What prompted Corrie to eliminate Jim McDonald? The actor’s response as viewers criticize the ‘disrespectful’ scene.
Coronation Street icon Jim McDonald met his demise in scenes that aired during Monday’s episodes, leading many fans to express that it all seemed rather ‘hasty’ considering his significance.
Fan Reactions to Death Scene
See 3 Pictures Jim McDonald, portrayed by Charlie Lawson, was confirmed to have passed away during Monday’s episode of Coronation Street (Image: ITV)
Fans of Coronation Street have expressed their outrage over the demise of Jim McDonald, labeling it as "utterly appalling" and "disrespectful". It was previously revealed that the former soldier, portrayed by Charlie Lawson, who first graced the world’s longest-running soap opera from 1989 to 2000 and returned for several appearances until 2018, would be removed from the show.
Actor’s Response to Criticism
Throughout his tenure on the soap opera, Jim, recognized for his catchphrase ‘so it is’, was notably married to Liz McDonald, the landlady of the Rovers Return (played by Beverley Callard), on two occasions. Together, they raised their sons, Steve and Andy. Their relationship weathered numerous betrayals from both partners, and Jim faced multiple imprisonments before they ultimately decided to part ways in 2005.
During the scenes that aired on Monday’s episode of the soap, Steve received a call nearly eight years after his last encounter with Jim, notifying him of his father’s passing. The taxi driver was later seen being consoled in the pub by his girlfriend Cassie (Claire Sweeney), his daughter Amy, and his ex-wife Tracy. At one moment, Rovers owner Maggie expressed a keen interest in learning about Jim’s cause of death, but Amy simply mentioned that her grandfather had been unwell for some time.
Significance of Jim McDonald
View 3 Images Steve McDonald got a call informing him that his father had passed away.
In an attempt to cope with his sorrow, Steve quickly turned to alcohol and ended up in a physical altercation with Ben Driscoll, the son of Maggie, at the pub. This occurred when the landlord told him to leave, jokingly remarking, “We can gather the Dead Dads Club again tomorrow.”
Timeline of Character’s Journey
This infuriated Steve, who retorted: "Well, I apologize, I never met your father, but I assume he never had an affair with your ex. Or held up a bank with a shotgun! Oh, here’s a thought for you – swindled you out of a bunch of cash by claiming your deceased sister was still alive!" It was at that moment Steve realized he never even got to say farewell to his dad, and he fell apart.
Although the scenes were undeniably poignant, viewers who had previewed the episode on ITVX quickly expressed their dissatisfaction with how abruptly the death was portrayed. This comes in light of the recent revelation that Ben is set to be unveiled as Steve’s long-lost half-brother, stemming from an affair involving Jim McDonald and the new Maggie.
On Reddit, one user expressed their thoughts: "We've lost yet another icon, indeed. Jim McDonald has finally been written off, and I personally find it utterly appalling that Steve merely got a brief phone call from his former partner (likely Hannah?) and that was the end of it. He truly deserved far more than that."
Maggie was quite curious about the circumstances surrounding Jim’s death (Image: ITV)
"They truly ought to exercise caution; they have a limited number of characters with that level of significance, and to dismiss them so casually feels quite disrespectful."
Charlie remarked, "The plot was lacking. Numerous individuals reached out to express their dislike for it. I agreed to participate before I even reviewed the script. The opportunity was financially rewarding — it’s hard to decline. Now he can’t be further damaged. He’s free from his suffering."
“I’m certain I’ll revisit that final scene and think, ‘Well, what a pile of rubbish that turned out to be’. I’ll toast to the former Jim, the one I cherished and took pride in, who expressed his thoughts boldly, with compelling, robust narratives in the Nineties.”
In an interview with The Sun, he remarked: "There are aspects of Corrie that I will miss, and others that I won’t. However, I have no regrets. That’s simply how life goes."
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Coronation Street is broadcast on weeknights at 8:30pm on ITV1 and ITV X.
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