If you need a reason to believe this season of Emmerdale isn’t going to be gentle, here it is: Meena.

Just the confirmation of Meena’s return is enough to make viewers’ hearts race.

Because Meena isn’t the kind of villain who just argues and then forgets.

Meena is living trauma, the kind of character whose every appearance brings with it the feeling that no one is safe, and evil can laugh right in your face.

What left fans stunned was the vibe of “if I’m back, I’ll kill first.” That’s not a joke. It’s like a foreshadowing that this return won’t be a fun cameo, but a new round of disaster. And with Meena returning amidst the chaos surrounding Celia and Ray, things are even more likely to spiral: manipulation on one side, murderous intent on the other, and innocent people caught in the middle with nowhere to hide.

And that’s not all. Emmerdale is also hinting at a murder twist that the team says will shock audiences. These kinds of twists usually go in two directions: either the perpetrator is someone nobody suspects, or the victim is someone everyone thinks “can’t possibly die right now.” The unique aspect is Emmerdale’s ability to choose characters that evoke both sympathy and surprise in viewers, creating a lasting emotional impact.

In this context, Meena acts as a catalyst. She imagines that Meena’s mere appearance will trigger extreme reactions from the characters. Those haunted by Meena will panic. Those unfamiliar with the experience will be complacent. And it is this mismatch that creates the mistake. Emmerdale loves to create mistakes: one wrong step, one ill-timed encounter, one wrong word… and someone dies.