Every week (every fortnight during the lockdown) I run through the best and worst bits of the week on Emmerdale. This fortnight saw Cain confessing his feelings for Moira by her hospital bedside and Lydia taking a big decision to get the Huntington’s test done.
Faves
Lydia’s Big Decision
Lydia’s one of Emmerdale’s best characters and her Huntington’s storyline has real potential so I was happy to gain focus again this fortnight. Emmerdale’s in need of a big, emotional, real-life centred story at the moment, particularly with one of their strongest stories – Vanessa’s cancer – now happening offscreen for the foreseeable. Hopefully Lydia’s story will fill that gap and raise awareness. This fortnight Lydia worried about personality changes and although Lydia’s change seemed abrupt, it’s possible that scenes with her talking to Agatha may have been cut due to filming issues. However, her emotional scenes later in the week with Chas and Sam allowed us to hear Lydia’s fears and empathise with her dilemma in finding out what the future has in store. I wonder where this story will go in the long term, especially if she does get a positive diagnosis, but I’m glad to see more of Lydia and Sam united during these difficult times for the family.
Andrea the Puppet-master
Andrea’s transformation into power-hungry villain is another story development that seems controversial with viewers. Some find her change in personality too dramatic to believe, whereas others are enjoying the campy elements of her turning into a villain but question why she’s doing all this for a drip like Jamie. I tend to fall into the latter category. It’s been a welcome development to see Andrea with a bit of spark, a feistiness, to have the rest of the Tates on the backfoot. I found it enjoyable in a love-to-hate way to watch Andrea manipulate Jamie and control things with Belle, all the while seeming to enjoy her new found power. Sometimes it’s fun to see a character change like this and morph into a villain – it’s only her motives here which feel a bit weak. When Emma Barton (amazing character) played puppet master with the villagers all to have James, it felt believable, we had years of watching her twist into bitterness and possession, so by the time she donned the wedding dress and tied him up, it was a brilliant watch. As much as James was a dullard, you could still believe in her wanting him all for herself. With Andrea, she just isn’t there, her desperation for Jamie just isn’t quite believable. Nevertheless Andrea’s been sitting on this potential for evil for a while and I’m glad we’re getting to see it, even going as far as trapping Kim and finally dismantling the power structures at Home Farm. We need a love-to-hate villain and Andrea could be the one.
Feelings Reignited?
Emmerdale continued to pave the way for Cain and Moira to get closer this fortnight after Moira’s brush with death. If her tender smile at Cain admitting feelings at her bedside is anything to go by, Moira still holds a candle for him and there’s still hope. After Moira was discharged from hospital, Cain was back on the farm in his overalls ready to help out and knowing his secret, Moira had an air of lightness which was refreshing to see. Since her cheating last year, there’s been a black cloud over Moira and the farm, but now she knows Cain’s real feelings, that hostility has been smoothed over. It’s a testament to Natalie J Robb and Jeff Hordley’s chemistry than it doesn’t matter if one of them is playing unconscious or their scenes are socially distant, there’s a strong connection there. I only hope when they do reunite (and surely it has to be when rather than if) then it’s post-social distancing so they can do it properly – with a kiss!
Café Kings
We learnt in the lockdown episodes that Nicola was unsatisfied in life, felt as though her career had stalled and now it looks as if these suggestions were laying the groundwork for the Kings’ latest storyline. With Bob and Brenda struggling to give Dan his pay out, Nicola suggested her and Jimmy buy into the café. It might seem a little bit of a backwards step for Nicola, especially considering she’s now a local councillor, but the Kings revamping and being in charge of the café could be a nice change of pace. If it means we get to see more of them then it’s an added bonus. I wish, lockdown episode aside, we’d seen more build up to this story from the Kings point of view, perhaps Nicola struggling with her councillor role or Jimmy’s business crumbling after Robert left, because the reality of this change in management seems more that the show want to rejig things rather than it being motivated by something deeper within the characters. Nevertheless any chance to see more of Nicola and Jimmy, at the centre of village life, can only be a good thing!
