We all expected Christmas Day to be messy for Robert Sugden and Aaron Dingle – it’s Emmerdale, after all – but even by festive soap standards, a surprise John Sugden comeback wasn’t quite what we had expected.
Yes, we knew John was due back at some point. What we didn’t see coming was him overpowering unhinged Kev Townsend and taking full control of an already terrifying situation. With Kev now firmly in John’s grasp, things have taken a deeply unsettling turn for Robron…
Emmerdale this Christmas Day saw Robert go missing
After Kev’s terrifying attack on Christmas Eve, Robert and Aaron were understandably on edge about another shooting. Aaron was especially rattled, while Robert tried – not very convincingly – to downplay the danger.
When Robert suddenly announced he needed to pop out, Aaron’s anxiety shot through the roof.
As the hours passed and Robert still hadn’t returned, viewers were taken to Kev’s abandoned hideaway, where someone lay face down, tied up and unmoving. Naturally, it looked like Robert.
But just as Aaron was gearing up to launch a search party, Robert wandered back in – completely fine. His big errand? Getting a hip flask engraved for Aaron with the words “kindred spirits”. Sweet… and wildly misleading.
Later, Aaron gave an emotional speech about the strange year they’d survived, raising a toast to family. Spirits were high, drinks were flowing and Aaron eventually passed out on the sofa, surrounded by loved ones.
Or so he thought.
John Sugden makes his chilling Emmerdale comeback
So if it wasn’t Robert tied up in Kev’s hideout, who was it? The answer was far worse.
It was Kev himself – bloodied= groggy and terrified – after being knocked out and restrained by none other than John Sugden.
As Kev came round, he realised exactly who had him captive. John wasted no time making his intentions clear: he plans to get rid of both Kev and Robert, clearing the way for him and Aaron to live “happily ever after”.
Later, John was seen lurking around the village, overhearing a drunken Ruby and Caleb mention that Aaron had passed out at the pub.
That was all the invitation he needed.
John quietly slipped inside and crept up on Aaron as he slept on the sofa. Whispering to his unconscious former lover, John chillingly insisted that no one would ever love Aaron the way he does – and that they will be together in 2026, no matter what.
It was one of the most unsettling moments Emmerdale has delivered in a long time.
So what happens next?
John is utterly convinced he belongs with Aaron in Emmerdale, seemingly brushing aside the small detail that he once tried to kill him. In his warped logic, all that’s standing in the way is Robert.
The big question now is how John plans to deal with his brother.
ITV is keeping tight-lipped, but we do know John remains in the cast list for the Corriedale episode airing on Monday January 5. That tells us two things: John isn’t going anywhere just yet – and Kev is unlikely to be overpowering him any time soon.
While many of us might have backed Kev’s brute force, it turns out soldier-boy John has a far more calculating edge. The real dilemma now is what he does with Kev. Kill him? Keep him alive as part of a twisted plan? Or could the two men even form an uneasy alliance, united by their shared goal of splitting Robron up?
There’s just one problem with that plan.
Robert and Aaron love each other – and neither John nor Kev seem willing to accept that.
Read more: Emmerdale fans divided over ‘too dark’ storyline – but poll reveals surprise verdict
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm, with an early release on ITVX at 7am.
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