Nick Tilsley's (Ben Price) heart completely shatters in tonight's episode of Coronation Street as his son Sam Blakeman (Jude Riordan) is sectioned following a schizophrenia diagnosis. The devastating turn of events comes after Sam's descent into full-blown psychosis, which had been building for months.
Sam's Psychotic Breakdown
Last week saw poor Sam experience auditory and visual hallucinations, initially of Will Driscoll (Lucas Hodgson-Wale) threatening him. He then began hearing his family—dad Nick and step-mums Leanne and Toyah Battersby (Jane Danson and Georgia Taylor)—insulting him. His primary hallucination eventually took the form of a deeply sinister version of his friend Roy Cropper (David Neilson).
Using a combination of Macbeth quotes and threats, this 'Roy' rendered Sam a paranoid, terrified wreck. When Sam finally came face to face with both his vision and the real Roy, he reacted violently, striking the real Roy with a chair before fleeing.
Carla's Recognition
Sam was found by Carla Connor-Swain (Alison King), who had previously endured psychosis herself. She immediately recognised what was happening, as Sam firmly believed that Roy was trying to hurt everybody. Tipped off by Carla, Nick found Sam and finally saw first-hand how serious the situation had become.
'If Carla is saying it, and Carla has seen it and gone through it, there's a moment where I think Nick knows Carla enough to go, 'She's seen something properly,'' Ben said on Carla's realisation. 'Nick wasn't really aware of what was happening; it was very personal to Sam, almost. He's in his own world.'
'I think what happens for Nick is that the situation suddenly bridges the gap into becoming a bit dangerous. Sam has never been dangerous before. Nick sees a part in Sam that he's never seen before. Those moments, when Sam is showing something so different from how he has been, is the bit when Nick thinks, 'Oh, he's in real trouble.''
Hospital Admission
Forced to lie to Sam about where they were going, Nick drove him to the hospital, where they were met by Toyah and Leanne. Despite Sam's pleas to be taken home and his fear that the staff would try to 'lock him up', they took him in, aware that help was urgently needed.
Today's episode began with the three worriedly awaiting a consultation with the psychiatrist, who explained that they believe Sam is suffering from schizophrenia. Despite Nick's begging to be allowed to see his son, the psychiatrist made it clear that Sam had specifically requested that Nick not be allowed to visit him, breaking Nick even further.
Sam's Anger and Sectioning
When visited by Leanne and Toyah, Sam again pleaded to be taken home, accusing the staff of being out to get him. Despite the sisters' best attempts to calm him, Sam remained deeply trapped within his paranoia and delusion and lashed out. As he was guided back toward his room, he caught sight of Nick and announced that he hated him. As Nick's heart shattered into pieces, another blow came: Sam was to be sectioned.
Family Fallout
Later, David (Jack P Shepherd) and Sarah Platt (Tina O'Brien), Eva Price (Catherine Tyldesley), Ben Driscoll (Aaron McCusker), Leanne, and Toyah gathered to discuss what had happened. Nick, riddled with raw emotion, lashed out and demanded everybody leave.
While discussing things with David, Nick heard his brother out when he said that no matter what route they had taken, the end result would have been the same and Sam would have ended up needing emergency treatment in hospital.
Leanne's Visit
When Leanne visited Sam the following day, she was deeply alarmed by his apparent inability to hear or respond to her. Seeking advice from the psychiatrist, she learned that treatment for schizophrenia can take some time to ensure the right medication is used, and Sam's reaction was completely normal.
With time and proper treatment, will Sam be able to see that his dad acted out of love? How much more pain can Nick take? While life will clearly never be the same for the family, can they find a way to navigate their new reality?
