Over the last few weeks, we’ve seen Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb) slowly deteriorating with whatever’s going on in her head – with her suddenly beginning to experience terrifying seizures in Emmerdale.
Cain’s (Jeff Hordley) has been convinced she’s turned to the bottle, but the truth is something far more sinister. And before anyone can get to the bottom of it – not that Cain has even bothered trying to – her illness takes a life.
Cain learns of Moira’s ultimate betrayal from a gleeful Caleb (Will Ash) – kissing his son Nate (Jurell Carter) and is in a bad place. Moira tries to downplay the situation, but Cain’s anger only gains momentum. This in turns triggers Moira’s mood and she storms out.
Unable to resolve his anger through talking, Moira is horrified to learn he takes it out on Nate – with his fists.
As Cain rages at her, Moira has a tiny flash of memory at what really happened. Confused, she slaps Cain.
Ruby (Beth Cordingly) shows up on the farm to gloat at Moira over her ailing marriage, tracking her down to the barn to give her a ribbing after Moira accused her of coming onto Cain, but something is wrong – Moira isn’t reacting to any of her nasty jibes.
Ruby watches on as a dazed Moira spills oil over the barn and her hands. But things take a frightening turn when Moira’s thoughts start to blur and she begins to see Ruby as her old enemy, Emma Barton – the woman who tried to kill her.
Fearful of her life, Moira raises a shotgun and aims it at Ruby.
Actress Natalie J Robb tells Metro.co.uk that what Moira is experiencing in this moment is some extreme PTSD.
‘Definitely the PTSD comes through because we’re in the barn, the triggers are what it was before it was Emma Barton in the barn when she tried to kill me,’ she explains. ‘And then I had a baby I didn’t know I was having! Only in Emmerdale! So, I think it sets something off in her, she starts to see Emma’s face in Rubys’ face.’
Yep, thinking she’s Emma Barton, Moira pulls the trigger. It’s a warning shot and hits the light, but the bullet causes sparks, which rain down on the tractor fuel.
Beth Cordingly adds: ‘I go to get the gun off her, we have a bit of a tussle and I get whacked and knocked unconscious by the gun.’
Ruby’s out cold, a fire is starting to rage, and Moira starts to drift out of her daze. She freezes at the sight of Ruby’s body and there’s smoke rising from the fuel.
The two women are trapped in a flaming, locked barn, with Moira out of it and Ruby in a bad way and unable to save herself.
Mack (Lawrence Robb) spots the smoke and tries to wrangle help. Cain and Chas arrive alongside John, but the flames are already huge and they can’t get through the locked door. As they prepare to rush into the burning barn, a huge explosion knocks them all back.
Natalie J Robb hinted that there will be a tragedy in the Dales following the fire: ‘There is an explosion, and maybe not everybody gets out of that explosion…’ As we know that someone doesn’t get out alive, who is the one to die in the blaze?
