The entire village of Emmerdale is shaken by the sudden disappearance of Bear Wolf, Paddy Kirk’s strong and somewhat eccentric father.

While everyone believes he simply went to Ireland to visit a friend, the truth is far darker: Bear has been kidnapped and held captive on a modern-day slave farm where people are reduced to mere tools of labor.

According to upcoming episodes, Bear is tricked into working by Ray – a seemingly gentle farmer – but is actually forced into unpaid labor, beaten, and imprisoned.

Leaked footage shows Bear shackled, working in a cold cowshed, eating moldy bread, and drinking pond water.

He is stripped of his identity, no longer “Bear Wolf,” but simply “Number 27.”

This story is steeped in social crime themes, and ITV claims it will be one of the “darkest and most realistic storylines ever broadcast.” Paddy, upon discovering the truth, is completely devastated – not only is he guilty of arguing with his father, but he’s also haunted by the thought that Bear is dead.

But the real twist is that Bear never gave up. One rainy night, he uses a broken piece of wood to break his shackles, grits his teeth, crawls out of the shed, and runs frantically through the woods. At the end of the scene, Bear collapses on the road, while police car lights flash in the distance.

Bear’s return – if he survives – will open up a series of shocking episodes where he confronts PTSD, betrayed trust, and the biggest question: can someone who has been deprived of their freedom truly return to a normal life?