Coronation Street is tightening the noose around one of its most dangerously charming villains as Carl Webster’s web of lies begins to unravel. After weeks of manipulation, betrayal, and moral decay, the walls are finally closing in — and this time, even Carl’s silver tongue may not be enough to save him.

Since his arrival on the cobbles, Carl has played the role of the charismatic bad boy with ease. Smooth, confident, and endlessly persuasive, he quickly embedded himself back into the Webster family, presenting himself as a man down on his luck but eager for redemption. In reality, Carl has been drowning in debt and desperation, willing to cross any line to stay afloat.

His early crimes already marked him as reckless and dangerous. Faking accidents, stealing cars from his own brother Kevin’s garage, and selling them on for quick cash showed just how far Carl was prepared to fall. But while those acts were criminal, recent revelations have pushed him into far darker territory — territory that even hardened Coronation Street villains rarely tread.

Carl’s most disturbing betrayal lies with his sister, Debbie Webster.

Debbie, already vulnerable due to her dementia diagnosis, should have been protected by her family. Instead, she became Carl’s most lucrative target. Exploiting her fears, he cruelly manipulated her into believing her symptoms were worsening. With calculated concern and fake reassurance, Carl convinced Debbie she could no longer trust her own memory or judgment.

Under the guise of helping her manage her affairs, Carl gained access to her hotel business accounts. From there, he quietly transferred vast sums of money to himself, effectively robbing his sister blind while gaslighting her about her own mental health. It was a betrayal that shocked even seasoned viewers.

Stealing cars is one thing. Convincing your own sister that her dementia is accelerating just so you can drain her bank account is another entirely. In that moment, Carl stopped being a flawed rogue and crossed into something far more sinister.

This week’s episodes mark a turning point.

In scenes airing on Wednesday, 31 December, Carl is shown still reeling from the sudden death of his estranged mother. For once, his bravado drops, replaced by visible grief and emotional instability. He decides he needs to see her body and say a final goodbye, a moment that appears almost human — until you remember the devastation he has left behind him.

Debbie’s fiancé, Ronnie Bailey, offers to accompany Carl, unaware that the man he is supporting is actively stealing from the woman he loves. As Carl leaves town, believing his secrets are safe for a few more hours, fate intervenes.

Back at the hotel, Debbie’s trusted right-hand man, Ryan Connor, is holding things together. When a supplier calls chasing an unpaid invoice, Ryan does what any responsible employee would do — he attempts to access the accounts to resolve the issue.

But he can’t get in.

Ryan quickly realises that the passwords have been changed.

It is a small detail, but a catastrophic one.

The sudden lockout immediately raises alarm bells. Ryan knows Debbie would never change the passwords without telling him, and suspicion falls squarely on Carl. In one quiet but pivotal moment, the first concrete crack appears in Carl’s financial scam.

For the first time, his crimes are no longer invisible.

Whether Ryan confronts Carl directly, alerts Ronnie, or goes straight to Debbie could determine how quickly the truth explodes — and whether Carl has time to talk his way out of it yet again. But with Debbie’s wedding fast approaching, the timing could not be worse. If the truth comes out now, it will shatter not only a relationship but an entire family.

And the pressure doesn’t stop there.

While Carl’s financial crimes threaten to surface, his personal life is also imploding. His explosive affair with Abby Franklin — his brother Kevin’s wife — already caused devastation, destroying Kevin’s marriage and tearing the family apart. But even that betrayal wasn’t enough for Carl.

Bored of domestic life, Carl reignited his secret fling with James Bailey, sneaking around behind Abby’s back. The affair escalated recklessly, with the pair even hooking up in Carl and Abby’s new flat — a level of arrogance that would prove to be his undoing.

Last week, Abby’s instincts kicked in.

Suspicious and unsettled, she checked Carl’s phone while he slept. What she found confirmed her worst fears: flirty messages, secret plans, and undeniable proof that Carl was cheating on her. Instead of exploding — something viewers know Abby is more than capable of — she chose silence.

That silence is terrifying.

Abby didn’t confront Carl. She didn’t expose him. She watched. And waited.

Those who know Abby Franklin know she is not weak. She is a survivor. A woman who has lived through addiction, loss, and violence — and come out the other side. Carl may think he’s in control, but he is sleeping beside someone who knows exactly how to destroy him.

Abby is playing the long game.

With Ryan closing in on the money trail, Ronnie unknowingly supporting a thief, Debbie being gaslit into doubting her own mind, and Abby quietly gathering ammunition, Carl is surrounded. Every lie he has told is now a ticking time bomb.

The title says it all: Carl is drunk — not just on alcohol, but on arrogance. He believes he can charm his way out of anything. But this time, the evidence is stacking up, and the people he has hurt the most are the ones poised to bring him down.

When Carl finally falls, it won’t be quick. It will be brutal, public, and utterly deserved.

And Coronation Street viewers are more than ready to watch it happen.