Coronation Street fans have been praising the decision to involve Carla Connor-Swain in Sam Blakeman's psychosis storyline as his family finally discovered the extent of his suffering.
Those who follow the ITV soap know that the teen's mental health has been deteriorating ever since he discovered that teen Will Driscoll was being groomed by his coach and teacher, Megan Walsh.
Sam made the discovery, and when the pair realised what he knew, Megan threatened him into keeping it quiet. Having tried to catch Megan and Will out, Sam ended up in hospital after taking too many tablets not prescribed to him, and usually used for those with ADHD.
While in the hospital, he eventually confessed what he knew to step-mother Leanne Battersby and her sister, Eva Price, who is Will's stepmother. Megan immediately denied any wrongdoing, and with Will sticking to their story to protect her, the Driscolls were left trying to get justice.
Eventually, Will admitted what really happened with Megan, with the groomer now awaiting a trial after pleading not guilty to the charges against her.
It means Sam will likely have to give evidence, and the pressure he has been harbouring about his role in getting justice in the case has only continued to have a detrimental effect on him, with his visual and auditory hallucinations intensifying.
Just this week, Sam imagined he heard Roy urging him to take control and rid himself of Will once and for all. When Sam insisted he's not a violent person, Roy accused him of cowardice and declared their friendship over.
But things came to a head during Friday's (June 12) hour-long edition of Corrie when Sam ended up locking himself in the cafe, having heard Roy warning him that Will is going to kill him. After fleeing from the Rovers, with Will in pursuit, Roy found Sam in a terrible state, while Sam's dad Nick Tilsley and stepmums Leanne and Toyah Battersby shouted through the door in a bid to get to him.
Suddenly, a terrified Sam was thrown by the fact that he can see two versions of Roy: the real Roy and the vision Roy. He didn't know who to believe and in a momentary outburst, listened to the fake Roy, throwing a chair across the room, at the real Roy. But by the time his family gained access to the cafe, Sam had run off and Roy was found injured on the floor.
It was then Carla who eventually found Sam in the precinct. Seeing something was wrong, she tried to comfort him while secretly contacting Nick. The Underworld factory boss recognised Sam was suffering from psychosis, something she also struggled with in the past. But when Nick arrived, Sam freaked out and ended up being tackled by Nick.
Eventually, an exhausted Sam fell asleep in the car, but when he woke up, he was horrified to see that they were at Weatherfield General. As the scenes unfolded, Corrie fans were keen to share their praise for Jude Riordan, who plays Sam, and many were also moved by Carla's role in getting Sam the help he needs.
@sadpphicss said: "The similarities are heartbreaking. The fact that Carla was the one who realised what's happening to Sam and helped him is so important." @Izzy1728047 commented: "This is brilliant, acknowledging what Carla went through and why she is the only person who can understand Sam is an absolute gold move from #Corrie. This storyline is my favourite one right now, it's been amazing so far and now with Carla involved. Top tier writing."
@swoosh286 shared: "The moment Sam said 'they're coming for me' Carla was taken right back to how she felt going through the exact same thing, you could see it flashing before her eyes! So sad but beautifully done by Ali and Jude." @TheConnorSwains wrote: "Thank god for Carla Connor-Swain… she gets it like no one else ever could."
@LadyReignFC posted: "Gorgeous Carla scenes today. So glad they gave this moment to her. She was so good with Sam." @mishybabez_ added: "Today's Corrie was incredible! Jude and Alison were both fantastic. I'm glad Carla was there for Sam."
