Christmas in Corrie is rarely just about Christmas trees and laughter.

It’s often an excuse for the Platt family to reveal their deepest cracks.

And this year, Gail Platt returns in a way that doesn’t require much of an appearance; a single message is enough to shake the whole family.

For David, Gail is not just his mother, but a part of his chaotic memories: a mix of love and anger, a desire to lean on her and a desire to escape.

So when Gail’s message arrives, David won’t react warmly right away. He’ll freeze, force a smile, then throw in a joke to mask his emotions, but those close to him will notice the darkening in his eyes. Shona sees it most clearly. Shona will try to pull David back to reality, reminding him that the family is still there, that Christmas is still a chance to heal. But David is the type who feels weaker the more he’s comforted, so he easily flares up, gets angry, and escalates things. And that’s when Corrie plays her dirty trick: instead of letting David calm down and talking to him, they push him into a dangerous situation, as if the crisis is about to happen before his emotions have even processed them.

In the context of the impending CorrieDale conflict, the Platt family’s situation couldn’t remain unaffected. A major accident or a stressful road incident could drag David and Shona into it right when David is in a vulnerable state. And when you’re vulnerable, your reflexes are wrong. You drive while thinking about your mother, you look at your phone while your heart is racing, you lose your temper without listening to warnings. Corrie loves the “one moment of carelessness can cost you your life” mentality.