Fails
Dan’s Disability
Dan spent the fortnight feeling pretty sorry for himself as he faced a big adjustment period now that he’s out of hospital and using a wheelchair. July is Disability Pride month so it feels a little disheartening to spend scenes with Dan feeling so miserable about his situation. Granted, it’ll take him time to come to terms with his disability and he’s not suddenly going to snap into positivity mode, but this seems to be a very familiar storyline for Emmerdale. It wasn’t that long ago we had the same story with Nicola, and an even bleaker story for Jackson. It’s difficult to know what the focus is meant to be in this story, especially as it doesn’t feel like this is a permanent life change for Dan ala Chris Tate, so my investment is low. Disappointingly even Nicola, who lived with her paralysis for years got some miracle physio and now has a perfectly able arm. So what is the purpose of Dan’s story? It doesn’t feel like a genuine attempt at a story about disability, it feels overdone, a stop-gap to give Dan something to do and change direction at the café. Even if the story was to focus more on Dan’s adjustment, I’m not sure he’s the right character to be miserable for months, he’s much more suited to lighter, comedic plots. So far, his struggle is already a bit of a drain to watch.
Timid Tate
Even Kim questioned Jamie’s lineage this week as she said what we are all thinking – how can Jamie possibly be the spawn of Frank and Kim? (And no, unless Emmerdale change history, Jamie isn’t Dave Glover’s – two DNA tests were done). Because really, considering he’s the son of two huge villainous characters, Jamie’s a bit pathetic and dull. He might have ruined some of his popularity by cheating on Andrea (although I still think, minus the whining, Jamie and Belle make a cute couple) but he’s a pretty weak leading character full stop. We might have guessed it way back when he and Kim had very circular arguments, but at the forefront of the show it’s hard to care about Andrea’s entrapment of him because he’s just so mopey and moany. Sure, for the story to work, he has to be weak-willed, dumping Belle at Andrea’s say-so, following her back and forth when she clicks her fingers, but even when he tries to show a bit of spine against Andrea, it falls flat. Spoilers indicate he stands up to Andrea soon, but come on Emmerdale – he’s a Tate! We know he’s meant to be a bit different to his mum and dad, but it doesn’t mean he has to be boring and insipid!
This fortnight saw the formation of a new business partnership which is brimming with potential. Much to Kim’s disappointment Rhona discovered she was due to inherit a substantial sum of money from Graham’s will (baffling for a man who was basically a butler for years but we’ll go with it) and she pondered her future. At the same time Moira struggled with the farm, gearing up to make a decision whether to sell it or not. And then these two great women, after working together and talking about their pasts, decided to go into business together. We’re used to soap characters sticking to a select group of interactions and rarely breaking from that mould, so the prospect of a new friendship and business partnership forming brings change and freshness for both characters. Butlers Farm has long felt stale and since the Nate travesty, Moira has lacked direction. The two actresses have already shown an engaging relationship with real chemistry and this will hopefully give the writers plenty of fresh material to work with. Great move! 
There was awkwardness all round this fortnight as Belle found herself unable to avoid Andrea and was roped into attending her saucy lingerie party. As Belle winced her way through Andrea’s comments about her sex life with Jamie, things got worse when a panicked Jamie told her to stay away from Andrea and worried about the atmosphere at work. Jamie was a right dick this fortnight as he tried to get Belle fired but by the end of this week admitted she was all he wanted and he was struggling. Belle’s had her fair share of disastrous relationships but Eden Taylor Draper’s played Belle’s vulnerability and awkwardness well and her angst over her feelings for Jamie seem authentic. Belle and Jamie have the potential to be a cute couple but what this story really needs is to make the stakes seem higher. Jamie’s hardly spent any time with Millie and if his worries about custody is what’s holding him back from Belle, they need to make it more believable he would hold back on his true feelings. 
