Coronation Street takes a chilling turn next week as Theo Silverton escalates his twisted mind games, tightening his grip on Todd Grimshaw in a storyline that digs deeper into the theme of coercive control.

Theo Tightens His Hold

The week begins with Todd casually revealing that he has offered to help Billy Mayhew at the soup kitchen — a simple act of kindness that enrages Theo. Already insecure and desperate for control, Theo struggles to mask his irritation. To him, Todd’s generosity isn’t noble, it’s betrayal. Theo has already been sowing discord between Todd and Billy for weeks, and this latest move threatens to unravel his manipulative plan.

When Billy later spots Theo comforting Danielle in a restaurant booth, he is left confused. The two had been at odds, but grief over Noah Headley’s death has temporarily softened their battle. Yet Billy can’t shake the suspicion that Theo’s attentions aren’t as innocent as they appear. The encounter adds fuel to the growing tension, leaving viewers to wonder how far Theo will go to rewrite narratives in his favor.

A Calculated Cry for Attention

The manipulation sharpens when Theo drops into the community center, only to snap at both Todd and Billy before storming off. He reemerges minutes later with a dramatic display, making a fuss over a supposed minor injury. Somehow trapping his finger, Theo cries out in exaggerated pain, ensuring that everyone nearby turns their heads. Todd immediately scrambles to find a first aid kit, desperate to soothe him.

Viewers, however, will see what Todd cannot — the faint smile flickering across Theo’s face as his partner fusses over him. It’s a staged stunt, a cruel ploy designed to reel Todd back into his orbit and remind him that Theo demands undivided attention. What looks like clumsiness to the others is actually a chilling performance of control.

Dark Patterns of Control

The soap is unflinching in its portrayal of coercive control within a same-sex relationship, highlighting how abuse can manifest subtly before spiraling into something far more dangerous. Red flags have been mounting for months — Theo’s jealousy, his possessiveness, his digs at Billy, and his manipulation of Todd’s loyalty. Now, with the pair living alone together, the danger is rising.

Actor Gareth Pierce, who plays Todd, recently told Lorraine that these storylines resonate universally. “So many of the themes of that kind of control are universal, whether it’s a straight or a same-sex relationship. People will be seeing parallels,” he explained. He also noted that Theo’s behavior is rooted in his own backstory of shame and internalized homophobia, making him all the more complex — and all the more dangerous.

Trouble Ahead

For a while, both Todd and viewers may have clung to the hope that Theo could change, that his wounds could be healed. But the darker truth is dawning: Theo is not looking for love, he is looking for dominance. His injury stunt is just the latest manipulation, a warning shot of what’s to come.

As Gareth teased, “There needs to be some peril, doesn’t there? In our big storylines, there’s still a fair journey to go yet.”

And for Todd Grimshaw, that journey looks set to get far darker before it gets better.