It’s been a difficult few months for Rhona Goskirk on Emmerdale, and it might not be getting any easier. Despite the deaths of Ray Walters and Celia Daniels ensuring that her family is safe, the spectre of a murder investigation in the village looms large.
Ray and Celia had an iron grip over the village with their criminal operation, which saw Bear Wolf be forced into gruelling manual labour in exchange for shelter. More pertinent to Rhona, however, was April Windsor and Dylan Penders being used as drug mules.
Eventually, Celia met her end at the hands of her adoptive son, while Ray was killed off by an unknown assailant. There’s been a palpable sense of relief for Rhona and Marlon, but the drama could continue in the coming weeks.
In scenes set to air next week, the ITV soap’s latest whodunnit will be unravelled over the course of the week, with the actions of several characters – including Rhona and Marlon – in the lead-up to Ray’s murder being depicted in a special set of flashback episodes.
Though we’ll have to wait to see who the culprit was, Zoe Henry, who first played Rhona in 2001, admitted that her character harboured a reason for killing Ray, saying: “She could be motivated because how long are they prepared to let this go on for?
“It’s that moment of desperation that there is no way out. And so, she is thinking: ‘If I die or sacrifice myself in the process of freeing my family, particularly my children, then maybe I’ll do it.’ That’s what’s in Rhona’s mind.”
If Rhona was shown to be the killer, then she would naturally be left with the guilt despite knowing it ultimately saved her family, with Henry explaining: “She’s a very honest person – I think it would eat away at her.
“She certainly doesn’t want her children to be without a mother again. It’s only a year or so ago that she was going through all that stuff with Ivy. So, it’s a delicate path, but she definitely would be racked with guilt.”
Of course, there remains the possibility that Rhona wasn’t involved in the murder at all, with several other characters – including Marlon – having a reason to kill Ray. If her husband was found to be responsible, it would be equally troublesome for Rhona.
“She would fully understand why he’d [Marlon] done it, but I think she would be devastated to know,” said the actor. “Murder is murder – whoever’s done it will go away for a very long time.
“So, you’d be staring down the barrel of being a single parent and being without your soul mate. I don’t know whether she would forgive him? I’m not sure. I think she would certainly understand it, but whether she’d forgive him is a different matter.”
Despite the serious nature of the dramatic storyline, Henry explained that the scenes were a “joy” to film thanks to co-stars Jaye Griffiths and Joe Absolom, who play Celia and Ray respectively.
“One of the biggest joys of this story is the appearance of Jaye and Joe, who are both exceptional actors,” she said. “They are so much fun to be with and work on set with. In a way, I wish the story had been longer because they’ve just been absolutely joyful.”
