Ronnie Bailey (Vinta Morgan) is the latest male character to turn to crime in Coronation Street, as he plots to steal a car in upcoming episodes. The storyline continues a pattern that has seen several male residents become involved in criminal activity.
Ronnie has been part of the soap for some time, and the new plot sees him eye up Idris Nazir's (Junade Khan) car. He explains to Carl Webster (Jonathan Howard) that he is thinking about stealing it for Fiona, as he owes her for the missing gun.
Carl hands over the keys
In the pub, Carl appears and hands Ronnie the keys to Idris's car, having stolen them from his jacket. Later in the week, it appears Ronnie went through with the plan, as Idris reports his car as stolen.
Idris quickly accuses Ronnie of stealing the vehicle and punches him to the floor. In a surprising turn, Carl urges Ronnie not to seek revenge, as Debbie Webster (Sue Devaney) does not need any more stress.
Pattern of male criminals
Recent years have seen several male characters cause drama through criminality, including Theo Silverton (James Cartwright), teen troublemakers Mason Radcliffe (Luca Toolan) and Brody Michaelis (Ryan Mulbey), and Carl Webster himself. A few weeks ago, Tyrone Dobbs' (Alan Halsall) biological father Ross Wilkes (Ian Burfield) arrived and was revealed to be a dark and manipulative individual who raped Cassie Plummer (Claire Sweeney) when she was 15.
Soaps need darkness and villains, of course, but when it happens all the time with barely any warmth and humour to contrast, the genuinely dramatic moments inevitably begin to lose some of their impact. Whether Ronnie will listen to Carl's advice remains to be seen, but judging by the way other storylines have played out with male residents recently, potentially not.
