In a shocking turn of events on Emmerdale, Joe Tate (Ned Porteous) has buried Ruby Miligan (Beth Cordingly) alive in a coffin, fulfilling his promise of dark and horrific revenge against Caleb Miligan (William Ash) and his wife. The episode, dated September 21, is available to view on ITVX and YouTube before its ITV1 broadcast.
Joe's Revenge Plan Unfolds
Last month, Caleb and Ruby helped Billy Fletcher (Jay Kontzle) leave the village with Dawn Taylor (Olivia Bromley) and their children, after Dawn came to believe that Joe had attacked Billy and put him in hospital. The plan initially seemed successful, but complications arose when Graham Foster (Andrew Scarborough) discovered Dawn packing her car and questioned how Billy could have known Joe was his attacker, given that the hit occurred from behind.
Despite Graham's suspicions, Dawn managed to escape Emmerdale with Billy, Clemmie, Evan, and Lucas. However, his comments lingered in her mind during the drive, prompting her to confront Billy. When he admitted that he had lied and Joe was not responsible for his hospitalization, Dawn left him at the side of the road.
Dawn's Tragic Fate
Dawn rushed to the wedding marquee, hoping to still marry Joe, but disaster struck when Jimmy King (Nick Miles) crashed his car through the tent. Jimmy lost his life shortly after the collision, and Dawn died in hospital. In the aftermath, Joe spiraled, pushing away Graham and Kim Tate (Claire King), refusing to care for Dawn's children, and initially insisting he would be the only mourner at her funeral.
Eventually, Joe relented and allowed Kim, Graham, Gabby Thomas (Rosie Bentham), Billy, and the children to attend Dawn's farewell. During the emotional service, Joe seemed distracted, focused on his next move.
The Horrific Burial
In a field beside a freshly dug grave, Joe knelt and spoke of growing old with Dawn, lamenting the 'lifetime of love' that was taken from him. It appeared he was saying a private goodbye, but then he kicked the dirt and walked away. The scene shifted underground, revealing that Joe had buried Ruby in the coffin instead.
Spoilers for the ITV soap indicate that Ruby will wake up in the coffin and desperately call for help, but she soon loses her strength as the air runs out. The question remains: if Caleb finds Ruby, will she be alive?
