Tom King is back in Emmerdale – here’s what the future holds for him and Belle after his return

Emmerdale has aired the return of Tom King. Fortunately he’s still behind bars, but it’s clear he’s plotting once again. So how far will he go this time?

Is Belle in danger from her evil ex? She’s desperate to move on from their marriage and get a divorce, but Tom has other ideas…

Tom King returns to Emmerdale

It was obvious right from the start of tonight’s episode of Emmerdale (Tuesday February 11), when we saw Tom King in his prison cell, that he has not changed one bit. He has not learnt a single thing from being found guilty and is never going to let Belle have the peace she deserves.

He seems to be faking an interest in God and consulting with the prison chaplain. The chaplain may or may not have been taken in by Tom’s manipulation, it’s unclear. He seemed uneasy around the abuser, but also agreed to speak to Belle’s solicitor on Tom’s behalf.

It seems Tom is delusional that he and Belle can iron out their differences and get back together. He thought the chaplain was the perfect person to make Belle see he’s a changed man. Except, of course, he is not.

Tom expressed his desire to ‘make things up to Belle’ and used his first-class manipulation technique to get the man of the cloth on his side.

Does Belle go to visit Tom?

What really struck us as ridiculous though was Belle’s solicitor then advising her to go and visit him to ‘talk things through’ When have Tom and Belle ever been able to talk without him manipulating her?

Then Lydia agreeing it was a good idea! This is the man in prison for coercively controlling Belle – why does everyone think her seeing him ever again is something she should do?

Lydia pointed out she wouldn’t be alone with him, a prison officer would be there. But that won’t stop him trying to manipulate her and talk her round.

Tom and Belle have already had their final showdown in court. And Belle got the justice she deserved. But it looks like, in her determination to get a divorce, Belle is going to go and see her ex.

Tom was thrilled when he found out she would visit him tomorrow: “This is the chance I’ve been waiting for… I’m not about to waste it,” he told the chaplain. So what is he planning this time?

Is Tom back for good?

So Belle has agreed to go and see him in prison and by the sounds of things, that will air in tomorrow’s episode. Will he let her walk away though? Is this his chance to manipulate her once again? Or will she at last be free of him?

Emmerdale is remaining tight-lipped about how long Tom is back for this time. But James Chase, who plays Tom, has previously said he would be open to revisiting the character or the story further down the line.

“I think, with good behaviour, he’s only going to get something like 16 to 18 months, which is crazy,” James said.

“But I think it would depend where they would want to go with the character, because there are many different avenues you could go with it. They could make it that Tom potentially had got even worse, and hasn’t changed at all. Perhaps, he could hate Belle even more for it.

“Or if he did go the other way and finally did realise the terrible things he’s done, and perhaps did, actually start to try to become a better man.”