Back in 1999, shortly after Kim Tate (Claire King) leapt into a helicopter and fled Emmerdale village, she stopped off at a maternity ward and decided not to raise her newborn daughter – the future DS Thea Ramsden (Chelsea Edge).
Almost three decades of resentment has followed, and Thea’s best pal Serena Sugden (Casey Al-Shaqsy) has warned her not to pursue a revenge plot that she’ll later regret. However, in forthcoming scenes, social services descend on Home Farm with a demand to know the whereabouts of Joe Tate’s (Ned Porteous) baby.
Could Thea have got wind of the child's 'disappearance', and is the driving force behind their dilemma?
Elsewhere, following news that Tom King (James Chase) is due for release, Belle Dingle (Eden Taylor-Draper) is worried about what influence he could have on her newfound happiness with Kammy Hadiq (Shebz Miah).
There's also concerns for Nicola King (Nicola Wheeler), who turns to Kev Barton (Chris Coghill) for support...
Here's everything happening in the episodes of Emmerdale airing between Monday 19 and Friday 23 October.
7 Emmerdale spoilers for next week
1. £100k is missing following Robert Sugden's poker game
The fallout from this week's high-stakes poker game continues after £100,000 in winnings mysteriously went missing.
With tensions mounting and everyone involved feeling the pressure, Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller) and Sarah Sugden (Katie Hill) decide to take matters into their own hands, setting off to question the most obvious suspects in the hope of discovering who is responsible.
2. Belle Dingle fears Tom King's return to the village
With Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) about to begin radiotherapy, Liam Cavanagh (Jonny McPherson) takes him on a fishing trip to give him some time away from the stresses of everyday life. However, back at Wishing Well Cottage, breakfast is interrupted by an unexpected visitor when Belle's victim liaison officer arrives with some unsettling news: Tom is due to be released from prison soon.
Belle is reassured that her ex-husband will be subject to strict licence conditions upon his release, but the news is still difficult to process. Kammy is particularly concerned about how his girlfriend will cope with the prospect of having her abuser back in the outside world.
Things take another uncomfortable turn when Charles Anderson (Kevin Mathurin) overhears Belle talking to Nicola. He reveals that Tom has been speaking to him in his capacity as a prison chaplain and claims that he has accepted responsibility for his actions and wants to seek forgiveness.
The revelation leaves Belle reeling, furious that Tom has managed to get back into her head before he has even been released. With her thoughts spiralling, she decides that confronting him directly might be the only way to deal with the situation.
When Cain returns from his fishing trip, he immediately senses that something is troubling his younger sister. She eventually agrees to take his and Kammy's advice and abandon her plan to visit Tom. However, the decision does little to ease her anxiety, as she becomes increasingly fearful that he will simply seek her out once he is free.
Thankfully, Belle finds some comfort in speaking to Rhona Goskirk (Zoe Henry), who draws on her own experiences to help her process her emotions and regain a sense of control. The conversation appears to leave Belle feeling more hopeful about the future, but Rhona has serious concerns of her own.
In private, she warns Cain that if Tom does return to their lives, he could be more dangerous than ever.
Meanwhile, Kammy's determination to protect Belle takes an unexpected turn when he makes a sudden declaration of love. Overwhelmed by the emotional intensity of the moment, she runs off, unable to respond to his confession.
3. Thea Ramsden meddles with the Tate clan
Kim remains troubled by Joe while continuing to guard the secret that Graham Foster (Andrew Scarborough) has baby Tate.
When Lydia Dingle (Karen Blick) opens up to Kim about her worries, she is delighted by what she believes is a generous offer of support. Lydia mistakenly assumes Kim has agreed to give stepson Samson (Sam Hall) a job when he is released, only to be left hurt and disappointed the following day when she discovers they have misunderstood one another.
During their conversation, the pair also discuss the fact that the baby has been adopted. Unfortunately, Thea overhears enough to jump to the wrong conclusion about what has happened to baby Tate, adding fuel to her determination to bring Kim down.
As Thea's obsession grows, Serena becomes increasingly concerned about where her actions might lead. She urges her pal to think carefully before doing something she could live to regret, but her warnings may not be enough to stop her.
Kim soon finds herself on the back foot when a social worker arrives demanding to see Joe and his baby following a report alleging an illegal adoption. With questions being raised about the situation, the pressure on Kim continues to mount.
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Undeterred, Thea presses ahead with her mission to expose her estranged mother. After successfully gaining access to her phone, she downloads a series of messages before setting off to search for further evidence.
But will her investigation uncover the information she needs to bring Kim down?
4. Sadie King continues her attempt to seduce Caleb Miligan, as Joe Tate struggles to contain his grief
Sadie King (Patsy Kensit) works on her plan to seduce Caleb Miligan (William Ash), determined to drive a wedge between him and wife Ruby (Beth Cordingley) amid her plot with Joe.
He's still struggling with his grief for Dawn Fletcher (Olivia Bromley), however, and pushes Gabby Thomas (Rosie Bentham) away when she attempts to offer him some understanding. His rejection leaves the pair at odds, with her efforts to help doing little to bridge the growing divide between them.
5. Nicola King and Kev Barton grow closer
The news of Tom's impending release brings Nicola's grief over the late Jimmy (Nick Miles) rushing back to the surface. Already struggling with her emotions, she finds herself questioning whether her husband would have wanted her to support his nephew despite everything that has happened.
As Nicola wrestles with the difficult decision, Kev offers her his support, helping her navigate the complicated feelings surrounding Tom's return.
Will they be drawn together again?
6. Sam Dingle prepares for son Sam's return from prison
Sam Dingle (James Hooten) remains determined to help Samson get his life back on track by finding him a job for when he is released.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding his son's future, Sam stays positive and hopeful that he can help his son find a fresh start.
7. Liam Cavanagh is acting suspiciously
Liam's increasingly secretive behaviour does not go unnoticed, with Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter) beginning to suspect that he is hiding something.
As she watches him act furtively, Chas grows more determined to work out what he is up to. But what exactly is it?
Read more:
- Emmerdale star teases "rocky road" for Sarah Sugden - and reveals hopes for Debbie Dingle return
- Emmerdale airs explosive Nicola and Sadie King scenes at Jimmy's funeral in early ITVX release
Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and from 7am on ITVX.
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