Emmerdale fans who can't wait for the ITV1 broadcast have been given a chilling early Christmas present on ITVX, with a new episode released ahead of schedule featuring a terrifying fire and the armed return of a vengeful ex.
Fire and Fury at Mill Cottage
The drama centres on the village's beloved couple, Robert Sugden and Aaron Dingle, whose plans for a peaceful family Christmas are violently disrupted. After a heated confrontation with Ross Barton over the custody of Robert's son, Sebastian, Aaron returns to find his car windscreen smashed. The situation escalates dangerously when a fire is deliberately set outside the front door of their home, Mill Cottage.
Convinced Ross is to blame, a furious Aaron heads to the cafe, ready for a confrontation, only to be stopped when Jimmy King provides Ross with a solid alibi. Meanwhile, back at the cottage, Robert hears a suspicious noise in the garden. His instincts prove correct as his unstable ex-husband, Kev Townsend, emerges from the shadows.
A Sinister Tea-Time Threat
In a tense scene, Kev, freshly released from prison and played with menacing charm by Chris Coghill, joins Robert for a cup of tea. He refuses to accept that their relationship is over. Robert, visibly nervous, tries to reason with him, suggesting Kev could start a new life elsewhere with someone who truly loves him.
Kev pointedly urges Robert to call the police and report him, but Robert refuses, hoping for an amicable parting. When Aaron returns home, raging about Ross's alibi, Robert reveals the truth. Aaron is incensed to learn Kev was inside their home—the same place he once threatened them with a samurai sword. He is further angered that Robert didn't contact the police, though he understands it was done out of sympathy for a lonely, troubled man.
Robert feels he has finally gotten through to Kev and believes they will never see him again. The audience, however, is shown a very different and ominous reality.
Armed and Dangerous: What's Next for Robron?
In a chilling final scene, the episode cuts to Kev, who is now secretly nursing a gun. This shocking development confirms that the danger is far from over. With Kev armed and on the loose, and the promised return of another threatening ex, John Sugden, Robron's hopes for a merry Christmas in the Dales seem doomed.
This early ITVX release sets the stage for a high-stakes festive period in Emmerdale, where peace and goodwill are in desperately short supply. Instead of seasonal joy, Robert and Aaron face a season of aggro from their most unhinged adversaries.