It was one of the smaller plots this fortnight but as Brenda faced the guilt of her mistake, leading to Dan’s paralysis, there was no escaping the blame. This fortnight Mandy found the vital evidence that she needed, the label that proved Brenda’s culpability. As Brenda sweated, she gave Rodney control of the cafe and had surprising support from Eric. I’ve really enjoyed their scenes in particular as until now it wasn’t common for Eric and Brenda to share scenes and much like Rhona and Moira it is interesting to explore new character friendships. Interfering Brenda might not be everyone’s favourite character but Lesley Dunlop is a solid performer and so far her remorse and vulnerability has been well played but I could also see Eric leading her to make even more dubious decisions… 
Whinging Wendy was back at it again this week, leaning on smitten Bob to help reunite Victoria and Luke. All very well and good if she was just an interfering granny wanting the best for Victoria, but with the Posner family history this is another misguided story. Victoria has repeatedly said she’s not ready to date again and has done what’s right for her, Luke might respect this but Wendy doesn’t seem to understand no means no. Maybe it runs in the family? Rather than respect Vic’s wishes, yet again Wendy was trying to manipulate the situation. Add that to her list of controlling and suffocating behaviour towards Vic. Enough is enough. If that wasn’t infuriating enough to watch, we then had to see Wendy robbed in the world’s most contrived theft all so she could cry over Lee again. It’s insulting enough we’re supposed to tolerate Wendy and accept her as a new mumsy gossip but the weepy reminders of her beloved Lee are sick making. If the Posners are going to be a permanent fixture then it’s time they were given space outside of Vic’s orbit. 
The Malone plot continued this fortnight and only a few weeks in, it’s already starting to drag. There’s no denying Mark Womack is a charismatic performer but it’s hard to find any real menace in Malone when he pops up in different locations at the perfect time like a cartoon villain. He makes threats and uses his wealth of corrupt cops to pull strings but as a character he’s very 2D. Had Malone been brought in with a family or his corrupt ways been introduced slowly with a strong motivation, we might have found him more ominous. As it is, he seems invented just to cause hell for Cain and co and there’s no real doubt that they won’t lose to Malone – so where are the stakes? Will continues to be lifeless and dull, a far cry from the big drugs lord who Harriet had to investigate undercover and Billy might be a nice guy but like Will, he’s also a bit lifeless in this story. What’s more, this story just doesn’t feel like a good fit for Emmerdale and in fact has the hallmarks of a weak EastEnders plot. A story about a bent cop manipulating vulnerable villagers could have worked if Malone himself had been written with more depth, a life of his own, but this story is far from engaging especially as it seems unlikely he’ll change anything significant in the village. 
There was a lovely community feel to Monday’s episode, as three christenings took place at the church and with the current real-world situation, it had the warmth and family spirit we need right now. The scenes also saw a welcome return of Zak, Aaron and Liv and an amusing set of “The Godfather” impressions as the men tried to out-do each other. It’s not often we see so many villagers gathered in one place and with all of the babies having bittersweet arrivals, it was nice to see the happy occasion, and despite Chas and Paddy’s tensions and Wendy being her usual self, the feel-good event was a nice watch.
Jamie and Belle got it on again this week as their simmering tensions lead to a row, and then a shag, in the middle of a veterinary call out. With longing looks and repressed feelings, Jamie and Belle’s affair is certainly one of the most watchable in recent times, helped by their natural chemistry. It also helps that while the stakes are high in terms of Kim’s involvement and Jamie’s custody problems, viewers on the whole aren’t that invested in Belle and Ellis or Jamie and Andrea as couples. It’s not a Nate and Moira situation where their affair ruins a beloved couple. This also comes as a bit of a drawback as it means it’s hard to believe Belle wouldn’t just ditch Ellis (whose been written as a wet weekend since the actor change) and Jamie come up with a long term custody plan, and end things with Andrea. However, a slow burn affair of forbidden feelings can be a good watch when you want to see the two together, and if it stops Jamie whining for five minutes then even better.
Brenda made a dangerous mistake this week by not labelling her ingredients correctly on her café food, leading to a horrific allergic reaction for Dan. This storyline already had subtle build up previously when Brenda gave Dan vegan food with nuts in unaware of his allergy and he suffered a minor reaction. This week however, Dan went into anaphylactic shock and now is experiencing paralysis, sending Brenda into turmoil. After initially trying to cover up her mistake, Brenda admitted what she’d done to Dan and his family after a prompting from Eric. While a story that centres on the Spencers might not be everyone’s favourite idea, this story has been really effective so far, showing how a tiny action can escalate into something so serious which impacts many characters. Not every soap story needs extreme behaviour or guns, a smaller story like this is like a classic soap story which can have just as many twists and turns. I’m glad it’s also given a focus to older characters like Eric and Brenda who are often underused and underrated.
