Coronation Street fans hit out at the soap's dramatic storyline on Tuesday as young Sam defended Gary Windass from a gunman - using his telescope to hit him over the head.
The gunman had kidnapped Sam and was in cahoots with Sharon Bentley and drug baron Harvey, and he had chased Gary into a dead end before pulling a gun on him.
A gunshot was then heard - leaving viewers terrified that Gary had been killed.
But it was then revealed Sam had come up behind the gunman and hit him over the head with his telescope, knocking him out cold.
"Don't you worry mate, I am fine because of you," Gary told Sam appreciatively, telling Maria the gunman had missed him.
On Monday, viewers were equally baffled when Sharon tased Jenny Connor in the street in broad daylight, before trying to blackmail her into silence by threatening to reveal her affair to husband Johnny.
One viewer tweeted: " #corrie oh come off it! This was meant to be gritty and dark! But now this is just plain farcical! Sam hitting villains with telescopes Jenny getting tazered in Broad daylight.... Oh come on!"
Another added: " #Corrie First Sharon tasers Jenny Bradley. Then Tristram brains ZZ Top with a telescope. Tune in tomorrow as a road runner drops a 10-ton anvil on Sean Tully."
A third added: "So yesterday we had the taser and today we’ve had little Sam knocking out a 6 foot plus goon with a telescope. The script writers really aren’t taking this show seriously anymore are they. #Corrie ".
A fourth penned: "Don't think Sam was quite tall enough to manage that somehow #Corrie ".
There was another cliffhanger ending as Abi Franklin overheard Corey Brent bragging about pretending to be sorry at Seb's funeral - and she lifted up a bottle and walked towards him.
Will Abi kill Corey to avenge her beloved son? Or might Sharon kill him off herself in her speeding van?
* Coronation Street returns on Thursday night at 9pm on ITV
