.
Meanwhile, Dee-Dee is struggling with the guilt of attacking Joel on the night he died, believing she is responsible for his death, and grapples with her conscience.
And being pregnant with Joel's baby makes the situation becomes even more complex.
It raises a crucial question for viewers: will she choose to keep the baby of the man who caused her so much pain?
Given that she was such a huge support to Lauren when Frankie was born, would Lauren confess to ease Dee-Dee's conscience?
Lauren is blaming herself for what happened.
She might feel the urge to hand herself in and confess, but that would leave Frankie an orphan and goes against Max's plea in his letter.
Soap's biggest whodunnits
EastEnders - Who shot Phil Mitchell?
The "Who Shot Phil?" storyline was a whodunit mystery that captured the attention of viewers and the media. The episode revealing the culprit was watched by 23 million viewers. Lisa Shaw, Phil Mitchell's former girlfriend and the mother of his child Louise, was revealed as the killer as Phil slept with Lisa's best friend. Phil forgave Lisa, and they agreed to keep the truth a secret.
Coronation Street - Who killed Tina McIntyre ?
The popular actress Michelle Keegan played Tina McIntyre for several years on the Cobbles, but she ended up being killed by Rob Donovan in a tragic turn of events back in 2014 when he chased her onto the balcony of the Builder's Yard. When she tried to leave, he pushed her and she fell off the roof, with Rob convinced he killed her. With Tina still alive, he attacked her with an iron bar but she survived that attack and was rushed to hospital as doctors tried to save her.
Emmerdale - Who pushed Emma Barton?
Emma was then pushed off a viaduct by Moira after she talked ill of her dead daughter Holly, who died of an overdose in October 2017. Although Moira was responsible for Emma's death, her son, Adam Barton, took the fall for the murder since he was already a prime suspect and he didn't want Isaac to grow up motherless.
Hollyoaks - Glove Hand Killer
The Gloved Hand Killer was a mystery serial killer, who claimed the lives of 7 characters between January and October 2015, all by injecting them with potassium chloride. The Gloved Hand Killer's targets were all people who had done wrong in some shape or form. There were 6 suspects for who the Gloved Hand Killer was, and the killer's identity was revealed in October 2015. It was revealed to be doctor Lindsey Butterfield who had been killing people at the hospital.
There could be a powerful moment of confrontation with the other characters, where Lauren reveals the truth about that fateful night.
This would shed light on her emotional state at the time, what drove her to kill, and how she was forced to make such a decision for her own survival.
But could anyone else be trusted with her secret?
GROWING CLOSE
Meanwhile, Lisa Swain will most likely seek out Joel's killer in an attempt to clear her own name.
And her growing friendship with Carla means she could help her.
But Carla witnessed Lauren and Max on the night of Joel's murder, so where will her loyalties lie?
Many fans are begging for Lisa and Carla to get together.
However, past lesbian storylines have ended tragically on the soap, such as when the factory roof collapsed on top of Rana Habeeb (Bhavna Limbachia) and she passed away on her wedding day to Kate Connor (Faye Brookes).
Could Carla and Lisa be heading for the same tragic fate?
As Max prepares to take the fall for Lauren, will David (Jack P Shepherd) and Shona (Julia Golding) uncover their secret?
FEELING THE PRESSURE
The guilt and trauma of killing Joel, combined with the fear of being exposed, could take a heavy toll on Lauren's mental health.
Similarly, The Six in EastEnders rallied together to hide Keanu Taylor's (Danny Walters) body after Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) stabbed him to save Sharon (Letitia Dean).
They hid the secret for a year with little people finding out, generating other storylines such as Linda's alcoholism and Denise's mental health.
Lauren may begin to unravel under the pressure of her guilt over Joel's death.
The longer she hides the truth, the more it could affect her mental health, relationships, and ability to function.
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And as Frankie gets older, will Lauren ever reveal the truth about what happened to his dad?
Coronation Street airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm ITV1 and is available in ITVX.