Casualty spoilers follow for this Saturday's episode (11 July), which is available to watch now on streaming service BBC iPlayer and hasn't yet aired on TV. This article contains storyline details that some viewers may prefer to avoid, and discussion of topics including alcoholism.
Casualty airs a huge cliffhanger tonight, as Dylan Keogh's fate is left up in the air amid a dramatic episode. In recent scenes, Dylan gave a keynote speech at an important event, with his son Matty Linlaker showing up to support him after Stevie Nash managed to change his mind about attending.
But Matty got a shock when he spotted his dad, who is a recovering alcoholic, downing a glass of champagne, so he left the venue immediately.
Related: 6 huge Casualty spoilers for next week (11 July)
In today's episode, it is revealed that Dylan's relapse turned into a drinking binge that lasted the whole night. He wakes up on the toilet floor in the hotel where the event was held, and is roused by a call from Rash asking his advice on a patient.
Nursing a hangover, Dylan rushes to the hospital to start his shift, but is immediately confronted by Matty, who tells his dad that he'd seen him drinking the night before. Matty is hugely concerned, but Dylan assures him that it was just a one-off relapse.
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Dylan continues to struggle at work, however. While performing a procedure on a patient, he suffers debilitating flashbacks from his evening of drinking, and he eventually has to leave resus for a break.
Matty finds his dad in the bathroom and gives him some painkillers, with Dylan opening up and explaining that his own dad was an alcoholic. But when Matty offers his help, Dylan pushes him away and tells his son to leave him alone.
Dylan has food for thought while treating a teenage boy who has a difficult relationship with his own parents – but he seems to think that it is too late for him and Matty to repair their bond.
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When Flynn later says that Dylan went home early after not seeming himself, alarm bells ring for Matty. He is forced to tell Stevie that Dylan was drinking the previous night, so she resolves to find him – although Matty chooses not to go with her.
Stevie heads to Dylan's houseboat, and she is told by a neighbour that he'd headed out in a hurry. As Stevie phones her friend, viewers see Dylan driving erratically behind the wheel. Where he is going, and is he in danger?
Casualty airs on Saturday nights on BBC One and now streams first on BBC iPlayer, where episodes are released at 6am on the day of transmission.
Read more Casualty spoilers on our dedicated homepage
Alcohol Change UK offers information, advice and support with their questions about drinking and the problems that can sometimes be caused by alcohol. For more information, visit Alcohol Change UK's website.
Drinkline also offers free, confidential advice to anyone who is concerned about their own or someone else's drinking on 0300 123 1110 (weekdays 9am–8pm, weekends 11am–4pm).
Readers can also contact Drinkaware.
