Matty Barton’s (Ash Palmisciano) life is in danger in upcoming episodes of Emmerdale as a fellow cellmate targets him after finding out he is transgender.
Matty’s identity has been something he’s been desperate to keep a secret ever since he was sent to prison for accidentally stabbing Samson Dingle (Sam Hall). He knew that if the men behind bars discovered he is trans, it would sadly make him a target.
Recently though, Matty found himself an ally in the form of a man called Les. He opened up about his past and the journey he’s been on, and Les happily listened to try and understand.
Les told Matty that he will keep his secret but reminded him other people in the prison wouldn’t be so kind. One of these men will turn out to be Robbo, who only discovers Matty is transgender as a result of a mistake from Amy Wyatt (Natalie Ann Jamieson).
She mistakes him for Les, and as Robbo manipulates her, she tells him Matty’s biggest secret. Amy leaves feeling pleased with herself, no idea what she’s just done.
As a new week begins, Lydia (Karen Blick) and Sam (James Hooton) are poles apart because Sam wants Samson to leave and escape justice, while Lydia is unhappy that Samson wants to evade the law.
‘She’s done it herself in the past. She thinks it’s the wrong thing to do. He needs to tell the truth, Matty needs to be released from prison so that any threat that he’s under can be stopped and Samson can face the consequences’, Karen Blick told us.
‘I don’t think Lydia fully understands what that will mean. Will he get a prison sentence? Will it be a relatively short prison sentence? He’s a clever lad, he’ll be able to come back out and put his life back together. She has very much been the moral compass but we’ll see certainly as this story plays out, she has to make a few tough moral decisions herself. She’s probably a bit more ‘Dingle Code’ down the line than she’s comfortable with!’
Lydia manages to intercept Samson’s secret getaway with Sam and implores her son to go to the police station. Eventually, Samson confesses the truth about the stabbing, leaving Sam furious at his wife.
‘I think it’s his own conscience, I really do. There’s multiple stages of pressure and of course that will have an effect and potentially guide his own conscience to tell the truth in the end’, actor Sam Hall explained.
‘But I do think his morals are very deep down correct, so I think in the end it’s himself that thinks, “Matty’s family, this isn’t the right thing to do. We need to do what’s right here.” I do think it’s him.
Meanwhile, in the prison, Matty at last has some hope when told about Samson’s confession, but he is then paralysed with fear as he’s escorted back to his cell to find Robbo waiting.
As the evil man goads Matty with violent threats, he realises his time in prison isn’t over just yet.
Back at the Dingles, Cain (Jeff Hordley) arrives to ensure Samson doesn’t run again and things get heated between Cain and Sam.
As Samson is left all alone with Cain, Moira (Natalie J Robb) and Amy feel the stress as they await some news.
‘I feel like he should stand up for himself more, especially with this situation’, Sam said, discussing whether he feels any sympathy towards his character.
‘You imagine the audience screaming at the TV, “Just tell the truth, just do what’s right.” But there is that tiny little bit of sympathy that if he is terrified of the consequences of what will happen if his friend finds out, the amount of pressure building on him and the amount of guilt building on him.
‘He has done the wrong thing and nobody can disregard that. He doesn’t deserve a lot of sympathy. Matty deserves the sympathy. There is that little bit for him where he does end up in fairly unfortunate situations.’
While this is unfolding, poor Matty is stuck in his cell. He is shaking with fear, desperately trying to block out the transphobic abuse from other inmates.
Utterly terrified for his life, what’s next for Matty?
