Coronation Street Review – Who Attacked Daniel After the Driscolls’ Christmas Chaos?

If you’d asked any Coronation Street fan six months ago who would dominate the cobbles during Christmas week, very few would have predicted

that a brand-new family would steal the spotlight. Yet ITV took a calculated festive gamble this year, placing returning fan favourite Eva Price

and the newly introduced Driscoll clan firmly at the heart of its Christmas episodes—despite the family having only moved into The Rovers less than two months ago.

Christmas episodes are traditionally a shop window for soaps: glossy, dramatic showcases designed to hook casual viewers while rewarding loyal fans. Usually,

the focus falls on long-brewing storylines or legacy characters with years of emotional investment behind them. This time, however, Coronation Street flipped expectations on their head.

With viewers already aware that several seismic moments are lined up for early January, the festive spotlight was free to land somewhere unexpected—and land it did, squarely on the Driscolls.

Thankfully, the Christmas episode delivered many of the genre’s most beloved ingredients. There was a devastating revelation dropped at the dinner table, a heated confrontation that ended in violence, and, by the final moments, one character left unconscious on the cobbles. And hanging over it all was a tantalising mystery: who attacked Daniel Osbourne?

The arrival of the Driscolls has marked a fascinating new chapter for Corrie, though not without controversy. When the family was first announced in the autumn, ITV promised a renewed sense of “warmth, joy and happiness,” suggesting a return to classic pub-centred storytelling, light comedy, and a lively atmosphere at The Rovers. On that front, the show has partially delivered. The pub feels busier, louder, and more alive, and there have been flashes of humour that hark back to Corrie’s roots.

Yet beneath that cheerful surface, the Driscolls’ storylines have veered sharply into darker territory. Death, buried secrets, and issue-led plots have quickly come to dominate their narrative, a tonal shift that has divided viewers. Family matriarch Maggie, in particular, has emerged as a deeply unsettling presence. It has been revealed that she accidentally killed her husband years ago, and her frequent, ominous references to death and guilt have left fans wondering whether Coronation Street is quietly laying the groundwork for its next long-term villain—or even a future serial killer.

Adding to the unease is the storyline involving youngest Driscoll Will, who is being groomed by his sports coach, Megan. While the performances have been widely praised for their sensitivity and realism, some viewers feel the show has rushed into such heavy material too quickly. Comparisons have inevitably been drawn to Emmerdale’s Jacob Gallagher storyline, which benefited from years of character development before tackling similar themes. In contrast, the Driscolls’ darkest secrets have been unveiled at breakneck speed, leaving little time for audiences to fully process or emotionally invest.

Against that backdrop, the Christmas episode itself felt surprisingly restrained. Rather than detonating yet another explosive revelation, the writers allowed tension to simmer—particularly around Eva Price’s return and her complicated past. Subtle, loaded conversations between Eva and Adam Barlow sparked widespread speculation that the pair had shared a secret affair during Eva’s time away from Weatherfield. For long-term viewers, such a retcon would have been messy and confusing.

Mercifully, the truth proved far more emotionally grounded. Eva had secretly fallen pregnant by Ben and made the heartbreaking decision not to keep the baby. Adam, it emerged, had simply been a supportive friend—someone Eva confided in after a chance meeting in Hull. The reveal restored narrative clarity and reinforced Adam’s role as a moral anchor rather than a secret schemer.

The calm didn’t last long. Maggie, proving once again that subtlety is not her strong suit, chose Christmas dinner as the moment to strike. Producing and reading aloud the deeply personal letter Eva had written to the baby she’d lost, Maggie detonated the emotional equivalent of a bomb at the table. The fallout was immediate and devastating. Accusations flew, tempers erupted, and long-suppressed feelings boiled over.

Ben, acting on raw emotion rather than reason, lashed out physically at Adam, opting for a “punch first, ask questions later” response that left Adam bloodied and viewers wincing. It was classic soap drama—ugly, painful, and gripping in equal measure.

Crucially, the episode avoided painting itself into a narrative corner. As the truth about Maggie’s manipulation came to light, Ben realised he’d been misled. By the end of the hour, he and Eva found themselves on firmer ground, their relationship bruised but intact. It was a smart move, preserving a pairing the audience can continue to root for. Maggie, meanwhile, paid the price for her cruelty, ending Christmas isolated and rejected by her own son—a lonely figure standing in stark contrast to the family unity she had so recklessly shattered.

Just when it seemed the chaos had peaked, the episode delivered its final sting. Outside The Rovers, Daniel Osbourne was found unconscious, the victim of a brutal attack. The timing was no coincidence. Throughout the festive celebrations, Daniel had clashed repeatedly with both Maggie and Will. Maggie’s ruthlessness is now well established, and she has shown she is more than capable of causing harm when she feels threatened. Will, on the other hand, has been simmering with jealousy and resentment over Megan’s inappropriate fixation on Daniel—a situation that has clearly left him distressed and angry.

With multiple plausible suspects and motives swirling, the mystery has all the hallmarks of a classic Corrie whodunit. The Boxing Day episode promises swift developments, with Evelyn Plummer set to discover Daniel injured and alone. The question is not just who attacked him, but what this act of violence will unleash in the days and weeks to come.

Ultimately, Coronation Street’s Christmas offering was a bold, risky move that largely paid off. By centring the festivities on the Driscolls, the show challenged tradition and injected fresh energy into its seasonal storytelling. While concerns remain about pacing and tonal balance, the episode delivered emotional weight, genuine shock, and a compelling mystery that has viewers eager for answers. And as the cobbles brace for the fallout, one thing is certain: Christmas in Weatherfield is never just about goodwill and mince pies—it’s about secrets, betrayal, and the consequences that follow.