Emmerdale tonight pulled off a lovely twist. The third of three standalone episodes focused on Robert’s time in prison, and that meant a trip back a few years to tell the story of how he met Kev.
The more details that came to light, the more unhinged it became known that Kev is. While recent scenes have revealed him to be lying about his heart condition, a flashback in prison to the news of Robert possibly leaving him tipped him over the edge, leading him to stab himself – an incident that Robert blames himself for.
More shocks came as Robert told Kev he was appealing for release so he could spend time with Victoria, who has a brain tumor and may not make it.
If that wasn’t enough, add an unexpected prison visitor to the mix – in a flashback, viewers saw the now deceased Faith visit Robert to tell him how bad things had got for Aaron, and how he might be the only person who can save him. Robert’s suddenly deeply concerned for his soulmate and Faith’s words finally force Robert to confront his feelings for Aaron as she urged him to appeal his case and save his one true love.
While Emmerdale managed to keep the twist under wraps – for once – about who exactly was to visit Robert. Sally Dexter, who plays the much-missed Dingle, said ‘It’s a flashback episode and it’s delightful to be back doing it.’
‘It’s been really enjoyable and lovely coming back. It’s a bit like returning to a school that you went to, or an old house that you used to live in. It feels very, very homely.’ Sally hasn’t ruled out a return, joking, ‘I have been practicing my Australian accent in case they decide that a cousin suddenly appears called Hope. And I’d put in for a blonde wig if they did.’
Click for more Emmerdale spoilers. Catch up on ITVX, and for classic visits, these episodes air weekdays on ITV3 as well as on YouTube. Emmerdale airs Monday to Friday at 7:30 PM on ITV1.