With the arrival of Gus, her ex-husband, in Monday’s (April 10) episode of Emmerdale, Rhona Goskirk (Zoe Henry) made a significant choice.
When they reconnected last week, Rhona referred to him as “probably the biggest mistake” of her life because she could not believe Gus had the guts to trespass into her world after all this time.
Naturally, the subject of discussion quickly shifted to why Gus was in the hamlet, and it came out that there was a very important reason for it.
Gus told Rhona that while he and his partner want to have a family, they aren’t in a position to do it naturally.
Rhona was requested for permission by Gus to utilise one of her frozen embryos, which meant that even though Lucy, Gus’ wife, would carry the child, Rhona would be its biological mother.
Several members of Rhona’s family shared their opinions throughout the discussion, and tonight, Mary (Louise Jameson) positioned herself in the centre.
When Gus and Lucy entered the bar where Rhona was eating lunch with Leo (Harvey Rogerson), April (Amelia Flanagan), Marlon (Mark Charnock), Mary, and Faye (Jane Gurnett), she became upset.
Mary spoke up and explained that just because Gus and Lucy had lately struggled doesn’t automatically give them the right to Rhona’s embryos.
Several of the things Mary said made perfect sense. For example, she warned Rhona that if she consented, she would have to cross an emotional minefield. If Gus and Lucy decided to adopt, she would have to face the possibility that she would not get to see her own kid, April and Leo’s sibling (whom she would also likely never get to meet), and Mary’s grandson.
Yet ultimately, and only, Rhona was responsible for the solution. Later, she informed Marlon and Mary that she had consented for Gus and Lucy to utilise her embryo.
In a recent interview, Zoe Henry said, “I think initially she’s pretty unhappy because this is something she’s well and completely put to rest. I don’t mean the embryos she shares with Gus, I mean the concept of her having biologically another kid of her own.”
She had a hysterectomy approximately five or six years ago since she developed fibroids after having Leo and won’t be having any more children of her own. She is abruptly forced to confront her anxiety of thinking, “Oh my God, I might have another kid.” She is furious about it.
As that passes, she calms down, and learns that Gus and his wife Lucy are unable to have children of their own because of Gus’ cancer treatment, I believe she begins to soften and thinks, “I can understand where they’re at since it’s where I was at with Gus 15, 16 years ago.” She understands how difficult the struggle is because she is a mother and a person. It’s a challenging task.
“She’s between a rock and a hard place,” someone said. She understands their plight, but where do you draw the line?
