Opinion: Paul’s special episode was Corrie at its best

In tonight’s episode of Corrie (Friday 26 July), Paul and Billy experienced one more ‘last day of freedom’ together. This was a sad turning point in Paul’s story about ALS.

In these scenes, Paul spent time with his family, before contemplating ending his life at the end of the episode.

This is why I think Paul’s special episode was Corrie at its best. We’ll probably be talking about this for years to come.

Corrie: Paul Foreman’s special MND episode

Tonight’s hour-long episode of Coronation Street focused solely on Billy and Paul as they enjoyed one ‘last day of freedom’ before Paul was locked in his flat.

After being told he could no longer use his stair lift, Billy took Paul out to enjoy all of his favorite things one last time.

The couple revisited the church where they were both married, before heading to the Rovers to spend time with their loved ones. David even turned a pint into a fizzy mix so Paul could sample it without his feeding tube.

Back at the apartment and after seeing all of his family and friends, Paul spent some time alone with Billy.

He then played a song that made it clear to Billy that he wanted to end his life. Billy then begged Paul to reconsider.

As Billy continued with Paul’s plan, Chesney quickly interrupted by explaining that Carys had injured herself and gone to the hospital, and the rest of the children needed to be cared for.

Because Ches had unknowingly extended Paul’s life, Paul was soon moved by a heartfelt conversation he had with Joseph.

The next day, Paul told Joseph he would “see him soon.” He then told Billy he still wanted to end his life, but “not today.”

An emotional insight into MND

There’s no denying that tonight’s episode was difficult to watch, but that’s precisely what made it so impressive.

We’ve seen Paul struggle with his decline for a while now, but this episode gave us a specific insight into Paul’s perspective on living with the disease.

It allowed us to spend an hour in Paul’s shoes and see how his speech deteriorated. Paul’s voiceover highlighted the struggle he had with communicating with his loved ones. He desperately wanted to say how he felt, but couldn’t communicate with them.

That was especially difficult when Billy didn’t understand the most meaningful phrase: “I love you.”

These scenes sensitively portray what it is like for Paul to feel trapped in his own body as Paul’s decline affects every aspect of his life.

Corrie has done a fantastic job of portraying this story from the beginning. The soap aims to portray Paul’s ALS experience as realistically as possible.

No aspect of his storyline felt rushed, which makes tonight’s episode even more powerful. We’ve watched Paul struggle with so many symptoms over the past year, and his speech is now one of the last things to flag. It’s fair to say that emotions were running high as we watched these scenes play out.

A moment for Peter Ash

If there’s one actor who deserves every award right now, it’s Peter Ash.

Peter Ash has often been praised for his performance during Paul’s MND journey, and tonight those feelings are only confirmed.

Watching the episode, Peter’s portrayal of Paul’s struggle was believable from start to finish. Every aspect was heartbreakingly realistic and tugged at our heart strings.

Peter Ash has proven once again that he is a force to be reckoned with – and there will certainly be a huge and noticeable Peter Ash-shaped hole in the soap when he inevitably disappears. He has a very bright future in acting, that’s for sure.

Corrie, we’re not ready for Paul’s death yet

Tonight we came very close to losing Paul, watching him say goodbye to his loved ones and almost carry out his wish to end his life.

While Paul may have chosen not to die “today,” his impending death is inevitable and I am not emotionally ready for it. I don’t think I ever will be.

With an episode worthy of being in theaters tonight, how can Paul’s death episode possibly top this? We’ll have to wait and see…

Read more: Full Coronation Street 2024 cast list – meet them all here!

Coronation Street usually airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV.

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