I’m a soaps expert and here’s why Emmerdale’s evil Caleb Milligan could be the new Meena Jutla
THE festive season is a time for presents and Christmas in the Dales brought us Caleb Milligan.
Weeks have gone by since his first Emmerdale appearance and here's why he could take Meena Jutla's crown.
Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) was as shocked as all of us when he came face to face with his long-lost half-brother Caleb Milligan.
The new character, portrayed by former Waterloo Road star Will Ash, was introduced to ITV viewers on Christmas Day, as the Emmerdale tough guy remained behind bars after pleading guilty for the murder of Al Chapman.
Unlike her brother, Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter) took a liking to Caleb, as did other villagers, and the approval only grew when the successful businessman managed to drag Cain out of prison and ease Kyle Winchester's own turmoil with the law.
However, wary viewers immediately believed Caleb was up to no good and speculated on the nature of his true motives.
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Caleb only added fuel to the fire by getting chummy with long-term Dingle foe Kim Tate (Claire King) and agreeing to embark on her new stud business.
In recent scenes, the newcomer was then seen taking a mystery phone call, leading to one viewer to theorise he may be in cahoots with another too-good-to-be-true character, hellbent on revenge.
But what if Caleb was thrown into the Dales to fill the void left behind by serial killer Meena Jutla, portrayed by the iconic and talented Paige Sandhu?
Bold, sleek and deadly, the sinister nurse was a criminal like no other.
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Some may argue that her gruesome crimes could have made even Emmerdale's most notorious villains tremble.
In fact, I believe Cameron Murray only instilled half of the terror Meena spread across the Dales.
Yet it was perhaps her cold, meticulous and calculating nature, her bone-chilling laugh and her wide, seemingly friendly smile that made her the deadliest killers in the village.
Playing the long game, Meena patiently hid her true intentions, camouflaged herself and protected by her role as a diligent nurse before pouncing on her prey at the last minute.
Even in her most impulsive moments, Meena Jutla was able to cover her tracks and remained unsuspected for months on end, although viewers were well aware of how dangerous and unhinged she was.
I'm sure I won't be the first or last soap fan to say it - life in the Dales has gone too quiet since Meena was thrown in prison.
The criminal gave us goosebumps until the very end, holding an entire courtroom hostage at the end of an explosive trial.
While the recent drama viewers were exposed to on their screens has left them with their jaws dropped and their minds racing, it's been no match to Meena's long reign of terror.
But as soon as suave Caleb Milligan began to show his true colours and was confirmed to have a bigger plan than initially expected for his long-lost family, I couldn't help but be reminded of our dearly missed Meena Jutla.
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Cain threatened him with death on multiple occasions and, much like Meena would have done, Caleb laughed in the face of danger, confident he would come out on top.
Far from cowering, he even openly taunted his half-brother which, as the late Al Chapman would know, can lead to deadly consequences.
To top it all off, Caleb is finding his mark as a villain sporting a well-polished appearance, including high-end clothing, which fits him like a glove.
And it would be easy for him to hide his dastardly plans behind his thriving career.
Although his ability to take a life remains to be proven, it's clear Caleb is getting ready to act on his true intentions when his targets will least expect it.
And with Cain slowly letting his guard down, this could come sooner than expected.
But can he match Meena's ability to wreak havoc?
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Only time will tell...
Emmerdale continues to air from Monday to Friday at 7.30pm on ITV.
