What are Todd’s first thoughts when he’s told Theo is dead? It must be a mix of emotions…
Yeah absolutely, it’s a real cocktail of emotions, in a similar way to what you've already seen in the police station immediately after the last really bad beating. He was there to report Theo but there was still that real conflict of emotions where he's almost defending this person, even though he's at least woken up enough to realise he has to get out of the relationship in that moment. This is very similar. Upon finding it’s Theo that's died, there must be some relief, but I think there’s also a great deal of shame. It had got to that stage where there’s some self-blame for Todd, it must be a horrible feeling when you know something has suddenly got so much more serious and so beyond your ability to control the situation. He must also be really, really scared as well.
On the night in question we saw Todd trying to escape Theo and leave Weatherfield, could he have been the one who killed Theo?
I think definitely our audience will have those suspicions and actually we see that Todd certainly has plenty of motive, some might even go as far as to say justification after having to remain stoic in the face of such sustained provocation. It’s interesting to think is anyone capable of murder in extreme circumstances. I think we all hope to think of it as far more black and white or good and evil, but I think it's probably often much more grey in real life. Certainly in a show like ours you get a sense that, maybe Theo really did push him that far.
How does Todd react when he’s initially questioned by Lisa and Kit?
I think there’s quite a mix of emotions there as well. There's some determination to find out who has done it on Todd's part, because this was still someone that he loved and had a strong connection to in spite of how dangerous and horrific the abuse had become. But I think Todd is very intelligent and he also knows that he is a likely suspect.
So I think there’s also that situation where as soon as you know that you are having to convince someone that you had nothing to do with it, then you start acting in a way that could very much read as suspicious.
Who else is going to come under suspicion? Who do you think is capable of murder?
Just as the audience will say that Todd has plenty of motive, they'll also know that lots of other people have motive as well, especially due to the way that Theo has actively isolated Todd from his closest friends and family. We've seen them start to join the dots and reconnect with Todd and try to extricate him from the relationship over these past few weeks. So I think that those are the people that the audience will have been willing to swoop in as saviours, and they will definitely have the spotlight on them. The audience will be wondering if, rather than just save Todd from the situation, they've actually gone as far as taking the law into their own hands. People like George and Summer had definitely seen Theo for who he was. George, Christina, Glenda we’ve seen become very protective of Todd. Then there’s also Carl very much in the frame having developed this rivalry with Theo and looking in a bad way himself. Also Gary who had that bright friendship and professional partnership with Theo for a time. We've seen Gary starting to feel genuinely let down and hoodwinked by Theo and we know Gary's attitude to bullies. So, yeah, you've got a fair few people in the frame.
How does Todd cope this week with his mix of grief, hurt, anger, even relief? Is it hard for him to grieve after what Theo did to him? Is there an element that’s glad he’s dead?
I think he definitely has all of those emotions; grief, hurt, anger, even relief. He also knows that he very much has a lens on him and his reaction for many reasons. His friends will be watching him thinking, this man was abusing you, he was being awful to you, how can you even grieve for him? We heard Todd say that about Theo grieving for Noah earlier in the storyline. But he's also going to know that he's being watched by the police, by Lisa and Kit. That leads Todd to analyse how he’s genuinely feeling about it but also what his grief should look like and what other people think it should look like. So there's all of that going on for Todd in the aftermath. There's no room for his genuine reaction to the news because he must feel very watched.
How is Todd going to move on from this? Will we see a different Todd going forward or do you think he can find some of his old personality again?
I think, even when speaking to people just day to day when I'm out, one of the more painful aspects of the story has been witnessing Todd's spark really leaving him. It's been very effective and painful, but I think that's definitely something that the audience have said to me that they really do want to see, his playful side returning. So we'll be hoping that we get Todd back to that place eventually. But I think, consistent with coming out of a relationship like this, it will take some time. I think that when Todd is feeling rubbish about himself, that’s when quite often he masks his vulnerability with a spikiness, a sarcasm and maybe a lack of patience for the people around him. Maybe we will see some of that returning in the immediate aftermath just as a method of self-protection.
This storyline has been so powerful, what has been the response since the special episode where Todd found the strength to report Theo to the police?
It's been pretty overwhelming, but heartening and very touching really to hear the response. I'm having interactions with people, first of all about the importance of the storyline, but also, quite often, about the parallels that they may have had in previous relationships of their own or with people close to them. So I'm very aware of how fully the storyline has landed with everyone and I think that's testament to Coronation Street and the whole team. This is the type of story that Corrie does so well and performs so importantly. So, yeah, it's it's been very humbling to see that response, in the same way as it was a great honour to even be asked to play the storyline in the first place. I think people do underestimate quite how many people are involved in bringing a story like this from the very first seed of a storyline through into the writer's room and then so many stages before it even lands in the hands of directors, actors, and any of the on floor team. So many people have worked hard on this and it's great to see how it has landed with people.
Is this a storyline you’re proud to have worked on?
Oh, definitely. I think that I’m the type of person who would have put a fair bit of pressure on myself when first asked to carry a storyline like this to do it justice and to do survivors justice and ensure that they feel seen in what goes out on screen. But now there is that sense that we've depicted it truthfully, and to hear how invested and on the journey our audience have been with us, then yeah absolutely I’m proud.
I'm hugely proud of the work that every single member of this team has done and it really is credit to everybody's dedication.
How has it been for you working with James on this?
James and I knew from the start what a privilege it was to be trusted with a storyline like this. We’d already worked together on The Archers, which helped establish a natural connection in the early part of Todd and Theo’s relationship, and meant there was a real sense of trust as the story turned darker. It’s never easy to join a show like ours in a role that’s destined to become increasingly disliked as more of the character’s behaviour is revealed. It’s a real credit to James’ commitment and dedication that audiences have been so invested in the emotional journey, and Theo’s day of reckoning has felt quite so longed for!
Glenda Young
Bestselling novelist published by Headline
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