Paddy feels it’s what his father really needs
It’s a bleak period for Paddy Dingle and Bear Wolf in Emmerdale after the death of Ray Walters in Thursday’s episode (January 22).
In Friday night’s instalment (January 23), Paddy was faced with an agonising decision — report the truth to the police and risk his father spending the rest of his life behind bars for murder, or keep the secret buried.
In the end, he chose to cover it up. But with Bear back in prison once more, the question remains: is there any hope left for either of them?
Bear killed Ray in Emmerdale
This week’s flashback episodes shed light on Ray’s final moments. In last night’s episode, it was confirmed that Ray died after Bear interrupted him as he attacked Paddy and Dylan.
Although initially feared dead, Bear was very much alive. Shocked by what he saw, he tried to stop Ray by restraining him in a powerful wrestling hold. Tragically, unaware of his own strength, Bear accidentally crushed the life out of him.
In tonight’s episode, Bear remained deeply disoriented. Unable to accept what had happened, he repeatedly urged Paddy to wake Ray, not realising he was already gone. Paddy went through the motions, despite knowing it was hopeless.
Eventually, both he and Dylan had to face the truth and tell Bear there was nothing more they could do. As Paddy moved to call the police, Dylan intervened, warning that Bear would be jailed for murder.
Dylan instead argued that they needed to protect Bear by disposing of the body. Paddy initially refused, but as Bear drifted around in a dazed state, barely connected to reality, he finally accepted that Dylan was right.
Paddy and Dylan covered up Ray’s death
The pair managed to load Ray’s body into the back of Jai’s van, intending to bury him in the woods once night fell.
However, their plan quickly unravelled when Jai unknowingly drove the van away.
With the body no longer in their possession, Paddy and Dylan realised there was no way back. A chilling montage revealed how, over the following two weeks, they agreed to feign ignorance — acting as though they knew nothing and allowing others to piece together events for themselves.
That left one major complication: Bear.
They couldn’t allow him to roam the village freely, nor could they risk him revealing what had happened. So they made a disturbing choice — locking him inside a room at Paddy’s house while telling everyone he was still missing.
To maintain the lie, they even organised daily search parties to keep up the pretence.
Is there any hope for Bear?
Next week, Bear remains confined. Disturbing as it is, the rigid routine may give him a warped sense of security — something familiar after weeks of mental decline.
That offers little comfort to Paddy. When DS Walsh asks to speak with him about Bear, panic quickly takes hold.
Unable to dodge the meeting, Paddy prepares himself for the worst, only to be shocked when Walsh reveals that police attention has now turned towards Celia in connection with Ray’s murder.
As suspicion shifts elsewhere, Paddy allows himself a flicker of hope. He rushes home to update Dylan, and for the first time, they let themselves believe the ordeal might finally be coming to an end.
Yet Bear remains locked away. He is still gravely unwell. And until he receives the help he desperately needs, the secret will continue to fester — with consequences that could ultimately destroy them all.
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