If love is a fire, then the relationship between Todd Grimshaw and Theo Silverton has now turned into a fire that burns down Weatherfield.

The new episode of Coronation Street opens with a seemingly romantic scene: Todd prepares a surprise dinner for Theo, hoping to ease the tension after days apart.

But instead of saying thank you, Theo coldly throws the phone on the table – and the storm explodes.

The reason? A strange text message appears from Pete Lang, a man recently introduced in the new line, sent to Todd with the ambiguous content: “Last night was great, hope you are well.”

Theo loses control. He screams, grabbing Todd’s hand: “Are you lying to me? Are you sleeping with him?” Todd tries to reassure him, saying that he is just an old friend, but Theo’s eyes at that moment are no longer those of a lover – but the eyes of a sickly suspicious person.

The climax comes when Theo suddenly opens the door to the room – and Pete is standing there, wearing only a bathrobe, just coming out of Todd’s bathroom. The scene lingers in silence – Theo’s eyes are dark, Todd is stunned. The audience doesn’t know if Pete is real or just a “set-up” for Theo to test Todd’s affections. But in a few seconds, the atmosphere changes from romantic to scary.

After Pete leaves, Theo blocks Todd at the door, threatening: “If you lie to me again, you’ll have nowhere to go.” Todd, exhausted, only sobs in response. In the final scene, he sits alone in the dark, shaking his hand holding an old photograph of them.

Gareth Pierce (Todd) once shared that this scene was the character’s “breaking point”: “Todd understands that he’s in love with the wrong person. But when you’re in love with someone toxic, the scariest thing is not realizing it until it’s too late.”