6 Emmerdale Spoilers for Next Week – 18th to 22nd November

Next week on Emmerdale, Cain struggles as Moira heads into surgery, Ruby has two unexpected family reunions, and Kim issues an ultimatum.

1) Moira heads into surgery

The day that Moira (Natalie J Robb) and Cain (Jeff Hordley) have been dreading finally arrives next week, as Moira goes under the knife to remove a meningioma brain tumour.

Moira has been controlling the effects of the benign growth with medication since her diagnosis in September, and had cancelled her original operation date following the tragic death of father-in-law Zak (Steve Halliwell) last month.

Moira and Cain are both struggling as the day approaches, fearing the worst over the op and any potential consequences.

“They’re both terrified,” Natalie J Robb told EverySoap and other media during a press event earlier this month. “He’s very scared of losing her, so I can say that much on his behalf, but he’s also very scared of losing it. When Cain is out of control, that’s when Cain does things that are out of control himself.”

“Moira is absolutely terrified, mainly because she could lose him and never see her kids again. Obviously, she’s already experienced loss, and the last thing she wants is to be abandoning her kids.”

The operation takes place in a special episode airing on Wednesday, and whilst our lips are sealed on what exactly happens, we can promise some shock twists and turns along the way.

Viewers will see Cain’s story through the day as he struggles to comes to terms with what’s happening at the hospital, which will be presented in reverse chronological order. We begin with seeing Caleb’s (Will Ash) disappointment at finding a drunken Cain with bloodied hands, before going back in time to see exactly what has gone down to leave Cain in such a state.

“Cain internalises everything, and that’s the problem,” Natalie explains. “Moira knows that with him, so she’s always checking on him and worrying. Whereas Moira’s trying to get everything out, because she thinks this could be the last time she gets to say it to him.”

“It’s important that she does vocalise things, but she’s always been more outspoken. And that’s kind of why they work a lot of the time, it’s the yin and yang—she’s a big communicator, and he’s not. But when they do communicate, it just works.”

Even if Moira does manage to get through unscathed, there are obvious risks with brain surgery that could change things for the couple forever.

“That could be quite interesting,” Natalie continues. “Moira would still have to go through some treatment afterwards as well, so we don’t know if everything is going to be hunky-dory, but there could be some slight personality change. It could be that she just deals with things differently, because she’s been faced with such an ordeal.”

“Maybe she might not react in the same ways, which could in some ways leave people feeling more unnerved if she didn’t react. Will they take out that little bit of the brain that makes her head butt people when she gets angry?“

Will Moira pull through?

2) Tempers flare between Ruby and Steph

Elsewhere, Ruby (Beth Cordingly) is stunned to return home and find her estranged daughter Stephanie (Georgia Jay) sat in the kitchen, after her surprise arrival during tonight’s episode.

Steph turned up unexpectedly at the factory to see dad Caleb, and quickly made it clear that it wasn’t a social visit. Steph was simply there to claim her inheritance from late grandmother Helen (Sharon Maughan), and wants nothing to do with her parents, who she felt abandoned her as a teen.

“Steph was a really difficult child when she was like 13-14,” Will Ash told us. “So Caleb and Ruby sent her off to boarding school to straighten her out. I mean, it’s quite a brutal thing to do. She found that really tough and just felt kind of abandoned.”

“Nicky (Lewis Cope) didn’t go off to boarding school, it was just her because she was getting in a lot of trouble. She’d stolen a car and was just really difficult, with Steph and Ruby really clashing.”

Ruby is lost for words as she comes face-to-face with the child she hasn’t seen in over a decade, and it’s not long before things become rather heated.

Caleb attempts to calm things down, but Ruby orders him to leave so she can talk to their daughter.

Ruby is blindsided to learn that Steph had been in touch with her grandmother for all this time, Ruby herself having been estranged from Helen since she was a teen.

“That alliance feels like a big betrayal for Ruby and Caleb,” Will adds. “Because when Ruby was pregnant with Steph, that’s when Ruby was disowned by the family.”

Whilst Ruby is desperate to know more of the relationship her mother and daughter had, Steph is instead intent on having it out with Ruby over her dysfunctional childhood.

“Ruby carries a lot of guilt,” Beth Cordingly explains. “She becomes more eloquent about it, but I don’t think she realised how neglected Steph has felt over the years.  From when she was very young, she’s felt that her mum didn’t love her.”

As Steph pushes Ruby’s buttons, a quip about it being no surprise that Helen wanted nothing to do with her pushes Ruby over the edge, leading her to slap Steph!

In Steph’s view, Ruby’s actions only seem to validate her claim that she never cared about her, and so she leaves.

When Caleb later returns home, Ruby is wallowing whilst trying to convince herself that their daughter had a good childhood. Caleb does his best to try and assure her that Steph will come around, but she isn’t so sure, particularly after slapping her.

The following day, Ruby and Caleb are surprised to see Steph leaving the B&B with Ross (Michael Parr), having clearly spent the night with him.

