Joel is no longer alive.
In Coronation Street’s episode from last night, it was revealed that another villain from the soap opera has passed away, sending Joel Deering to an early grave. And that seems to be a very conclusive conclusion to Joel and his misdeeds, unless he somehow staged his death—a possibility that can never be discounted in soap opera land.
Joel may not have escaped (criminal) punishment, but there is still the issue of who killed him to resolve. He did not face any consequences for his attempts to forcefully abort Lauren’s pregnant child or for his grooming of her.
Joel is now the most recent Weatherfield offender to pass away rather than face punishment in jail. By doing this, he becomes one of the many abusers, wannabe gangsters, and serial killers who passed away before receiving the just punishment for their crimes.
Joel is now the most recent Weatherfield offender to pass away rather than face punishment in jail. By doing this, he becomes one of the many abusers, wannabe gangsters, and serial killers who passed away before receiving the just punishment for their crimes.
Coronation Street fans fuming as Joel Deering’s body is found
Fans were incensed with Joel’s abrupt departure, writing on X as the program aired. Many were upset that he had not received any real punishment for his crimes—aside from the fact that he was dead.
A fan expressed their anger, writing, “If Joel is dead, then I am FURIOUS because Stephen and Joel were both so evil and neither got what they truly deserved.”
“I’m a little miffed that Joel passed away. Another person added, “I wanted the satisfaction of a judge telling him what an evil man he is.”
Joel was eliminated far too soon. Before he was imprisoned, I wanted him to be a frightening presence for several months or years. Not another whodunit,” a third horrified watcher exclaimed.
Another commented, “Killing Joel off like this feels kind of anti climactic after everything.”
Was Joel’s passing a pointless waste?
Coronation Street villains: Stephen Reid
The actions of Canadian serial killer Stephen Reid occupied a significant portion of Coronation Street in the previous year. During his tragic siege at the Rovers, he drugged Carla Connor, held Jenny captive, and murdered three people (as well as attempting to kill the stupid Tim Metcalfe).
Viewers had been hopeful that a court in Weatherfield would take a stern stand against the serial killer after spending so much time investigating Stephen’s misdeeds. That was not to be, though, as a furious Peter Barlow ran Stephen over, bringing about his demise.
Coronation Street villains: Geoff Metcalfe
radio in hospitals Yasmeen Nazir’s violent partner was DJ Geoff Metcalfe. As they got closer, the man’s darker tendencies came to the surface, hiding behind his corny manner.
He mistreated and brutally tortured Yasmeen for several months, even going so far as to convince her that he had killed and prepared her cherished pet chicken. He staged a burglary and used his manipulations to get control over her finances, all the while convincing her that he was dealing with (faked) health issues. He also set up cameras in Yasmeen’s house to better spy on her, foreshadowing Emmerdale’s current narrative of coercive control.
2020 saw Geoff lose his cool and brandish a knife at Yasmeen. When she used a wine bottle as a weapon in retaliation, he twisted the facts to portray her as the aggressor. A few months later, while trying to kill Yasmeen by burning, Geoff failed and fell off No. 6’s rooftop, despite Yasmeen’s best efforts to save him.
Any hope of Geoff being held accountable for his actions vanished along with him.
Pat Phelan
One of the most repulsive characters on the soap opera was the monstrous builder Pat Phelan, who amassed a history of violent offenses that included murder, rape, and kidnapping.
The ethically bankrupt billionaire went on to a relationship with Eileen Grimshaw after forcing Owen Armstrong out of his company and used extortion to force Anna Windass to have a sexual relationship with him. After frightening her son Jason away to Thailand, Pat’s misdeeds got worse: after witnessing a guy suffer a heart attack, he killed three more people.
2018 saw the end of Pat’s terror reign when Eileen and daughter Nicola betrayed him, leading him to stage his own demise after he was thought to have drowned at sea. Later on, he went back to face Anna Windass one last time, only to have her knife him to death.
Richard Hillman
Maybe the most recognizable villain from the soap opera is serial killer Richard Hillman. The smooth-talking financial advisor made his debut on the soap opera in 2001. After marrying Gail Platt, he eventually killed three people.
Richard made the decision to take his own and his family’s lives after his misdeeds were made public. He loaded his bound-and-gagged wife and children into the car and drove directly toward the nearby canal, kidnapping Gail, David, and Sarah.
But Richard managed to kill himself only. For better or ill, his untimely demise provides a model for many years to come when it comes to soap opera finales.
Tony Gordon
Tony Gordon, a Scottish businessman, is one of the few soap opera villains who is brought to jail for his crimes, only to die and escape afterwards. Tony suffered a heart attack in front of Roy Cropper and admitted to killing love rival Liam Connor after discovering he had an affair with fiancée Carla.
After escaping the heart attack, Tony made an attempt to quiet Roy. But he turned himself in to the police, and they put him on trial for murder.
Tony’s sentence was not permanent because he later broke out and went back to Weatherfield to harass Carla even more. Tony died after lighting the factory on fire and letting himself be killed in the resulting explosion, following a week-long siege at Underworld.
John Stape
Following his extramarital affair with student Rosie Webster, hapless serial killer John Stape found himself in legal hot water. John lost it and blamed Rosie for his relationship’s breakdown with Fiz. Rosie was abducted by him, and he held her captive in his attic for a few weeks.
Despite being detained and imprisoned by the state for this offense, John was back on the streets by 2009. He took on a false identity (hello, Colin Fishwick) and made amends with Fiz, getting married and starting his teaching career again.
John, regrettably, was unable to maintain his double life for very long. John initially allowed Fiz to suffer the fallout for his misdeeds after killing two individuals in order to hide his secret. Then he abducted Rosie Webster once more. This would prove to be his undoing, as he was killed in an automobile pursuit while attempting to elude her father, Kevin.
Hope, his daughter, carries on his heritage.
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