While the villagers were still shocked by Kev holding a gun, Bear Wolf – Paddy Kirk’s father – suddenly disappeared without a trace.

At first everyone thought he was on holiday in Ireland, but then Paddy began to notice many things that didn’t make sense: the phone was turned off, the bank account was inactive, and Bear’s favorite jacket was still on the chair.

One night, Paddy heard a noise in the yard.

He walked out and saw a figure standing in the field, the flickering streetlight reflecting half of his face — Bear, or someone who looked strangely like him.

When Paddy called out, the figure turned to look, eyes empty as if there was no soul, then disappeared into the darkness.

From then on, everything became haunting. Marlon said he heard a soft moan in the woods near Bear’s house, and Mandy said someone saw a strange car appear at night. The police begin to suspect Bear has been kidnapped, but the evidence is scant, with only a muddy handkerchief and some tire tracks.

What viewers are talking about most: is Bear hiding from someone, or is he the one on the run? Rumours are that Bear was involved with a smuggling ring – and now they’ve come back to “clean up”.

Whatever the cause, Bear’s disappearance sets off a chain of tragedies, where pasts, guilt and fear are intertwined like a web. Emmerdale has never been easy on the viewers – and this time, it’s certainly no exception.