Emmerdale fans were left divided after Wednesday night’s (November 12) highly anticipated Robert Sugden standalone episode – with many admitting they felt “disappointed” by the storyline.
While the special instalment finally revealed what really happened during Robert’s years behind bars and featured a much-loved surprise comeback from Faith Dingle, some viewers weren’t happy with how the episode played out – claiming it focused more on Kev than Robert himself.
What really happened in Robert’s standalone Emmerdale episode
The episode peeled back the curtain on Robert’s life in prison, showing the traumas that shaped his six years away.
Robert revealed he had been transferred back to Hotten in 2020, where he shared a cell with Kev. After being attacked by Jez, Robert recalled how Kev stepped in to protect him. Over time, their friendship deepened and turned romantic.
However, things took a darker turn when new evidence surfaced – proof that Luke, Lee’s brother, had also hit Lee during the altercation that killed him. The evidence meant Robert could appeal his sentence, but Kev panicked at the thought of losing him.
In a shocking twist, Kev stabbed himself and blamed Jez, manipulating Robert into staying close and shelving any chance of an appeal.
Faith Dingle’s emotional prison visit
Then came the episode’s most emotional moment – the surprise return of Faith Dingle.
At this point, Faith knew she was dying and had made it her mission to sort out her family before she passed. Her visit to Robert was raw, heartfelt, and filled with the kind of wisdom only Faith could deliver.
“You still love him, don’t you?” she asked gently. When Robert admitted he did “more than anything,” Faith replied with one of the episode’s most memorable lines:
“Get him back and hold him tight because love like that should never go to waste.”
Robert admitted Faith’s visit gave him the fire he needed to fight. But it was learning that Aaron was marrying John that finally pushed him to act.
Unfortunately, Kev didn’t take it well. Robert then lied, claiming he was being released because Victoria had a brain tumour.
Kev’s secret revealed
Meanwhile, in present-day scenes, Kev opened up to Liam about his lies. He admitted he’d made up other stories – including one about not having a child.
Kev confessed that years ago, he’d had a one-night stand with a barmaid named “Emma-something.” She was, in his words, a “right fruit loop” who “got herself murdered a few years ago.”
The shock twist? He and Emma had a son who was put up for adoption – and that son is none other than Lewis Barton, who just so happened to walk by as Kev was talking.
Fans react: ‘We’ve waited six years for this’
While many praised Emmerdale for the performances – especially Ryan Hawley as Robert and Sally Dexter’s emotional cameo as Faith – others were frustrated that the episode leaned too heavily on Kev’s story.
“The Kev is the father to Lewis twist feels like typical soap but wasted screen time in Robert’s episode. [Bleep] off with this twists obsession. Tell the story you’re telling not stop it half way to start another one,” fumed one fan on X (formerly Twitter).
Another wrote: “So me tonight’s so called Robert’s special prison episode was so disappointing, nothing new at all except for Robert’s lovely visitor. And the big twist I guess was that it was Kev’s special episode instead of Robert’s.”
A third complained: “All this Kev and Liam stuff could’ve waited until Friday.”
Someone else said: “My only issue with this episode is how much space Kev got, even in present time. It diluted what could’ve been a powerful deep dive into Robert’s trauma and PTSD. Kev learning certain things could’ve been handled separately.”
And one more summed up the general feeling: “Sorry for being so negative but I really feel like this should have been ‘Robert’s special episode’ and not Kev’s. I don’t care about Kev especially compared to Robert. We’ve missed him for SIX YEARS and Emmerdale chose to spend this episode more focused on a new character instead”
But not everyone agrees…
Some fans defended the creative choice, insisting Kev’s role was crucial to showing Robert’s emotional journey.
“Makes me sad people being so negative about such a beautiful episode,” one viewer countered. “This wasn’t about Kev – it was about how Robert kept loving Aaron all that time. You’re missing the point if you can’t see that.”
Whether you loved it or felt let down, there’s no denying Emmerdale delivered a rollercoaster episode – one that’s got everyone talking about Robert, Aaron, Faith, and yes… even Kev.
Read more: Emmerdale star Jaye Griffiths reveals emotional farewell as Celia exit looms
Emmerdale usually airs weeknights on ITV at 7.30pm, with an early release on ITVX at 7am.
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