The minute she stepped off that helicopter, it was clear Emmerdale’s Sadie King was going to be just as much trouble the second time around.
There’s no denying her lies about late ex-husband Jimmy King, and the deal she struck with Joe Tate to turn Caleb and Ruby Miligan against each other, are very on brand.
But while we’ve seen some standout moments for Sadie’s comeback, we can’t ignore that some of her material has missed the mark.
Still, there’s plenty of time to change the game for Patsy Kensit’s iconic alter ego, so let’s take a deep dive into what isn’t quite working, and how Emmerdale can turn things around.
1. Give her a worthy adversary 
ITV
Before Sadie rocked up, Caleb and Ruby were stronger than ever and had become a fan-favourite power couple, so they should have been left well alone. Caleb’s decision to fall into bed with Sadie is all the more frustrating, given his half-brother Cain Dingle’s blunt warnings.
Emmerdale needs to stop making things so easy for Sadie and give her a proper rivalry on an equal footing. Her run-ins with Moira Dingle and Kim Tate would have fit the bill. However, they were regrettably brief and didn’t have any real impact on Sadie’s path – so surely there’s more to explore?
Much like Nicola’s brilliant, post-funeral takedown, we’re calling for a worthy nemesis to shake things up for Sadie. And let’s cut to the chase with the Miligans – a vengeful Ruby should be first in line!
We’d happily watch Sadie have the last laugh with deserving targets like Joe, who never seems to get his comeuppance, and they’re surely better as enemies rather than with Sadie at his beck and call.
Speaking of villains, imagine Sadie making contact with Jimmy’s evil nephew, Tom King? Reminiscent of her ruse against his late grandfather, Sadie could turn the tables on Tom and make him suffer. Now that, we’d love to see!
2. Give her a proper backstory
ITV
We learned that Sadie endured pregnancy loss shortly after her exit – and that the baby had been fathered by ex-lover Cain. Sadie also shared that she had been unable to conceive again, and emotionally declared that she would have given anything to be a mother.
This marked one of actor Patsy’s finest performances since reprising her infamous role, and yet the long-term effects of Sadie’s ordeal weren’t explored beyond this.
Aside from a passionate love affair with a Frenchman, the rest of Sadie’s lost years are a mystery. This leaves a blank canvas, and there’s potential here to really surprise the audience.
What if Sadie’s story about a controlling ex-partner wasn’t just a lie to take advantage of Ruby? Has she really come back to the village without an ounce of personal growth, or are there deep-rooted reasons for her scandalous decisions?
Emmerdale producer Sophie Roper recently teased “a lot of unexpected revelations” in a chat with Inside Soap, so let’s dig into Sadie’s past and maybe even her childhood. It’s time to spill all her secrets!
3. Give her more heart
ITV
When Sadie chose not to tell Joe of her fling with Caleb in order to protect him, we realised she had genuinely fallen for Caleb. This, alongside her aforementioned admissions to Cain, proves there’s more to Sadie than playing the manipulator.
Seeing her think of someone other than herself offered a welcome glimpse of warmth – even if her change in allegiance is only about taking Caleb for herself.
If we saw more sincerity and humility from Sadie, rather than that ‘play nice’ façade, her wickedness would be far more palatable.
Show us more evidence that there are lines Sadie won’t cross, without softening her edge!
4. Give her more camp moments
ITV
As cruel as Sadie’s sullying of Jimmy’s memory was, the initial bombshell (and Sadie’s epic entrance dressed as chief mourner) made fantastic television. Those big, theatrical scenes have been the highlight of Sadie’s resurgence – so it’s a crying shame they have been so few and far between.
Sadie’s unguarded attempt to flirt with ex-lover Robert Sugden to prove she’s “still got it” and Robert’s retort of “been there, done that; turned me onto men” was a masterstroke, so let’s see more giggles at Sadie’s expense.
And now Sadie has moved in with the reluctant Vanessa Woodfield, perhaps there’s scope for some harmless, drunken hijinks to let the character breathe.
Channelling her devil-may-care attitude with regular, savage comments while dressed to the nines would be another simple, effective way for Sadie to liven up proceedings.
The more camp material Emmerdale can throw into the mix, the better; so bring on the posh put-downs!
5. Lean more into her history 
ITV
It was great fun to watch Robert squirm at Sadie’s reminders of their historic affair, and satisfying to revisit Cain double-crossing her. But considering Sadie’s colourful track record, the on-screen reaction has been a little too quiet.
Bob Hope’s cutting opening gambit, plus a few scathing remarks, are all the show has allowed him – despite her causing his daughter Dawn Woods’ death all those years ago.
He didn’t stand in the way of her staying at the B&B, yet even Eric Pollard refused Sadie’s money point blank when she tried to rent his cottage.
Why wasn’t Bob given the chance to refuse her a place to stay, as Eric did? And why didn’t he get to make more of a scene in general?
And what about Sadie’s old feud with Charity Dingle? They’ve only shared one notable scene, so we hope Emmerdale doesn’t waste the opportunity to pit them against each other once more.
We know soaps can’t spend too much time on nostalgia and must keep things moving forward. But Sadie’s back catalogue warrants more than passing comments and one-off reflections. Frankly, we’d relish as many nods and throwbacks as the soap can muster – ideally in perfect contrast to Sadie treading new ground. And on that note…
6. Give her a showstopping finish
ITV
Reports previously claimed that Sadie would fake her own death, but it remains to be seen whether there’s any truth in this. With Patsy filming until December, though, there’s got to be more to Sadie’s story than seducing married men and exploiting anyone in her orbit.
To that end, we hope there’s a unique statement piece on the way to really punctuate her revival, and tell us exactly what makes present-day Sadie tick.
Roper confirmed that Sadie’s story is set for “incredible, exciting twists and turns”. Only time will tell what this entails, but above all, the goal should be to top her original tenure.
We might think we’ve seen every scheme and stunt possible, but if there’s one character who can up the ante, it’s Ms King.
We want to find that we’ve underestimated Sadie on every level – so please, Emmerdale, give her an outrageous big finish that will take our breath away.
See next week’s Emmerdale spoilers:
– Emmerdale confirms Caleb and Sadie are caught out again
– Emmerdale’s Sam Dingle to make desperate plea to Tom King
– Emmerdale’s Caleb caught out over Sadie secret in 25 spoiler pictures
– Emmerdale’s Thea Ramsden to keep secret in Steve Marchant story
Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 8pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.
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