The following article contains spoilers from an episode of Emmerdale that hasn’t aired on ITV1 yet, but is available to view on ITVX.
Moira and Cain Dingle (Natalie J. Robb and Jeff Hordley) have been at loggerheads in Emmerdale recently, but in Monday (July 1)’s episode a tragic death in the family brought them back together again as they reunited to comfort their son, Isaac (Bobby Dunsmoir).
When Matty Barton (Ash Palmisciano) was arrested for ‘stabbing’ Samson Dingle (Sam Hall) recently, the Dingle family were split in two. On one side Sam (James Hooton) and Lydia (Karen Blick) believed Samson’s story that Matty had lunged at whim with a knife in an unprovoked attack.
On the other side, Moira knew her son wouldn’t be capable of any such thing and knew Matty was telling the truth when he said that he’d been provoked by Samson and his friend Josh (Osian Morgan), and Josh had pushed Samson towards him as he was holding some cutlery – and Samson was accidentally stabbed.
Cain at first seemed to be staunchly behind his wife and her son, knowing that Matty wouldn’t harm anyone deliberately. As time went on, however, Moira started to think that Cain wasn’t doing very much to help Matty and taunted her husband for being weak.
This led to Cain getting drunk and in a rage he lashed out, making Moira think he was about to hit her. The couple have been icy with each other ever since.
In this episode Cain told Moira that he was still very much on Team Matty and had, in fact, been to visit him in prison recently. Moira was worried to hear that Matty had a new cell mate who might discover that Matty is trans – the very thing that Matty is terrified of his fellow prisoners finding out.
Cain told his wife that he’d advised Matty to stick up for himself while inside, but she didn’t think that was very helpful advice as Matty is not the sort to resort to violence even in self defence. Once more she pushed away Cain’s attempt to be supportive, reminding him that Matty is not his son.
Isaac, however, is Cain’s son, and Moira’s, and he had upsetting news. Minty, the little orphaned lamb that Cain had allowed him to keep, had died. He’d gone out to play with his little friend, only to find that he’d skipped off to the big farm in the sky.
Devastating news.
In their concern for their son, Moira and Cain’s niggles with each other were forgotten. Moira, with her farming background, gently explained through tears that orphaned lambs often don’t survive. ‘I loved him,’ Isaac said. Cain reassured him that he’d made Minty’s short life very happy. We’re not crying, honestly. It’s definitely hay-fever.
Later, Cain told Moira that she’d been brilliant with Isaac and she’s a great mum. Moira pointed out that if that was really the case how come Holly was dead, Matty was in prison and Adam was on the run?
Obviously all that is just par for the course if you’re a soap parent. The main thing was that Cain and Moira realised they’re on the same page, about Isaac, about Matty and about each other. They said they loved each other and sealed their new-found harmony with a kiss.
All thanks to Minty the lamb. RIP, Minty.
