Nick Tilsley (Ben Price) has only just realised how deeply unwell his son, Sam Blakeman (Jude Riordan), has become, but in tonight’s episode of Coronation Street, he finally realised how life changing the illness could prove to be.
Last week saw poor Sam descend into full-blown psychosis after months of auditory and visual hallucinations, firstly of Will Driscoll (Lucas Hodgson-Wale) threatening him, then hearing his family, dad Nick and step mums Leanne and Toyah Battersby (Jane Danson and Georgia Taylor) insulting him, before his primary hallucination took the form of a deeply insidious version of Sam’s friend, Roy Cropper (David Neilson).
Using a combination of Macbeth quotes and threats, ‘Roy’ rendered Sam a paranoid, terrified wreck, and when he finally came face to face with both his vision and the real Roy, he reacted violently, striking the real Roy with a chair before fleeing.
He was found by Carla Connor-Swain (Alison King), who, having previously endured psychosis, recognised immediately what was happening, as Sam firmly believed that Roy was trying to hurt everybody.
Tipped off by Carla, Nick found Sam and finally saw, first-hand, how serious the situation had become.
‘If Carla is saying it, and Carla has seen it and gone through it, there’s a moment where I think Nick knows Carla enough to go, ‘She’s seen something properly,’ Ben said on Carla’s realisation.
‘Nick wasn’t really aware of what was happening; it was very personal to Sam, almost. He’s in his own world.
‘I think what happens for Nick is that the situation suddenly bridges
the gap into becoming a bit dangerous. Sam has never been dangerous before. Nick sees a part in Sam that he’s never seen before.
‘Those moments, when Sam is showing something so different from how he has been, is the bit when Nick thinks, ‘Oh, he’s in real trouble’.’
Forced to lie to Sam about where they were going, Nick drove him to the hospital, where they were met by Toyah and Leanne. Despite Sam’s pleas to be taken home and that the staff would try to ‘lock him up’, they took him in, aware help was urgently needed.
Today’s episode began with the three worriedly awaiting a consultation with the psychiatrist who explains that they believe Sam is suffering from schizophrenia.
Despite his begging to be allowed to see his son, the psychiatrist makes it perfectly clear that Sam has specifically requested that Nick not be allowed in to visit him, breaking him even further.
When visited by Leanne and Toyah, Sam again pleads with them to be taken home, accusing the staff of being out to get him. Despite the sister’s best attempts to calm him, Sam is deeply trapped within his paranoia and delusion and lashes out.
As he’s guided back toward his room, he catches sight of Nick, announcing that he hates him. As Nick’s heart shatters into pieces, another blow comes: Sam is to be sectioned.
Later, David (Jack P Shepherd) and Sarah Platt (Tina O’Brien), Eva Price (Catherine Tyldesley), Ben Driscoll (Aaron McCusker), Leanne, Toyah gather to discuss what’s happened, when Nick, riddled with raw emotion, lashes out, demanding everybody leave.
Later, while discussing things with David, he hears his brother out when he says that, no matter what route they’d taken, the end result would’ve been the same and Sam would’ve ended up needing emergency treatment in hospital.
When Leanne visits Sam the following day, she’s deeply alarmed by his apparent inability to either hear or respond to her and, seeking advice from the psychiatrist, who explains that treatment for schizophrenia can take some time to ensure the right medication is used, and Sam’s reaction is completely normal.
With time and proper treatment, will Sam be able to see his dad acted out of love? How much more pain can Nick take? While life will clearly never be the same for the family, can they find a way to navigate their new reality?
