Coronation Street viewers compare soap to Saw horror franchise as Phelan persuades broken Andy to kill Vinny – before killing him too

CORRIE viewers have compared evil Pat Phelan to movie killer Jigsaw from the Saw franchise following tonight's intense double episodes - that saw him persuade Andy Carver to kill Vinny, before finishing Andy off himself.

Phelan was seen persuading a brainwashed and mentally-unstable Andy Carver to kill fellow prisoner Vinny in a dilapidated paper factory - and fans of the soap couldn't help feeling Halloween must indeed be just around the corner.

Fans were suggesting the writer of the episode might have been watching the Saw movies a little too much as they saw Phelan's sick torture of Andy reach a horrifying climax.

The Saw films involve a twisted serial killer, Jigsaw, who disposes of his victims by making them "play a little game" - which can involve removing their own limbs or shooting someone else to escape death.

And Coronation Street certainly seemed darker than usual tonight - with Nicola Rubinstein also learning her dad Phelan actually raped her mother rather than, as he claimed, having a fling with her.

But the most disturbing moment came when the twisted villain was heard telling the sobbing wreck Andy to kill Vinny, whispering: "It's the only way, kid."

As he's spent months as Phelan's prisoner, failing to escape his grasp on numerous occasions, Andy had by this point lost his mind and seemed to believe Vinny had killed his dad Michael.

After driving the men to a terrifying warehouse, Scouse psycho Pat eventually gave Andy a gun and persuaded him to kill Vinny.

But then, when Andy turned the gun on him - and started saying that Pat has "changed" and is not capable of killing - Pat snapped and shot Andy himself, bringing the body count to two.

Phelan then dumped the bodies in a river - and planted jewellery as evidence at wife Eileen's taxi firm office.

The episode's ending, that saw Phelan rejoin wife Eileen and pals in the Rovers, suggested he will frame former rape victim Anna Windass for attempted murder.

This is the first time Pat has shot s Weatherfield resident dead though we have seen him rape, kidnap, cheat and torture people.

Just hours before the murders Pat he was lying through his teeth - denying raping Nicola's mum during a tense row in the park, calling the night he conceived Nicola a "transaction".

When Nicola walked a way, calling him an "evil rapist", Phelan screamed and seemed more unhinged than ever before.

Actor Connor McIntyre has said the character will get his comeuppance but warned fans that more "lively" scenes like these could occur beforehand.

Many viewers were so put off by the murder scenes they tweeted that they would not be watching again, with one viewer branding the episodes "predictable, boring and nasty".

Things looked like they were only going to get more insane - with at least one person dying - as Phelan seemed to be losing his grip on reality after Nicola's rejection.

• Coronation Street airs Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights on ITV

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