Super Soap Week in Emmerdale usually promises several things: devastation, destruction and death. So where was all that this week?
We almost had it, when Chloe plunged off a cliff, but she only went and survived! In the words of Mack: ‘How the heck did that happen?’
But Chloe cheating death aside, the big finale of the week aired tonight and it came to nothing. Zilch. A total damp squib.
So what happened?
Super Soap Week in Emmerdale started so well
The week started promisingly. The build-up of tension between Charity, Mackenzie and Chloe, as well as Lydia preparing to confess her rape trauma and Chas being stupid enough to fall for yet another new man who was danger personified. Not to mention the comeback of Aaron Dingle!
So far, so juicy.
The car went off the cliff in an epic stunt, with Mack having a split second to choose who to save. Okay, so the music might have been a bit weird, but the stunt was brilliant.
Of course we all knew he’d choose Charity and the look on Chloe’s face as she realised what he’d done in that moment before she went over was the shot of the week.
We all assumed she was dead. Even Mack and Charity assumed she was dead. However, she wasn’t. She was alive, albeit in a terrible state.
After she was airlifted to hospital we were expected to suspend belief as she was rushed into emergency surgery. And now she lies in a coma her final fate unclear.
And tonight we had to put up with Mack – the root of all the problems – whinging about how he’d put her there. Yes, Mack, yes you did.
Please spare us weeks of his self-pity. Mack really is the most toxic man in soap and we just don’t need it.
Harry’s no gangster
Meanwhile, Chas had fallen for the charms of yet another bad boy and had found herself tied up in his boot. After last night’s confusing end to the episode, the action picked up tonight with Cain and Caleb rushing to save their sister.
So far, so dramatic.
They had Aaron’s 30K with them and he wasn’t happy about it. Aaron had managed to trick Vinny into letting him out of Wylie’s and was in hot pursuit. What would he do? Would he turn good again and save his mum? How would this end?
Just as Cain and Caleb were about to hand over the money to Harry to buy back Chas, Aaron accelerated in and sent Harry flying. He snatched his bag of cash back and prepared to flee. So Harry’s goons grabbed Chas back again.
Cain then persuaded Aaron to hand over the cash and Harry let Chas go. Just like that. Riiiiight.
Here’s where it falls down. Firstly, Harry is supposedly some big-time gangster who is not to be messed with. And he’s been bought off for 30k? Plus he’s been humiliated and injured by Aaron in the car and we’re expected to believe he’d just let Chas go?!
Also, Harry was seen on the phone to an accomplice telling them the Dingles weren’t going to know what had hit them. Who was that? Why was that bigged up then never revealed?
He was all threat and no trousers. I was more terrified of the spider in my living room than him.
Where was the tension from earlier in the week? Where was the fear? And where was the death?
No one died.
Why did no one die?
Every Super Soap Week in Emmerdale someone dies – Val, Harriet, Liv, Andrea, Ruby, Cameron, Carl to name a few. And yet no one met their maker. What a waste.
Even if Harry now comes back fighting and we find out who he’s working with, the end to Super Soap Week was ruined. It was all just too easy. Don’t put your big name characters in peril if they’re not even going to break a fingernail by the end of it.
The saving grace came in the form of Lydia, who bravely reported Craig to the police and told a disbelieving Samson what had happened. Bravo.
But it was not enough to save the episode.
What a total letdown. If you’re going to sell these weeks as huge ‘Super Soap Weeks’ then have the guts to finish it properly.
Read more: Complete Emmerdale cast list 2023 – meet them all here!
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV, with an hour episode on Thursdays.
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