This week, after sleeping together, Victoria ended things with Luke again, telling him it was too soon to get into a relationship. As Luke begged for another go and Wendy tried to get involved, it felt like a serious case of déjà vu. I imagine the intention here is to make Luke and Victoria the couple you root for, and to give Victoria time and space to recover from her rape trauma, but with their reunion boringly inevitable, these efforts to drag it out seem pointless. Vic, Wendy, Luke and baby Harry are already participating in the world’s most unlikely and icky happy families but the fact Emmerdale have gone this route undermines any efforts to make Victoria’s aftermath believable. When she talks of her struggle to move on, to feel anything during sex, you can’t help but think had Luke (her rapist’s brother) not been her chosen partner, this story would have held the weight and emotion it deserves. Instead, this is too tacky to get involved with.
The most compelling story this week was David and Jacob continuing to struggle in the aftermath of the baby’s arrival on their doorstep. Although David had made an agreement to be the baby’s father no matter what, things were tense as they waited for the paternity results. It was revealed, quite surprisingly, that David is the father of Maya’s baby and there was a flood of relief and discomfort. As Jacob attempted to return to a normal teenage life, David struggled, not knowing if he could accept his son with everything Maya had done. There were some moving and thought provoking scenes as David battled his conscience and spoke to Eric about giving the child up for adoption before ultimately realising he did have the captivity to love the boy in spite of everything Maya had done to their family. This story has had interesting developments and I almost wish the struggle had lasted longer even if it had made David look heartless. I’m also intrigued as to how or if this will impact on Jacob’s recovery. So far he seems pretty unaffected by Theo, especially
It was baby central in Emmerdale this week as it wasn’t just David dealing with a newborn but Victoria too, as little Harry Sugden was born. After Victoria’s traumatic year, the birth of Harry was initially played for laughs but when he came into the world, Vic was panicked she would see Lee’s face and be unable to love him. Of course Vic fell in love at first sight and her world has been brightened by his arrival. There’s still the Wendy issue although I’m holding out a possibly futile hope that they’re going to let Wendy go full on Emma Barton style villain and embrace it rather than be the victim. This story though has been a welcome lift for Vic and it was nice to see her reunited with her friends for support as well as the addition of Aaron’s believable struggles with Harry’s arrival.
Too soon – you might argue! And I’d probably agree with you there. I was a bit fan of Bernice and Liam’s relationship so this rush to pair him up with smitten Leyla does seem too soon. Bernice has only been out the door five minutes. However, reservations aside there’s no doubt they did make the perfect comedy pair this week – although admittedly I find Liam’s scenes almost always brilliant. This week he stepped in to help with a kids party at the salon, impressing everyone with his unicorn hair and gel nail skills. This was the perfect acting role for Liam and we all know how much he loves the am dram. Leyla of course couldn’t contain her feelings but this set Liam off into a path of confusion. These too could be a good couple given time, but even if there’s no viable romance, they’ve at least proved how much good fun they can be on screen.
Not long after his arrival, downtrodden Jamie retreated into dullsville and for the son of one of Emmerdale’s most formidable characters, he didn’t have much personality. However this week saw Jamie grow a backbone and gain a bit more bite as he began to pick up the pieces of his shattered life. First it was Graham he confronted and later Rhona as he tried to get her out of the vets by revealing her shocking behaviour to retrieve Millie’s DNA. There’s been something pretty self righteous and unlikeable about Rhona of late and it made an interesting change to see Jamie take action. With him being one of the suspects in Graham’s murder, it seems hopeful we might hold onto this more forthright Jamie for a little longer.