“I don’t think it was her intent to wind up her parents more, but when she meets Ross she knows it’s going to be another dagger,” Georgia Jay reveals. “Caleb doesn’t enjoy seeing us leave the B&B together, and I think it rubs Steph up the wrong way when he tries to stick his nose in.”

“To be fair, Ruby’s like a cool mum in this scenario,” Beth laughs. “She says to Caleb ‘Oh she’s in her thirties, she’s a grown woman, let her do it.’ Which probably isn’t that helpful!”

“No, because Caleb’s heard about his reputation as well from the rest of the family,” Will adds. “Caleb doesn’t think Ross is good enough for her.”

Caleb soon changes tack with his daughter by offering her to the opportunity to be his partner in his new business.

Will Steph take him up on the offer and find a reason to stick around?

3) Ruby has another unexpected family reunion

If the fiery reunion with Steph wasn’t enough, Ruby has another shock when she is unexpectedly reunited with her estranged father Anthony (Nicholas Day).

Ruby thinks she’s finally getting somewhere with Steph when she agreed to meet for for a coffee in the cafe, but is horrified when her dad then walks in.

“It’s been engineered by Steph,” Beth explains. “Steph thinks she’s doing a nice thing trying to bring the family together, and has been told by Anthony that he really wants to make amends for not not being in Ruby’s life. He wants to build this family back together, but Ruby’s having one of it.”

Anthony attempts to plead his case as he talks to Ruby for the first time in three decades, but Ruby is furious at being ambushed and storms out.

Running into Caleb outside, Ruby asks him to take her home, but when Anthony and Steph emerge from the cafe, Ruby heads off on her own whilst Caleb has a word with Anthony himself.

“Initially, he despises Anthony as well,” Will adds. “Just because of how he and Helen treated Ruby and how they treated them. Specifically for Caleb, because he was from a care home and didn’t have any family or money. They really looked down their noses at him.”

But Caleb softens slightly as he’s struck by what appears to be a sincerity from Anthony, and he agrees to pass on a wooden box to Ruby that Anthony has brought with him.

Caleb also realises that convincing Ruby to hear what her father has to say could go some way in repairing his own relationship with Steph.

“Anthony kind of comes as part of the deal,” Will continues. “Steph is saying ‘if he can’t stay, if you don’t want anything to do with him, them I’m out of here.”

“He’s really willing to make that sacrifice to allow Anthony, but Ruby finds it very, very difficult to forgive him.”

Will Caleb be able to talk Ruby around?

4) Jai plans revenge on Caleb

Meanwhile, Jai (Chris Bisson) is spitting feathers after realising that his promised partnership in Caleb Miligan International was nothing of the sort, and Caleb has instead scammed him out of his money which is currently sitting somewhere in an offshore account.

Jai’s therefore insulted when Caleb decides to offer him a job in order to appease Steph, and tells him where to go. Laurel (Charlotte Bellamy) doesn’t think Jai should be so hasty though, and convinces him to swallow his pride and accept.

It rubs salt into the wound further then Jai turns up at the depot and discovers that Steph could well be his new boss, taking a position that he’d previously been promised.

When Ross later arrives and asks for a job too, Caleb turns him down and imparts a warning to stay away from his daughter. Seeing an opportunity for revenge, Jai later approaches Ross and proposes a plan for them to rip off some of Caleb’s valuable stock.

The following day, Jai tips Ross off about some merchandise arriving at the depot, and as Jai distracts Kerry (Laura Norton), Ross moves in and takes one of the vans.

But when he arrives at a barn intending to unload his stash, he’s stunned to find Steph lying in wait amongst the stock, who asks what he’s up to…

5) Kim makes an offer

Up at Home Farm, relations haven’t improved between Kim (Claire King) and Will (Dean Andrews) amidst their marriage split. Whilst Will is hoping that they could try mediation to get back in track, all part of a bigger plan to take Kim for everything she’s got, Kim instead offers him £100,000 to get out of her life as soon as possible!

When daughter Dawn (Olivia Bromley) confides in Will about Billy (Jay Kontzle) and what he’s been up to in order to earn them some money, Will assures her that she soon won’t have to worry about money ever again, more determined than ever to pull off his plan.

The following day, a hooded figure makes an attempt to steal Kim’s car, but the culprit disappears before Kim has the chance to confront them. It doesn’t take much for Kim to find out who exactly was responsible however, and she approaches them with an ultimatum…

6) Eric pushes ahead with wedding plans

Also next week, having stunned Brenda (Lesley Dunlop) with a surprise proposal, Eric has another surprise in store when he reveals that he’s planning for them to be married on Christmas Day.

With Eric struggling with his Parkinson’s over the past week, thanks to a shortage of medication, the nuptials are something positive for him to focus on.

As the proposal came rather spontaneously, Eric heads to the auctions and finds Brenda the perfect engagement ring, which he presents in The Woolpack much to her delight.

But with Liam advising him to take things easy, could a giddy Eric be getting carried away with himself as he pushes ahead with the wedding planning?