In an explosive early release on ITVX, Emmerdale has delivered a stunning New Year's Eve twist that sees one unhinged villain brutally double-cross another, dramatically escalating the danger for fan-favourite couple Robert Sugden and Aaron Dingle.
A Deadly Love Triangle Turns Sour
The episode, available ahead of its ITV1 broadcast, centres on the escalating feud between two of the soap's most dangerous figures: Kev Townsend (Christopher Coghill) and John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth). Both men share a fatal obsession, albeit with different halves of the beloved 'Robron' pairing. Kev remains pathologically fixated on his prison husband, Robert, while John is determined to reclaim his ex, Aaron.
John's latest scheme involved framing Kev for Robert's murder after kidnapping him, a plan born from his fury at discovering Kev had already set his own manipulative plots in motion. John's method of choice was chillingly direct: a car bomb intended to blow Robert to 'kingdom come'.
Kev Plays the (Temporary) Voice of Reason
In a remarkable role reversal, it was Kev who initially objected to John's homicidal plan, branding it 'nuts'. Instead, the man-bunned menace proposed a seemingly more civilised alternative: they would simply break up Robron, with Aaron going to John and Robert to Kev, with no need for anyone to die. John, convinced by the logic, fatally let his guard down and untied his captive.
This proved to be a catastrophic error. The moment he was free, Kev revealed his ruse, launching a vicious physical assault on John. As John lay gasping on the floor, Kev taunted him, declaring, 'I am an absolute weapons-grade, raging psychopath. But I'm not stupid!' He then added a final insult by stealing John's last packet of sandwiches before making his exit.
Fallout and Future Peril for Robron
This humiliating defeat means John is now seething with a rage that promises even greater danger for Robert and Aaron. Far from abandoning his mission, he is likely to double down with increased ferocity. The showdown confirms that John severely underestimated Kev, whom he had previously dismissed as a mere 'blunt instrument'.
The early release on ITVX continues the storyline that saw Kev return to the village by sending Robert a Christmas card containing his wedding ring and a bullet, following his earlier manipulation involving a faked fatal heart condition. John, the secret son of Jack Sugden, is driven by a twisted saviour complex stemming from trauma suffered during his time as a military medic.
With both psychopaths now fully unleashed and John more vengeful than ever, the threat to Robron's future has never been more acute. Viewers are left to wonder what brutal scheme the defeated Sugden will concoct next in his quest to destroy Robert and claim Aaron for himself.
