ITV/Comp Emmerdale Insider Share By Carena Crawford Jul 11 2025 By Carena Crawford Jul 11 2025 Emmerdale fans unhappy with show's return: 'Wish I'd watched the football' Joe Tate's kidney theft plot took a bizarre turn - again Joe Tate Sarah Sugden Sarah wants a baby in Emmerdale Share By Carena Crawford Jul 11 2025 By Carena Crawford Jul 11 2025 Just when you think Emmerdale can’t get any more bonkers they go and air an episode like last night as Joe Tate’s kidney theft plot took an even more bizarre turn. And fans have been left wondering what on earth they were watching! After a week of being pretty much off-air, most viewers were looking forward to their hour-long Emmerdale fix. But the instalment left quite a few wishing they hadn’t bothered! Joe feared for his life as Crowley held the power (Credit: ITV) What happened in Emmerdale last night? Well, as if Joe stealing a kidney wasn’t far-fetched enough, on Thursday July 11 Joe was kidnapped and paralysed by crazed doctor, Crowley, who had performed the previous kidney operation. It was more ‘your money or your kidney’ than ‘your money or your life’, but you get the gist – Joe had to give up the entire contents of his bank account or else Crowley would cut out his kidney and feed it to Shaun’s dog. Joe was terrified and we were perplexed. How had Crowley set up a makeshift hospital with so much medical equipment? What on earth was the cocktail of drugs he’d used to paralyse Joe, but not his head, and leave him still able to speak? And were we even still watching Emmerdale?! Joe did give him the money in the end and Shaun took Joe home where he waited for his paraylsis to wear off. It was really, really quite ridiculous! article continues below Read all the latest spoilers What on earth was that?! (Credit: ITV) Fans definitely agreed! After days of being messed about with their usual Emmerdale viewing, those watching at home weren’t happy that this was what they had been waiting for. “This had to be the most ridiculous episode I have ever watched and I’ve watched a lot!” shared one. Another agreed: “Well, that’s an hour of my life I’ll never get back! Wish I’d watched the football!” “Joe Tate’s storyline is daft! I couldn’t believe what I was watching/hearing!” added a third. A fourth fumed: “Considering we have lost out on so much Emmerdale, you would have thought the hours episode would have been much better.” “Can you believe that we have sat through an hour of that [poo]. There have been some diabolical episodes but that must be up there with the worst ever,” said one more. A sixth wrote: “What on earth was that storyline with Joe Tate and the scene with plastic sheeting? I mean this is Emmerdale not Dexter. Absolutely ridiculous – you have great storylines with Sarah and her baby grief and then the storyline with Joe, ruins it.” Sarah refuses to give up on her wish to become a mum (Credit: ITV) Sarah Sugden – the shining light of Emmerdale last night One thing did have fans gripped, however, Sarah breaking down over her baby trauma. Desperate for a baby of her own, Sarah finally confided exactly how she felt in grandad Cain. And it certainly gave fans all the feels. “This was one of Emmerdale’s most moving conversations, beautifully executed because of the calibre of actors they have on Emmerdale,” said one viewer. Another added: “Katie deserves an award. OMG She is so talented, amazing actress.” “What beautiful scenes with Sarah and Grumpy. Moving and very emotional. Well done to all,” agreed a third. Isn't far-fetched what soaps are all about? Emmerdale Insider's Carena Crawford questions whether actually the more bonkers the better when it comes to soap! So I get it, Joe Tate's kidney theft plot has made no sense from start to finish. And yes, it has now got even more bonkers with Crowley's plot to extorte more money out of him. (If you haven't already watching Friday night's on ITVX, I won't spoil it for you, but let's just say it continues to get crazier!) But, isn't the ridiculous one of the things we love about soaps? Sometimes they can just take storylines and throw themselves into it, running as far as possible with them. And it kinda works, right? Well, I think it does, anyway. Should soaps reflect reality? Yes, soaps do strive to reflect reality - when they tackle an issue such as Sarah's health and baby struggles, Paddy's mental health battle and Belle's domestic abuse nightmare, it's clear Emmerdale has done its research and is trying to represent a version of real life within the parameters of Soapland. But honestly, is that what we want to watch all the time? Don't we want some stuff in our soaps that is less like real-life and more like entertainment? How many serial killers live in tiny Yorkshire villages? How many people go round harvesting organs from their long-lost relatives? Why not go all-in with an already far-fetched storyline and make it as bonkers as you possibly can? Fans often complain that Emmerdale has become all doom and gloom - but a plot like Joe Tate, wasn't so much gloomy as laughable. And we all need a laugh every now and then, don't we? Take Meena Jutla for example. She was ace! Brilliantly bonkers and so out there, she could get away with just about anything - and she almost did. We were gripped when she was on our screens waiting for her next move. But we also knew it wasn't real - it wasn't based on a real-life issue, it was just OTT drama. I love the serious stuff and I love it when Emmerdale gets it right with that. But I also love the ridiculous - it's about getting the balance spot on. Read more: Who’s leaving Emmerdale? All the cast exits, arrivals and returns Share this: Click to share on X (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) Good to Know Share By Carena Crawford Jul 11 2025 By Carena Crawford Jul 11 2025
