Soap special The Emmerdale whodunnit saga

We question all the suspects in the Emmerdale poisoning story, but the culprit will not be revealed for the moment. Based on the available evidence, however, fans will have their own views on this devious whodunit. Kim Tate finally realises that she is being poisoned, but isn’t sure who is doing it. She plans to find out by hosting a lunch with all the suspects Claire King (Kim Tate)

How did Kim find out she was being poisoned?

Kim kindly offers to give Lydia a drink of brandy. Within a couple of hours, Lydia is feeling nauseous. It is then that Kim starts suspecting the brandy is laced with something. This is a big relief for Kim, to find out that it’s not dementia. Knowing Kim, she will get her revenge. She starts by making a list and invites them all to a lunch. All of the guests have access to the house and the brandy so they are all possible culprits.

Does anyone else (apart from the poisoner) know she is being poisoned?

No, just Kim. When they are all gathered, she tells them that she is going to retire – and she wants to hand her business on to a successor. This is her throwing a line out, seeing who will be reeled in. The lunch party is just the start of it. There will be many other tests until she knows the truth.

Chris Bisson (Jai Sharma) Is Jai puzzled by the lunch invite?

Absolutely. The invites landed through letterboxes that morning for lunch that same day, which is odd. There is a conversation in the village, where some of the guests are all talking, all unsure what to expect.

What is Jai’s attitude towards Kim?

Kim’s not been pulling her weight at the business – Jai has essentially been left running it. This is really starting to frustrate him. There has always been a power struggle as Kim always assumes the role of boss, but technically, they are partners. That definitely irritates Jai.

Does Jai think he’s in line to be Kim’s successor?

Well, he already owns half of the business. I don’t think he believes she is just going to hand the other half to him. His concern is that if Al gets Kim’s shares, it would make him the majority shareholder. Al therefore tries to convince Kim he should be the one that takes over.

Could Jai be the poisoner?

Errrm… yes, he could – but I doubt he’d be doing it to kill her. Although, if she was affected enough to relinquish control of the business, I suppose that would be in Jai’s interests.

Olivia Bromley (Dawn Taylor) How does Dawn react to getting the lunch invite?

Dawn is very confused and she doesn’t trust Kim at all. She knows Kim doesn’t approve of Dawn’s relationship with her son, Jamie. But Dawn is falling in love with Jamie and is intrigued about what the invite means.

Who is Dawn wary of around that table?

It’s definitely not the most comfortable lunch party for Dawn! She has her ex-employer, Jai, at the table – he has fired her from at least two jobs in the past – as well as Al, of whom she has been distrustful since she was with Billy. Gabby being pregnant with Jamie’s child causes her a lot of distress and her own father, Will, is falling for the woman she hates! All in all, it’s quite a hellish guest list.

As regards the business, Dawn doesn’t for a second think she has a look in. She isn’t with Jamie for his money – she has really fallen for him.

Alex Lincoln (Jamie Tate) How is Jamie before this formal lunch?

Jamie has not been getting on with his mother for a while. She isn’t pleased with his choice of partner. However, with Kim being a bit fuzzy and forgetful, I think Jamie is slightly concerned about that. He thinks people are starting to take advantage of her.

Is Jamie worried about Gabby’s position in the house?

Yes, she is one of the main people he believes is taking advantage of Kim. He doesn’t trust her one iota. Gabby is manipulative and conniving. He is worried Kim will hand everything to Gabby and he feels like Gabby is using the pregnancy (expecting Jamie’s baby) in order to do that.

Is he concerned that Will, Al and Jai are also around this same table?

He is totally shocked the others are there too. He is really worried Kim could just do something really rash. Previouslym she would never have talked of retiring and I think Jamie is suspicious something else is going on.

Michael Wildman (Al Chapman) Is Al surprised to be invited to this lunch?

No, because he has a good working relationship with Kim. They go way back, although Kim’s been a bit short with him recently. I think some of the trust may have broken down.

Has he noticed that Kim seems to have changed recently?

I think he’s realised something is afoot. He’s aware she’s letting things slip which isn’t at all like her. The Kim Tate of old would not just walk away from a business, so yeah, he is wondering what is happening.

Dean Andrews (Will Taylor) How has Will been getting on with Kim recently?

He’s been getting on pretty well with her really. I think he is starting to soften towards her a little bit. She seems to trust him to be a sounding board for her and he kind of looks out for her a bit.

He recently told Dawn to be careful around Kim. Why is he wary of her at the moment?

He has a responsibility to his daughter, Dawn, because she is going out with Jamie. Kim likes her own way, and she doesn’t like Dawn.

Could Will be the poisoner?

Yes he could – to get her back for her treatment of his daughter. He’s also up at Home Farm, so he’s got access. He can walk in when he feels like it. He can make excuses that he’s there for different reasons.

Rosie Bentham (Gabby Thomas) How does Gabby feel when she gets the invite to the lunch?

Gabby is thrilled to be invited. She really hurt Kim when she stole money from her and since then, Gabby has been looking for any opportunity she can to get back in favour. Gabby knows her future is at Home Farm and she will do anything she can to impress Kim.

Does Gabby think she has a chance to succeed Kim in business?

She does – I think Kim forgives Gabby for what she has done and Gabby is quite hopeful she will have a future there. She’s been doing lots of things to impress Kim; Being her assistant, picking up her car, etc. It is just a shame she got involved with the stealing – a bit of a ‘bump in the road’.

Could Gabby be the poisoner?

Gabby has a lot of tricks up her sleeve. She is ambitious and she will do whatever she can to get power. And Kim is that person who can help Gabby do that. But as to whether she would poison her, I’m not sure.