Emmerdale spoilers follow from Wednesday’s episode (24 September).
In a twist which is sure to convince some viewers that we haven’t seen the last of wicked John Sugden, we saw him leave the country in the back of a lorry in today’s Emmerdale. With many sinister soap characters either facing a life behind bars or a grisly death, John slithered away from both, leaving destruction in his wake and a whole host of characters with scores to settle.
But is Rotterdam really the last we’ll see of the villain who had almost everyone fooled? Here are the seven loose ends which hint towards one last stand for John…
What to Read Next1. Payback for Mackenzie
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If there was a scale of who’s suffered the most at the hands of John Sugden, Mackenzie would be near the top of the list for all his days tortured in the terrifying bunker.
And while Mack needs plenty of time to recover (and will have some more domestic drama of his own to deal with in due course) we can’t help but feel it’s his turn to make John suffer!
His captor might’ve rescued him in the final hour but that’s no consolation for the nightmare he endured. Let’s not forget, Mack was the first person suspicious of John, so doesn’t he get to have his revenge too?
2. Closure for Aaron 
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We can see why producers opted to leave Aaron in limbo after John’s exit, fearful of where he might turn up next and traumatised by how much trust he gave this man who turned out to be a fraud. After all, it gives actor Danny Miller plenty to get his teeth into!
However, we do feel a little robbed that Aaron wasn’t afforded one final showdown with his evil husband, and hit him where it hurts by telling him what he truly thinks of him.
Admittedly, Aaron did get to confront John and learn the truth firsthand, but because they were stood on the edge of a gorge at the time, Aaron was forced into playing nice in the hopes John would confess.
After a year of seeing a strong character like Aaron worn down by John’s manipulation, we can’t help but hanker after a moment where Aaron can really go to town on him!
3. Justice for Nate 
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Nate might not have been the most revered clan member, but if any other Dingle had been murdered, it’s hard to imagine the killer would have been given a free ride to Rotterdam! This twist might have set up another war between Caleb and his brother, but we feel we’re owed sight of Cain in full rampage mode.
We’ve seen Cain grieve and struggle to cope with the loss already, so instead of more of the same, fans were eager for the truth to come out to see how he would react.
The fact he hasn’t received any justice for his son seems not only cruel on Nate, Tracy and Frankie, but it’s also a bit anticlimactic. And poor Tracy, who let John counsel her, also deserves her moment to confront him.
4. Moira’s livelihood 
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While we don’t expect the villagers to debrief on John’s every manipulative move, we are shocked that the catastrophic slurry leak at Butler’s Farm hasn’t been mentioned at all on screen since John was exposed.
Not only did this key event poison Victoria‘s young son Harry, it’s also put a huge strain on Moira’s livelihood and threatened to bankrupt her. Would John’s involvement and the fact it was criminal damage rather than an accident mean her fine would be revoked? It’s not been mentioned!
The slurry leak story has been a major plot point for months, with Moira doing her hardest to avoid selling over the entire farm to the Tates. After all this turmoil, you’d think Moira would have something to say about John’s involvement. In fact, we’re pretty disappointed he didn’t get a Glasgow kiss for this alone!
5. Answers about Aidan 
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Aaron wasn’t the only unlucky bloke to end up in a coma thanks to John’s jealousy – who can forget poor old Aidan, John’s ex? It was hinted that insecure John was betrayed by his army lover and injected him with the intention of saving him. But this sinister plot backfired and Aidan was comatose for three years.
You might remember Aidan waking up just before John and Aaron’s wedding, an event the medic was keen to silence. John didn’t kill him, but the fear that he might strike again ultimately put Aidan into cardiac arrest and he slipped back into a coma.
As far as we know, Aidan’s still in a coma, but we can’t be the only ones wishing we’d get a follow up and he’d get a happier outcome as one of John’s most tragic victims. And given their shared history, Aidan would be a good person for Aaron to turn to.
6. Vindication for Ella
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Remember Ella, Liam’s ex-girlfriend and former receptionist at the surgery? When John needed an easy target to blame, wanting to play the hero with Chas when she briefly disapproved of his engagement to Aaron, Ella was the perfect candidate.
With a history of violence and mental health issues, Ella found herself being blamed for all of John’s machinations – much like he later did with Robert.
Although she got a brief mention during one of John’s outpourings to Mack in the bunker, it’s possible that no one else knows her entire hate campaign was down to John! Has anyone, say her pal Mandy, even fought to get her exonerated? The campaign starts here!
7. Retribution for Robert 
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We might’ve seen John consider, then back out of his plan to murder Robert in his final week, but considering so much of John’s downfall came about due to his extreme jealousy towards his brother, there seems more left to explore here.
Some of John’s most egregious villainy in the village saw him target Robert’s PTSD when he was at his lowest, worsening his symptoms and gaslighting him.
We’re yet to hear if even Robert was aware of just how much John was pulling the strings, but with the number of people who sided with John’s version of events, Robert’s victory over John in this case feels a little hollow considering all he got was a muted release from being wrongly imprisoned!
It’s unclear where John’s desire to be a hero came from, or whether it can all be traced back to being excluded from the Sugden family.
But if Emmerdale wanted to flesh out John’s motivations, then there might be something soapy and satisfying in a justice which sees John face up to losing everything – Aaron, Victoria and freedom – to the brother whose life he tried to destroy.
Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.
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