Simon Sez

Simon sez sorry; Simon says dad says only cowards hit women. Then Simon goes off and strikes a woman – his mother – again. Kicks, hard shoves, nearly fists.

So not one scene, but all with Simon all week. Amy Barlow has long been the child who made me tense up every time she came on the screen – not knowing what she might do. Now it’s Simon. My favourite Corrie kid, he frightens me.

No matter how many times he reverts to the scared child and pleads with Leanne for forgiveness, no matter how many times she forgives and consoles, next minute he’s turning on her, verbally and too often physically.

It’s difficult, just the two of them. A boy approaching adolescence, wanting to establish himself as a person independent of his mother. A boy who has experienced so much trauma already. She isn’t his “real mother”, he repeatedly points out to her. She holds herself back from reminding him that she’s the only mother he has known.

Leanne cajoles and soothes, tries to understand, reprimands and punishes. Then he kicks her. She, I think, is frightened of him. And with reason. He appears to have no self-control whatsoever. While there may be good reasons for that, the physical target of his frustration is her.

Leanne hides her injuries

She so far has told no one. Excuses are made for her injuries. This week, Simon was hurt when she repelled another attack by him. He doesn’t want anyone to know what really happened, so both of them are lying about it. He is holding it over his mother, however, with innuendo. One word from him and she’d be considered a child beater. And even if he says nothing to anyone else, he gives her reminders that she hurt her child. That makes sure her guilt level stays up. Never mind the wounds and bruises that child has inflicted on her body.

Frightening. And we don’t know if Simon knows yet that Grandma Deirdre left money for him and Amy. We’re seeing how it’s eating at Amy, who wants to get her hands on it now. How will Simon react? He ought to be proactive because I think Amy is probably already thinking about how she can cut Simon out and keep it all for herself.

Aside from that, it’s nice to see Eccles back, but what’s up with her transformation?

In real life, sad news this week. Marguerite McDonald died in Ottawa August 24th. The first host of CBC Radio’s The House, she had been married to the late Harry Elton, Coronation Street‘s original producer. Condolences to her family.