No one expected Nicola King to be at the centre of Emmerdale’s villain-hunting story.

But this week, she finds herself inadvertently delving into the village’s darkest secret – something that Metro has revealed in just a few images that will send shivers down viewers’ spines.

The episode begins with Nicola hearing a strange noise in an abandoned house.

She initially just wants to check to make sure the area is safe.

But when the door opens, the darkness seems to swallow her. Nicola walks in, a small flashlight in her hand, its flickering light illuminating the mottled walls. No one understood why the room had been locked for so many years, and no one expected it to contain clues about the mysterious villain.

In the corner of the room was a wooden box, and when Nicola opened it, she was stunned. Inside were personal items, photos with faces cut out, and most importantly: a notebook with a plan for revenge against someone in the village. The last page was torn off, but the words that remained were enough to make Nicola scared: “Next: …” The words had not yet appeared, but she understood: someone was being targeted, and there was more than one name on the list.

Nicola rushed out, her face pale. But the story did not end there. When she returned home, the door was ajar – even though she clearly remembered locking it. The room was eerily silent. Nicola walked in, calling her husband’s name softly, but no one answered. Then, from the cupboard, a figure moved. Nicola turned around, her heart dropping from her chest. But when she turned on the light, the room was empty. The villain has entered the house – and has left, but has left muddy boot prints as a warning: “I know you saw.”

From here, Nicola becomes the target. She goes to Laurel for advice, but does not dare to tell the whole truth. The scene of the two sitting at the kitchen table, Nicola’s eyes trembling, creates an emotional moment. Laurel says: “If you’re scared, tell everyone.” Nicola shakes her head: “If he knows…” That unfinished sentence makes the audience choke.

At the same time, the villain begins to appear more and more in the background. Sometimes standing by the stream looking at the village, sometimes watching from afar as Nicola goes to the market. The sudden pans make the audience feel like they are being stalked. Emmerdale speeds up the narrative by connecting Nicola’s discovery with strange events: lost livestock, a shop being broken into, and a child saying he saw “a strange uncle” standing near the school.

The climax of the episode is Nicola standing alone in The Woolpack late at night. She senses someone following her, turns around and sees only wind. She walks faster, her steps quickening. As she turns the corner, a shadow blocks her path. Nicola stops. Her face shows horror. The episode ends right there, leaving viewers in a state of shock.

Emmerdale has cleverly made Nicola a key link in the journey to unmask the villain – and the danger that surrounds her every day. Viewers can only wait and see: will Nicola become the hero who exposes evil, or the next victim in the faceless man’s cruel game?