Weatherfield is never quiet, but the way Coronation Street opened this week was truly chilling.

It was a chilling scene: Todd Grimshaw appeared in hospital with a bloody face, while Theo Silverton stood beside him, a worried look on his face… but something was amiss in his eyes.

The early episode on ITVX revealed the full tragedy: it was Theo who had smashed Todd’s head into a mirror in an out-of-control outburst.

But the most horrifying part was how Theo “dealt with the aftermath.”

He sweet-talked the paramedics, subtly trying to control Todd: “He fell over by accident, I’ll look after him at home.” Todd, exhausted and frightened, nodded reflexively — a nod that viewers immediately recognized as that of a victim being pushed into a corner.

What shocked fans even more was that when the doctor asked Todd if he had been attacked, he immediately lied: “I just ran into myself.” It was a familiar line from those who had been emotionally or physically abused — a line used to cover up for the person who had hurt them, because they didn’t know how to escape.

Theo continued to manipulate Todd throughout the episode. At home, he apologized profusely, promised to change, then hugged Todd tightly as if he had never been violent. Viewers watched this with anger, sympathy, and frustration — because they knew it wouldn’t end there. Coronation Street built Theo into a two-faced character: sweet but toxic, loving but controlling, gentle but explosive in a flash.