Emmerdale spoilers: Cain and Eric grieve the end as health battles consume them
Anyone would think Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) would be over the moon having his partner in crime back home in Emmerdale. But alas, there is a chasm developing between them and it feels worse than when his wife Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb) was behind bars.
While Moira has been in prison, Cain has been battling his demons, brought on by his cancer diagnosis. It’s meant he’s struggled to cope with his emotions and day to day life, particularly without Moira by his side. But now that she’s back, things aren’t better.
A sex disaster was the first thing to derail them – Moira managed to get the house to themselves, but Cain felt pressured into sleeping with Moira and ruined the whole evening.
It was mostly driven by his worries for his health – and ability to perform – that meant he had a bit of a freak out.
He had been due to have life saving surgery, but it was cancelled when a sleep-deprived Jacob (Joe-Warren Plant) hit him with his car. That was worrying in itself, meaning Cain risked the cancer developing in the meantime, but a new date has rolled around and he’s not feeling any more ready for it.
In fact, he’s terrified, but Moira is distant with her own struggles as she tries to adapt back to normal life and he’s feeling alone.
Instead of being by his side at the farm, she’s up at what was Butlers, helping Robert (Ryan Hawley) rather than her own husband.
This doesn’t sit well with him, and things do not feel right. Without her soothing words of wisdom, he makes an enormous decision – he wants to cancel the surgery.
He confesses this to best pal Liam (Jonny McPherson), who, worried for his friend, reveals this news to Moira and Chas (Lucy Pargeter). Now it’s a race against time to get him to change his mind.
Cain takes himself to Zak’s grave to contemplate the chaos that has become his life, when Pollard arrives.
He approaches Cain and talks about his own ill health and worries for the future, with his Parkinson’s advancing and the prospect of leaving young Jacob behind having just had a baby.
Emmerdale’s Cain Dingle realises he’s made a big mistake tonight – as the police warn him off from any further meddling in Moira’s case. Has he made everything worse by putting pressure on Bear Wolf?
Cain knows that Bear’s recollections could hold the key to proving Moira’s innocence in the modern slavery scandal – and he hasn’t been shy when it comes to pointing this out. Sadly, encouraging Bear to speak up was clearly a step too far in the police’s eyes.
Last night, Bear tried to clear Moira’s name by insisting that she wasn’t involved in the illegal activities at Celia’s farm. Just when it seemed like the police might listen, Bear slipped up by revealing that Cain had directly asked him to make this clear.
Cain’s intervention came across as intimidation of a crucial witness – and with Bear so vulnerable at the moment, the optics didn’t look good.
In tonight’s episode, DC Chen tries to track down Cain at the garage. Cain isn’t around, so Matty Barton asks for an update on whether Bear’s confession in Ray Walters’ murder case will change things for Moira.
“His confession has nothing to do with your mum’s charges,” Chen replies. “I get you’re frustrated, but you don’t want to end up like Cain Dingle.
“His frustrations spilled over with Mr Howelson the other day – and it could be seen as intimidation.”
Although it’s unusual to hear it on screen, Edward Howelson is Bear’s real name.
Chen adds: “That’s what I needed a word about. So you might want to tell him this: if he crosses that line again, it won’t be a quiet word. It’ll be a formal warning.”
Later, Cain visits Moira in prison. He glumly breaks the bad news that Bear’s confession hasn’t helped her at all – in fact, things are worse after the police’s stern reaction to Cain’s meddling. What does the future hold for Moira now?
Meanwhile, tonight’s episode also sees Mandy Dingle return to the village after her time away in Ireland. In real life, Lisa Riley – who plays Mandy – took time away from filming to compete on ITV’s I’m a Celebrity late last year.
Mandy arrives back to chaos, with the police piling pressure on Paddy Dingle and Dylan Penders amid the fallout from Bear’s confession. Is there any way she can help to fix the situation?