Dawn’s Emmerdale exit story seems confirmed but she may be doomed as big twists looms
This article contains spoiler’s from tonight’s episode of Emmerdale at 7pm.
Deep down, Dawn Taylor (Olivia Bromley) knows exactly what kind of man she’s marrying: a cold, calculating liar ruthless enough to manipulate and even physically harm anyone who stands in his way.
Joe Tate (Ned Porteous), in other words.
The problem is, she’s pregnant with the nefarious businessman’s baby. Understandably, this makes her desperate to believe Joe’s seemingly heartfelt promises that he’s turned over a new leaf. Joe Tate? A changed man? Pardon me for being cynical, but even in a village where Kev Townsend (Christopher Coghill) stole a diamond necklace made from a dead cat, that seems a little far-fetched.
Especially since Dawn’s ex-husband Billy Fletcher (Jay Kontzle) was rushed to hospital after being beaten unconscious in the depot.
While Joe maintains his innocence, the shadow of suspicion looms behind the dark Lord of Home Farm just like his scary butler Graham Foster (Andrew Scarborough) does in pretty much every episode. Not only does Joe know about Billy kissing Dawn, but he asked his love rival to be one of his groomsmen.Which of course, may have been a twisted ploy to make it look like bygones were bygones.
Because while Billy was comatose and suffering from a brain bleed, DS Byrne arrived in the village looking for the attacker. Caleb Miligan (William Ash) quickly pointed the detective in Joe’s direction, seeing as he’d been the one to tip the villain off about Billy trying to smooch his missus.
DS arrested Joe at the hospital, only for the slippery weasel to be released shortly after being interviewed, because the police were unable to physically prove that he put Billy in hospital.
However, when Billy awoke and gradually regained the power of speech, he was able to confirm to Dawn what she, and the audience, knows deep down… Joe was the one who attacked him.
The character was brought out of his coma this week, but the trauma he suffered meant it took Billy a little while to be able to communicate properly.
Tonight’s episode sees Dawn come to terms with that revelation with an unexpected twist.
Predictably, Dawn starts off in utter denial, refusing to accept that Joe was capable of this. But Joe insists that the kiss was reason enough. Dawn keeps insisting that Joe wouldn’t do this to him or the kids and in desperation, suggests that the attacker might have been looking for Caleb.
When that doesn’t work, she tries to persuade Billy that he his memory might be playing tricks on him thanks to the head injury and the medication. But Billy is certain that he heard Joe’s voice and urges Dawn to accept the truth.
‘He’s never gonna change.’ Billy insists. ‘He’s a proven liar. He did this. No-one else. In the end, it’s down to who you believe. Him or me.’
This realise causes Dawn to break down in tears, struck by the terrible truth that she’s in love with the Devil himself.
‘I know you wouldn’t lie, Billy. Of course I believeyou. I’m just so sorry.’
Dawn berates herself for being an idiot and regrets not leaving when she had the chance. When a confused Billy wonders what she means, Dawn admits her plans to flee weeks ago, sick of Joe’s lies and cruelty. She just need to get away, and the only way to do that seemed to be disappearing with the kids.
Horrified, Billy insists he can’t be without their children, and Dawn swears that she wouldn’t have done that to him. She just need to be away from Joe, but he begged her to stay.
As if to prove Dawn’s point, she suddenly receives a text from Joe, hoping Billy’s okay and telling her to come home soon because he loves her so much. Numb, Dawn calls Joe what every Emmerdale viewer has been screaming from their sofas for months.
Billy encourages her to leave, but Dawn is certain that Joe won’t let her go while she’s carrying his baby. He’ll already have a cover story waiting to worm his way out of criminal charges for assaulting Billy.
‘There’s no way out.’ she despairs.
‘Yeah there is.’ Billy replies. ‘What if we left together? Start again. In another country if we have to. Somewhere he’ll never find us.’
Will Dawn run away with Billy and jilt Joe before the wedding? Because if Joe finds out, the consequences don’t bear thinking about…
