Episode 2144 (24th December 1996)

==Plot==
It is the morning of the wedding. Kim calls round to see Seth. He is staying with Biff who is nursing a hangover. Kim confides in Seth that she is planning to take James and leave Emmerdale. She gives him a bottle of whisky to say goodbye and thank you for his friendship. Tina is determined to put a stop to Frank's attempts to buy her affection. Mandy can't understand her. Linda is nervous as she contemplates her forthcoming marriage. Zoe arrives and gives her a brooch which belonged to her mother. She tells Linda that as she will never have children to pass it on to, she wants Linda to have it. Linda is touched. She asks Zoe if she can talk to her. Biff is terribly hungover. This is made worse by Seth's herbal hangover cure. Seth forces him to drink it and then tells him that Kim is leaving with the baby. Biff thinks that this is good news until Seth says that he thinks Dave might be going as well. Dave seems preoccupied as Kathy brings him breakfast in bed. She tells him that she has got a surprise for him later. Zoe reassures Linda that everything will be okay on her wedding night. Frank reminds Kim that they are both going to Biff and Linda's wedding. She is scathing about it. Viv mentions to Terry that they could invite the girls over for Christmas lunch. Terry isn't keen. Betty is sarcastic towards Viv. Kathy is surprised by Dave's reaction when she tells him that she has put in another offer on Annie's cottage and also gone into partnership with Eric to finance it. He thinks that she should have discussed it with him first. Biff finds Kim in the stables at Home Farm and challenges her about leaving. The Dingles are blackmailed by Reverend Thomas into taking part in the carol singing in Hotten. They think that they will have the last laugh because they have brought their own collecting tins. Biff tries to get an answer out of Kim as to whether Dave is planning to run away with her. She hits him with her whip and threatens to deal out the same punishment that she gave Nick when she trampled on him with her horse. She rides off telling him that if Dave wants to leave with her, there is nothing she can do. Sarah invites Rachel to the farm for Christmas. The Dingles are in fine voice as they try and con Reverend Thomas again. Seth and Roy are first at the church. Biff's mum Sandra turns up. The Dingles count up their takings. Reverend Thomas manages to blackmail them again into parting with the money. Butch and Zak look forward to another bleak Christmas. Marlon tells them that he has got a surprise for them - Uncle Albert. As usual Zak punches him. Dave is driving to Biff's when he sees Kim riding. He stops the car to speak to her. She tells him again that she expects to see him at 7 o'clock that night. Sandra is determined to stop her son's wedding. Biff gets angry with Dave for lying to him about Kim. Biff orders Dave out of his house. He doesn't want him to be his best man if he is planning to hurt Kathy again. Dave insists that he isn't, but that he is concerned about his son. Biff loses his patience as he tells Dave that he lost his son as soon as Frank put his name on the birth certificate. He wants Dave to concentrate on Kathy now and forget Kim. Mandy throws a bucket of cold water over Albert as he pretends to be unconscious from the punch. Zak is still ignoring him and wants him to go. He reminds everyone that the last time Albert was around he brought armed gangsters with him. Marlon tells Zak that Albert is on two weeks home leave from prison. Tina tells Frank that she has been offered a job by Tony Brindell who she met at the conference in Birmingham. She wants to take it. Frank offers her anything she wants to stay and then tells her that he loves her and wants to marry her. Biff is determined that Dave will not get the opportunity to go off with Kim. He is going to keep him busy all day. Dave promises him that he will not let him down. Jan and Ned are ready for the wedding. Linda comes downstairs looking beautiful in her dress. Alan is going to drive them to the church. Betty is giving the Reverend Thomas last minute instructions. The ceremony is not being held in the village church as it holds too many bad memories. Betty stops talking when confronted by Sandra at the church door. They then have a row in front of everyone. Biff arrives and is furious to see his mum. She insists that she must speak to him before he gets married. Linda arrives, but Seth tells Alan to drive round again. Linda starts to cry as she thinks that Biff must have changed his mind. Biff agrees to listen to his mum. She tells him that his father (whom Biff never knew) is now in a nursing home dying of Huntington's Disease and that Biff should know about it because if he has got the disease, he could pass it onto his children. Biff refuses to believe his mum and thinks that she is just trying to spoil the biggest day of his life. Mandy cannot understand why Tina cannot just put up with Frank and get what she can out of him. Tina says that a while ago she would have done that, but she has changed. The wedding gets underway. Biff looks proud as Linda walks down the aisle. Albert finally wins Zak round when he agrees to stay in the stable rather than the house and steal a turkey for Christmas. Betty warns Sandra not to say anything when the Reverend Thomas asks if anyone objects to the wedding. Biff and Linda