Emmerdale spoilers are included in this article regarding Ruby and Joe. The episode has not aired on TV yet but is already available to watch on ITVX and YouTube.
Emmerdale fans have been left horrified after Joe Tate’s revenge against Ruby Milligan went far beyond anything they expected, as he left her buried alive with no oxygen.
After Joe had Ruby placed inside a coffin and buried her, viewers were left desperately wondering whether she would survive the terrifying ordeal. Now, tonight’s episode has finally confirmed Ruby’s fate, but the shocking scenes could have changed how fans see Joe for good.
Joe was out for revenge in Emmerdale
Following Dawn’s death, Joe was quick to blame several people for what had happened. But Caleb and Ruby were firmly at the top of his list after they helped Dawn try to escape his clutches.
The pair had been manipulating Dawn, pretending to help her while secretly hoping to see Joe lose everything. And ultimately, that is exactly what happened.
Joe is certainly not someone who simply lets things go, so it was clear from the moment he confronted Caleb after Dawn’s death that revenge was coming.
However, nobody expected him to take things this far.
The day before Dawn’s funeral, Joe appeared to have had a change of heart and allowed all of Dawn’s loved ones to attend. But behind the scenes, he told Graham that the funeral was simply for show and that he had something much worse planned.
Did Ruby survive?
It turned out that Joe’s plan was to bury Ruby alive.
He wanted Caleb to experience the same pain he had been feeling, so he instructed Graham to drug them before carrying out his plan.
In tonight’s episode, Joe seemed to take pleasure in telling Caleb exactly what he had done, while Caleb desperately begged him to save Ruby. But Joe refused to listen until Graham arrived.
Graham ordered Caleb to leave before sitting Joe down for a serious conversation. He tried to make Joe understand that killing Ruby would mean the end of his entire life.
But Joe remained adamant that his life had already ended when Dawn died.
Graham knows Joe well enough to realise that he would have buried Ruby on Home Farm land in a shallow grave. It did not take long for him and Caleb to find her.
They managed to pull Ruby out, but by then her heart had stopped.
Caleb and Graham both performed CPR, and thankfully Ruby eventually woke up. However, while she has survived, there is no telling what kind of trauma she could be left with after such a horrific experience.
And something tells us Caleb is not going to simply let Joe get away with this…
Fans react to shocking scenes
Caleb certainly isn’t the only person who thinks Joe has taken things too far, with Emmerdale fans horrified by what he was prepared to do.
One fan wrote on social media: “This has gone way too far. Even I don’t think there is any way to justify Joe’s actions here.”
Another commented: “It’s ridiculous that Joe is once again going to get away with such a heinous crime. He needs to go to prison.”
“Is this a proportional response Joe? I thought he might ruin their business, maybe rough Caleb up a bit. But instead he went full Criminal Minds,” another added.
A shocked fan wrote: “Joe has actually lost it this time. No going back from that.”
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