Coronation Street has been lacking something in recent years – and finally we know what is – a killer!
The soap gods have smiled upon Weatherfield and gifted them a brand new villain.
Forget Gary Windass, he’s been moping about killing Rick Neelan and Rana Habeeb for years with no hope of justice.
Now fans have got Stephen Reid – and it’s marvellous.
Now businessman Stephen is no Pat Phelan – and that’s a good thing.
For it’s becoming very clear that Stephen’s journey has been inspired by Corrie’s first and greatest serial killer – Richard Hillman.
It’s been 20 years since Norman Bates with a briefcase terrorised the cobbles.
And while a lot has changed – a lot hasn’t.
Coronation Street killer Stephen is a great idea
The Platts are still the second family of Coronation Street and hugely important to the cobbles.
Now this time the killer is calling from the inside of the house.
Killer Stephen is exactly the thing that the soap has needed for a long time.
“He will continue to get more and more desperate and more and more dark as the story unfolds,” says Corrie boss Iain MacLeod.
“He’s a bit of a blank canvas. If you think back through his archive scenes, we don’t really know a lot about him.
“So we thought, ‘Well actually, if we’re going to fill in those blanks, and we’re going to learn more about him, shouldn’t we make him dark, dangerous, interesting, scheming?’
“Mischievous is probably too light a term; but certainly, Machiavellian may be a stronger word.”
With one kill under his belt with Leo dead – who will Stephen kill next?
And let’s be clear this was no accidental death – Stephen attacked Leo and threw him over a barrier into a bin.
He later covered up his crime by moving the body, burning Leo’s belongings and letting his friends and family think the engineer has moved to Canada.
Now it’s not a fool proof plan – but it is one that will bring chaos to the cobbles.
Stephen has brought excitement to the cobbles
Because let’s face it, at some point someone will work out what’s happened and force Stephen into a corner.
And then he’ll most likely kill again.
Then there’ll be a third death – and that one will prove his undoing.
Read more: Complete Coronation Street cast list 2022 – meet them all here!
If you thought Gail was good facing off against her serial killer husband, just wait until she and Audrey team up to take down Stephen.
This is exactly what Corrie needed to put the pep back in its step.
And we can’t wait to see what’s next.
Want more spoilers from Coronation Street? Entertainment Daily has a dedicated Coronation Street spoilers section for you to get your fix before the latest episodes air.
Coronation Street usually airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV.
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