Emmerdale fans ‘so confused’ over Joe storyline: ‘Did I miss something?’
He’d have got away with his crime if he stayed away
Emmerdale fans are confused over the latest Joe Tate storyline and cannot understand why he returned to the village.
After stealing his uncle Caleb’s kidney, Joe was advised by his dodgy doctor to get away from Emmerdale. It looked as if Joe had taken that advice… but then he returned.
Fans feel like they have missed something as they don’t believe Joe would risk returning to the scene of the crime just to confess his love to Dawn.
Joe left… and then came back
Upon returning to Emmerdale in December it was made evident to viewers that Joe had health problems. It was eventually revealed that Joe had chronic kidney disease and was in desperate need of a transplant.
For whatever reason, Joe decided to take matters into his own hands and set his sights on half brother Noah. Joe drugged Noah, before it was discovered that Noah wasn’t a suitable match for a kidney transplant.
This whole episode had devastating consequences as a drugged Noah wandered into the road, causing Charity to swerve the limo she was driving – which resulted in the limo ending up submerged in a lake and killing three people.
Not to be deterred, Joe next targeted Caleb Miligan. Caleb was a match, but in order to get Caleb to the private clinic, Joe arranged for him to be stabbed.
As Caleb awoke in a normal hospital, one kidney down, he was bemused over what had happened. Meanwhile, Joe’s doctor told him to get out of the village ASAP.
Joe did just that, but he soon returned, claiming he couldn’t live without Dawn – who he’d been having an affair with.
Joe’s return enabled Caleb to uncover the ridiculous truth, and viewers don’t understand why Joe would have risked that.
Emmerdale viewers confused over Joe Tate plot
Taking to Reddit, one fan wrote: “I’m confused and think maybe I missed something. Why did Joe come back? Wouldn’t none of this stuff be happening if he just stayed gone, which is what the Doctor/Butcher told him to do?”
Another fan agreed and added: “Him coming back for Dawn might be the most unrealistic part of the entire story.”
A third fan also didn’t understand the Dawn part, writing: “He was never that interested in Dawn. So we’re just not buying it as viewers that he came back for her. Nonsense. He’d have got away with it if he’d have just stayed away.”
A fourth viewer said: “Yeah, I like Joe but his return for Dawn was insanity. There is no universe where I buy that he’s so in love with her that he’d return to the scene of the crime to profess his love, encourage her to end her marriage, and try and play happy families with her kids.
“The kids part especially is ridiculous. I don’t think he’s shared a single scene with her kids. And somehow Dawn thinks he’ll make a good surrogate father? Mad.”
While a fifth fan added: “It’s a ridiculous idea that a couple of bunk ups with Dawn somehow made Joe so engaged that he’d risk his entire safety and the kidney plot being exposed just to be with her.”
Read more: Ned Porteous’ future as Emmerdale sets up Joe Tate whodunnit
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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