Emmerdale spoilers follow.
Emmerdale gives a nod to one of 2019's most shocking storylines next week, as the drama surrounding Frank Clayton's death finally resurfaces.
Frank was killed off last August after the factory fire caused by Amy and Kerry Wyatt, but fans had started to fear that the loveable rogue had been forgotten now that the aftermath has settled down. All together now: 'Justice for Frank!'
Next week's episodes see Frank's daughter Vanessa Woodfield receive some unlikely company from Kerry when attending a chemotherapy session at the hospital.
Vanessa's fiancée Charity Dingle had been due to attend with her, but The Woolpack's landlady ends up caring for Moses at home instead when the youngster gets ill.
Kerry finds Vanessa at the hospital by chance and decides to stay with her through the appointment. Of all the people, eh?
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Despite some initial – and more than justified – frostiness, the tension between them starts to ease away. Unsurprisingly though, Charity is furious when she finally arrives and spots Kerry at Vanessa's side.
Let's not get too carried away, as there are no current signs of the Frank saga becoming a main storyline again. In this case, it crops up as part of wider problems between Vanessa and Charity. Even so, it's nice to see that it hasn't been completely forgotten by the writers.
In a recent press Q&A, Michelle Hardwick – who plays Vanessa – explained: "We do touch on it slightly when Vanessa has her first chemo treatment. Kerry's at the hospital and she sees Vanessa there.
"There are some great scenes that we filmed there, so it's touched on slightly there. It may well get revisited again in the future – it's Emmerdale, so it might do! I have no idea!
"All I know is that I love working with Laura Norton, so if it gives me more time with her, bring it on."
Emmerdale fans will remember that Kerry and Amy confessed their guilt to Vanessa's sister Tracy in long-awaited scenes last October.
Justice was never served for Frank's death, as the showdown that followed saw Tracy push Kerry to the ground, causing her to hit her head.
With Kerry needing hospital treatment and Tracy fearing she could have killed her, all parties involved reached a stalemate as they ended up protecting each other's secrets for their own sakes.
While this was convenient for the writers, who clearly wanted to keep Kerry and Amy in the show, many fans saw it as a frustrating ending to one of the biggest storylines of the year.
Kerry, in particular, had been pretty ruthless in the immediate aftermath when she stood by and let Frank get blamed for the factory fire, tarnishing his memory. To this day, she and Amy haven't paid the price for their actions.
More recently, eagle-eyed Emmerdale fans spotted missed opportunities to reference this storyline once the initial drama was over. One slightly strange scene in February saw Amy and Tracy drinking at the Woolpack bar together as if nothing had happened.
Viewers also complained about Kerry giving Brenda Walker a hard time over Wrapgate at the cafe last month, knowing that Kerry had done much worse just months earlier.
In fairness to Emmerdale, soaps aren't always moral shows these days where every bad deed results in a suitable punishment.
On Emmerdale alone, Moira Dingle has never been jailed for killing Emma Barton, while few fans were ever calling for popular character Robert Sugden to get his just desserts for the accidental death of Katie.
Carl King also stayed in the Dales for years after killing his father. However, more morally dubious characters like these arguably play a different role in the show than Amy and Kerry, who don't often stray into the darker storylines.
What was most frustrating for viewers in this case was the feeling that the storyline had been quickly swept under the carpet, with Amy and Kerry switching back to their regular roles in the show in a way that felt jarring. It's difficult to watch them returning to their everyday lives – and even judging others in certain scenes – while knowing what they did.
Of course, this is nothing new in soaps. Some storylines get a different reaction than anticipated by the writers – in this case, viewers perhaps being less inclined to forgive the Wyatts than expected. Occasionally fans just have to roll with it and move on, as other storylines takes centre stage.
Even so, next week's scenes could be a sign from the writers that they haven't completely forgotten Frank and the soap gods could have the final say in the end.
With filming on Emmerdale currently halted due to the current world situation, the producers have more time to take stock over characters, storylines, loose ends and unresolved plots. Perhaps this will be one that comes back to the forefront one day, when we least expect it.
Emmerdale currently airs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7pm on ITV.
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