Is Rhona about to end her marriage? Just how menacing is Tom behind closed doors?
FOR WEEK COMMENCING 6TH MAY
This week in Emmerdale, tensions rise, secrets are revealed and relationships are shattered as we are plunged into the heart of a dinner party from hell, where every dish served comes with a side of drama.
On Tuesday, during a special episode directed by Duncan Foster, we'll see two perspectives of the same day as we experience a dinner party in two halves. One from the perspective of Rhona and Marlon from the dinner table and one from the perspective of Belle and Tom from the kitchen.
As the event unfolds in two halves, Rhona, Marlon, Belle and Tom will reveal the intricate dynamics and simmering conflicts in their relationships. What you see in public is not necessarily what you see behind closed doors.
At the start of the week, as an anxious Belle sneaks to a doctor appointment to organise her contraceptive prescription, she explains to Manpreet she doesn’t want it sent to her home like her other medication and they find a solution.
At work, Tom is patronised by Vanessa after he messes up diagnosing an elderly dog with cancer without conducting the necessary diagnostic tests. And when Vanessa and Paddy arrive in the nick of time, she swiftly orchestrates the correct blood tests and it is just an abscess.
As the furious customer heads out, Tom starts playing victim, laying it on thick how Vanessa makes him feel unwelcome at the practice. Suddenly, he turns the tables by inviting the vet staff and their partners to a dinner party tomorrow night at his and Belle’s house.
Elsewhere, a feuding Marlon and Rhona finally agree to meet for lunch however things are awkward, especially when Rhona tells Marlon she’s accepted Tom's invite to dinner the following night. Frustrated not to have not been consulted, Marlon agrees to attend, but they’re further apart than ever.
Returning home, furious after his terrible day, Tom tells Belle about the dinner tomorrow and firmly puts the success of it down to her.
As Belle puts the finishing touches to the Dale Head dinner, a critical Tom asks her to change into a more appropriate outfit and she compliantly heads upstairs. In the kitchen alone Tom makes a discovery, but before he can confront her, the guests start to arrive.
As the guests arrive for the dinner party, tensions simmer between Rhona and Marlon, with the lovey-dovey Mandy and Paddy only heightening the awkwardness and Tom's toast about marital solidarity exposes the cracks in Rhona and Marlon's relationship further.
Meanwhile Vanessa, Suzy, Paddy and Mandy attempt to enjoy the evening, whilst Belle excuses herself, saying the onions made her cry, as her relationship with the controlling Tom is strained. As she heads upstairs, a threatening Tom joins her in the bathroom.
As tensions stew beneath the surface in the first half, the fissures in Rhona and Marlon’s fragile marriage cut open like a knife and as their row escalates, they lay bare their issues publicly.
But when a defiant Marlon rejects it, Rhona is forced to seemingly end their marriage in front of everyone.
On the other side, the undercurrents between Belle and Tom are rumbling but outwardly they seem like a happy couple to the other guests.
In the second part of the episode, as we rewind to the start of the dinner party, we will soon see the day from Belle and Tom’s point of view and get a glimpse into the terrifying reality of Belle’s life with Tom behind closed doors.
As the dinner party progresses, no amount of good food and wine will iron out the strained tensions as they bubble up to the surface during dinner. With those ingredients how can Belle possibly serve a successful supper?
When Rhona finally puts her foot down to leave following the argument, the other guests apologetically follow suit.
Despite Belle being desperate for people to stay, they all make their excuses and as guests depart, we see the terrifying reality of Belle's life with the menacing Tom.
Emmerdale continues Mondays to Fridays at 7.30pm on ITV1