Emmerdale spoilers follow.
It hasn’t gone unnoticed that it’s all been a bit quiet for one of Emmerdale’s most popular couples. Since Robert Sugden’s thrilling return last year, and the pair’s engagement during Corriedale, fans have been crying out for more.
Not only has it been a surprisingly low-key year for the pair, mainly supporting other storylines, it’s been very sparse on the romance front for an engaged couple who’ve always been one of soaps most epic love stories!
In a world where viewers are calling out for fewer murder storylines, and want warmer moments for their favourite couples, here are five easy fixes to get Aaron and Robert back on track, before they get married (and we’ve got to be patient for that too!).
1. Up the romance
ITV
Anyone who found themselves transfixed by the love story between Aaron and Robert will know their relationship began as a soap classic – a toxic and passionate affair! From greasy garages to hay-stacked barns, the lads grabbed any excuse to see each other. This uncontrollable attraction was still prevalent the moment Robert stepped foot back into the village. But lately it’s all but disappeared.
As their feelings grew, so did heartfelt declarations and romantic reunions, Emmerdale told a story of life changing, all-consuming love. And who wouldn’t want more of that?
The couple themselves became sentimental about their romantic history, with callbacks and references to the places they’d kissed, and sentimental objects like Robert’s engraved watch and their engagement rings were cherished by the couple too.
Soaps long-form storytelling means unlike any other drama, they can tell a love story over 12 years, it means more because we’ve been with them every step of the way, so naturally fans are invested and currently, short changed!
Robron without romance is like Emmerdale without The Woolpack so remembering the origins of why they fell in love, and giving them back their romantic core currently missing would work wonders.
Who wants to watch them grumpily standing round in the kitchen every episode? The fact we’re now months into their engagement and they haven’t even shared a kiss is absurd for a couple with this history.
2. Treat them as individuals
ITV
Combining a Sugden and a Dingle into a supercouple was a genius move by bosses, but lately it’s felt as if the key components of Aaron and Robert’s personalities as individuals have been forgotten.
Fans fell in love with both characters’ complex histories. Aaron’s tragic childhood, his big-hearted emotions and memorable coming out story.
Robert was born on the show and we’ve watched almost every decade of his life, relished in his scheming charms and masked vulnerability, but lately they’ve felt like blank slates, just reacting to whatever drama comes to their farm.
Over and above the ship, these two are hugely popular characters in their own right, but with no real storyline to speak of this year, it’s almost like their much-loved identities have been lost in the shuffle.
Related: Best streaming services
3. Find new ground
ITV
No one wants beloved soap couples to become stale or fall back onto boring cheating tropes again, so it’s vital that new avenues are forged for couples who’ve been together for years.
After almost 6 years apart, it was fertile ground for bosses to wipe the slate clean and try something fresh for Aaron and Robert, while still maintaining the dynamic that fans loved.
And with Robert’s psycho brother John standing in the way of true love, it felt like all our dreams had come at once for an epic slow burn reunion.
The dynamic of damaged, post-prison Robert needing Aaron was exciting new ground for the couple, but that unfortunately disappeared when Kev arrived and Robert’s struggles were brushed aside for more psycho husband antics.
Who can blame bosses rushing towards a reunion? But without the characters confronting the impact of their heartbreaking separation in 2019, it felt like an easy own goal to squander the talents of Danny Miller and Ryan Hawley, by not giving us the emotional declarations and putting them in this lacklustre honeymoon period instead.
There’s also the giant elephant in the room, in the shape of Robert’s young son Seb, who Aaron was once lined up to adopt. It’s bizarre not to give him more than just a sporadic mention, when he was such a vital part of their past.
If the lads are to expand the farm and have the family of their own they’ve always desired then that might help generate fresh stories for the pair too.
4. Utilise the farm
ITV
Since the surprising announcement that Aaron and Robert would be heralding a new era and an exciting chapter for a same sex couple at the heart of the show, it’s all been a bit quiet on the farm.
We’ve been promised a Sugden expansion, but under Joe Tate’s control, Robert’s dreams and characteristic ambition have been restricted and it’s left the farm feeling stagnant. Even the story of Kyle’s arson on the farm (their main concern) for several weeks, concluded without Robert or Aaron’s involvement.
Beyond new paint colours and Robert promising some healthy competition with Moira, we’ve hardly seen the couple get to grips with their new lifestyle or surroundings, which seems a waste when it’s such a big departure from their old way of life.
5. Make the wedding unique
ITV
It’s a tall order to create something unique for the third wedding of a couple that have done it all, but Emmerdale bosses have plenty of time considering Laura Shaw hinted that the wedding is a long way off!
With their first, and non-legal wedding an intimate, meaningful affair, the pair of them snuck off to the garage for a bit of peace from the Dingle mayhem.
Their second wedding was a big, outdoor, family gathering and glimmer of joy happiness in the sea of heartache for Aaron and his family, after Chas and Paddy lost their baby.
Both weddings were perfect in their own way, but for Wedding 3.0, it’s imperative we get to see a couple we all fell in love with, not this shadow of their former selves.
All we ask is, it’s something special and romantic and very them. If they’re embracing their new farming life, then a beautiful rural ceremony – avoiding disasters – would be idyllic.
And if Emmerdale can fork out for a cameo from Bear’s Den (if you know, you know), then it might just be their best wedding yet.
Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 8pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.
Read more Emmerdale spoilers on our dedicated homepage
Visit our Streaming Guide now to see at a glance where you can view ALL your favourite shows and movies.
The new edition of Legends, a 100-page all-colour celebration of Ariana Grande, is here! Buy Ariana Grande in newsagents or online.