Soaps love a baddie, and Coronation Street is no different. The Weatherfield-based serial drama has been home to some iconic villains over its 63 years on screen.
From gangsters to master manipulators and the odd murderer here and there, the ITV soap certainly knows how to pull off dark storylines. Their latest villain Stephen Reid tops off a long list of serial killers, including Richard Hillman, Pat Phelan and Tony Gordon.
If history is anything to go by, especially where the Platt family is concerned, then it won’t be long until killer Stephen faces his comeuppance. Given recent scenes and what’s ahead, it’s not looking too good for the killer – while it’s heavily hinted he will claim a fourth victim.
Perhaps he will be in it for the long haul given actor Todd Boyce’s hopes to reign as the soap’s biggest serial killer. At three killings, he needs one more to claim that title – while technically Phelan caused the deaths of four people. Hopes aside, it’s not looking good for Stephen so perhaps he won’t actually make it that far.
He’s already faced death, faced being caught on numerous occasions and his slip-ups surrounding his crimes are bound to be noticed sooner or later. He’s struggling to cope with what he’s done and slowly failing to cover his tracks.
The soap would certainly be doing viewers a favour by ending the “silly” storyline soon, with a number of loyal fans threatening to switch off from episodes, not keen on the character or his killer ways. While serial killers and baddies of the past have kept viewers gripped, Stephen’s certainly driving fans up the wall.
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ITV)
In upcoming scenes he may be caught out as he could make yet another mistake. The estranged wife of one if his victims has come snooping, convinced her husband’s “accidental death” was in fact foul play. She’s got evidence too, a tie pin that did not belong to Rufus Donahue – but it does belong to his killer, a souvenir left at the scene of the gruesome crime.
If Stephen can’t retrieve the pin that will definitely contain his fingerprints on it, it could be the thing that seals his downfall. That, and the fact someone stumbles across him breaking into Rufus’ wife Lou’s hotel room in a bid to steal the item. He sparks suspicion, with Peter Barlow warning Stephen’s business colleague Carla Connor to watch out as he’s “not to be trusted”.
So perhaps Lou or Peter, or even Carla who still remains unaware that she was drugged by him just months ago, will finally put the clues together and expose him – that’s if they don’t become victim number four in the process. As well as sparking suspicions and becoming careless with his attempts to hide evidence, his crimes weren’t exactly well thought out either.
All three of them have seen him act on impulse, and then forced to hide his actions – and often the bodies too. Stephen accidentally pushed Leo Thompkins off the factory gantry, causing him to land in a bin. He died instantly, but the body remained in the bin all day, with Stephen comically trying to stop anyone from finding it despite Carla and the police all hovering around it.
Then there was Teddy Thompkins, who got too close to the truth about his son’s murder and was killed with a hole punch. Once again the body laid in the factory until Stephen managed to conceal it, placing it on the top of his mother Audrey Roberts’ car – only for her to drive off with it.
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ITV)
He did manage to get it back and all was well, until Stephen drugged and drowned his third victim Rufus while making it seem like an accidental drowning. How many more times can Stephen strike and conveniently cover it up despite everything being against him? And with two of the deaths being in the moment, what’s to stop someone walking in the next time he wields a stapler or some other form of stationary?
There has to be a trail somewhere or a missing piece of evidence that links him to the crimes or the attempted death of his partner Elaine Jones – and given what’s to come for another Corrie resident, it looks like someone finds it. Pictures from location recently showed Tim Metcalfe, Elaine’s son, fleeing for his life away from killer Stephen.
There’s no context, but Tim drives Stephen somewhere before running away, with it thought Stephen will attempt to strangle the man who was almost his son-in-law. Just months ago Tim almost killed Stephen by accident after finding out his sick plan for his mother.
Judging by the images, Tim could well be victim number four – but could this be the ultimate showdown that leads to Stephen being exposed for once and for all? With his many mistakes and his odd behaviour that is no doubt sparking concern, it could well be the beginning of the end for the soap’s latest serial killer.
Coronation Street airs Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 8pm on ITV1 and ITV X.
