The Joe Tate revenge plot in Emmerdale is set to escalate dramatically next week, as a grieving Joe spirals into rage and plots against the villagers he holds responsible for Dawn Fletcher’s death. What began with a shocking funeral ban is already giving way to something far more calculated, and far more dangerous.
A wedding day turned tragedy
The full weight of Joe’s grief becomes clearer when you understand the circumstances of Dawn’s death. According to Grand Pinnacle Tribune, the tragedy unfolded on what should have been Joe and Dawn’s wedding day, when a car ploughed through the wedding marquee. The crash killed Jimmy King and ultimately Dawn, who had managed to deliver a baby boy in hospital before she died. For Joe, this is not simply the loss of a partner, it is the destruction of the future he had fought to build.
Ned Porteous, who plays Joe, describes the emotional fallout in stark terms. ‘Dawn was the one thing truly tethering Joe to a life leading toward moral good,’ he tells us. ‘He won’t improve for himself, but he would have done it for her. He’s lost his anchor.’
In the immediate aftermath, Joe’s grief manifests as control. He demands a completely private funeral for Dawn, banning Dawn’s children from attending and shutting out anyone he considers an outsider. Kim is heartbroken by the decision, and when Billy confronts Joe to demand an explanation, Joe’s cold response leaves him bereft.
Radio Times reports that the intimate ceremony ultimately went ahead at Home Farm Stables, attended by just a few family members, a deeply private send-off that reflected Joe’s desire to keep the world at arm’s length during his darkest hours.
Joe Tate revenge plot targets Ruby and beyond
‘Joe’s feeling extremely protective,’ Porteous explains. ‘He’s feeling like his way of controlling the situation is to remove the outsiders; to have this whole experience by himself, where nothing more can go wrong.’
Ruby quickly becomes a focal point for Joe’s fury. With many locals still carrying guilt over the crash, an upset Billy lashes out and blames Ruby for the funeral ban. Ruby heads to Home Farm to plead with Joe directly, but her words make no impression. According to Radio Times, Ruby and Caleb had previously helped Dawn with an escape plan, offering her accommodation and a contact who could provide fake passports. In Joe’s mind, that involvement in Dawn’s life makes Ruby complicit in her death.
There is also a deeper history fuelling the tension. Radio Times notes that Ruby and Caleb’s animosity towards Joe is long-standing, rooted in the time Joe stole Caleb’s kidney. That grievance had already poisoned the relationship long before the crash, and Joe’s current state of mind leaves no room for nuance or forgiveness.
‘Ruby represents the enemy in Joe’s mind,’ Porteous says. ‘Even if she’s speaking sense, he’s too angry to hear any guidance. Even Kim and Graham are making valid points, but it’s the last thing Joe wants to hear. It’s shining a light on his failures.’
After Joe delivers a chilling threat to Ruby, it is young Clemmie who manages to reach him, appealing to his better nature and begging for the chance to say goodbye to her mum. Joe relents, and Graham allows himself a moment of cautious optimism, hoping this signals some kind of turning point.
It does not. Behind the apparent change of heart, Joe is already plotting the ultimate revenge against those he holds responsible for Dawn’s death, and he has a big favour to ask of Graham. ‘Joe blames anyone who came into contact with Dawn,’ Porteous reveals. ‘He’s not thinking rationally and he’s ready to dish out blame to anyone who won’t join in his rage. There’ll be a bad blood for a while yet. Joe’s not one to drop a grudge.’
How far the Joe Tate revenge plot will go (and who will get caught in its path) remains to be seen on screen. Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 8pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.
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