Weatherfield had barely calmed down when Emmerdale exploded with one of the most intense dramas of the year so far: the mysterious disappearance of Bear Wolf – then confirmed to be held and exploited for medieval-style labor by Celia Daniels and Ray Walters.

The story unfolded like a nightmare that Bear was caught up in without even realizing it.

At first, Bear told everyone that he was moving to Ireland to live, “for a change of pace”, “to start over”.

The whole village thought it was just a simple goodbye.

But Bear never came to Ireland. He disappeared. No one knew that the trip would be derailed within hours – and would fall into the hands of a ruthless couple who lured lonely, elderly men into a network of forced labor disguised as “volunteer farming”.

For weeks, Bear was forced to work in terrible conditions, injured without treatment, sleeping in the barn, eating scraps. The scene of Bear sitting huddled in the dark, holding his bleeding wound, his eyes desperate – was something that made the audience choke. But the most tragic moment was the moment when Bear’s son, Paddy, accidentally approached the land, unaware that his father was being held just meters away. Bear heard Paddy outside the fence, calling out in desperation but could not make a loud sound because Ray was standing close behind him holding a stick.

Then the opportunity to escape came. A forgotten truck, an unlocked barn door, a moment of inattention from Celia – all came together in the exact moment Bear almost collapsed. Bear ran desperately, dragging his feet and gasping for breath. Ray screamed behind him like a hound. Bear escaped through the bushes, dove into the ditch, then gritted his teeth and crawled across the gravel to find a way to survive.