police

Initially assuming that Becky had been in a coma, Lisa was reeling to hear she had actually been in Spain under witness protection from a gang, and that the real Tia Wardley’s body had been claimed as hers.

We’ve known for some time that all was not as it seemed regarding Becky. But, with the ITV soap leaning so heavily on its police set and criminal chaos of late, it rendered the saga slow and stale.

Then, coming face-to-face with the wife she thought had been dead for the last four years, all eyes were firmly on Lisa; and Myers gave a showstopping performance that turned the entire plot around.

Viewers are used to actors portraying shock week after week, as soap land would be quiet and unusual without it.

What Myers achieved here, though, was to transcend the genre and make us truly care about the resurrection of a character we had never known until now.

Although Lisa won us over way back when she secured the conviction of killer Corey Brent (Maximus Evans), she has since clocked up quite the fanbase after being made a regular on the cobbles, and falling for Carla.

So it’s safe to say we were gripped by Lisa’s plight, as she journeyed from shaken widow, right through to traumatised witness and an outraged, protective mother.

The range of emotions spanning across one episode was something we hadn’t had the opportunity to see from Lisa, and both the script and the actress leading it gave their all, creating the most captivating instalment of Coronation Street in months.

Not only has the Becky reveal moved the story on at last, her arrival has elevated it, and amid all the corruption surrounding dodgy DI Costello, we’re back to character-driven drama with Lisa right at the very heart of it.

It’s a welcome change of direction, and with newcomer Cudden delivering a strong debut, we’re now ready to find out what kind of person Becky really is.

Although Becky’s presence is sure to complicate the ‘Swarla’ relationship, with the actress recently describing her alter ego’s opinion on Carla, Lisa kept Carla fully involved in the aftermath, and it’s a breath of fresh air to finally take Lisa out of her comfort zone.

Usually seen either at the police station, bickering with daughter Betsy (Sydney Martin) or enduring setbacks with Carla caused by her own struggles, Lisa now has the answers she’s been seeking, and more backstory than the limited, off-screen edition.

It’s not that we didn’t believe in what we’d been told, but it was difficult to engage with the mystery of Becky’s death and whether or not she was a rogue officer.

Being able to get to know Becky, and having an extra layer to add to Lisa’s persona, makes this arc all the more authentic.

Lisa’s explosive scenes have revived what started out as a mini-recreation of Line of Duty, transforming it into a worthy exploration of a popular Coronation Street mainstay’s psyche.

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