'Shedding a tear' is an understatement
Have not been moved by something so strongly for such a long time

I'd like to think it was her 'Ghost' not just his imagination
Like to think she's ok up there
What do you lot think?

Anyone think it was really her partly for the whole time?

Its always a risk when soaps go down this road. However if its done well, they can pull it off, I think it was ok.

I loved the fact that the cliffhanger as they went to the ad break was Val appearing. It gave you that few minutes of and realising it couldn't be real because she had no cuts on her face. I nearly fell off my chair when she appeared .

I thought it was excellent, though I went like this -> when I first saw her, it was the last thing I expected to see! I absolutely hated Val, I really couldn't stand her, especially in the last few weeks, but watching her and Eric last night moved me far more than Deirdre's death in Corrie. Just goes to show the difference between getting it wrong and getting it right. ED got it right.

To be fair, Corrie had to deal with the actual death of Anne Kirkbride. It was always going to seem implausible that the character would stay away for so long.

As for Val's 'ghost', I'm firmly of the opinion it was just Eric's way of coping. Much as I enjoy Fantasy and Horror in the right context, supernatural nonsense has no place in soap operas.

There is no credible evidence for the existence of ghosts whatsoever.

It was a brilliant send off to a brilliant character. And I don't think it was her ghost, I think it was just Eric hallucinating. It was beautifully done!

I thought the whole thing was a tad ridiculous.

The way that Val was portrayed with the pantomime style acting put me off the character and I had no vested interest in her dead or alive! Finn's grief was more believable that last night's ghost shenanigans!

I watched the episode this morning, I was sobbing and thought maybe, maybe that Val had faked her death and was alive. Sadly not to be.

BIB: A lot of us think this and I think it worked well. Eric needed to say good bye to Val and he did so.

I would have thought a lot of people would want to haunt Eric

Her being away for so long wasn't the problem. The way it was dealt, directed and acted was. The acting of most of them was bad, Ken didn't even shed a tear! Constant chopping from the scenes to other crap like CampCallum which was not needed and took away any feeling and emotion from the scene before. Ken arguing with Tracy in the middle of the funeral, as if he'd spoil Deirdre's send off like that. It was just terrible from beginning to end and it had nothing to do with whether the actress was there or not.

This isn't the first time emmerdale has done this IMO they do it really well, and the emotions have been well explored both times now.

This is soap land, we have not actually seen her body , when they killed off Kim Tate they had asked her back before the episode even went out , now whilst unlikely as long as we do not get to see her body in the chapel of rest there is nothing to stop them doing a Bobby Ewing and brining her back in a few years , the ghost scene being Erics grief and imagination. As I say unlikely but you never know in soap.

Not comfortable with the expression 'Ghost' or 'Haunting' but I quite like to keep an open mind about the spiritual afterlife. It may well have been Eric's way of coping but then again Val's spirit may have lingered a while in the physical plane to reassure him.

Anyway, it was well done

Congrats Emmerdale.

The perfect ending would have been Val getting up and walking out the door with a suitcase. Im sure its only certain she died if that cigarette was gone from the packet, which we didn't see.

They shouldn't have killed her off.

This was even more sad than Edna's dog being put to sleep! Lol. It was very well done I thought. Poor Eric though. He won't know what to do with himself without all the fun and drama Val brought to his life!

I dip in and out ED but taped and watched today's omnibus. In floods! Val was my fave.

What a way to go.

It was really well done but still doesn't come close to Len when he died, I still can't hear that piece of music without crying

I loved the way they did that with Eric and Val as I was just thinking at the beginning of that episode that there was no closure or proper final scene for them. I also nearly fell off my chair when she appeared was totally not expecting it.

I carted like a baby my eyes were swollen

I cried loads. The acting was superb. Great send off with her ciggy and telling Diane to make sure there was a crowd outside for when she was rescued. Typical Val.

Bit OT but (Ruby - is it? Works in cafe) slowly passing was extremely well done, too. Methinks time I series link ED again.

I agree. Having that stupid Bethany, who can't act, in the middle of the scenes was disrespectful to Deidre and Anne.

I thought it was quite clever that they never showed the inside of the fag packet after Val took the last one to smoke and Eric was holding it and looked in, he just kind of laughed. Was the cigarette still there or not...? Left ambiguous deliberately I think. I like to think it was actually her spirit/ghost rather than a figment of Eric's imagination.

I agree