As Todd sets up cameras to expose abusive Theo, details of upcoming special episode from documentary style to powerful fly-on-the-wall scenes
Todd's made a clever move
In tonight’s episode of Coronation Street (Friday, December 5), Todd made a clever move to try to expose Theo’s abuse with evidence.
As Theo lashed out once more, Todd decided to strike back in a cunning and calculated way.
This has set the foundations for a special ‘never-been-done-before’ episode of the soap which will focus on the couple later this month.
Todd strikes back against Theo in Coronation Street
There was chaos on the cobbles today as Theo proudly wheeled an exercise bike into the flat – with Todd plastering on a smile that could crack under mild breeze. Billy and Summer clocked the suspicious cut on Todd’s face, but Todd stuck to Theo’s daft cover story about a wild night out in London. As if Todd’s idea of partying is anything more than two hotpots and a sensible bedtime.
Then Danielle burst in, announcing she’s whisking the kids off to Tenerife for Christmas. Theo pretended he was fine, then promptly redirected all his rage at Todd once the door shut. Classic Theo.
When Todd finally snapped and tried to leave, Theo pulled a full soap-villain manoeuvre, knocking over the bike and slapping himself to keep Todd under control.
But Todd wasn’t fooled. The moment Theo nipped out ‘for wine,’ Todd seized his chance, secretly planting surveillance cameras around the flat.
Could this be the beginning of the end for Weatherfield’s most manipulative man? Fingers crossed!
All the details so far for upcoming Todd and Theo special episode
Todd and Theo’s special episode with a ‘never-been-done-before’ format is due to air this month on Monday, December 15.
The episode isn’t just different, it’s full-on groundbreaking Weatherfield cinema. In this one-track instalment, all eyes (and lenses) are on Todd and Theo’s spiralling situation as the cops swarm the Street after a call about a domestic incident.
But here’s the twist – we don’t see a single frame the normal way. Nope. The whole episode plays out through Todd’s secret spy cams, CCTV lurking in every corner of Weatherfield, and police bodycams catching every flinch and fib in ultra-unforgiving detail.
As officers piece the night together, flashbacks unravel what really went down behind that closed flat door – the rows, the moments Todd hoped no-one would notice, and the cracks in Theo’s carefully polished act.
Is this the moment his mask finally slips for good? And will those hidden cameras spill the truth Theo never wanted on record?
Coronation Street director shares behind-the-scenes gossip on episode format
Speaking about the new documentary style episode, episode director Matt Hilton told the Mirror: “It felt like a really bold idea to show it in this intimate and voyeuristic way. As a fan of true crime I could see how it could work if we did it right.”
He then shared some behind-the-scenes details, adding: “We couldn’t light the set how we normally would, and we had to record the sound differently, whereas in a normal scene we would use different camera shots to emphasise certain moments of importance.”
“We had to look at using a totally different camera set-up which we hadn’t used before and we weren’t 100% sure would work and with no way to have a backup option, it was pretty much all or nothing. From start to finish everything was different and everything had to be considered in order to make it feel as authentic as possible.”
Insomnia on Channel 5: Ending explained, including WTF was happening to Emma?
The six-part thriller kept us guessing until the very end, when the series came to a tense climax - and Emma's new friend Caroline was exposed as the 'villain'. But it wasn't as simple as right and wrong, black and white.
In fact, the gripping series was a dark tale of childhood trauma, and what can happen if you don't deal face your demons... Here's everything you need to know about the ending of Insomnia on Channel 5, and the plot-line explained.
***Warning: spoilers from the Insomnia ending ahead***
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Emma, played by Vicky McClure, faced her worst fears in Insomnia [Credit: Channel 5][/caption]
Insomnia ending explained: What happened in series finale?
As the Insomnia finale kicked off, Phoebe was recovering in hospital after being knocked over in a hit and run. Understandably, her near-death experience had bought the two sisters back together, and Phoebe began to talk more and more about their troubled past... Phoebe remembered at LOT more than her younger sister, whose memories had become confused.
Having spent years blaming her sister Phoebe for some horrid events, Emma realised her sister was not to blame. When Emma finally learnt the truth about her past - and Caroline's involvement in it - she came to the sudden realisation that her family were in serious danger.
Of course, viewers saw Caroline arrive at Emma's house and ingratiate herself with Robert and Chloe... Shockingly, she'd baked a cake laced with sedatives and persuaded them to eat it. But that wasn't all... Caroline went on to murder Julian.
When Emma (Vicky McClure) eventually intervened to save her family, she came to a new understanding of her night-time activities and made peace with her ordeal.
Read on for a more detailed breakdown of what happened in the Insomnia series finale.
Who was Caroline Mitchell?
