Emmerdale review of the week: Flashforwards, Jacob’s first day and April’s not dead
It looks like there’s more drama to come in 2025!
It’s a new year and that means our Emmerdale review this week is full to the brim of new drama. It’s been quite the week, hasn’t it? What with flashforwards, special eps, April’s ‘death’ and Ruby’s revelations.
Here’s what we thought of the non-stop action in our Emmerdale review.
The flashforwards
As Big Ben chimed in 2025, we were treated to five flashforwards teasing what was going to happen in Emmerdale this year. We saw Mack running through the woods looking scared, Caleb in hospital flatlining, and Cain standing next to a grave with a floral display spelling a word that was frustratingly unreadable no matter how many times we zoomed in on the screengrab or flipped the picture.
We also saw two more snapshots of the future – a body wrapped in plastic being thrown over the bridge, and terrifyingly someone trapped under the ice.
So what does it all mean? Are all five flashforwards parts of one story or are they different plots? Is Caleb going to die? Who’s under the ice? While some of the glimpses into the future were less exciting (Mack running for example) some of them have already got us gripped.
Emmerdale review: Kim and Joe’s surprise truce
Back in the present day, poor Kim is still grieving the unexpected death of husband Will. We love Kim, obvs, and so it is with reluctance that we feel obliged to point out that she’s being a bit of a wet blanket. Joe Tate is skulking around pretending to care and Kim’s just going along with it. We get that he knows she froze when Will first collapsed, and she feels guilty, but come on – it’s hardly the crime of the century is it? It’s far from being the worst thing Kim’s ever done. Why is she trusting him?
As ever with Kim we’re hoping she knows exactly what’s going on and is playing Joe for a fool. We even thought Will’s death might be a ruse for a while! Could we be right this time?
Anthony and Ruby
We are increasingly convinced that Anthony is not just the worst villain in Emmerdale history but one of the most evil baddies in telly history! He may not have the body count of Meena Jutla or Cameron Murray, but OMG he is so manipulative and frightening.
This week it was Steph’s birthday and once again he used the occasion to taunt, twist and terrify poor Ruby, making her seem unstable and volatile while he came out on top.
Ruby’s really struggling and we liked her confiding in Chas and taking back a tiny bit of control by ordering a DNA test – though we’re scared what the results might say.
But we’re frustrated that no one else seems to see how badly she is reacting to Anthony. Caleb walked in on her crying and didn’t notice. No one stuck up for her when Anthony demanded she cook them all a complicated dinner. And Steph, quite frankly, is being really nasty to her mother. She’s been given a (very nice!) place to live, a job, loads of attention, adoration from her dad and grandfather, and she’s still whining. Come on, Fox-Miligans! Step up.
Emmerdale review: Jacob’s first day
As if the flashforwards weren’t enough, we were also given a special episode this week, centring on Jacob’s first shift in A&E. We weren’t sure how this would work when we first heard about it – after all, it’s Emmerdale, not Casualty! But actually we thought it was great.
Joe Warren Plant, who plays Jacob, did a smashing job of holding it all together and we really saw the pressures of being a medical student. The doctor in charge was a bit mean, though!
April’s not dead!
One thing we didn’t love so much was the mix-up with everyone thinking April was dead. Though the blame for the error was firmly put on Jacob, we’re not convinced everyone in the hospital would have gone along with it so easily without, you know, checking.
It all felt a bit like a cheap plot device to torment Marlon and Rhona and we reckon it could have been just as dramatic and heart-wrenching done in a different way.
Marlon’s a git
And while we’re on the subject, Marlon is getting on our wick. We know he’s worried about April, we get it. But he is being, in his own words, “a git”. He is blaming everyone else. He is shouting, pointing fingers, making it all about himself…
It’s quite hard to feel sympathy for him right now.
We do, however, feel a lot of sympathy for poor Mary who is keeping everything going behind the scenes, looking after Invisible Ivy and making tea and generally being an all-round trooper.
Emmerdale review: Marlon and Laurel revelations
And what’s with these revelations about Marlon and Laurel? Firstly, we’re confused about the timeline. Marlon seemed to tell Rhona that it all happened just before Christmas. But the police officer said April had seen a few messages on Marlon’s phone that made her suspicious.
And the one person we’ve not heard from is Laurel herself. What does she have to say about all this? Did it happen as Marlon has said, or is there more to it?
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm, with an early release on ITVX at 7am.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.40pm and 2.10pm.
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