The day that Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb) has so desperately tried to put off has arrived in Emmerdale – the day of her brain surgery.
When Moira was diagnosed with a meningioma brain tumour, she was given the option of risky surgery. She balked at the idea, despite Cain’s (Jeff Hordley) insistence she take it. She feared for her life or that she would be left forever changed. But fate has twisted her arm and now she’s climbing onto the operating table.
She’s put the surgery off for as long as she possibly could, but the worsening of her seizures, resulting in her nearly dying in the woods and burning her hand on a bacon pan, meant she no longer had a choice.
Moira cancelled the surgery when Zak (Steve Halliwell) died, claiming she was doing it to protect Cain from more death. But the wait means that now the risk is greater than ever.
As the day rolled around Moira got herself prepared, writing a living will with pal Vanessa’s (Michelle Hardwick) help, stating that if she ends up as a vegetable she wants to be allowed to die. Cain did not approve of this plan.
Now that the day is here, she’s preparing herself further, and getting ready to say her goodbyes. She takes Matty (Ash Palmisciano) to Holly’s grave and in a round-about way says her farewells by sharing how much she loves them.
Cain, on the other hand, cannot hear a word of it. In his usual style he bottles everything up and refuses to believe it’s happening, despite being the one who pushed for the surgery.
Actress Natalie J Robb told Metro: ‘He internalises everything Cain, and that’s the problem. Moira knows that with him, that’s why she’s always checking on him and worrying, she’ll always know when there’s something not quite right whereas Moira’s trying to get everything out, because to her this could be the last time she gets to say it to him, so it’s important that she does vocalise things.’
The threat of losing Moira is too much and in the garage, he is left alone with his thoughts to dwell on the fact he could shortly be a widower and single parent.
A special episode centres around Moira finally getting her surgery, and the toll the worry has on Cain. In a huge admission, actress Natalie reveals that Moira does survive. But will she come back as the Moira we know and love, or will she be left living out her fear?
Natalie divulged: ‘I still have to go through some treatment afterwards as well so we don’t know if everything is going to be hunky dorey, but there could be some slight personality change, it could be that she just faces things differently because she’s been faced with such an ordeal.’
Natalie hinted that there’s a rocky road ahead in the wake of the op as she adapts to a new personality: ‘Maybe she might not react in the same ways, which in some ways could leave people feeling more unnerved if she didn’t react.’
The episode will play in reverse chronological order with Caleb disappointed to find Cain drunk – and with his hands covered in blood.
As we know Moira survives, whose blood does Cain have on his hands? Will Moira wake from the surgery to find her husband has done something terrible?
