Sally and Tim Metcalfe (Sally Dynevor and Joe Duttine)’s first experience of being foster parents on Coronation Street hasn’t been easy. They’ve been taking care of Shanice and Joanie Michaelis (Molly Kilduff and Savanna Pennington), after their parents Mick and Lou (Joe Layton and Farrel Hegarty) both ended up in prison.
The girls had an unsettled life with their parents, with Mick often violent towards Lou. Mick’s behaviour became worse after he discovered that their eldest child, son Brody (Ryan Mulvey), is actually the biological son of Kit Green (Jacob Roberts).
A violent rampage which started with him beating up Lou and ended with him killing PC Craig Tinker (Colson Smith) meant that Mick will be in prison for many years. Soon afterwards, Lou was also jailed for a violent assault on Gary Windass (Mikey North).
Against this turbulent backdrop, Sally and Tim have done their best to provide a safe and loving environment for the girls, but it’s been a challenge.
A trivial disagreement between Sally and Tim led to Shanice getting upset as it reminded her of the violent arguments she was used to witnessing.
Then the two girls repeatedly fought with each other, with Joanie’s behaviour sometimes turning very nasty. When she got upset and threw the TV remote at her little sister, Sally and Tim were shocked to see that Shanice had numerous bruises on her.
They talked to Brody about it and he insisted that Shanice was being truthful when she said she’d fallen at school. He insisted the fight was a one-off and the sisters were usually fine with each other.
Viewers knew that Brody was covering for the girls, as we’ve seen him previously warning his sisters to be on their best behaviour in case they’re taken away from Sally and Tim.
Brody’s terrified that social services will try to split his siblings up and he’s made it his mission to keep the family together. He recently planned to do a runner with Shanice and Joanie but was stopped by Bernie (Jane Hazlegrove).
In upcoming episodes Tim hears about this plan from Gemma (Dolly-Rose Campbell) and he talks to Brody and tells him that social services only want what’s best for the family.
Later Brody finds out that Lou has been sentenced to four years in prison and he breaks the news to his shocked sisters. They’re distraught and Sally does her best to calm them.
It’s not the best time for a social worker and a psychologist to visit the family, but after talking to Sally and Tim they say that they’re happy for the family to stay together with the Metcalfes.
