Episode 2198 (30th April 1997)

==Plot==
Tony tells Charlie to keep an eye on Emma and Geri while he and Becky go and see the barn, but Charlie says Emma can cope on her own and goes back to bed. Becky reveals to Tony that her mother had written them a letter telling them they weren't invited to the golden wedding. This upsets Becky, but Tony jokingly says it was a blessing, but reassures her that her mother would come round. Later, as the two view the barn, Tony tells Becky he would give the Sugdens back word if she liked, but she tells him she would divorce him if he did that she and use her half to buy the property anyway. Becky declares to a pleased Tony she could see them growing old together at the barn. When the couple return to the chalet they are met on the steps by Charlie, Emma and a very aloof midwife, who asks them if they really thought it was appropriate to leave two young girls in charge of a baby. Becky points out that Emma is the mother and Charlie is 18, and therefore an adult. However, the midwife, seemingly much to Charlie and Emma's amusement, points out fundamental errors in the way Emma has been looking after the baby. However, despite Becky's assurances, the midwife remains unimpressed and tells them she would return tomorrow. Eric goes to go see Zak who is doing some welding with Marlon. With much hesitation, Eric asks Zak if he would be his best man, much to Zak's delight and Marlon's confusion. When asked by Marlon why he had chosen Zak as his best man, an uncomfortable Eric struggles to answer, prompting Marlon to ask him how much the role is worth. After Zak and Marlon barter, a fee of £100 is agreed. Later, in the Woolpack, Alan is flabbergasted that Eric would even think of having Zak as his best man but amused at Eric's reaction to the Dingles' insistence that they organise him a stag night. Donna and Andy play with marbles in the school playground but when Donna announces she had won, and that Andy owed her twenty pence, he accuses her of being a liar and a cheat. He wants the money to help buy Robert a new PlayStation, prompting Donna to tell him he is thick if he thought he could ever afford to buy one and even if he did, Robert would still hate him, as everybody does. Andy attacks Donna and accidentally strikes Miss Cullen in the face when she tries to break them up. When Jack returns home from work, he and Sarah discuss the keenness of the Cairns to buy the property. Jack is quietly confident, but Sarah is concerned that if they fail to secure the other farm at auction, they would be left with nothing. Jack says they would just continue to stay at Tenant House until they find something, but Sarah tells him she is sick of them lurching from one crisis to another. When he asks what she is talking about, she tells him about Andy hitting Miss Cullen, but prevents him from talking to Andy for the moment – she wants him to sweat it out a little longer. When they confront Andy about his behaviour, as predicted by Sarah, he comes up with a fanciful story but maintains it was an accident. When Jack questions him further, Andy angrily flounces upstairs accusing them both of wanting rid of him. Chris goes to see Steve to ask his advice on his financial situation. Steve suggests that he should sell his shares to Zoe, but Chris is reluctant to sell his only asset. Steve reminds him that if he declares himself bankrupt he wouldn't keep the shares anyway as the bank would take them and not only would they have an outsider involved in the company, but his bankrupt status would have serious ramifications for his financial dealings in the future. Chris is forced to concede that Steve is right before asking him what had happened between him and Rachel earlier. Steve replies that it is what is referred to as a bad patch, with Chris retorting that his entire marriage to Rachel was a bad patch. Chris goes to see Zoe at the vet's surgery to tell her he was wrong to turn her offer down and he appreciates her giving him this lifeline, but when Chris says life is difficult for him at the moment, Zoe accuses him of being selfish. He admits he is, causing Zoe to contemplate, when asked, if her offer is still open. Betty tells Terry that she has been speaking to Alan and he still hasn't found a bar manager, but Terry replies that he had been for an interview for a manager's job that morning and returning to the Woolpack isn't really an option. Kathy and Biff discuss Biff's father's illness and she tries to pour scorn on his tentative suggestion that his mother had made the whole thing up. The women of the village get together for Dee's hen-night, which begins at the wine bar, where Zoe wins praise for putting down Marlon's advances, before moving on to the Woolpack. As the evening wore on, Dee becomes increasingly distressed by the women's stories of Eric, telling Alan that the British custom of trying to put the bride off her intended by telling lies is not a nice one. Alan replies it’s not a British custom, it’s an Emmerdale one, but the stories continue, with Rachel and Viv suggesting that Eric had killed his second wife Elizabeth, but the plane crash had provided the perfect cover up. This is the final straw for Dee, who tells them that all the stories were unkind and untrue before leaving in tears. Eric's stag night isn't much more of a success. The Dingles had booked a stripper but on her arrival it’s clear "she" is a man in drag but Butch doesn't seem to notice and announces "Lola" is his ideal woman and Eric is a lucky man. Eric gives Lola money so as not to humiliate him and turn her attentions on Butch instead who mistakenly believes he was "in" with "her". As Butch sees Lola out to her car, Eric, Marlon, Butch, Zak and Albert enter into a betting game to prove who is the most stupid. Eric manages to con all four of them and Butch, on his return, into taking their trousers off. While the Dingles tell an embarrassed Butch the truth about Lola, Eric cuts one leg of each pair of trousers. When he sat down to gloat about winning the bet, the chair overbalances. Eric fells to the floor and is knocked unconscious as Marlon approaches him with a pair of scissors.
==Cast==
===Regular cast===
*Sarah Sugden - Alyson Spiro
*Jack Sugden - Clive Hornby
*Victoria Sugden - Hannah Midgley (uncredited) 
*Andy Hopwood - Kelvin Fletcher
*Rebecca Cairns - Sarah Neville
*Emma Cairns - Rebecca Loudonsack
*Geri Cairns - Georgina Annett and Anna Cunningham (uncredited)
*Charlotte Cairns - Sarah Graham
*Anthony Cairns - Edward Peel
*Rachel Hughes - Glenda McKay
*Joseph Tate - Oliver Young (uncredited)
*Steve Marchant - Paul Opacic
*Christopher Tate - Peter Amory
*Zak Dingle - Steve Halliwell
*Eric Pollard - Christopher Chittell
*Marlon Dingle - Mark Charnock
*Donna Windsor - Sophie Jeffrey
*Albert Dingle - Bobby Knutt
*Butch Dingle - Paul Loughran
*Alan Turner - Richard Thorp
*Zoe Tate - Leah Bracknell
*Linda Fowler - Tonicha Jeronimo
*Vic Windsor - Alun Lewis
*Terry Woods - Billy Hartman
*Betty Eagleton - Paula Tilbrook
*Kathy Glover - Malandra Burrows
*Viv Windsor - Deena Payne
*Dee de la Cruz - Claudia Malkovich
*Biff Fowler - Stuart Wade
*Mandy Dingle - Lisa Riley
*James Tate - Oliver Carroll(uncredited)
===Guest cast===
*Midwife - Pauline Shanahan
*Lola - Shaun McKenna
*Miss Cullen - Heather Peace
==Locations==
*Church Lane
*Home Farm Holiday Park - Woodcock Lodge (living room/kitchen) and grounds
*Mill Cottage - Kitchen
*Wishing Well Cottage - Yard
*Pear Tree Cottage - Living room/kitchen
*Woodside Farm - Exterior
*Hotten County Primary School - Playground
*The Woolpack - Public bar
*Tate's Veterinary Surgery - Consulting room
*The Old School Tea Rooms/Pollard's - Main area
*Tenant House - Living room/kitchen
Category:1997 episodes
Category:Emmerdale episodes