“Emmerdale” Video Update: A River Of Tears

Things didn’t look so good for Aaron and Jackson when we last saw them, what with Jackson being run over by a train and all. And as you would expect, it doesn’t get any better…

This is your typical after a tragedy hospital episode, where all the concerned parties catch up on what happened and there’s lots of worrying and fretting, assuring each other that the injured party will be okay, but terrified that they won’t survive. We’ve all seen it in soaps and dramas before, and it can be boring and tiresome, yet the good shows make it compelling. And Emmerdale, as always, took those soap clichés and made them watchable thanks to a mix of great writing, powerful acting by all the players and characters that we care deeply about.

I found Aaron’s reaction to the accident to be completely in character. Aaron has said many times that anyone who gets close to him gets hurt, so naturally he would blame himself, even though it’s absolutely not his fault. One wonders how Aaron is going to deal with the fallout, especially if, as it looks, Jackson is terribly affected by this ordeal and doesn’t escape unscathed.

The show is painting a rather grim picture and since Emmerdale tends to be rather realistic, I think that this is a tragedy that everyone is going to be dealing with for a very long time. As with much of this storyline, the show is keeping mum on exactly what’s ahead, but since they have revealed this is going to be a long term storyline and Marc Silcock’s contract has been extended into next spring it would seem we’re in for a hard and difficult road. That last shot of Jackson in the operating room was a chilling note to end the episode on.

I must add that as good as the Aaron/Jackson storyline has been this week, the rest of Emmerdale has been exceptional as well. This is a show I never fast forward through or skip any scenes. All the stories (especially the Wylde murder plot) had me riveted. This continues to be a wonderfully rich soap opera. It has its flaws (way too many characters and storylines, for one), but it’s much like the U.S. soaps I used to love way back when. If only the current soaps on our shores could be this good.

I’ll have another Emmerdale video update for you next week when things get worse for poor Jackson and we meet Jackson’s dad. And don’t miss next week’s debut of the now monthly GOOL where I’ll have clips and info on Forbidden Love, Hollyoaks, People of the Valley and your other favorite foreign soaps and dramas.