Five explosive ITV Emmerdale theories: family betrayal, Charity Dingle comforted by old flame and fake identity twist
CALEB Milligan is firm in his intention to get his dues in Home Farm but he surely wasn’t expecting his half-brother Cain Dingle to act out.
The Emmerdale schemer could turn his back on his family while his son may opt for murder to get rid of a cumbersome witness.
1. Dingle family feud
Cain Dingle (played by Jeff Hordley) was the first to suspect Caleb had bad intentions after rocking up the Dales and forming a bond with his long-lost family.
However, the suave businessman portrayed by Will Ash found a way to convince Cain he wanted no trouble, despite his partnership with well-known Dingle foe Kim Tate.
Little do the Dingles know Caleb has a whole other plan in mind which involves getting his share of his father Frank Tate’s fortune.
But when Cain makes an enemy out of Kim’s husband Will Taylor (Dean Andrews) this week, Caleb’s plans are in jeopardy.
The budding feud began when Cain found Nicky Milligan trying to steal a car from his garage.
Will stood up for the hunk who is due to tie the knot with Gabby Thomas, his daughter figure, and confronted Cain.
Unbeknownst to both Will and Cain, however, Caleb chose to stay quiet about being Nicky’s father to avoid his deceit from coming to light.
This week, Will is fed up with Cain’s messing and decides to confront him at his garage but he’s forced to concede and apologise.
Despite this, Cain is unable to hold his tongue and makes a remark about Will’s absent wife Kim Tate (Claire King).
Will doesn’t think twice, reacting with a punch and it looks like blood could be shed once again.
Caleb and Jimmy King (Nick Miles) manage to part the duelling men before it’s too late.
Later on, Kim returns from her work trip and confronts Cain, giving him a final warning about his behaviour.
But their truce is clearly in jeopardy and Kim worries where Caleb’s loyalties will lie.
When he messes up the land purchase for the stud farm, Kim acts quickly by putting an end to their partnership, thus saving herself from any potential betrayal.
Little does she know Caleb has a secret agenda of his own and he soon forms a plan when he hears that Cain and Moira’s farm borders with the Home Farm estate.
Emmerdale boss Jane Hudson teased Caleb will send his sister-in-law Moira Dingle (Natalie J. Robb) into financial ruin in upcoming scenes of the Yorkshire-based soap.
Will the Dingles struggle to form a united front as they face Kim Tate and her own family?
2. Nicky turns killer
While his father tries to handle pressure from both Cain and Kim, Nicky Milligan (Lewis Cope) focuses almost all of his attention on bride-to-be Gabby Thomas (Rosie Bentham).
And thankfully for him, Gabby’s rose-tinted glasses have hidden the fact that newcomer Ally (Josh Horrocks) is more than a friend to Nicky.
Yet this could all change this week as Ally and Gabby spend more time together.
Coming up on ITV, Gabby is excited when she finally gets an official wedding date and proceeds to drag Nicky upstairs to celebrate.
Unfortunately, Nicky’s sheepish after a non-starter in the bedroom and things only get worse in later scenes.
Later on that same day, Nicky returns from an illicit meetup with Ally and Gabby’s oblivious when he deletes an incriminating message.
The former nanny is then horrified to walk into an impromptu meeting between Gabby and Ally.
When their plans fall through, an unaware Gabby suggests Nicky and Ally hit the town together.
With Ally spending more and more time in the eponymous village, Nicky’s plans with Caleb could well be thwarted.
To make things worse, Caleb has no idea Nicky may be more interested in men than women, which makes Ally even more cumbersome for the former Home Farm nanny.
Could Nicky be tempted to get rid of Ally altogether?
Could he be pushed by Caleb to murder Ally in an attempt to save their big plan from being exposed?
3. Tom has fake identity
Speaking of Ally, Emmerdale fans think there’s a lot more to him than meets the eye – other than his clearly dysfunctional relationship with Nicky.
Many eagle-eyed viewers believe they’ve noticed a resemblance between Ally and returning villain Tom King, played by James Chase.
According to them, Ally could be lying to Nicky about his real identity.
To top it all off, this would also mean that Tom is not being honest with former girlfriend and current love interest Belle Dingle (Eden Taylor-Draper).
