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It’s coming up to eighteen years since the iconic Carla Connor first stepped onto the Coronation Street, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say she’s had her fair share of romantic exploits in her time.
Between her on and off relationship with Peter Barlow, ending for what appeared to be the final time in a two hander last Boxing Day, her heartbreaking affair with brother-in-law Liam Connor that was tragically cut short by his death, and even her brief fling with Michelle’s estranged biological son Ali Neeson (which we’d all rather forget), Carla has made her mark as Weatherfield’s resident "maneater."
Swarla have been a long time coming
Enter Detective Sergeant Lisa Swain, here to turn her world upside down. First appearing in a scene together in October 2023, going from acquaintances to full-on enemies when Lisa arrested Carla’s father figure Roy Cropper in connection with the disappearance of Lauren Bolton, then slowly building a friendship as the hostility settled, to Carla now being head over heels for the detective (whether she admits it to herself or not), Corrie have put the effort into building the connection between the two women.
Whilst it looked like they might not be in each other’s circles for much longer when it was revealed that Lauren was alive and Roy was set free, the simultaneous spanner in the works and glue holding them together that is Lisa’s daughter Betsy Swain became Underworld’s newest employee, putting Lisa and Carla firmly in the same orbit again.
Summer was rough as a Swarla shipper, with both Vicky Myers and Ali King flat-out denying any chance of a romantic storyline between their characters in a number of interviews, but stans tried their best to keep the faith. Well, just call me the oracle because, as I predicted months prior, things started picking up for the pair in early September.
For me, the point of no return, where I was certain we’d be getting what I’d hoped would happen since the conversation in Lisa’s car back in May, was when Betsy accused them of being on a date when she saw them talking at the police station. The delight on Carla’s face at the mere suggestion that her and Lisa could be having a secret affair was, in my eyes, confirmation at last that the storyline was headed that way.
Sure enough, exactly four weeks later, the two women shared a moment after Lisa saved Carla from an attacker in the factory and was repaid heavily in red wine. Whilst Lisa bolted before anything happened, watching Carla navigate her feelings for the detective over the past few weeks, aided by voice of the people Ryan Connor, who will encourage Carla to make a move next Friday (22nd November), has been nothing short of a joy.
Do you like Carla and Lisa together?
I'm excited for their relationship
I'd have preferred them to be friends
Coronation Street: Lisa is unlike any of Carla's past conquests
As the curtains were drawn on 2023 and on Carla and Peter’s relationship, we moved into a new era for the formidable factory owner. With fewer ghosts from her past haunting the eponymous street than ever, this year was the perfect time for her to embark on a completely different journey. Lisa is the first woman we’ve seen Carla have a romantic connection with, but the differences in this relationship compared to her others don’t stop there.
We all know that Carla is usually the type to kiss first and panic about it later, so the steady slow burn is not a situation we’ve seen her navigate before, but Corrie’s long-term investment in building solid foundations on which this relationship will be built shows that this will be much more than a simple fling, with Lisa even admitting to Carla that she’d be 'hopeless at casual.' Not only this, but Carla has a history of going for “bad boys” and whilst, at the time of writing, the jury’s still out on who was responsible for Joel Deering’s murder, I believe it’s unlikely to be our favourite straight laced detective.
The pair find calmness in each other
I don’t know about anyone else, but I’ve had Lighthouse by Adette stuck in my head since The Moment in early October, and the lyrics reference 'ships sailing effortlessly.' No Corrie romance is without its complications and, between Lisa running away from Carla at every opportunity and teasers for the week beginning 25th November saying Carla will be attacked at the factory (again), Swarla have so far been no different.
What’s effortless is how naturally the unlikely pair gravitate towards each other, finding moments of stillness despite the chaos surrounding them. The room they’re in can be full to bursting, but one look between them and everyone else falls away. Since Lisa took some time off work, allegedly to spend some time repairing her relationship with Betsy, she’s hardly left Carla’s side, and it’s like one doesn’t exist without the other at present.
This relationship shows a hopeful future for Carla
As Carla and Lisa start to bridge the uncertain gap between friendship and romance, the gentleness they have with each other is what captivates me. With Lisa still grieving her wife Becky, who died almost three years ago, and Carla with a slew of failed relationships behind her, this is hardly going to be the intense love affair of either of their lives, but that’s okay.
Showing two middle-aged women having a second (or third or fourth in Carla’s case) chance at love after having both been through so much promotes an important message — it’s never too late to find the happiness you deserve. This storyline honours where the characters have been whilst giving us all hope as we watch them move towards a brighter and better future.
I don’t think any of us can pretend that watching Carla Connor fall for a woman was on our 2024 bingo cards, but I’m delighted by this progression, as are hundreds of fans both old and new who are tuning in for the first time, or the first time in a while, to watch the Swarla slow burn play out.
This article was written by Cobbled Together contributor, Elizabeth.