Kerry got a spot of the green eyed monster this week as she noticed Mandy flirting with Dan. I’m not opposed to the idea of those two as a couple but with Kerry and Mandy forging a friendship it doesn’t look like that’s on the immediate cards. While some viewers are finding it hard to move on from what Kerry did last year to laugh at her latest shenanigans, at least Mandy is making her more entertaining. This week they both got smashed and woke up in the barn, forgetting all about their salon duties. I think less is more with these two but their fraught love hate friendship could work a treat in the salon.
The Emmerdale Christmas panto continued to be the gift that kept on giving this week as Leyla’s crush on Liam intensified and Kim stepped up to be the villain of the piece. There’s so much to enjoy about this story. It has a great sense of community, from director Manpreet’s heavy hand on the script editing much to the frustration of writer Bob, to Dan and Mandy teaming up to play Liam’s horse, to Rishi stepping up – of course – to play the dame. Rather than force the laughs by us seeing just the slapstick stage performances, we’re seeing the natural humour in the preparation and practice, the bickering and disagreements. It’s also fun seeing real life actors pretending to “act”, particularly Liam’s joyously camp murder-mystery inspired performances and of course Kim’s superb stepping up as the villain. Very meta and lots of fun. More community stories in the new year please!
Since their marriages ended, Cain and Aaron have been united in sullen moods and angry behaviour, even turning back to crime. But there was something cold and guarded about these reactions suggesting there was a lot more pain under the surface. This week saw both characters break down and open up, with Aaron trying to swallow his grief and fail to move on, and Cain admitting to Charity that he didn’t think things would pass. Rather than seeing them explode with rage or make Wendy and Nate’s lives a misery, it was a welcome change to see them both human and empathetic again as they expressed how they really felt.
Desperate to make Sarah see sense over Danny and the drugs, Noah was at breaking point this week. Stubborn and petulant Sarah continued to risk her life trying to impress slimy Danny, but a worried Noah was trying his best to look out for her and stop her making dangerous choices. By the end of the week feeling isolated and ignored, Noah sat alone and took the pills himself. Jack Downham’s a capable young actor and it’s good to see him get some emotional material again. Noah’s often felt pushed out and neglected in his family so it will be interesting to see if this is a turning point for those around him.
Poor Liv had another seizure this week and could be facing an epilepsy diagnosis. Isobel Steele continues to be one of Emmerdale’s best young actors and her performance of the seizure and her fear and upset afterwards was really well done. Predictably it was Wendy that came to her rescue, but thankfully the focus was on Liv’s recovery and not Wendy’s heroics. The last time Liv had a seizure, the impact was brushed under the carpet fairly quickly, the collapse used in a plot device-y way, so fingers crossed it won’t be the same this time. Friday’s episode saw her worried about looking after Eve and hopefully this is a story that won’t just be used to inject a bit of Thursday jeopardy into the family. Given what a capable actress Isobel is, it’s about time she had a big ‘issue’ story with longevity.
With Christmas approaching, Dawn’s mind has returned back to her son Lucas. It makes sense that she would think of him over the festive period, but there’s something about this determination of hers to get custody that doesn’t sit right. We’ve seen Dawn make a big recovery from her drug problems and create a stable life, but with her son settled and happy with a foster family – is it right he should be taken from that? It feels like we should be on Dawn’s side in this story but there’s an entitlement to her attitude that seems to paint a negative light on legal guardians. In the long run, I can’t see what stories a young son would offer to her character – I think she has more potential without him.
The violins were out for Nate this week as he sulked around the village wondering why he wasn’t welcome. Much like the Wendy story, it seems like Emmerdale are going out of their wait to paint Nate as the victim, when the reality is, he helped cause this friction. This week Cain decided to turn Kyle against Nate in the hopes of driving his estranged son from the village. The Dingles took pity on Nate and invited him to an Xmas movie night in a tone-deaf way that seemed designed to piss Cain off even more. But – is it any wonder? Cain might be a nasty piece of work at the best of times, but who can blame him for not wanting Nate around after everything he’s done? It seems by the end of the week the Dingles might have realised that Cain won’t be forced, not when his whole life has shattered, but the idea that they would take Nate’s side anyway feels convoluted. Nate came in with a mission to destroy Cain’s life – why are we supposed to feel sorry for him?
