What happened in Emmerdale tonight: Atmospheric music, cinematic filming and gripping storylines – this episode was a triumph

Emmerdale tonight was brilliant, the action jumping between the girls trying to get out of the icy lake and Cain and Moira, Caleb and Ruby dealing with the fallout of Cain and Ruby sleeping together.

A perfectly pitched episode, featuring amazing music, fabulous camera work and brilliant performances all added up to a triumphant episode.

Here’s how Emmerdale played out tonight, Tuesday February 18.

Cain confessed and Caleb confronted Ruby

As Cain lay battered on the floor everyone told him to get himself home. Mandy insisted he needed a doctor but he told them all to just leave him.

Caleb returned home and told Ruby what he knew. She broke down and confessed it was never about Cain, it was just about her dad and hating herself and wanting to destroy herself. Caleb told her she had broke his heart.

He packed a bag, ready to leave, but Ruby told him she wasn’t giving up on them. Caleb told her he understood, she wasn’t in her right mind. He said he loved her so much and he believed Cain had taken advantage of her and used her. Caleb declared them unbreakable and they reconciled.

Meanwhile, at Butlers, Moira woke to find Cain mopping up his wounds. She soon realised something had happened when she saw his face. She wanted answers.

So Cain gathered himself, made them a cup of tea and confessed he had slept with Ruby. Will she forgive him? Is this the end of Cain and Moira? We’re devastated if so, but is there really any coming back from this? 

Who died in Emmerdale tonight?

Amy

Back at the frozen lake, Amy was sinking deeper into the water and Tracy gallantly raced back across the ice to pull her out.

Amy then lay frozen at the water’s edge, hypothermia taking over her body.

Leyla

They shouted for Kerry and Leyla to get out quickly as the limo was almost submerged, but Leyla revealed to Kerry the glass in her side and was barely conscious. Kerry was determined to find a way to get them both out, but with a broken foot, it wasn’t looking likely.

Kerry managed it, though, and dragged Leyla together across the ice. When the ice cracked and Kerry nearly rolled in, Vanessa risked her life to go and get Leyla to safety so Kerry could get herself out alive.

Liam

Elsewhere, Liam was slowly fading on the banks of the lake, with Chas desperate to keep him alive.

Charity finally got signal and phoned the emergency services, begging them to help. As she surveyed the scene of the crash and all her injured friends and family, Charity mouthed she was sorry.

As the ambulances raced the injured to the hospital, Vanessa and Tracy stayed at the scene as the former broke down screaming over Suzy’s death.

Back in the ambulances, we heard the tragic news delivered over the radio that they had “one patient dead on arrival” – so which one is it?

What was the music playing in Emmerdale tonight?

So far this week, Emmerdale has been brilliant with this stunt (and that’s coming from someone who does not like soap stunts!) The way it has been shot and directed with focus purely on characters has felt cinematic.

Even the scenes away from the lake crashes – with Caleb and Ruby’s confrontation and Cain and Moira’s confession – seemed to have been shot differently to usual Emmerdale.

The backgrounds were out of focus, and all we could see were the people. This way of putting the characters front and centre felt like we were there and experiencing it with them. The emotions were all the more heightened and real.

The music meanwhile, has been incredibly fitting. The instruments playing at heightened pitches as the drama increased, covering the distressed cries of Vanessa as she mourned Suzy, was pitched just right.

It always feels more emotionally charged when music like this is played instead of hearing characters screaming in turmoil.

If you were wondering, the piece that accompanied tonight’s action was called Power-Haus by Balder (featuring Christian Reindl and Lucie Paradis). And what a powerhouse choice it was.

Read more: Who’s leaving Emmerdale? All the cast exits, arrivals and returns

Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm, with an early release on ITVX at 7am.

Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.40pm and 2.10pm.

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