Coronation Street Christmas and New Year spoilers: Weatherfield's gloomy winter wonderland
It's not going to be a very Merry Christmas...
This Christmas is set to be one of the most explosive that Coronation Street has ever seen, with show boss Iain MacLeod admitting he's pointedly moved the longest running UK soap away from what audiences have come to expect during the festive season.
"Christmas Day this year is big, exciting and a bit bonkers – in my long time working in soap we’ve done warm and cosy Christmases and slightly crazy ones and I thought, let’s go with something big and cataclysmic," he told Closer magazine.
"There’s a ton of high octane action stuff but when we were designing the episode, we were conscious that there’s a certain expectation of a Corrie Christmas – a certain, feel, warmth and humour to it. It’s one of those episodes where you sit there on the edge of your seat – it’s so exciting and tense. Most importantly, it’s the culmination of a lot of really big stories."
Drama on the cobbles will reach fever pitch when loan shark Gary Windass gains possession of an antique gun, which quickly falls into the wrong hands and leaves the street's residents fearing for their lives as a full scale shoot out breaks out at Michael Bailey's Weatherfield Wonderland.
"It's an antique firearm, so I'll leave you to infer how that might arrive on the Street," Iain said, of the controversial decision. I'm aware that the presence of firearms full-stop on Coronation Street is very controversial, so it wasn't a decision we took lightly.
"But it just felt that there was an interesting side-avenue to what Gary's been doing that hadn't really been explored yet."
CHECK OUT Coronation Street Christmas and New Year spoilers
Just in time for Christmas, Nick and Sarah introduce the workers to the new refurbished factory and spirits are high as they celebrate the opening.
But tensions soon rise when Gary shows up with Maria, and Adam accidentally lets slip to Nick that Gary was one violent with Sarah.
His mood ruined, Nick orders Gary never to set foot in the factory again – but when a drunk Derek reveals to Izzy that he never owned shares, Nick is horrified to realise that Gary owns the factory.
Maria is furious that Gary has kept her in the dark – but quick thinking Gary makes up a story that Derek ran into financial trouble and he took on the factory to save the workers' jobs.
Later on, Gary takes an inebriated Derek hostage, tying him up in the furniture shop overnight and ensuring he misses his flight to Florida with his kids.
On Christmas morning, Gary lets Derek go, convinced that he now knows who's boss. Later that day, Fiz arrives with some old stuff for the antiques shop and Gary is alarmed to find a live antique gun in the collection.
Gary stows the gun away in a filing cabinet and heads off to The Rovers, when he bumps into Ali who's already had too much to drink.
Vowing to win back Maria's affections and Gary to get his comeuppance, Ali follows Gary home from the pub but when Gary finds the shop unlocked and the gun missing from it's hiding place, he accuses Ali of stealing from him.
Meanwhile, Fiz and Tyrone are appalled when Billy and Sean tell them they've spotted Jade at a soup kitchen. When they track her down and she admits she's been sleeping rough since she lost her job, they invite her to come home for Christmas.
Rita introduces Gemma to Arthur, the cat she's looking after over Christmas. After Dev drops a Christmas tree off at Rita's house, Rita begins decorating it alone.
Things are getting rowdy at the Rovers, with Ali insistent that he's innocent of stealing the gun and Gary suspicious. Just then, a worse for wear Derek storms into the pub, the gun held aloft.
As everyone begins to panic, Gary plays the hero and ushers everyone to cover before 'bravely' confronting Derek, before running from the pub into the mini Winter Wonderland.
Oblivious to the goings on at the pub, David, Sarah and Adam have met up to enjoy the attractions and help hide the presents for David's treasure hunt.
But they're alarmed when a panicked Gary approaches them and hurriedly explains that a gun has been stolen from the shop, and Derek is on a warpath.
Sarah, Adam and Harry take cover behind a popcorn cart and Gary disappears. Fearing for their lives, Adam assures Sarah that everything will be ok – and asks her to marry him.
A stunned Sarah can't believe what she's hearing – but is soon brought back to reality when Harry wriggles free of her grip and runs out onto the street!
Drunk and blood thirsty, Derek trains the gun on Harry but Gary steps out in front of him, scooping up Harry and passing him back to Adam before legging it and leading Derek away from the square.
As Derek turns his attentions back to Gary, a terrified Shona, who has been hiding in one of the giant presents to give David a sexy surprise, peeks out.
Watching from the safety of the box Shona is stunned to find herself caught in the middle of a shoot out and a frantic David is desperate to protect her.
As Gary screams at everyone to hide, Michael is horrified to see his wonderland has become a crime scene as a special police unit arrive.
Maria is distraught when she thinks that Gary has been shot and rushes out into the crossfire, only to be pulled back by an officer in riot gear.
After Christmas, Weatherfield continues to reel from the events of Christmas Day. Fiz, Tyrone, Ruby and Hope are playing a board game when Hope likens a toy gun to the one mummy brought to the antiques shop, and a mortified Fiz has to own up to her role in the drama.
Michelle is preparing to pack up the Bistro and hand the keys over to the mystery buyer - but she's caught off guard when Ray turns up and announces it's him.
Furious, Michelle lays into Ray outside the restaurant.
Determined to make things as difficult for Ray as he made things for her, Michelle heads back inside and begins to smash up everything she can find.
Hearing the commotion from outside, Carla rushes in to find Michelle destroying the bar and quickly takes her into her arms, where Michelle breaks down sobbing.
Elsewhere, Paula has sorted Amy out with an internship at her law firm in the new year and Tracy thanks her profusely.
Tonight is New Year's eve, and Adam, Ken, Peter and Carla are determined not to let Daniel and Bertie spend the evening alone.
Arriving at the flat with a bottle of bubbly, they all rally round to support Daniel and raise a glass to Sinead, leaving Daniel touched.
At the Bistro, new owner Ray is determined to make an excellent first impression and has organised an epic NYE party. A tipsy Abi confides in Eileen that she fancies Kevin after all.
When the news gets back to Kevin Sally convinces him to go for it – but when Kevin catches Abi later making eyes at Ray, he's hurt.
New Year's day rolls around and after rowing with Steve the night before Tracy is mortified to wake up in an unfamiliar bed as she realises she's cheated on him.
When Amy catches her mum and her one night stand together, she puts two and two together and furiously demands Tracy tell Steve the truth – or she will.
Fiz and Tyrone take Ruby and Hope out for a New Year's Day trip to the park, but when Hope accuses Ruby of pushing her off a bench and hurting her arm, the mood is ruined.
Fiz takes Hope to A&E to have her arm looked at and the is told by the doctor that Hope has broken her arm by trapping ti in a door. Fiz is gutted to realise that Hope's lying yet again.
Now let's remind ourselves of what's been happening recently, shall we?
Roy Cropper is devastated when his seriously ill brother, who he'd only recently met, passes away. Things are made even more difficult by Richard's daughter Nina finding out that Roy was supposed to be with Richard at the time of his death, but had left him alone instead.
Nina blames Roy and Roy blames himself – as each others' only family, will they be able to reconcile?
Elsewhere, Robert Preston is seriously implicated in Vicky Jefferies' disappearance when his Sat Nav proves he was in the place he's been accused of dumping her body. Convinced he's going down, Robert is surprised when new evidence stalls his case.
Michael Bailey is excited about finally being a proper dad to Tianna but is left heartbroken when he arranges a big surprise and Grace never turns up.
Gary Windass has an important job for Ryan Connor, and Tim Metcalfe starts to doubt his wedding plans.
Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7.30pm and 8.30pm on ITV.