This week, Leo Thompkins’ death during a confrontation with Stephen Reid marked the beginning of a sinister new storyline for Coronation Street.
On the factory gantry, a fight broke out in Leo’s climactic scenes after he threatened to reveal Stephen’s schemes to con Audrey Roberts.
Leo fell into a commercial bin below after taking a nasty blow to the head that sent him flying off the railings. Stephen was horrified to find Leo dead when he went to check on him, but he decided to conceal the tragedy instead of telling the truth.
What follows is what? Here are seven spoilers that describe the consequences of the plot twist.
Leo’s disappearance concerns Jenny
Leo had been preparing to move to Canada with his partner Jenny before he passed away. In the episode airing on Wednesday, Jenny tells Daisy that she is worried about Leo because he hasn’t returned home in the entire night.
Daisy suggests that Leo might have changed his mind after making such a significant commitment to Jenny after he recently revealed to her that he was having doubts about their relationship.
Stephen removes Leo’s possessions.
When Stephen realizes he can take advantage of the past issues in Leo and Jenny’s relationship, he is relieved.
Sly Stephen makes it appear as though he has left the country without Jenny in an effort to hide the fact that Leo is dead and prevent anyone from learning it. This entails stealing his travel documents and luggage.
Stephen goes back to the crime scene, as actor Todd Boyce recently explained. I believe he suffers from guilt. He is at the back of Underworld when he notices Leo and his phone arguing over it. It was lying on the ground forgotten.
“Leo appears to be in Canada thanks to Stephen. He enters the bar covertly after overhearing Gemma mention that the suitcase and passport are in the back room. Sneaking into an empty pub and doing that was very unsettling.”
Stephen’s cover-up intensifies
Stephen destroys Leo’s possessions in an effort to hide his identity.
He completes his deception by pretending to be Leo in text messages by using Leo’s phone and claiming to have arrived in Canada safely.
According to Todd Boyce, “Therefore, he is sending text messages to the entire world claiming that everything is fine in Canada even though the passport and suitcase are missing. Therefore, it’s the ideal cover.”
Jenny clashes with Leo’s father again
In Friday night’s episode, Leo’s father Teddy pays another visit to The Rovers and sparks a new argument with Jenny.
Teddy is surprised to see Jenny behind the bar after her previous plans to leave, but she explains that Leo seemingly departed for Canada without her.
Teddy fails to show any sympathy for Jenny, claiming that she only has herself to blame after betraying Leo when she kissed Stephen recently.
Stephen and Jenny grow closer
Following Leo’s departure, Corrie executives have confirmed that Jenny will regard Stephen as a confidant.
Sally Ann Matthews, who plays Jenny, wouldn’t rule out the possibility of her character beginning a relationship with the con artist in a recent interview.
As Sally Ann clarified: “Jenny is feeling good, in my opinion, because Stephen is paying her a lot of attention. She isn’t ready for a relationship, but will Stephen’s presence be enough?
“It reminds me of Leo after Johnny passed away. I believe the most important factor for Jenny was how frequently Leo returned and remained a constant.
“When she learns that Leo has ‘gone to Canada,’ she just keeps asking herself why she mistreated him in the first place. Why did I not just do it? But I dangled him on the end of the string for months, leading him along. And I ought to have just done it.
“Perhaps Stephen, who is present, kind, attentive, and doing all of those things, will come to mind in her mind as well. She may simply say, “Do you know what? I might just jump in wearing my size 9s instead of what I did the last time. No one knows.
Stephen’s plans for Audrey continue
Todd Boyce recently confirmed that Stephen will carry out his scheme to rob Audrey in the upcoming weeks in an interview.
Since his estranged wife Gabrielle is making demands, Stephen is desperate to resolve his financial situation. He feels that the only way to move forward is to use Audrey’s home’s equity to repay Gabrielle.
Todd elucidated: “Stephen is considering how to extort some cash from Audrey. He won’t longer be in charge of the trust, according to her. He is therefore considering equity release from her home.
“Stephen has probably always been a prosperous businessman. It resembles a gambler exactly. He simply believes that if he can just get that money in, he can make it grow. I’ll give it back to her after that.”
Stephen as the next big villain
Fans of Corrie should buckle up for a bumpy ride because Stephen won’t be leaving anytime soon.
Stephen was identified as Corrie’s next major villain earlier this month by the soap’s producer, Iain MacLeod, who also predicted that he could remain on the show for many years.
Added MacLeod: “I believe that some of the behaviors we see from Stephen in the upcoming months and possibly years will be a result of the fact that he is a fish out of water and doesn’t quite belong there. Overall, I must say that I am very happy to see him again.”
Notably, Todd has not ruled out the possibility that Stephen will attack once more in the future, cautioning that other characters might stand in his way.
Could we be dealing with a new Pat Phelan, John Stape, or Richard Hillman?
