Emmerdale to expose Ross and April’s dark link to Ray’s final hours as flashback week raises chilling new questions

Emmerdale is preparing to tear open one of its most unsettling mysteries yet, as a week of revelatory flashback episodes promises to expose what Ross Barton and April Windsor were really hiding in the final hours before Ray Walters’ brutal death. What initially played as an emotional reunion has rapidly transformed into something far more sinister, with viewers now questioning whether the pair were not just witnesses to tragedy—but possibly architects of it.

The tension has been building quietly but relentlessly. Last week, fans noticed something deeply off when Ross returned April to the village after her unexplained disappearance. On the surface, it looked like a relief-filled homecoming. Yet beneath the smiles and reassurances, an unmistakable sense of secrecy lingered. Both Ross and April appeared guarded, exchanging loaded glances and offering vague explanations that raised more questions than answers.

Marlon Dingle and Rona Goskirk were visibly overjoyed to see April safe, eager to move past the fear and chaos of recent weeks. But their questions were met with half-answers. Where had April really been? Why had Ross been the one to bring her back? And perhaps most disturbingly, how much did they already know?

One moment in particular sent alarm bells ringing across social media. When asked whether Ray and Celia Daniels still posed a threat, April’s response was strangely non-committal. At that point in the timeline, Ray and Celia were already dead—information the village had not yet learned. The implication was chilling. Did April already know the truth? And if so, how?

Those uneasy questions form the backbone of Emmerdale’s special rewind week, beginning on Monday, January 19. The soap is pulling out all the stops, dedicating individual episodes to key suspects as the narrative rewinds to expose what really happened on the night Ray died. Marlon, Rona, and Laurel Thomas will each see their own past actions scrutinised, but it is Ross and April’s shared history that threatens to blow the case wide open.

Wednesday’s episode, airing January 21, marks a dramatic turning point. In stark flashback scenes, viewers will see Ross clutching a gun, his face etched with grim determination. The imagery is deliberately unsettling, suggesting premeditation rather than impulse. The question is not if he was prepared to kill—but who he intended to target. Given Ray’s trail of enemies, the answer feels uncomfortably obvious.

The following night, Thursday January 22, the mystery deepens further as additional flashbacks reveal Ross and April working together behind the scenes. Their alliance, once perceived as protective and familial, now takes on a darker edge. How long have they been covering for each other? And was their silence a desperate attempt at self-preservation—or something far worse?

April’s bond with Ross has been a constant since his return to the village in 2024. He has always been someone she could rely on, particularly during the most traumatic period of her life. Sources close to the show reveal that April initially considered confiding in Ross early on during her ordeal with Ray, but ultimately stopped short, fearful of the consequences. At that time, Ross was frequently absent, spending time away with his brother Pete in Liverpool. Yet Ross is no stranger to violence, nor to taking matters into his own hands.

That reality fuels mounting suspicion. If April eventually turned to Ross for help, could their shared desperation have spiralled into something irreversible? With Ray’s list of enemies growing by the day, the idea that Ross and April formed a deadly pact no longer feels implausible—it feels disturbingly possible.

What makes this storyline especially powerful is the emotional weight driving each character. Ross is not portrayed as a one-dimensional villain, but as a man shaped by loyalty, rage, and a fierce instinct to protect those he cares about. April, meanwhile, is a traumatised teenager whose silence may be rooted in fear rather than guilt. Together, they form a volatile combination—one capable of terrible decisions under extreme pressure.

Emmerdale has always excelled at exploring moral grey areas, and this storyline is no exception. The show invites viewers to grapple with uncomfortable questions: If someone believes they are stopping a monster, does that justify murder? And when a young person is pushed beyond breaking point, where does responsibility truly lie?

Producers are promising that the answers are coming soon. It has been officially confirmed that Ray’s killer will be revealed in the episode airing on Thursday, January 26. With Ross and April both appearing prominently in that instalment, they remain firmly in the frame as the truth edges closer.

Show producer Laura Shaw recently teased what’s ahead, hinting at a cascade of revelations that will ripple through the village. She explained that following the discovery of Ray’s body, long-buried secrets will finally surface as the mystery reaches its devastating conclusion. According to Shaw, the flashback format will allow viewers to see events from multiple perspectives, exposing not just what happened—but why.

That promise alone has set expectations sky-high. Before the end of January, Emmerdale will take audiences back to the exact night of the murder, reconstructing every critical moment until the identity of Ray’s killer is undeniable. With so many suspects and so many hidden truths, the fallout is expected to be explosive.

Whether Ross and April emerge as tragic victims of circumstance or as central players in Ray’s demise remains to be seen. What is certain, however, is that once the truth is revealed, nothing in the village will ever be the same again.