Next week on 'Emmerdale': Moira's shotgun showdown, plus Laurel hits the bottle (spoilers)

All the action from next week’s Emmerdale (1 – 5 February 2021), as Laurel hits the bottle, Nicola defends Jimmy, and Jamie put a life in danger:

Temptation for Laurel

The fact that Laurel is finding herself enticed by a bottle of vodka in her cupboard has got me thinking: wouldn’t the perfect place for a soap crossover be at an alcoholics anonymous meeting? Laurel could turn up and find that she’s sitting alongside Linda from EastEnders and Peter from Corrie, with the three of them then revealing that they’ve all had the same storyline.

But while we wait for that fantasy of a shared soap universe to make it our screens, there’s the grim reality of witnessing Laurel knock back a glass of voddy, only for her to be caught in the act by Nicola, who then calls Jai for further support.

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But can Laurel be convinced that booze isn’t the answer to her problems?

Nicola tackles Juliette

The term ‘hangdog’ doesn’t quite do Jimmy justice. Walter Matthau was hangdog. Jimmy’s more Walter Matthau with a migraine. And that headache is currently intensifying thanks to the sudden reappearance of young Carl’s mother Juliette.

Nicola wants to tackle the problem head on, so ends up arranging a meeting where she and Jimmy tell Juliette that she can’t see Carl. But what they aren’t prepared for is a shock revelation from the recent returnee…

Rishi’s relationship woes

Poor Rishi – for a while, it looked as though stability with Manpreet would save him (and us) from any further plotlines about fruitless searches for love or fancy-dress disasters. But once again, we have a Rishi-related romance turning sour, thanks to revelations about Manpreet’s history with Charles.

The sweetie factory magnate is adamant that there’s no way back for the two of them, leaving Jai with the dual jobs of looking after Laurel and consoling his dad.

Paul is under pressure

Gambling addict Paul is so spineless it’s a wonder he’s not oozing along the ground like a slug. How he’s managed to remain on the scene is a mystery, but he and Mandy now seem determined to make an effort for the sake of Vinny.

Connor, though, hasn’t forgotten about Paul’s debt and will be seen issuing a demand that he deliver his £4000 by the end of the week. I may not be a betting man myself, but I don’t fancy the chances of Paul being able to come up with cash. Let’s just hope that Vinny steers clear of his dad should the funds fail to materialise.

Home Farm v Butlers Farm

What exactly do they do all day at Home Farm except scheme and plot revenge? To get employment there, is it necessary to have degree in Duplicity? Or, at the very least, a BTech in Backstabbing? If so, I’m starting to think that Jamie is vastly under-qualified, what with him blithely walking into another of Mack’s traps when he divulges details of the accounts to an imposter posing as a client.

Seeking vengeance, Jamie then takes drastic action and douses the barn at Butlers Farm in petrol, unaware that young Kyle is playing hide-and-sick inside. By the week’s end, tensions will have escalated again, with Moira turning up at Home Farm with a shotgun.

She’s merely the latest in a long line of characters to arrive tooled up at the village’s most prestigious property. Lachlan White, Ross Barton, even Diane Sugden – in the past, they’ve all opted to arm themselves before crossing the threshold. It’s now starting to feel as though the OK Corral saw less action.

Watch: This week’s Emmerdale spoilers