In Coronation Street, some relationships break down because love fades.

But some relationships break down because they weren’t love in the first place, but control.

And the Theo-Todd storyline is exactly that: the more you look at it, the more suffocating it becomes.

Theo isn’t just an annoying lover; he’s the type who knows how to bend reality, making Todd doubt himself, apologize for things he didn’t do wrong, and shrink to fit Theo’s mold.

Every time Todd tries to react, Theo finds a way to turn him into “overly sensitive,” “misunderstanding,” or “troublemaker.” This is a tactic to disorient the victim: you no longer trust your own feelings. Todd is gradually drawn into a state of constant fear of making mistakes, fear of being contradicted, and fear of being the one who makes things worse. And when someone is worn down like that, they start to become silent, suffer, and isolate themselves. The more silent Todd became, the stronger Theo grew.

Even more frightening, Theo also showed signs of being two-faced. There were moments that made viewers question: Was Theo truly serious about Todd, or was he just using Todd as a tool to satisfy his power and control? Things became even more complicated when Theo was caught in ambiguous situations, but instead of being honest, Theo used the same tactic: brush it off, change the subject, and then shift the blame onto Todd. And Todd, because of his love, his fear of losing him, and his lack of support, was easily drawn into a cycle of apologizing – forgiving – and then being hurt again.