It has been confirmed that Kyle Winchester, played by Huey Quinn, is the mysterious firestarter in Emmerdale. Upcoming episodes of the ITV soap will delve into the reasons behind the youngster's destructive behavior.
Investigation Takes Wrong Turns
Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) and Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller) approached several residents in their quest to find the culprit, but they were looking in the wrong direction. Ross Barton (Michael Parr) and Sam Dingle (James Hooton) had been acting suspicious because Ross was teaching Sam how to dance. Kev Townsend (Chris Coghill) was cleared after details of his latest imprisonment emerged, while Kammy Hadiq (Shebz Miah) had been behaving oddly because he was sleeping in one of the barns.
It turns out that Kyle has been the one playing with matches, and his new habit of setting things on fire is far from over.
Kyle's Desperate Cry for Attention
After Cain turns down the chance to spend time with Kyle, the young lad begins to wonder if his father enjoys his company. His fears are confirmed when he overhears Cain ranting to Kammy about how Kyle skipped school to fix his car. A lighter falls out of Kyle's bag, and he struggles with the temptation to use it again.
Later, Graham Foster (Andrew Scarborough) spots smoke ahead and rushes to find Kyle watching his Golf burn. After pulling Kyle to safety, Graham realizes he has found the arsonist. He is furious, and his own past trauma with fire is triggered. Kyle explains that his actions stem from his troubles and the ongoing family issues.
When Robert arrives, Kyle hides in Graham's car to avoid being caught.
Graham's Decision to Help
Later, Kyle opens up to Graham about his motivations. Graham listens and promises to help, but insists that Kyle must confess to Cain and Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb).
Andrew Scarborough reflected on Graham's decision: 'I think it's that vulnerability of being lost. Because Graham's backstory has a lot of tragedy, and he's lost and found things that were not good for him to get out of. He self-medicated. Arson, I suppose, is a form of that. So, he sees Kyle as somebody who's lost his way and still young, so he has a bit more forgiveness for him.'
He added: 'I think Graham would have been a very good tutor in another life. He'd have been one of those guys you would have gone to as a rock, if he hadn't gone off the path himself. I think that's what he's trying to give Kyle. He also has a huge respect for Cain.'
The distance Cain has put between himself and Kyle may be something he seriously regrets, as Graham starts to focus on turning Kyle's life around by signing him up to the cadets.
Graham's Own Struggles
Andrew explained further: 'I think Graham is mourning the backstory of him, which is that he wanted a family when he was younger, but he blew that completely. So, he's mourning that the whole time, hence the reason for the suit. He wears a red tie because I wanted to tell costume when I came back that he's been to hell and back, and that's his reminder that he's been to hell. And he does have one suit because he has OCD and PTSD. That's his coping mechanism.'
'You'll find in the wardrobe that he has twenty suits all like that. And he dresses because he has his own business, he's a mercenary, so he does his own fixing, does his own jobs outside. So when he comes back in, he wants to be the fixer for Joe. I think it's family craving.'
'The Tates, as dysfunctional as it is, is a family, so he wants to be back there as well. He's drawn to people to try and help them. Leo especially. He had a great relationship with Leo. I think he's craving family.'
How will Cain react when he discovers the truth?
