A high-stakes week is coming to Coronation Street as the soap stages an emotional and dangerous exit for long-running character Craig Tinker, played by Colson Smith. After 14 years of service on the cobbles, Craig’s journey reaches a dramatic climax in what fans are dubbing “Craig Week” — three intense episodes filled with life-threatening encounters, violent confrontations, and family heartbreak.
It all begins when Bernie Winter finds Brody shoplifting and tips off Kit Green, who springs into action. However, what starts as a pursuit of a petty crime quickly escalates into something darker. Kit once again crosses paths with the menacing Mick Michaelis, who’s growing increasingly unstable. During an altercation, Mick reveals that his wife Lou isn’t as faithful as she claims, which sends him into a tailspin. He storms off to confront Lou, and when she can’t be reached later, her friends begin to worry that something terrible has happened.
At the police station, a shaken Sean decides to amend his earlier statement about Mick, implying that Mick’s dangerous behavior may have crossed a line into outright violence. As these threads start to unravel, it becomes clear that Mick is spiraling into vengeance — and he’s ready to hurt anyone who stands in his way.
Meanwhile, Craig is ecstatic to be shadowing Kit as part of his placement with CID. He even lands a date via a dating app, adding some hope and positivity to his otherwise tense day. But his excitement is short-lived. Kit remains distant, leaving Craig feeling sidelined. Lisa encourages Craig to prove himself, and when a call comes in about a local disturbance, Craig sees it as his moment to shine. Tragically, that call leads to disaster.
In the aftermath of the call-out, Maria stumbles upon a horrifying scene: Craig lying in a pool of blood on the street. Asha rushes him to the hospital, where doctors determine he has a dangerous swelling on the brain. For a moment, there is hope — Craig regains consciousness long enough to tell Asha what he remembers about the attack. But before the police can gather full details, Craig’s condition deteriorates sharply when officer Jess arrives to interview him. His life hangs by a thread, and the clock is ticking.
Elsewhere, Lou is preparing to flee town with her daughters, Shanice and Joanie, but Tim, who has been roped into helping, notices the cut on her head and insists they go to A&E. There, the medical staff suspect domestic abuse, but Lou refuses to confirm it and flees the hospital, leaving Tim alone with her two children. His concern grows when Lou goes completely off the radar.
Back at Redbank Apartments, danger is escalating further. Sarah returns to her flat, completely unaware that Mick has followed her there. Mick is determined to confront Kit, blaming him for all the misery in his life. He demands that Sarah summon Kit, threatening to kill him if she doesn’t. The violent tension is palpable, and it becomes clear that Mick is out for blood.
As Friday rolls around, the situation hits boiling point. Bernie, through a cruel twist of fate, ends up as Mick’s hostage. Mick believes that using Bernie as leverage will force Kit to come to him. But Bernie insists he’s mistaken — she and Kit have a strained, broken relationship, and she believes Kit wouldn’t care enough to save her. When Kit eventually arrives, he’s faced with a brutal decision: risk his mother’s life or walk away.
Bernie pleads with Kit, revealing that she had tried to reach out to him many times, but his adoptive mother had always intervened. As emotions explode, Kit and Mick end up in a physical altercation, with Bernie caught in the middle — her life hanging in the balance.
Meanwhile, at the hospital, Lisa is updated on the hostage situation and realizes just how deeply dangerous things have become. Over at the Metcalfe household, Tim, Sally, Gemma, and Chesney try to make sense of the chaos. They comfort each other, devastated by the news of Craig’s condition and the overall trauma of the day. Kirk is faced with the painful task of calling Beth to let her know what has happened to Craig.
As the community reels from the day’s events, questions still hang in the air: will Craig survive? Can Kit finally free himself from the shadows of his past with Mick? And will Bernie make it out alive?
Lou’s fate is also left uncertain. With Tim now supporting her daughters, he wonders where she has gone — and if she will ever return to face what she’s running from. Lisa, meanwhile, confides in Carla that after everything she’s witnessed, she’s determined to chase happiness while she still can.
With shocking twists, emotionally charged reunions, and a possible fatal goodbye to one of Weatherfield’s most beloved characters, “Craig Week” delivers on every front. It’s a gripping blend of crime, family turmoil, and emotional reckoning that no Coronation Street fan will want to miss.
