In the aftermath of vile villain Theo Silverton's (James Cartwright) murder, it is a suspicious time to be leaving Coronation Street – especially if Theo killed your dad. Summer Spellman (Harriet Bibby) is at the center of the mystery. Summer would not hurt a fly, but Theo was no fly; he was more like a spider, trapping Todd Grimshaw (Gareth Pierce) – the closest thing she has left to a father – in a web of domestic violence, psychological abuse, and emotional gaslighting for nearly a year. Summer already had reason to want Theo dead, but she had another motive. The raging narcissist was so threatened by Todd's ex-boyfriend Billy Mayhew (Daniel Brocklebank) that he left him to die in the flaming wreckage of the Corriedale crash.
Overcome with grief at the death of her adoptive father, Summer soon became convinced that Debbie Webster (Sue Devaney) was not behind the wheel of the car that caused the disaster, as she had previously thought. This led her to the real culprit: Debbie's no-good son Carl Webster (Jonathan Howard). Because Carl had overheard Theo's guilt-ridden confession to Billy's body on the day of the funeral, he offered Summer a deal. He would provoke Theo into incriminating himself in return for all of Billy's life insurance money. Unfortunately, like most of Carl's promises, it did not happen. Worse still, Theo confronted Summer and tormented her by revealing how Billy prayed for his life in his final moments.
On the night of Theo's murder, Summer was searching the flat when Theo caught her red-handed. He threatened her chillingly: 'I guess Summer had to end some time.' The next thing we know, Theo was lying dead in an alley, discovered by Betsy Swain (Sydney Martin), making Summer the last person to see him alive. This looks especially bad given Summer's journal, which is filled with pages of hate-fuelled prose about Theo. The only thing that could make Summer any worse is if she was planning to flee Weatherfield – which, of course, she totally is.
Summer's Exit Plans
Upcoming episodes of Coronation Street will see Summer reveal to Todd her plans to leave the Cobbles. In next Thursday's episode, Summer reveals that she has been offered a place at an American university. Supportive Todd insists that she must accept the offer, as it will do her good to start afresh. But is Summer looking for a fresh start abroad, or a way to escape a murder charge? Viewers will have to wait and see if Summer is truly guilty or if someone else is responsible for Theo's death.
