Seasons & episodes

Louise is at breaking point - she can no longer take the stalker's bombardment and extreme paranoia is setting in. She sees several men going about their business. They all seem oblivious to the nightmare she is enduring, but she knows in her heart that anyone of them could be responsible for her misery. Ray is angry that Louise has risked her life in confronting Mack, he suggests they move away from Emmerdale and leave their troubles behind. But Louise has too much to lose and is determined not to be driven out of the village she once loved. Tension mounts ahead of the tea dance as the villagers practice their routines in time for the competition. Edna is having a frustrating time, though, and discovers that Len has two left feet. Len is ready to throw the towel in and give up, until Jarvis steps in to lend a helping hand. After a turbulent couple of days, Paddy and Emily bid a deflated good bye to the two foster children.

Louise’s nightmare continues when she discovers that the stalker is getting more and more personal. A photograph of her, taken in the village, is delivered to The Woolpack and acts as a stark reminder of just how vulnerable she is. Ray’s anger reaches fever pitch and, desperate to protect Louise from any further abuse, he insists that they should move abroad to escape the fiend. Eric can’t help but feel that his life has stalled since he started playing a distinct second fiddle to Gloria and her political career.

In a bid to resolve his differences with Gloria, Eric arrives in London and makes a beeline for Westminster. Within minutes of tracking her down, though, he soon realises that she is way out of her depth. Gloria's secretaries are calling the shots and it's obvious that she is in dire need of help in preparing her maiden Parliamentary speech. And his concern deepens when they take a coffee break and he notices that Gloria's includes a healthy dose of rum! But can Eric get her back on track and steer her away from a disastrous debut in Parliament? It's a black day back in Emmerdale as Angie is finally laid to rest.

Still troubled by the thought of his dying father and with Lisa’s words ringing in his ears, Zak finally decides the time has come to face his past and visit him. But he isn’t prepared for the sight that greets him when he arrives at the hospital. Jed is weak and decrepit - almost beyond recognition. Upon seeing his son, Jed mumbles about the Dingle inheritance being hidden in South America and insists that Zak should head for Santiago and retrieve the family fortune. Zak is saddened that his father has been reduced to a frail fantasist and reluctantly returns home. Latisha and Jason are busying themselves with plans for a new life in Lisbon. He even offers to take the whole Daggert clan with them - knowing that it will make it easier for Latisha to leave.

Lisa is increasingly worried about the Dingle debts spiralling out of control – but Zak’s mind is elsewhere as Shadrach delivers the sad news that their father has passed away. Having led a fairly simple life, he hasn’t left much behind. But that doesn’t stop Sam dreaming up a wild fantasy of a hidden fortune when he unearths a key to a bank box in Jed’s belongings. With little to keep her in Emmerdale now that she has split from Cain, Latisha mulls over the chance of a new life in Lisbon. And her mind is made up for her when a brooding Cain picks a fight with Jason. Cynthia is happy that Latisha has made a sensible decision for once and hopes that having a mother in tow won’t cramp her style.

The shock of reading her own obituary is still fresh in Louise’s mind and Ray feels increasingly unable to protect her any more. Feeling more vulnerable than ever, she starts to seriously consider the idea of escaping the village for good in a bid to find a safe haven away from the stalker. But before the idea can take shape, Louise is spooked when Rodney makes a surprise visit to Mill Cottage. Disturbed by his manner, she flees out of the backdoor and races to the village – realising that he too could be her stalker!

Having been forced out of the village she loves by her stalker, Louise is eager to leave as soon as possible. And given the misery that she has suffered in Emmerdale, nowhere is far enough away. The last place she was at peace was on holiday in Tuscany – a new life there seems a great option. Ray tells Louise he has booked flights for Christmas Day, and she is relieved that the ordeal will soon be over. Diane is saddened to lose a good friend and business partner under such tragic circumstances. But Louise stands firm, explaining that she can’t bear to spend the rest of her life looking over her shoulder.

Louise is wracked with guilt about leaving Diane in the lurch over the festive period - but as the nightmare continues, nothing could convince her to stay. Meanwhile, Terry lurches from one temporary home to another. After being given his marching orders by Bob, Terry is relieved when Alan agrees to put a roof over his head. He still can’t resist Louise, however, and after spotting her in the street, he decides to confront her about her decision to leave Emmerdale. But his actions just spook her further and, as she makes to run away, he reaches out to grab hold of her to stop her fleeing. Outside The Woolpack, her struggles are witnessed and Donna promptly calls the police, while passers-by free Louise from Terry's clutches.

Ray and Louise enjoy Christmas morning – both unaware of the nightmare that is about to unfold. Ray is keen for them to leave their troubles behind. He wants to get away from the village as soon as possible. Louise agrees and packs. She later calls into the pub to say her sad goodbyes to Diane. Terry is heartbroken. The woman of his dreams is leaving his life forever. As Louise leaves The Woolpack, she jumps in the car with Ray. But as they drive away from the pub, Louise soon realises that she is in the hands of the stalker! Louise panics – desperate to get away from the maniac.

Louise is terrified that a battered and bloodied Ray is now in her house threatening her. She tries to distract Ray by questioning why he hounded her. But Louise has come this far and is determined to end her nightmare once and for all. She summons all her courage to face her enemy - the result is fatal. Nothing could prepare Louise for the horror she feels when she realises she has killed Ray. Although she is overwhelmed with guilt, the feeling of relief is greater. Louise's saviour finally arrives at Mill Cottage. She is exasperated as she confides in him what has happened.

Ray’s death sends shockwaves through the village and Emmerdale is awash with policemen as the boys in blue cordon off Mill Cottage. Crowds of locals quickly gather to watch and speculate as to how they spent their final hours. Louise is feeling alone and vulnerable and the blood drains from Louise's face as the police ask her to accompany them to the police station for questioning. She reluctantly agrees – convinced they can see straight through her façade. Zak finally plucks up the courage to tell Lisa he is going to go in search of Jed’s lost fortune, but she brushes it off as merely a joke.

The police presence in the village shows no signs of abating - but their door to door inquiries are only hindering the investigation as it becomes apparent that there is a lot of alcohol fuelled confusion over people's movements on Christmas Day. Louise is starting to feel the heat, though, and it is surely only a matter of time before the net closes in on her and the pressure to confess becomes unbearable. She anxiously awaits the results of the forensic tests – but they prove to be far from helpful. The penny finally drops for Lisa and she realises that Zak really does intend to leave the family in search of Jed’s hidden loot.

Lisa is angry and unsympathetic as Zak tries to explain that finding Jed's long lost loot is their only chance to put an end to the Dingle debts. Tossing his argument aside, she frantically tries to make him see sense as he continues to pack his bags. In a last ditch effort to keep the family together, Lisa even gets physical with Zak, but it's all to no avail. Sam is convinced that he is to join Zak on his big adventure and happily talks of his pending adventure as he joins revellers at the pub. Little does he realise that Zak plans to go it alone and is happy for him to be out of the way so that he can leave without causing him any pain.