The 12 best Emmerdale episodes – EVER! Crashes, deaths, weddings and bravery!
There are a lot of brilliant episodes to choose from!
Emmerdale has had more than its fair share of brilliant episodes. So many in fact, that it’s hard to pick a favourite. So instead we picked 12 of the best! Here are what we think are the best episodes of Emmerdale, ever.
The plane crash 1993
Emmerdale’s plane crash may have happened more than 30 years ago, but it’s still legendary among soap fans. The Beckindale Air Disaster marked the beginning of a new era for Emmerdale in many ways – the renaming of the village from Beckindale to Emmerdale, the end of several storylines and the start of many more!
Four characters were killed – Mark Hughes, Elizabeth Pollard (Eric’s wife), Archie Brooks and Leonard Kempinski – while Chris Tate was badly injured and left unable to walk.
The storyline was quite controversial at the time because it came just five years after the real-life Lockerbie disaster. But it was a hit with viewers and it transformed Emmerdale from a quiet countryside soap into the must-see television it is today.
Kim leaves Frank to die 1997
Kim Tate‘s marriage to Frank was dead and buried by 1997. She had cheated on him with Dave Glover, and thought for a while that baby James was Dave’s, only to discover that Frank was his dad.
When Dave was killed in a fire, rescuing little James, Kim well and truly went off the rails! She hired a lookalike to drive her car round the village, so everyone thought she was still there, then ran off to the Caribbean. But tragedy struck when the lookalike crashed the car into the lake and died. Frank identified the body as Kim and was arrested for murder!
When Kim returned, the shock of seeing his ‘dead’ wife caused Frank to have a heart attack. Kim coldly watched him die, without going for help. And as he breathed his last she checked for signs of life with the mirror from her handbag – then reapplied her make-up and left him on the floor.
Sarah Sugden dies in the barn fire 2000
The Sugdens were were struggling with money, and Sarah Sugden had been having a steamy secret affair with farmhand Richie.
Adopted son Andy was determined to help them out of their financial hole and he came up with the idea of burning down a barn so dad Jack could claim on the insurance.
But he didn’t know that Sarah and Richie were inside when he lit the match. Richie made it out, but Sarah died in the flames.
Best Emmerdale episodes: Tricia’s death 2003/4
Another dramatic death! Tricia Dingle was super popular with the Emmerdale residents and viewers alike. But on New Year’s Eve 2003, she was outside when a huge storm hit the village.
Lightning struck the Woolpack and the chimney collapsed, burying poor Tricia. Husband Marlon found her and called for help but though Tricia made it to hospital, she later died of her injuries. SOB!
The 40th anniversary live episode 2012
One of the best live episodes of a soap, ever! The live episode to celebrate Emmerdale’s 40th anniversary featured the weddings of Chas Dingle to Dan Spencer, and Katie Sugden to Declan Macey, and the births of Molly Sharma, and Jack Sugden Jr. AND a murder!
When Carl King tried to rape newly wed Chas she whacked him with a brick and believed she’d killed him. But actually Carl was finished off by future Dales serial killer Cameron Murray.
The Woolpack siege 2013
Cameron’s killing spree that began with the live episode in 2012 came to an end a year later with a dramatic siege at the Woolpack. In one of the most tense episodes of soap ever, he held drinkers at gun point, shot Alicia Metcalfe and then pursued Chas and Debbie through the flooded pub cellar. Cameron was electrocuted and his murderous rampage in the Dales came to an end.
The Hotten by-pass crash 2016
FIVE storylines came together in the thrilling crash that took place in October 2016. Emma Barton had been holding estranged husband James hostage in a Misery-style revenge plot.
When he escaped, she tracked him down to the road bridge – wearing her wedding dress, of course! – and shoved him off.
James plummeted on to the by-pass and on to a car driven by dementia-sufferer Ashley Thomas. Ashley’s car flipped and caused Pierce Harris to collide with a lorry, which then caused Robert Sugden and Aaron Dingle‘s car to leave the road and plunge into a lake. Oh, and they just happened to have kidnapped Lachlan White and put him in the boot.
Just seconds later, Rhona and Paddy drove straight into the carnage and flipped their van as they tried to avoid it. It was one of the most impressive stunts in Emmerdale history!
Best Emmerdale episodes: Holly Barton’s death 2016
Sometimes the best episodes are the huge stunts and sometimes it’s the quiet, devastating episodes that hit hardest. Holly Barton’s death from a drug overdose definitely fits the latter category.
Holly lay dead in bed, while mum Moira pottered around at home. And when she finally went to check on her daughter and found her dead, the shock was real. It’s almost a decade since Holly died, but her tragic demise still affects her family.
Charity faces Bails in court 2018
Charity Dingle has been through a lot in her time in Emmerdale but perhaps the most heart-wrenching was when she finally faced her past. Charity revealed that she’d been sexually exploited by crooked cop DI Bails, and had a baby boy.
With the help of her new-found son, Ryan, she bravely faced her abuser in court in a very emotional episode.
Best Emmerdale episodes: Grace dies 2018
Chas and Paddy Dingle knew their baby Grace was going to die almost as soon as she was born, but that didn’t make the loss any easier. In a devastatingly sad episode, the new parents cuddled their little girl – who lived for just 29 minutes – as they imagined the future she might have had.
Meena murders Leanna 2021
There’s very little we enjoy more than an Emmerdale serial killer and Meena Jutla was one of the best! Her utter lack of remorse as she stalked her prey made her super scary.
When birthday girl Leanna Cavanagh twigged that Meena wasn’t the caring nurse she pretended to be, Meena pursued her through the graveyard. The chase ended up on the bridge, where Meena pushed Leanna. When the fall didn’t kill the teenager, Meena climbed down and finished her off. It was brutal but gripping stuff.
Best Emmerdale episodes: Marlon’s stroke 2022
When Marlon proposed to a delighted Rhona, he rushed home to find the ring – only to suffer a stroke. Marlon’s experience as he lay helpless on the floor, waiting for help to come, was praised for raising stroke awareness. And his long recovery won actor Mark Charnock praise, too.
Read more: No one is a match for Queen Kim – here’s why
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm.
Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.40pm and 2.10pm.
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