exchange their vows. Dave and Kim exchange a look. Biff and Linda are pronounced man and wife. Jack takes the wedding photographs. Sandra storms off. Dave covers Biff in confetti. Butch is pleased that his uncle is going to stay over Christmas. Reverend Thomas turns up with some leftovers from the children's party just as Albert and Marlon try and catch a turkey. Dave makes his best man's speech. Kim looks on. Ned is nasty to Dave about Kathy buying a house for him. Dave goes off to get a drink and meets Kim who reminds him that she expects to see him at 7 o'clock. Kelly and Tom arrive back from the carol singing. Kelly asks Tom if she can spend Christmas with him at Seth and Betty's. She is not looking forward to Christmas at the Windsors. Roy is doing the disco in the village hall. Biff and Linda get up for the first dance. Kathy takes hold of Dave in front of Kim. He tells her that he loves her. Tina tells Frank that he doesn't love her and it will never work between them. He is too arrogant to accept that she does not want to be with him. Kim interrupts them to tell Frank that she is taking baby James home. Dave watches her go and seems to be going after her. Biff tries to stop him. He reminds Dave that he gave his word that he would not leave Kathy. Dave insists that he just wants to say goodbye to his son - nothing more. He tells a gullible Kathy that he is sneaking off to set up some surprises for the bride and groom. He gives her a tender hug and kiss before he goes. Tina then sees Dave getting into a taxi and asking for Home Farm. She goes back into the party and tells Frank. Kim is busy packing and thinks that she is going to be going away on her own until she sees Dave arrive in a taxi. He tells her that he is only there to say goodbye to his son, he is not leaving Emmerdale. Tina is saying her farewells to Mandy. She leaves. Dave kisses James. Kim tells him that she is now prepared to give up everything for the sake of her child. Dave changes his mind and decides to go with her. They both panic when Frank arrives home, but decide to face him. As Dave slams the bedroom door closed, decorations and cards fall onto the open fire. Kim and Dave face Frank and tell him that they are leaving. Frank doesn't care until he finds out that she is planning to take James with her. He grabs her saying that James is his son and she cannot have him. The fire really takes hold in the baby's bedroom as the three of them argue. As Frank pushes Kim to the floor and starts fighting with Dave, Kim spots the smoke. She screams at Dave and they all rush upstairs to the blazing room. Dave bursts in and grabs James from his cot. Frank tells Kim to call the fire brigade and tells Dave to try and get through the nursery. Frank gets a ladder and Dave manages to pass the baby through to Frank. Dave is then trapped and tries to get out another way, but a fireball rips through the room. Kim screams as Dave disappears from view.
==Cast==
===Regular cast===
*Kim Tate - Claire King
*Seth Armstrong - Stan Richards
*James Tate - Elliot Suckley (uncredited)
*Tina Dingle - Jacqueline Pirie
*Marlon Dingle - Mark Charnock
*Butch Dingle - Paul Loughran
*Zak Dingle - Steve Halliwell
*Mandy Dingle - Lisa Riley
*Linda Glover - Tonicha Jeronimo
*Ned Glover - Johnny Leeze
*Roy Glover - Nicky Evans
*Zoe Tate - Leah Bracknell
*Biff Fowler - Stuart Wade
*Kathy Glover - Malandra Burrows
*David Glover - Ian Kelsey
*Christopher Tate - Peter Amory
*Frank Tate - Norman Bowler
*Terry Woods - Billy Hartman
*Viv Windsor - Deena Payne
*Alan Turner - Richard Thorp
*Betty Eagleton - Paula Tilbrook
*Rev Thomas - John Middleton
*Andy Hopwood - Kelvin Fletcher
*Robert Sugden - Christopher Smith
*Rachel Hughes - Glenda McKay
*Joseph Tate - Oliver Young (uncredited)
*Sarah Sugden - Alyson Spiro
*Victoria Sugden - Jessica Heywood (uncredited)
*Tom Bainbridge - Jeremy Turner-Welch
*Kelly Windsor - Adele Silva
*Donna Windsor - Sophie Jeffrey
*Albert Dingle - Bobby Knutt
*Jan Glover - Roberta Kerr
*Jack Sugden - Clive Hornby
*Alice Bates - Rachel Tolboys
*Vic Windsor - Alun Lewis
===Guest cast===
*Sandra Fowler - Kate Layden
==Locations==
*Country lanes
*Gamekeepers Cottage, Home Farm - Exterior and living room
*Wishing Well Cottage - Yard and living room/kitchen
*Holdgate Farm - Driveway and hallway
*Robblesfield Way
*The Old School Tea Rooms/Pollard's - Upstairs flat (Dave & Kathy's room and living room/kitchen)
*Home Farm - Living room, stables, grounds, nursery and upstairs hallway
*The Woolpack - Public bar
*Hotten street
*St. Mary's Church - Churchyard and nave/altar
*Church Lane
*Emmerdale Village Hall - Main hall and exterior
*Windsor's Village Store & Post Office - Shop floor
==Notes==
*Final appearance of Tina Dingle until 17th October 2024 and final appearance of Jacqueline Pirie in the role. Upon the character's return in 2024, the role was taken over by Samantha Power.
*First appearance of Albert Dingle since 4th January 1996.
*Roy Alon was credited as Stunt Co-ordinator on this episode.
*This was a special hour-long Christmas Eve episode broadcast at the usual time of 7.00pm.
==Memorable dialogue==
Rev Thomas: "First I'm required to ask anyone present who knows a reason why these persons may not lawfully marry to declare it now."
(Jan glances at Sandra)
Betty Eagleton: (to Sandra) "Don't even think about it."
Category:1996 episodes
Category:Emmerdale episodes
Category:Extended episodes