If the Tracy – Cassie story represents the “sisters fighting” drama, the Todd – Theo story is a completely different color: dark, suffocating, and very… real.

Coronation Street is playing big with the storyline of violence in homosexual relationships, turning Todd – who is famous for being clever – into a victim of physical and mental violence that wears him down to the point of exhaustion.

Theo initially appears as an ideal boyfriend: caring for Todd’s health, encouraging him to exercise, saying sweet words.

But later on, his true face is revealed: controlling, domineering, jealous and bursting into unreasonable anger.

One of the scariest moments is when, during an argument, Theo smashes Todd’s head into a mirror, injuring him. After that, he turns to the role of the remorseful person, insisting it was just an “accident”, gaslighting to the point that Todd begins to doubt his own memories.

Theo’s weapons weren’t just his fists. He also used gifts, like a fitness tracker, to keep Todd under 24/7 surveillance. His heart rate, steps, and time were all under his control. When Todd wanted to go out to see Summer or Billy, Theo would use all sorts of words, from pleading, to sulking, to blaming, to keep him at home, gradually cutting off Todd’s connection to the people who could help him realize he was being abused.

The turning point came when Theo’s ex-wife, Danielle, showed up to talk about sending the kids on Christmas vacation. Todd, knowing how much Theo loved his kids, tried to be a bridge to ease things. But the conversation quickly turned into a verbal fight, and when Theo stepped in, instead of reassuring him, he sided with Danielle on many fronts. Todd – who was trying to help – suddenly became a “stranger” in his own apartment.

That disappointment hit a chain of long-accumulated hurt, causing Todd to burst into the idea of ​​leaving this relationship. He first told Theo directly that he could not continue like this. But instead of letting Todd go, Theo immediately changed tactics: hurting himself, deliberately making himself look like a victim to appeal to the other person’s compassion. It was an extremely toxic form of manipulation, dragging Todd back into a familiar cycle: feeling guilty, feeling like he was the only one who “understood” and could “save” Theo, then continuing to suffer.

On the outside, Billy and Summer began to realize that Todd was not okay. They saw the wounds, the times he avoided answering questions about Theo, saw the tired eyes and the gradual withdrawal in the way Todd behaved. But like many real-life abuse victims, Todd did not easily open up. He was both ashamed, afraid that no one would believe him, and… still loved Theo in some way. It is this conflict that makes the storyline heartbreaking but very real, hitting the hearts of many viewers.