Back in December when Harriet and Dawn’s connection was first revealed, I criticised the decision to kill off Dawn’s dad, suggesting that sacrificing the juicy torment it would give Harriet all these years later was a wasted opportunity. I also felt a little short changed that after years of resentment and bitterness towards Harriet, Dawn had so quickly let her back into her life. So it was an absolute joy to have the rug pulled out from under us this week and reveal that not only is Dawn’s father still alive (played by the brilliant Dean Andrews) but that she’s been in on it all along! Stories of undercover police forming long term relationships with criminal suspects has made headlines recently and the long term impact on the people involved is ripe for exploring in Emmerdale so I’m really excited to see what’s ahead. While some viewers feel this turn-around from Dawn has made her instantly unlikeable and feel betrayed, I feel it’s far more realistic to have her conflicted. Harriet was once a mother to her, and her undercover status sent Dawn’s life into a dark and miserable trajectory so this twist makes her intentions interesting and begs a question of just how much of her is genuine, and how far will she get involved in her dad’s plans before her conscience takes hold? This is a gripping story with so much potential and I think Dean Andrews is going to make a cracking villain. Bring it on!
I’ll admit that I’ve never been keen on cool vicar Harriet, and even her much-hyped good versus evil bunk up with Cain didn’t do much to me, but times are changing. This week scenes in Emmerdale verged into horror movie territory as Harriet continued to be harassed by her secret stalker. Levels of creepiness escalated from minor meddling to full on terror as the church bells rang and Harriet found herself locked in. These were well shot scenes, letting us experience the unnerving sensations Harriet was suffering and allowing our empathy to increase. While viewers now know the culprit of this revenge, Harriet’s still in the dark and feeling as if she’s becoming a paranoid mess and there’s nothing more frightening than feeling you’re totally alone like this. Tension is high now to see how far this vendetta goes, and even more so to see Harriet discover the shocking truth behind whose responsible!
Thursdays’ episodes centred on the opening of a new beer garden at the Woolie which will also serve as a living memorial for Grace, but it wasn’t just the addition of a new set that was a highlight, but the community spirit the scenes granted. It was enjoyable to see a selection of characters in one place, especially when it comes to comedy moments like Charity’s puppet show, but it also helps to tie lots of plots all together. There have been times in Emmerdale’s past where stories have felt boxed in, but from gatherings like this, to Nicola’s campaigning, and even Harriet’s stalking nightmare, plots seem to be managing to cross over a lot at the moment. Thursday’s beer garden opening managed to feature Priya’s rivalry with Aiesha, Paddy’s relationship with Bear, Charity keeping the secret of Lisa’s illness, Dawn’s secret revenge, Aaron and Robert’s fall out with Faith – and these cross-over moments add cohesion to the village.
The burden of Maya and Jacob’s secret and her blackmail weighed heavily on Liv this week. There’s an aspect of naivety and desperation in her actions which feels true to her age, but she’s not without guilt and panic. Liv wars between an act of revenge for being hurt herself, and using the money to help her family, to battling this moral dilemma alone. Luckily for Liv she had the comfort of best friend Gabby to console her when she worried her attempts to extort money from Maya was a bad move – though of course, Liv’s still not owned up to why she’s so nervy. The Liv and Gabby friendship is one of Emmerdale’s finest friendships and I’m glad we’ve had more of it lately. When the full truth of Maya’s behaviour comes out, I have high hopes that Gabby will be the one to mend the fractures in this teen group.
Bothersome, lay-about Bear might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I’m finding his struggling relationship with Paddy worth a watch. This is new ground for Paddy, who’s keen but cautious to form a relationship with Bear. This week, as Paddy experienced a fresh wave of grief over Grace when opening her garden, he asked for Bear’s involvement in the day, hoping it would reassure him of Bear’s commitment to his new family. Unfortunately for Paddy, Bear shirked his responsibilities and Paddy was left angry and crushed. Actor Dominic Brunt is really proving himself with this different and complex material. It’s early days for Bear, but away from the ridiculous wrestling stuff, he has potential and I think will continue to help Paddy show undiscovered sides to his character.
