Last night’s Emmerdale saw a format change as Belle and Tom hosted a dinner party. The different style left some fans confused as they lost track of what was going on.
So what happened in Emmerdale last night?
Emmerdale airs format-breaking dinner party episode
Belle and Tom invited his work colleagues round for dinner. The first half of the episode saw the public side of the party.
It focused mainly on Rhona and Marlon and their crumbling marriage. As they both made snidely remarks to each other all night, it culminated in a huge bust up.
Rhona admitted she wasn’t really sorry for sending Gus to jail, she felt Marlon didn’t love her and then seemingly ended their marriage.
It left the others in the room – Paddy and Mandy and Vanessa and Suzy – feeling very uncomfortable. They made their excuses to leave, despite Belle’s pleas for them to stay.
After the advert break, the action wound back to the start and this time we saw the dinner party from behind closed doors. It focused on Belle and Tom and his awful abuse.
He discovered she was still taking her birth control pills and became very threatening. Once the guests had left, he exploded at her, called her a lying [bleep] and held her hand under a tap running with boiling hot water.
She cried out, devastated that he had hurt her. But will he regret his behaviour and apologise?
Fans express confusion
For those watching at home, going back to the start for the second half of the episode had them a bit lost!
“What’s happening to Emmerdale? Have I missed something? I thought ITV replayed it from the start for a minute there. I’m confused,” said one on X.
Another added: “OH SO IT’S LIKE TWO EPISODES OF THE STORY IN THE SAME NIGHT. I GOT CONFUSED WHEN RHONA TOLD MARLON TO SHUT UP THOUGHT I HAD DE JA VU!”
“Wtf is going on? After the adverts they are showing it from the start?!” asked one more.
A fourth agreed: “I’m well confused… I went for a wee… did it restart?”
“Time travel zone one minute night time then daytime…feeling dizzy!” joked a fifth.
Others said: “Eh?? Is this episode of Emmerdale back to front?” and “Why the hell are they repeating it again. Ffs.”
Praise for Emmerdale dinner party episode
However, despite the confusion of some, others were blown away by how good Emmerdale was.
“For the first time in AGES, tonight’s episode was truly outstanding! The music, the build up of tension! Superb coverage of coercive behaviour leading to physical abuse. No woman should EVER have to endure it. Never!” said one.
Another added: “What a masterpiece of an episode tonight but terrifyingly frightening too!”
“Tonight’s Emmerdale was exceptional. First half of the episode showing a struggling marriage between Marlon and Rhona. It completely fails in comparison to the reality of Belle and Tom’s coercive marriage. Emmerdale, take a bow, that was one of the best episodes of the year,” added one more.
Read more: Who’s leaving Emmerdale in 2024?
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV, with an hour episode on Thursdays.
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