This is the dramatic moment that Alya Nazir is stabbed as she wrestles with a crazed knifeman intent on killing Maria Connor in Wednesday night’s Coronation Street (Jan 25th)
Fired up with hatred, teenager Blake has gone to an event organised to highlight the Weatherfield refugee drop in centre Councillor Connor has been campaigning for.
He is live streaming his intent to disrupt the event, but as Max Turner watches the video he sees Blake reveal a knife and races to Speed Daal to try and warn everyone.
When Gary Windass blocks him from entering the restaurant Max can only watch from the doorway as Blake runs towards Maria brandishing the knife. When Alya spots what is happening she jumps in front of Blake and he stabs her in the stomach.
As she falls to the floor the horrified guests realise what is happening and run out into the street as Gary and Daryan battle with Blake who is still brandishing the knife. Alya is rushed to hospital for a life saving operation.
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 makes 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?”
Coronation Street airs Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX
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