Former Hollyoaks storyliner Jon Boam, with a decade of experience writing soap murders, has criticised Coronation Street for breaking the golden rule of whodunnits by revealing Sarah Platt as Theo Silverton's killer. In an exclusive analysis, Boam argues that the show misled its audience by not including Sarah among the six official suspects, robbing viewers of the satisfaction of guessing correctly.
The buildup: a masterful tease
Coronation Street initially executed the murder mystery expertly, Boam acknowledges. The flash-forward of Betsy Swain discovering the body at Swarla's wedding was a master stroke, keeping viewers glued to their screens. The show also cleverly put targets on multiple villains, creating a 'Whogonnagetdun' rather than a simple whodunnit. The six suspects—Todd Grimshaw, George Shuttleworth, Christina Boyd, Summer Spellman, Gary Windass, and Danielle Silverton—were each given weekly spotlights, building suspense and paranoia.
The fatal mistake: Sarah as a rogue killer
However, Boam contends that the reveal of Sarah Platt as the murderer violated a fundamental rule: play fair with the audience. 'People can deal with being wrong. What they don't like is being misled,' he writes. By not including Sarah in the promotional materials and suspect line-up, the show robbed viewers of the simple pleasure of being correct. He compares this to EastEnders' 'Who Killed Lucy Beale?' where Bobby Beale was the culprit, a twist that undermined a ten-month marketing campaign.
Motive and consistency issues
Boam also questions the consistency of Sarah's character. 'If Sarah's capable of taking a life, shouldn't it be in a story of her own, not as a supporting character in someone else's?' he asks. He notes that Sarah had faced far worse villains—like Callum Logan, Nathan Curtis, and Damon—without resorting to murder, making her actions in this storyline seem out of character. He stresses the importance of working backwards: deciding the murderer from the start and making it obvious in hindsight.
Consequences and future fallout
Finally, Boam highlights the need for consequences in murder stories. He predicts that Sarah will likely avoid serious prison time, as Tina O'Brien is not expected to take a break. Instead, the fallout may come from her boyfriend, DS Kit Green, who could revert to his bent copper ways to protect her. Boam also foresees bitter infighting between Kit, Gary Windass, Maria, and Todd. He concludes that while the story is plotty, it could have been stronger if a suspect like George or Summer had been the killer, maintaining the integrity of the whodunnit format.
