By Caroline Dowse

The producers of Emmerdale love a good stunt and this week they outdid themselves with a multi car pile-up that left one villager dead and three others fighting for their lives. Each episode started with a scene from the mystery character's funeral and we were left playing a game of Guess Who's Dead until the big reveal on Friday. In a twist, each episode focused on a different character, showing the events that led up to the crash.

Monday focused on Aaron and Robert. Robert was planning a romantic picnic to propose but Aaron ruined it by kidnapping Lachlan. Lachlan had threatened to expose Robert's past affair with Chrissie's sister Rebecca, and then claimed that he would tell his counsellor that Robert had abused him. In typical Dingle tradition, Aaron bundled him into the boot of his car and the undynamic duo sped off to - well, I'm not sure what they were going to do, actually. Neither were they. As with each episode this week, it ended right before the crash.

Tuesday featured the most boring storyline - the Pierce Paddy and Rhona love triangle. Paddy and Marlon took Leo camping in the woods and Rhona joined them after an argument with Pierce. After discovering she wasn't at home like she'd claimed, Pierce drove to the campsite, they had a row and he took off, with Rhona and Paddy in hot pursuit. Yawn.

Wednesday's unintentionally funny episode was about James and his increasingly deranged ex-wife Emma. After keeping him locked up and drugged for the best part of a week, she made a romantic dinner for them. Poor old James spent most of it tied to a chair. With no bunnies to boil, Emma beheaded a chicken instead - while wearing her wedding dress. Fifty shades of crazy. James managed to escape by smashing a wine bottle over her head and fled, or rather hobbled, into the woods, only for Miss Havisham wannabe Emma to catch up with him.

Thursday's two parter concerned Ashley and showed the crash itself. Poor old Ash's condition was clearly getting worse after another mini-stroke, so much so that he forgot his own daughter Dottie at her christening. Later on that day he forgot he'd been at the christening and, convinced he'd missed it, jumped in the car and drove off. Meanwhile, James and Emma were arguing on a bridge above the road. Emma pushed James and he fell, right onto Ashley's car which flipped over. Rhona and Paddy were next to crash, followed by Aaron and Robert, who ended up in a lake. After that it turned into a massive game of bumper cars as car after car ploughed into each other. At one point a motorbike flew over Ashley and nearly took his head off. I laughed out loud at that. I don't think I was supposed to.

In the end, it was James that died, possibly with a little help from Emma. I can't help wishing he had survived because now we'll have to put up with months of loony Emma trying to keep her secret and probably bumping off anyone who could expose her. (Watch out Ashley.) You have to feel sorry for Bill Ward (James) too. That's two soaps he's been killed off in. He should get a part in EastEnders and go for the hattrick.

It was a good concept, but even though they tried to make it seem like several characters were in peril, I could tell who was going to die. James was the obvious choice, given what he knew.

Nice idea, Emmerdale. It's just a shame it was so predictable.