If there was ever a week where Corrie had viewers “holding their breath from start to finish”, it was this week.

With three major storylines – the murder, Theo’s dark plan, and Carla’s breakup – all mixed together into a giant pressure cooker ready to explode.

The first thing that shocked fans was the way the Corrie writers didn’t “let off steam” but pushed all three storylines to their peak at the same time.

The murder opened up a series of questions; Theo became the most terrifying psychological villain of the year; and Carla and Lisa dragged viewers’ emotions to rock bottom with a tearful farewell.

This week’s pacing was much faster than usual. The scenes moved continuously, emotions fluctuated. A scene that was suffocatingly tense with the shadow of the killer, immediately cut to Theo whispering something that made his victim shiver. Then just a few minutes later, the image of Carla standing still in the middle of a dark room pushed the whole episode into a suffocatingly sad atmosphere.

Interestingly, all three storylines have the potential to intersect in the future. Many fans believe that the writers are secretly connecting the details: Theo may be involved in the murder; Carla’s breakup may be a stepping stone to a new shock; and some of the supporting characters running around may become the key to the next twist.

On Corrie forums, viewers described this week as:

“Corrie but HBO version.”

“I don’t know what the writers were drinking, but they should have more.”

“My heart almost jumped out of my chest watching this week.”

Corrie is proving that they still have the ability to create “drama storm” weeks that keep viewers talking nonstop. Last week’s episode revealed a glimpse of a female character being stalked – a detail that has fans convinced that next week will be even more explosive.

A week full of drama:
There’s fear.
There’s real danger.
There’s gut-wrenching sadness.
And there’s a promise that Corrie is entering its most dramatic phase in years.