The Spencer family might not be fan favourites, but there have been times where their lowkey stories have been easy viewing among some of the more intense plots in the village. However since Dan and Kerry’s split, their efforts to keep it secret from Amelia has felt unnecessarily tedious. It might have been Dan’s plan to keep Kerry close and win her back round but the failure of that was obvious, and should have been, even to him. They might have wanted to protect Amelia from the truth but her finding out showcased the family at their most unlikeable again. Kerry’s felt a little hard faced, Dan feckless and Amelia has just come across as a brat. Conflict within this family never seems to land right and I find myself wanting all the characters involved to grow up, or at least stick to the more light hearted material!
There’s something I find completely compelling about Moira and Cain’s relationship, and as they battled Kim’s grim blackmail plot, we saw their relationship put to the test. Actors Natalie and Jeff put everything into their scenes so that even the smallest, silent scene carries so much weight. Their chemistry is some of the show’s best. They might have spent the last few years coping with various accidental murders, but at the heart of it, these two are just really solid characters and their marriage is as angsty and tumultuous as all good soap couples. This week we got to see more of feisty Moira as she struggled to cope with the thought of Cain sleeping with Kim, even breaking down in tears at the thought of their sacrifice. When he didn’t go through with it (and his turning down of Kim was very satisfying) the doubt was a challenge for them both, but it was even more rewarding to see Moira go after Kim head on and shove her against the wall. Moira certainly isn’t someone Kim should mess with and I love her for that.
Paddy’s birth father Bear Wolf crashed back into the village this week, wrecking Grace’s memorial garden in the process. But strip away the embarrassing Lycra and wrestling gimmick and Emmerdale might actually have a decent character on their hands. Yes he’s a sleazy chancer, lying about his injury to get sympathy and a place to stay, but Bear offers something a bit different to the village and to Paddy’s character. His scenes with Dr Cavanagh were amusing too, as Liam had to keep referring to him as Mr Wolf. Will he be everyone’s cup of tea? Unlikely, but I wouldn’t be opposed if Emmerdale had plans to make him long term.
The mention of Kim’s son’s name this week was like flicking a switch. Once the folk at Home Farm had stopped pontificating about Joe, it was time for Graham to play his trump card and mention the elusive Jamie (or James Tate to you and me). You’d think Graham might have used him as leverage earlier in trade for his precious Joe, but it seems Jamie is Kim’s true Achilles’ heel – and every good villain needs one of those. If Kim’s really going to live up to her potential then we need to see her become more fully rounded, not just making threats and cartoon one liners. She might have her horses, but we need to see more of Kim’s human side, her down time and Jamie could be the answer to that. Here’s hoping we’ll get to see this aspect of her personality soon!
This week saw the end of Dan and Kerry’s relationship in what might be the world’s worst timing. Not only was it Dan’s birthday, but he was also dumped straight after proposing. Awkward! The signs have been there for some time, but I have mixed feelings about their separation. On the one hand, Kerry’s long been the best part of the Spencer family and has been a bit of a long-suffering spouse, but on the other hand, she’s had her fair share of unlikeable moments too. Dan and Kerry were something of a bit of an Emmerdale staple couple and as relationships don’t last that long, it was good to see a fairly happy relationship in the long term – they’re much-needed in a soap. With Dan not wanting to upset Amelia, he wants to play happy families, but Kerry’s already close to breaking point and I dread the thought of more rows in the Spencer household. Surely this family is one more suited to something a bit more comedic? It’s been all doom and gloom for them lately. Dan and Kerry might have out grown each other, but at the same time, they still seem suited? Who else will put up with them?
I feel like I’m complaining about Graham every week, but this week’s episodes were another reminder of his pointlessness. Since the reveal of Joe’s fate, Graham’s dramatic drunken spiral makes even less sense and recent attempts to explain it away haven’t helped the cause. Graham’s explanations don’t add up. What’s really stopping Graham from conducting secret phone calls or visiting Joe? There’s no reason to it. He’s got quite the cosy set up with Kim letting him live at Home Farm, so it’s hardly fear that’s holding him back from keeping contact with Joe. If it’s some enduring love for Kim, I’m not buying that either. This storytelling for Graham was once enigmatic and intriguing, now it’s an incoherent, inconsistent mess. Emmerdale might think they’ve got this stoic, ex-SAS mystery man on their hands, but with no real ties to the village, and confusing characterisation, Graham’s a real weak link in the village right now.