Taking to Twitter, one viewer took note of Belle’s own resemblance with Gabby who is being ruthlessly played by Nicky: “Belle is doing a Gabby.’
“Why do I get the feeling Tom King was brought in to be the reason Nicky is found out?”, another soap fan questioned.
They added: “Belle and Gabby are going to be collateral damage in their relationship.”
Could they be on to something?
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4. Charity turns to old flame
Elsewhere in the Dales, Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins) is due to find out what can happen if one races past the red flags and straight to the altar.
This week, the Woolpack landlady figures out what her new husband Mackenzie Boyd (Lawrence Robb) has been hiding from her.
Chloe Harris (portrayed by Jessie Elland) gave birth to a baby boy named Reuben, the result of her one night stand with the village heartthrob.
In recent scenes of the Yorkshire-based drama, Mack has been keeping a safe distance from his son but when the new-born encountered health issues, this became more of a challenge.
This week, Mack contemplates balancing his marriage with Charity and a secret life with his son, worrying his good friend Nate Robinson (Jurell Carter)
Meanwhile, Chloe is left reeling when she’s told Reuben may have a bleed on his brain and, while in the Woolpack, Dan Spencer (Liam Fox) is trying to stay positive about the baby.
Mack, on the other hand, reaches a breaking point and drowns his sorrows before punching Dan – with an astonished Charity witnessing the scene.
Worried out of his mind, Mack sits outside the hospital, unable to bring himself to go in, and he even ignores a call from Charity.
The pub landlady begins to worry and questions what could be causing their rift.
Reuben’s state isn’t improving and Chloe is at the end of her tether when the consultant tells her another scan will be needed.
Nate realises how the situation is getting to Mack and urges him to see Reuben in hospital.
But with Charity seeking answers about his unusual behaviour, he’s soon risking their relationship for Reuben.
Charity eventually sees an emotional Mack with Reuben and figures out he’s the father of Chloe’s baby.
While her reaction to the infidelity remains to be seen, many on social media have speculated she could turn to a former flame for comfort – but it won’t be Vanessa Woodfield as the vet is away in Canada.
Speculation began when one viewer questioned who was the love of Charity’s life and the answer is surprising.
According to this soap fan, Charity could find warmth and support in the arms of Cain, the father of her adult daughter Debbie.
“I used to say Cain but then she seemed like Vanessa was and brought out the best in her but maybe Charity herself has calmed down a bit, but she seems to be totally over Vanessa and has even moved on and married the guy she cheated on her with so, maybe Vanessa was not that special after all”, the viewer penned.
“And makes me think why she still dislikes Moira is not about Mack but about Cain as she is the one who replaced her in Cain’s affection as she probably always has and will always carry a torch for Cain even if she loves others.”
One soap fan, on the other hand, is convinced this will be the end of the line for both Mack and Charity.
“I think the whole Mack thing is forced, I think they probably won’t last much longer once Charity finds out the truth”, they commented.
5. New love interest for Mandy
Meanwhile, the road to recovery continues for Paddy Kirk (Dominic Brunt) and his former wife Mandy Dingle (Lisa Riley) makes a difficult choice.
This week, Mandy is hopeful when Paddy agrees to come around for lunch.
Soon, she takes the time to reassure he’s dealing with his grief in a healthy way and the moment quickly becomes intimate.
Surprisingly, however, Mandy isn’t sure how to handle the situation.
When the pair reflect on their relationship, things heat up as they engage in a passionate kiss.
Mandy worries they’re making a mistake and Paddy rushes off, upset he may have overstepped the mark, leaving her to kick herself for letting things get this far.
The following day, Paddy apologises while Mandy blinks back tears, ready to put herself first and do the right thing, despite her feelings for him.
Paddy departs as Mandy decides to put an end to their connection, while an unaware Vinny (Bradley Johnson) worries she’s not setting boundaries.
To his surprise, Mandy acknowledges she’s still pining after Paddy and makes the decision to sign up for a dating app.
She soon gets a match and Vinny urges her to move forward.
Mandy admits to both Vinny and herself that she can’t stop pining after Paddy but could the new match lead to a new love storyline for the beautician?
The character has often been left heartbroken and unlucky in love and a fresh romance could be just what she needs.
But will she find someone ready to commit to her?
Emmerdale airs weeknights from 7.30pm on ITV.