Emmerdale’s horrifying child killer storyline is exactly what soaps need

EMMERDALE has taken a big swing with its latest bombshell child killer storyline – and I for one am glad that they have.

These are exactly the types of storylines that soaps should tackle.

ITV

The reveal of Ella’s history is exactly the kind of stories that soaps should be telling[/caption]

ITV

Emmerdale have played a blinder casting Paula Lane in the role[/caption]

For all the sensationalism, huge stunts and so-called issues-based storylines – the hearts of soaps should be people. 

And they shouldn’t shy away from damaged people like Ella.

Yes, she’s a killer and yes she killed a child as a child – but she’s settled in the right place – Emmerdale makes Midsomer look like the safest place in the UK.

Throw a stone and the likelihood is you’ll hit a killer, and then they’ll hit another killer thinking they threw the stone.

Undoubtedly there is going to be a backlash to this storyline. 

It’s only a matter of time before there are comparisons to real-life cases like Jamie Bulger’s killers or Mary Bell, but they would be unfair.

People will obviously have strong feelings about it – and Ofcom might want to gird itself for the inevitable onslaught.

But as unseemly as it could be described – this is a powerful storyline.

Bosses have played a blinder by casting Paula Lane – and by slowly integrating her into the village and showing her true personality.

Hints of intrigue, but not over the top, have suggested she’s linked to serial killer Meena Jutla – and she is, just not in the way everyone thought.

Meena was a breath of fresh air in soapland – a serial killer who enjoyed herself. She didn’t agonise over every little kill – she celebrated them with a Britney Spears dance medley usually.

Ella’s a breath of fresh air too – but in a much more human way.

She’s no angel, there’s no magic bullet suggesting she’s now A Good Person after doing A Bad Thing.

She’s human. She’s schemed to get Liam away from love rival Chas Dingle, she’s been terrified that she’s about to be exposed and she just wants a home.

If nothing else, by playing this story Emmerdale has done what soaps should do – and bravely tackled a subject that others would shy away from.

Ella is a child killer, but she was a child too. Just like Kyle Winchester.

She’s damaged, and was abused beyond horror, and when faced with losing the one good thing in her life – she lashed out and became a killer. Just like Charity Dingle.

She made a mistake and bitterly regrets it – just like Moira Dingle.

She suffered horribly, made a mistake, ran away and changed her identity and tried to forge a new life – just like Lydia Dingle.

Having Cain Dingle be the one to offer her support showed a depth of character and storytelling that has actually, to be blunt, been missing from Emmerdale for a long time.

Hopefully they can keep it up and not ruin it by doing something silly like revealing actually the horse did it. Again.