Warring brothers is Emmerdale bread and butter and it looks as if Ellis vs Billy is the new generation. Though we’ve seen our fair share of these rivalries over the years, thankfully both actors, Asan N’jie and Jay Kontzle, have bags of charisma meaning their long-standing feud is completely believable and works to make both sides empathetic. After some careful (and amusing) twisting of history, Robert planted the seed in Ellis’s head to make him suspect Billy was after Victoria, but Ellis’s near-the-knuckle goading of his brother made him more like sneaky Rob than anticipated! Jessie walked in on the violence and had to make an impossible choice between lying to the police, or sending Billy straight back inside. While you can’t envy Jessie’s decision, you could certainly see why Ellis’s resentment has escalated over the years. I love stories of complicated families dynamics where the conflict in the family feels genuine and long-running, and these two certainly have that. Even though Ellis has moved out and the war is briefly on hold, Billy’s morally grey complexities are still worth exploring and it feels like a lost opportunity that Aaron’s significant issues with him have been brushed under the carpet instead of giving the two of them some sort of resolution.
They are Emmerdale’s most long-standing married couple, but the Kings were on the rocks this week as Nicola’s scheme meant they had lost everything to Graham. Admittedly I’m biased on this front because I love both characters and would be on their side even if they burnt the village to the ground, but I did feel a bit sorry for them this week. With Nicola and Robert’s ambition and greed getting the better of them they made foolish mistakes that were easily foiled by Graham, who then made Nicola sign over Home James Haulage to Home Farm. Jimmy’s dreams of passing down the family business to his kids were shattered and this point his marriage at breaking point. It wasn’t just the pair’s fraught tension that I enjoyed though, both characters are warm and funny (drunk and happy Jimmy was a real treat) so I can’t help but be on their side. With ambitious Nicola and Rob having great plans for a takeover, I can’t help but wish that one day they’d have a win, and start up another business, if only to rock the status quo.
Dawn’s already become the perfect newcomer to Emmerdale, making instant connections with other villagers and a fight against adversity making her empathetic to watch. Dawn’s a likeable character who we’re willing to succeed, even if setbacks are inevitable as she battles addiction. This week Dawn bit the bullet and went for a trial at the sweet factory, but her drug withdrawal saw her really struggle on her first day. Although at first critical, Kerry soon lent Dawn an understanding ear and the pair quickly bonded and when Jai came checking up on her productivity, Laurel and Kerry snuck her a few extra boxes to make her look good. Dawn’s optimism was lifted and the scene gave me a huge swell of warmth, as this is the kind of neighbourly spirit of kindness we could all do with now and again. I can see Dawn fitting into the factory really well and am glad Emmerdale are making a big effort to wider her circle of interactions away from just Harriet and Ryan.
There must be something in the water over at Home Farm. If it wasn’t bad enough that Moira’s turned into Emmerdale’s next mob wife at Butler’s, Megan’s trying to pre-empt Kim’s return by turning into a soap superbitch. We’ve always known Megan had a bit of a ruthless streak but since pairing up with Graham, she seemed to take pantomime villain pleasure in Nicola’s downfall, openly gloating and maliciously revealing her crimes to her family. Has the power gone to her head? Or has Graham’s attachment to Kim made Megan step up her game? Megan’s been an odd anchor-less character for years now, moving from a failed relationship with Jai to a lacklustre one with boring Frank, but she’s at least been someone with a bit of moral standing. Sure, Graham’s the one that’s been conned, but Megan gleefully anticipating the destruction of Nicola and Robert’s lives just doesn’t feel in character, particularly when she’s known Graham all of five minutes. If she’d had a long standing feud with Nicola then this turn-around might have at least made sense. Is this all just a clunky set up to have Megan and Kim catfighting it out when she returns? It’s bad enough having one personality transplant, now that Graham’s morphed into vengeful villain to rival Joe, but two?
The Woolie Weekly 