Emmerdale has a plotline that’s both infuriating and horrifying: the criminal network surrounding Ray Walters and Celia Daniels.

And Dylan is the key to everything falling apart.

Dylan discovered the horrifying truth that Ray and Celia were holding people captive, forcing them into slave labor, even dragging Bear into danger.

Dylan was both panicked and naive at the time: he wanted to “do the right thing” but trusted the wrong people.

Dylan begged Ray to report them, as if Ray still had a chance to turn back. Ray acted. Ray played the good guy. And in a terrifying moment, Ray FaceTimed Celia so she could witness him driving his car straight into Dylan. Dylan collapsed, unconscious, and evil continued to breathe.

When Dylan woke up, the whole village held its breath. He was a living witness. Dylan only needed to open his mouth to send Ray and Celia to their grave. Dylan also wanted to speak out, because if he remained silent, things would continue, and others would be harmed. But Emmerdale doesn’t make it easy for the “heroic” witness. April appears like a powerful blow to the heart: she begs Dylan not to speak, because while Dylan was hospitalized, Ray and Celia had escalated their threats.

April isn’t selfish. April is just a child placed in a position that’s too big. She’s scared. She’s panicked. And most of all, she believes Ray and Celia will actually do it. The pain of this storyline is that it forces the viewer to see violence not just through the car crash, but through psychological terror. Dylan wakes up with a body in pain, his head still spinning, but the greatest pain is knowing he’s being silenced. Every time Dylan tries to speak, he thinks of April.