EastEnders and Emmerdale's special episodes may be the year's best

In the same night, Emmerdale and EastEnders remind us of the power of soap (Picture: ITV/BBC)

The discourse over the last few months has been turbulent when it comes to TV soaps, with the ending of Doctors nigh and Hollyoaks having a third of its workforce cut.

But Tuesday May 7 episodes of EastEnders and Emmerdale are proving once again how much the genre still has to offer, and how, despite the heavy and constant workload to generate hours of content a week, it can compete with the biggest, highest budget dramas out there.

EastEnders is delivering a writing and acting masterclass with a two-hander episode featuring only Yolande and Patrick Trueman (Angela Wynter and Rudolph Walker), while Emmerdale is experimenting with a twist on the format to explore Tom King’s (James Chase) abuse of wife Belle (Eden Taylor-Draper) in a unique way.

Peering at the Walford offering first, you generally know that you have something special on the way when the normally fast-paced soap places a full episode’s focus onto one story and two characters.

Some of the most iconic episodes of all time have taken on this format, not least of all historic storylines such as Kat revealing she is Zoe’s mum, the infamous Peggy and Pat showdown, and the very first that led on mammoth soap couple Den and Angie.

Yolande and Patrick’s episode is up there with the best of them and I found myself utterly transfixed for the full half hour, shedding tears, feeling anger and pain on behalf of the characters and even, unexpectedly, laughing.

For a show that has an ensemble cast and a myriad of storylines going on at once, it’s a big ask to present the audience with something that is such a different pace.

The writing has to be spot on to ensure things feel neither forced nor dragged out and writer Lauren Klee delivers a masterclass.

The episode sees Yolande ask her friend Elaine (who doesn’t appear on-screen) to tell Patrick about her sexual assault at the hands of evil Pastor Clayton, while she then seeks refuge in the bathroom, not wanting her husband to see her in such a vulnerable state and fearing what any response he has might mean for their relationship.

His initial instinct to go and confront Clayton is quickly diffused when he sees Yolande’s desperation for him to cool down.

What follows is a tender and tearful conversation in which the chemistry and love between one of my favourite couples in soap shines through.

The love and chemistry is clear (Picture: BBC)

Yolande delivers a monologue beautifully and impactfully written (Picture: BBC)

Lauren has penned the most impactful monologue for Yolande on the rights some men think they have to abuse women and their bodies – it hits the audience (and Patrick) hard and is delivered impeccably by Angela.

No-one watching will be able to draw a breath during it (you can watch it just below). And another key moment sees Patrick assure Yolande, without even the slightest hesitation, that no matter what this might mean for their future intimacy, he loves her unconditionally and always will.

It was also spliced with moments of humour that this fun pair have shone with over the years and it reminds us all what a crime it was they were parted and we lost Yolande from our screens for so many years.

EastEnders’ best episodes this year have been single-episode strands – the direct aftermath of Clayton’s assault on Yolande and George Knight (Colin Salmon) discovering the truth about his father’s death were just perfection.

And this entry may have now taken the top spot as their episode of 2024 so far, though this is a high bar.

The beauty of soap is the focus on characters over years and years – the reason Rudolph and Angela were able to portray such raw and impactful scenes is partly because we know their characters so well and love them deeply.

This unique benefit to soap fans applies also to Emmerdale’s Belle, who we have literally seen the entire life of on our screens.

So when it became clear that she was living with a deeply sinister coercive controller, the reaction was palpable from fans feeling protective of her.

Emmerdale often leads the way with format breaking episodes, but the dinner party entry is more subtle than most and arguably one of the best.

The show has played Tom’s emergent controlling nature well, taking things steady and ensuring that all levels and facets of his manipulation, paranoia and selfish ego have been explored.

What goes on behind closed doors also goes on in just the next room (Picture: ITV)

I have found myself around this kind of behaviour before in my own life and it is all too chillingly familiar. The way he has gaslit and thrown confusion has meant that while we viewers on the outside have seen the signs, he is a monster living in the shadows.

Tonight, things step up in the most terrifying way. I am not about to give away the details of what happens towards the end, but to suffice to say we see the deepest insight into the horrible reality Belle is living right now.

The journey to getting to that point is a clever one, and Emmerdale keeps us very much on our toes. It’s another episode where I found myself holding my breath at times and feeling a cold dread developing.

It is told from two perspectives – the first half focuses on the marital breakdown of Rhona Goskirk (Zoe Henry) and Marlon Dingle (Mark Charnock) as their relationship implodes in the most public way around the very awkward dinner table.

It serves as a glaring contrast between their marriage and that of the very subtle, behind-closed-doors situation with Tom and Belle, and it does it very well.

The episode ends in a terrifying way, propelling the story forward into even more chilling territory (Picture: ITV)

But, importantly, it isn’t solely a vehicle to drive that message home; it’s a very dramatic and intense crescendo for two characters fans also care so much about – and Zoe and Mark play blinders.

In the second half, we rewind back to the start of the party and see it from the side of the hosts, learning what has been taking place away from prying eyes just in the next room.

Tom is on full gaslight and control mode, belittling and frightening Belle and by the end of the episode, the storyline has taken another big step in its direction.

Eden conveys Belle’s feelings of fear and powerlessness hauntingly well, and you will come away aching for her and her plight more than ever.

Between Emmerdale and EastEnders, there is under an hour of viewing here and yet so much emotion is packed in.

Having watched the two episodes back to back, I was exhausted but once again proud of the genre I love both personally and professionally.

It’s a lot of work for shows already under a huge time pressure to then break the mould, but I am glad they did – it’s a continued sign that these shows are like no other and deserve the continued respect they earn with episodes like these.

For even more exclusive spoilers and interviews, sign up to Metro’s Soaps newsletter