There was bloodshed on the Coronation Street cobbles in Wednesday's episode (January 25) as Alya Nazir was shockingly stabbed by a crazed knifeman intent on killing Councillor Maria Connor. Fans of the ITV soap have seen Maria become the target of an extremist group led by eco-warrior Griff Reynolds and his racist gang who groomed troubled teen Max Turner.
The storyline appeared to have ended recently when the gang planted a van containing a bomb in the middle of the street. They were thwarted thanks to Alya who drove the Speed Daal van to an area of wasteland before it blew up.
In the latest shocking twist to the story, bully Blake went to an event organised to highlight the Weatherfield refugee drop in centre Councillor Connor has been campaigning for, vowing to make her pay for helping others. Meanwhile, Max was tuning in to Blake's racist rant online and raced to the scene when the fellow teen revealed a knife in the video.
READ MORE:
Max raced to Speed Daal in an attempt to warn everyone, only for Maria's husband Gary Windass, who still has no time for him, to block him. Max could only watch from the doorway as Blake ran towards Maria and Alya brandishing the knife.
When Alya spotted what was happening she jumped in front of Blake and he stabbed her in the stomach. Alya was cradled by her gran Yasmeen before being rushed to hospital for a life-saving operation. A distraught Yasmeen was told she had suffered a punctured lung.
@adjalf1 took to Twitter to ask: "How many times is Alya gonna get injured during this stupid storyline? End this farce now!" And @RKTovey wondered: "Flipping eck how many times is Alya going to face death?"
@LeceWoody tweeted: "Not flippin’ Aliya again. I’m so over some of these ridiculous storylines. She’ll be wrestling Sharknado next!" @DavidMackayy ranted: "Alya has literally been exploded by a bomb and now she’s been stabbed, ridiculous, she’s like the terminator, she keeps coming back." And @HartleyZakarias joked: "Alya will be discharged and in the gym by midnight. In fact she will recover in the back of that ambulance."
@AvniDhir said: "#Corrie that was pretty scary tonight poor Alya shes having bad time recently." and @mynameisbrooke said: "It’s been a bad few weeks to be Alya hasn’t it."
@mishybabez_exclaimed: "So gripping! Poor Alya she cant catch a break bless her." And @trevorsroyle applauded: "I think I’m in love with Alya for always risking her life for others."
@FillsWhales joked: "Next week, Alya will have an anvil dropped on her head from a great height." @liadaksy predicted: "Alya will survive only to visit the hospital again in a month." And @a___w89 decided: "I’m beginning to think Alya is a cat with 9 lives."
READ NEXT:
Corrie star Georgia Taylor "so fit" as she shows off "gorgeous" new hairstyle
Happy Valley fans feel awkward as they all notice same problem with Tommy Lee-Royce makeover
The attack marks the climax of the recent hard hitting storyline which has highlighted the grooming of disenfranchised and impressionable young men. The storyline encompassed the "traditional" recruitment techniques of extremists groups, as viewers saw Max befriended in person by older, mentor-like figures that gave him a sense of loyalty and brotherhood.
Max became more estranged from his family and fell under the spell of Griff who used Max’s video and computer skills to spread their racist propaganda.
When Max realised the true nature of Griff’s actions he alerted the residents to a bomb planted in Speed Daal's van and Alya saved dozens of lives when she drove the van away from the street. But in a shocking twist for the teenager he is arrested this week as Blake made it clear that it was Max’s videos that inspired him to carry out the shocking attack.
In upcoming episodes we will see Max try to come to terms with the consequences of his actions and his attempts to explain his involvement with the group to David and the police, as he faces a lengthy jail sentence for incitement to commit murder.
Producer Iain Macleod said: “We are exploring a very 21st Century problem: teenagers self-radicalising through watching extreme content online. In the end, we wanted this to be a story about communication within families - what are the right and wrong ways to talk to younger family members who are gravitating towards extreme views?”
READ NEXT:
