Coronation Street airs a rare Tuesday episode tonight (December 24) as the build-up to the show's shock shooting storyline continues.
The ITV soap is marking Christmas Eve by airing a single episode this evening, setting the stage for some dramatic scenes to come.
After his cruel revenge against Derek Milligan, nasty Gary Windass (Mikey North) frees him from his bonds at the furniture shop.
Derek is distraught over Gary's actions, convinced that he has lost his kids forever after missing their planned flight to Florida.
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Later on, Fiz Stape (Jennie McAlpine) calls at the furniture shop to drop off items from a house clearance, which include an antique shotgun.
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Gary points out that the gun is still live and stows it away in a filing cabinet for safekeeping.
In a worrying coincidence, this comes as Derek plans his own revenge against Gary, determined to make him pay for ruining his life.
Soon afterwards, the filing cabinet drawer lies open at the shop, with the gun suddenly nowhere to be seen...
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Coronation Street bosses have already announced that Derek will hold Gary at gunpoint at the Rovers Return and the Winter Wonderland on Christmas Day.
The scenes will ultimately lead to a death on the cobbles as Derek's behaviour spirals out of control.
Craige Els, who plays Derek, recently explained: "He just wants to scare Gary. He wants to see Gary as scared as Gary has made him feel and for once have the upper hand. What he doesn't anticipate is how far it could go and that's the tragic twist.
"It isn't a plot by him to go on the rampage on the street and kill anyone, he is not an evil man. He was once a powerful man and he has had all that power taken away from him by the one man who has now taken the most precious thing away from him.
"He has been pushed, he is broken and wild, but he is not evil. There is no malicious intent, there is no premeditation. He is not Pat Phelan or Richard Hillman, he is an accidental gunman, an accidental villain. Things snowball out of his control and he is devastated by what he ends up doing."
Coronation Street airs tonight at 8.30pm on ITV.
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