Has Emmerdale’s Dr Todd left? 6 huge questions answered after latest episode

What’s next in the dark storyline?

Emmerdale spoilers follow. This article includes discussion of sexual assault, which some readers may find upsetting.

With Emmerdale off air tonight, it’s time to hit the pause button and take a look at what’s next for Charity Dingle’s devastating storyline with Dr Caitlin Todd.

Fans were given hope that justice could be served at the start of the week, as Charity bravely reported Dr Todd to the police for sexually assaulting her.

1. Where has Dr Todd gone?

Even before Dr Todd’s awful crime, she’d been planning to leave the village sooner rather than later. This was partly driven by her secret discussions with Charity, who’d ordered her to leave once she’d received the blackmail money she’d demanded.

Charity was trying to protect her family from Dr Todd, as well as Vanessa, who’d started a tentative relationship with the malicious medic. Sensing trouble if she stuck around for too long, Todd agreed to leave and later told Vanessa that she’d landed a new job opportunity in Sheffield.

2. Has Dr Todd left for good?

Dr Todd believed that she’d beaten Charity after pressuring her to withdraw the sexual assault allegation. After saying goodbye to Vanessa and Manpreet, the villainous doctor was confident that she’d covered all of her tracks and wouldn’t need to see Charity again.

However, there are many aspects of the story still unresolved – Charity’s ordeal, Vanessa’s mistaken faith in Dr Todd, and Jacob’s bullying drama. This means that Dr Todd’s story isn’t over yet…

3. Could Dr Todd still be brought to justice?

The police investigation was at an early stage before it had to be dropped when Charity withdrew her allegation. Caring DS Reid, who was overseeing the case, had repeatedly reassured Charity that she was believed and that the detectives would do all they could to see justice served.

DS Reid also encouraged Charity to provide as much information as possible, but she chose not to disclose the truth about baby Leyla’s parents and Todd’s cruel blackmail. It’s possible that these details, and any paper trail from Todd’s finances, could ultimately expose the schemer’s wrongdoing in the future.

Soap villains always tend to get their comeuppance in a story like this, but it’s currently unclear whether Charity will go back to the police or if Todd will face justice in another form, as we saw on Coronation Street with abusive Theo Silverton recently.

4. Will Dr Todd’s friends see her true colours?

Dr Todd still had Vanessa and Manpreet duped when she left the village, but a recent interview with Louise Jameson – who plays Mary Goskirk – hinted that this may not last forever.

“All I can tell you is [Mary’s] shoulders are going to have to grow, as Vanessa might need them to cry on in the aftermath of what’s in store for her and Dr Todd,” Louise told Inside Soap.

“It’s going to get really dark, it’s a very bold story and Caroline Harker [aka Dr Todd] is marvellous.”

This revelation of upsetting times for Vanessa indicates that she may have to face the horrible truth about Dr Todd in the future.

5. Are there other victims?

So far, there has been no word on whether Dr Todd has committed a crime like this before. However, we know that she has a disturbing pattern of behaviour and abuse of power – when Jacob reported her to the hospital’s HR department for bullying, he was told that other colleagues had raised complaints in the past.

DS Reid also recently raised the possibility that Todd could be a repeat offender – or commit a similar crime in the future – when she told Charity: “I can’t influence your decision. But the more people speak out, the more accusations we have…”

Could the story bring in others who’ve had disturbing encounters with Dr Todd?

6. Is Caroline Harker leaving Emmerdale?

Although no official announcement has been made, the tabloids reported an exit for Dr Todd shortly after her dark story with Charity was announced.

Characters brought in for issue-based plots like this rarely stay around in the long-term, so it’s likely that Dr Todd was always intended to be in the show for a specific story arc.