ITV Emmerdale fans complain ‘wish they’d stop’ as Bear trial ends

Bear Wolf, Paddy Dingle and Dylan Penders have all been on trial in Emmerdale this week

Fans of Emmerdale claimed to “switch off” just minutes into Bear Wolf’s trial, fuming over a particular detail.

ITV soap watchers will recall that Bear (played by Joshua Richards) was imprisoned by villains Celia Daniels (Jaye Griffiths) and Ray Walters (Joe Absolom) last year.

Ray murdered his mother on New Year’s Day, shortly before suffering a similar fate at Bear’s hands. The traumatised former wrestler killed Ray at Tenant House, after the drug dealer threatened to harm Paddy Dingle (Dominic Brunt) and Dylan Penders (Fred Kettle).

Rather than contacting the police, Paddy and Dylan attempted to cover up Ray’s death, weeks before a remorseful Bear admitted to the crime, leading to his imprisonment ahead of a trial. This week, Emmerdale has been airing Bear, Paddy, and Dylan’s court trial, with a jury being asked to determine whether any of them are guilty.

The proceedings were progressing smoothly until defence witness Simo Clarke (Steven Gidwaney) unexpectedly turned on the stand, where he implied that Bear was collaborating with Ray, reports the Express.

After the court was adjourned, the defence barrister explained that Bear should take the stand to defend himself against the allegations, with Paddy reluctantly agreeing.

During Tuesday’s (May 5) episode, which is now available on ITVX, Paddy and the family anxiously arrived at court ahead of Bear’s testimony to discover whether Bear would make or break the case.

The atmosphere calmed momentarily when Bear’s counsellor delivered compelling expert evidence, clarifying that Bear had been manipulated by Ray and genuinely feared for his safety. With his loved ones offering supportive glances, an apprehensive Bear then approached the witness box to begin his own evidence.

An anxious Bear, Paddy, and Dylan subsequently waited nervously for the verdict. Later, the jury foreman announced they had convicted one defendant while acquitting the other two. While many viewers might presume the convicted party was Bear, it was, in fact, Paddy who was handed a 12-month suspended sentence, to run over two years.

“A man died, and even though he was evil and he was cruel, someone had to be held accountable for that,” Paddy remarked once proceedings had concluded.

Despite the gripping scenes, numerous Emmerdale fans remained disappointed, with some even switching off the episode, as they believed the music clashed with the soap’s typical style.

The episode prominently featured dramatic piano music that generated an unsettling atmosphere as the trial reached its conclusion. Viewers weren’t pleased, however, with one person posting on X (formerly Twitter): “Good episode, but it did not need the daft music. I don’t understand why they keep trying it on certain episodes. Just makes it feel like a bad Channel 5 drama.”

Another contributed: “The stupid music in #Emmerdale can do one. I wish they’d stop,” while a third stated: “I tuned out honestly, this story has just not been engaging at all.”

A fourth viewer echoed these feelings, stating, “I scrolled through the court episode and switched off. I refuse to waste my time watching it. I miss my old farm soap from 2008-2018.”

Meanwhile, other spectators lauded the episode, with one moved individual saying, “Wow, the actor who plays Bear was great. Brought tears to my eyes.”

Another chimed in: “Bravo writers #Emmerdale on the Bear storyline,” while a third remarked: “Tonight’s episode was good. Everyone did a great job. I honestly didn’t see that verdict coming.”

Emmerdale airs weekday nights at 8pm on ITV1 and STV, while Coronation Street airs weekday nights at 8.30pm on ITV1 and STV as part of ITV’s new soap power hour scheduling pattern for Coronation Street and Emmerdale