Ronnie Bailey (Vinta Morgan) is set to become the latest male character on Coronation Street to turn to crime, as spoilers reveal he plans to steal Idris Nazir's (Junade Khan) car to repay Fiona for the missing gun.
The storyline, airing next week, sees Ronnie eyeing up Idris's car and explaining to Carl Webster (Jonathan Howard) that he is considering stealing it because he owes Fiona for the missing weapon. In the pub, Carl appears and hands Ronnie the keys to Idris's car, having stolen them from his jacket. The plan appears to go through, as Idris later reports his car as stolen.
Ronnie's plan backfires as Idris confronts him
Idris quickly accuses Ronnie of stealing the vehicle and punches him to the floor. The confrontation leaves Ronnie with a decision to make, and surprisingly, Carl takes on the role of the voice of reason. Carl implores Ronnie not to seek revenge, reminding him that Debbie Webster (Sue Devaney) doesn't need any more stress.
The question remains whether Ronnie will listen to Carl's advice, but judging by how other storylines have played out with male residents recently, it seems unlikely.
Pattern of male criminality on the cobbles
Ronnie's descent into criminality is part of a concerning trend on Coronation Street, where male characters are frequently being written into crime storylines. In recent years, viewers have seen Theo Silverton (James Cartwright), teen troublemakers Mason Radcliffe (Luca Toolan) and Brody Michaelis (Ryan Mulbey), and Carl Webster (Jonathan Howard) all cause drama in one way or another.
Just a few weeks ago, Tyrone Dobbs' (Alan Halsall) biological father Ross Wilkes (Ian Burfield) arrived on the cobbles, and it quickly emerged that he was a dark and manipulative individual who raped Cassie Plummer (Claire Sweeney) when she was 15.
Soaps need darkness but need contrast too
Soaps need darkness, of course. They need villains, criminals and characters who make terrible decisions – that is part of what makes them so compelling. However, when it happens all of the time, and with barely any warmth and humour to contrast, the genuinely dramatic moments inevitably begin to lose some of their impact.
Ronnie has been part of the Coronation Street landscape for a little while now, so the prospect of seeing him pulled into this pattern is all the more disappointing. At this point, viewers just want characters who can simply be characters, without every new storyline having to uncover a dark secret or plunge them into criminality.
