Proving that not every soap whodunit has to last for months, Coronation Street has resolved the mystery of Audrey Roberts's missing money.
Nick Tilsley (Ben Price) is the cunning rogue who's stolen his gran's £80,000 windfall, as seen in the closing moments of Wednesday's episodes when he was spotted with a sports bag stashed full of notes. (Probably best to hide that if Corrie's other conman Duncan Radfield ever pays a visit.)
Corrie's big reveal has certainly left us with plenty to think about, so here we're rounding up the biggest theories, talking points and questions. Aside from the obvious: "How could you, Nick?"
1. Is Nick the new villain?
Corrie's new producer Iain MacLeod has previously announced plans to transform an existing character into a Mike Baldwin-style villain, providing plenty of fan theories and even a full list of potential suspects right here on Digital Spy.
But do we have our man already? MacLeod's description of Corrie's new bad guy was "ruthless, self serving and looking out for number one" and "an antagonistic person who's just messing up lives".
You can't get more ruthless than stealing from your own gran, but if Nick really is the mystery character in question, he'll be getting even worse in the next few months – being responsible for the roof collapse at Underworld that causes a death.
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On the flip side, MacLeod also said the villain storyline would be "very slow-burn… their intentions are good and they rapidly snowball". Corrie's writers are also planning weeks of mystery in the fallout of the roof collapse, so would they really give the game away so early? Might Nick be a clever red herring?
2. Will Claudia get the blame?
Corrie just wouldn't be Corrie without some poor soul being carted off and locked up for a crime they didn't commit, so could Claudia be next to fall victim to the writers' favourite plot twist? Maybe Claudia can be Sally's next cellmate and give her a break from malicious Marcia?
Nick didn't exactly step in to clear Claudia's name as Audrey flung accusations at her left, right and centre in Wednesday's hilarious funeral scenes. Although Nick did try to discourage his gran from calling the police, she ignored his advice and did it anyway. Will Nick stand by and do nothing when officers arrive on the cobbles to arrest Claudia on Friday?
3. Does David find out the truth sooner rather than later?
When Nick's suspicious behaviour continues next week, David is keeping a close watch on him – and we all know that he rarely misses a trick. Could he be the first to rumble Nick?
This seems a very likely possibility after the previous teasers that MacLeod dropped last month. Speaking about David and Nick's future at the time, he explained: "The Lewis/Audrey story we're running at New Year is the launchpad of a massive family saga for the Platts that will draw in and pit against each other all the members of the Platt family in counter argument and recrimination.
"Nick and David end up running a new business together on Victoria Street – a barber shop with a pun in the name. A secret emerges after the New Year, which proves so corrosive that they end up hating each other more than they ever have.
"We're likening it to Cain and Abel – one of them isn’t going to kill the other, but they’ll come pretty close in how much they come to loathe each other. It starts in January and plays out over the next 12 months."
It sounds like the siblings' animosity will flare up once David knows the truth about Nick's sticky fingers – but will he keep quiet afterwards or tell Audrey and Gail everything?
4. Is Nick's accomplice about to cause trouble for him?
We know that Nick isn't acting alone, since CCTV footage obtained by the police showed a mystery woman drawing Audrey's money out of various cash points. So far there's been no confirmation on screen over who Nick is working with, but next week's spoilers may provide a clue.
In next Wednesday's episodes, Nick panics when Toyah tips off Leanne about how a mystery woman has been repeatedly calling the flat and wanting to speak to him. His worries escalate when Natalie, a waitress from his restaurant in Nottingham, later comes to see him. Is she the one who's been helping with his con? If so, could her presence on the cobbles arouse suspicion?
5. Is this a step too far for Leanne?
Sure, Leanne's no saint herself, but we can't imagine her being too impressed to find out that Nick is now swindling his own family. Hardly a great role model for her son Oliver, right?
We've already seen Nick let Leanne down time and time again, and even though she even forgave him for having a secret wife last year, we can't help fearing this latest mistake could be the final straw for her. Could this be the beginning of the end for Nick and Leanne?
6. Is there Gail force anger ahead?
Corrie legend Gail didn't hold back with the insults towards Lewis Archer when she suspected that he was the one trying to con her beloved mum. But will she be as harsh towards her golden boy Nick once the truth inevitably comes out?
Gail has always had a soft spot where her eldest boy is concerned, but she'd be a real hypocrite if she turned a blind eye to this and forgave Nick. Although let's face it, double standards and hypocrisy come pretty easily where Gail is concerned...
7. Will Nick's conscience get the better of him?
Nobody turns villainous overnight, so our other big question is whether Nick's conscience could start to trouble him as this saga continues. Wednesday's episodes have made it 100% official that Lewis wasn't conning Audrey, meaning that his secret hotel meeting before New Year must have been connected to his proposal plans, rather than anything more sinister.
Poor (in both senses of the word) Audrey is still unaware of all this, believing that Lewis was out to con her out of thousands before he died. Can Nick really stand by and do nothing while Audrey believes the worst of her lost soulmate? Come on, Nick, have a heart…
Coronation Street airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7.30pm and 8.30pm on ITV.
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