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There is a lot to review in this week’s Emmerdale, even though most of the episodes focused on one storyline – Tom and Belle and their disastrous trip to Wales.

They set off, with Belle unaware that Tom was planning a new life for them in the isolated rural setting. Meanwhile, Charity and Cain were worried about Belle and were trying to track her down.

Here’s what we thought of the dramatic events in this week’s Emmerdale review.

Claustrophobic and tense in our Emmerdale review

As Belle and Tom set off on their holiday, things already felt tense. Tom had hidden Belle’s phone and he was being Very Nice Indeed. But we know now that his mood can change in an instant.

And we weren’t wrong. The episode focusing on the newlyweds in the isolated holiday cottage was tense and dramatic. The claustrophobic feeling of the cottage closing in on Belle as Tom locked her inside – and poor Piper outside – had us holding our breath.

Tom’s manipulation stepped up over the days in the cottage. He was gaslighting Belle, lying about his job interview, and even claiming to have taken an overdose.

The passing days, with each morning beginning with the toast being buttered by Belle, precisely as Tom liked it, was a clever touch. Especially on the final day when her bandaged hand made her awkward, and the toast was burned.

Tom chasing Belle as she fled was thrilling and the relief when she managed to get on the bus was immense! Especially as a whole busload of passengers saw what Tom was like as he roared his fury at the departing bus!

Going downhill

But after the brilliance of the cottage episode, things went downhill quite fast.

Belle appeared in Emmerdale clutching Piper, with no explanation as to how she’d got there with no money or phone. No one so much as asked how she’d done it. We were left wondering how her handful of change that was just enough to pay her bus fare, stretched to a train ticket back to Yorkshire.

She also didn’t seem to have scratch on her, despite Tom whacking her round the face hard enough to send her sprawling on to the floor of the cottage.

Changing direction in our Emmerdale review

When Charity and Cain broke into Tom and Belle’s house earlier in the week, they were all over Tom’s abusive behaviour. They clocked the cameras, the book detailing all Belle’s spends, Belle’s phone hidden in a drawer and they realised all was not as it seemed with the pair.

BUT as soon as they caught up with Tom at the cottage and found out Belle had an abortion, they totally changed their stance. Suddenly Tom was the put upon, martyred husband, while Belle was the baddie for having a termination. And that’s a stance that left us feeling a little uncomfortable. It’s 2024, people. No woman has to stay pregnant if she doesn’t want to – even a Dingle woman – and no one should judge her for that decision.

Glimmers of hope

With Cain and Charity now firmly Team Tom, things looked bleak for Belle. But she’s managed to find enough strength to tell her abusive husband she doesn’t want to be with him. That’s one positive.

And she started to tell Vinny what had happened. Though when he pointed out it was abusive, she denied it. Vinny’s a smart cookie though, and – as he himself said – he knows what it’s like to be abused. Fingers crossed he’s a friend for Belle in her time of need.

Let’s hope Tom doesn’t manage to manipulate things even further in his favour as this storyline progresses.

Read more: What we want to happen next for Belle and Tom

Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm.

Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.40pm and 2.10pm.

Emmerdale fans have turned on Charity and Cain after last night’s episode saw them side with Tom. It was a real what the heck? moment when Charity especially started to question Belle’s side of things.

Earlier in the week had shown so much promise as Cain declared: “He’s a dead man.” But one glare of those manipulative eyes from Tom and he was suddenly siding with the devil.

And it left fans – and us – absolutely seething.

Charity and Cain side with Tom in Emmerdale

Things had started so well – finally, finally, someone was on to the abuse. Charity knew what Tom was, she even compared him to DI Bails, her own abuser.

Determined Charity was not going to let it lie and then broke into Tom and Belle’s house with Cain on Tuesday July 23. They were all over Tom’s abusive behaviour. They clocked the cameras, the book detailing all Belle’s spends, Belle’s phone hidden in a drawer and they finally realised something was very, very wrong.

Heading straight to Wales they found the cottage the couple were staying in and saw it had been trashed. They even found blood on the walls.

“Whatever he’s done, he’s a dead man,” declared Cain. YES! we all screamed. Tom was going to get his comeuppance and Belle was going to be saved. Right? Right?

Wrong.

After Wednesday’s flashback episode (July 24) showed what had really happened during Tom and Belle’s week away, viewers were delighted Belle had finally escaped her abusive husband.

As Thursday’s ep opened, Tom came down the stairs to find Cain and Charity in the house. He spun them a tale about Belle fleeing after an argument. He then dropped the bombshell she had had an abortion not a miscarriage. This piece of information seemed to cause Charity and Cain to do a complete 180 and believe Tom that Belle was the one with the problem and he was the innocent, injured party.

Even when Belle said Tom had hidden her phone, Charity, who had found the phone and declared Tom must have hidden it, said: “Why would he do that?” WHAT?  How has her weeks of suspicion and evidence building, turned into her total backing of Tom?

Fans fume

The episode left fans absolutely furious – and we are totally with them. Why on earth would Charity in particular believe Tom over Belle?

“Everything was going well until you managed to give Cain and Charity a lobotomy in making them all of a sudden believe Tom’s lies,” fumed one. They added: “From being the abuser to being the abused ABSOLUTELY [BLEEP] RIDICULOUS YOU STUPID PRODUCERS AND SCRIPT WRITERS.”

Another said: “Really disappointed how quickly Cain and Charity believed Tom! Charity just completely forgot all the red flags she had spotted before?”

“How can Charity go from thinking Belle’s being abused to believing the [bleep] that’s coming out of TomTit’s mouth? Incredibly frustrating,” shared a third.

A fourth agreed: “How has Charity been swayed so quickly after her adamant belief in Tom’s horrible nature not 24 hours prior? Including the fact she was convinced that a member of Belle’s mental health team – intimately aware of her health – was not trusting of Tom.”

“Cain and Charity have gone from being my heroes to I wanna kick them both in the head in one episode. Wake the [Bleep] up. ESP you Charity,” raged someone else.

A sixth also said: “Charity was wholly convinced Tom was hurting Belle, yet now Belle’s trying to tell her the same thing she doesn’t believe her!!! Don’t [bleep] me off.”

They’re about as angry as we are. Sort this out, Emmerdale. Quick.

Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm.

Classic Emmerdale usually airs every weekday on ITV3 at 6am and 6.30am, plus 1.40pm and 2.10pm.