In Insomnia episode 5, viewers got quite the shock when Emma's new friend Caroline Mitchell (Lyndsey Marshal) mowed down Phoebe in her car. Those of you paying attention would have started putting two and two together... She was the same age as Emma and Phoebe, and had previously seemed a little too good to be true.
Earlier in the series, Emma had accidentally knocked over Caroline on her bike (clearly not an accident), and the pair had subsequently become friendly. But, we soon learnt that Caroline had some skeletons in her closet too. Her dad had died in a car accident when she was young, leaving her with an infirm and suicidal mum - who later died after taking her own life. This seemed to be the last straw for Caroline, who subsequently became intent on seeking revenge.
In the series finale, we discovered that Caroline had also been at St Agnes children's home at the same time as Emma and Phoebe. She was the one who had tried to drown Emma in the pond. In fact, Caroline's parents had visited St Agnes to find a new sister for their daughter. They chose "perfect" Emma.
However, on the way home from their visit, they were involved in a horrendous car accident. The crash killed Caroline's dad, and left her mum in a wheelchair. Caroline effectively became her mum's carer overnight. Meanwhile, Emma went on to find good foster parents, a rather lovely husband, and had two kids in her huge suburban house.
But why blame Emma, who was as much as an innocent as Caroline? In the denouement, Caroline said: "I was a kid. I didn't want a sister, I didn't need a sister. No matter how much I pleaded, they would not listen to me."
She added: "I wasn't enough for them. They wanted you too. And it was because of you the crash happened." In fact, Caroline's dad crashed because she was kicking the back of his seat, and arguing with him.
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Lyndsey Marshal played revenge-seeking Caroline in Insomnia [Credit: Channel 5][/caption]
What did Caroline do, and why?
In the series finale, Caroline was determined to have her revenge against Emma. She said: "Here am I all alone, exhausted. You have everything. [...] Everything that's wrong with me started with you."
While Emma was with Phoebe in hospital, Caroline drugged Emma's husband Robert, and his daughter Chloe. In a twisted attempt to live Emma's life, she drank her wine, bathed in her toiletries, and even touched her husband (yes, THERE).
When Julian arrived in response to a message Chloe sent just before she passed out, Caroline dealt with him pretty swiftly... She broke the glass of the wine she'd been drinking and stabbed him in the neck with it.
Emma eventually returned home, and confronted Caroline who insisted none of this had been planned. That all her memories had returned after seeing Emma at the hospital several days previously.
She explained that she'd run Phoebe over because she'd seemed to recognise her. Caroline knew Phoebe would go to the police, and they'd arrest her, so there would be no one to look after Caroline's mum. However, tragically, when Caroline returned, her mum had killed herself by smashing a glass and cutting her own wrists.
Who killed Emma's mum Patricia?
Caroline killed Patricia. After visiting her own mum in hospital, Caroline saw Emma leave the hospital room where Patricia was convalescing. She knew that would make Emma the last person (except her, of course) to see her alive.
She killed Patricia out of pure malice, as well as hoping that Emma might be blamed.
During the emotional confrontation, Emma pretended to sympathise with Caroline and get her on side. But she saw through it, and attacked her. Caroline managed to stab Emma with a knife. However seeing the blood gave her flashbacks to when her parents had been involved in the car accident.
In yet another horrifying twist, we learnt through flashbacks that Caroline had actually killed her own father as he lay choking in his own blood after the crash. Unable to bear the sound of his laboured breathing, she smothered him with her cuddly toy - a knitted frog.
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Tom Cullen and Vicky McClure as Robert and Emma in Insomnia [Credit: Channel 5][/caption]
What did the mum have? And was it hereditary?
Emma and Phoebe's mum Patricia suffered a psychotic breakdown on her 40th birthday. She then lived her days in a secure unit called Helmswood, while her two daughters were put into foster care. But what was her diagnosis? The girls had never been told.
In episode 5 of the thriller, Emma discovered Patricia believed there had been a history of mental illness in the family - which pointed at it being genetic. However, the doctor told Emma that this could also have been a "facet of her mum's paranoia". Before her breakdown, Patricia complained of insomnia, and was treated for burns on her fingers - an accident while sleep walking... And it sounded rather familiar to Emma, who was suffering these exact symptoms herself.
Her actual diagnosis though? The doctors believed she may have had paranoid schizophrenia. However, Patricia also had selective mutism, which is something usually seen in children.
Suffice to say that Emma did not have 'bad blood'.
Insomnia ending explained: What did the numbers mean?
Both Emma and her mum suffered a type of mania, where they recited the same sequence of numbers over and over. But what did the numbers mean?
Insomnia is currently available to watch on Paramount+ and Channel5.com.
Read more: 8 huge things to expect from Coronation Street this Christmas
