Emmerdale‘s Robert Sugden is forced to watch his evil half-brother John jump off a cliff in a bid to dodge his wicked crimes next week – taking Aaron Dingle over the ledge with him.
As the walls close in on John, he chooses to plunge to a certain death rather than face up to his wrongdoings and risk losing Aaron for good.
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Has Robert’s desperate rescue attempt come too late to save the love of his life?
“They’re at a cliff edge, and John has run out of places to go!” exclaims Ryan Hawley, who plays Robert.
“It’s either confess to his murders – and watch his husband run off with his half-brother – or it’s take Aaron over the cliff with him. The spiteful, dark-hearted character that John is, he chooses the second option so no-one else can win.”
This deadly chain of events is triggered after Aaron tries to make another desperate escape from John’s clutches. In their creepy isolated cottage, Aaron has been drugged by his twisted husband and he finally realises something is very wrong with the man he married.
Meanwhile Robert arrives at the house, armed with new theories, determined to expose John and save his soulmate…
“His suspicions are renewed when he hears Tracy talking to Charity about Mack going missing,” explains Ryan.
“Robert speaks to Tracy, and she thinks there’s more going on too. So he gets the cottage address from Pollard and heads over to save the day.”
When Robert comes face to face with his evil brother in the woods, buoyed by this new ammunition, he accuses John of murder – but the killer medic is unshakeable…
“Robert’s primary focus is to protect Aaron,” Ryan tells us.
“Too many things don’t add up and he’s always suspected there’s something wrong about John. He confronts John but he gets banged out in one go. Robert’s not very good at fighting or defending himself!”
As the showdown turns physical, John knocks Robert out cold. He’s relieved to discover Robert’s still breathing, but he soon snaps back into action when he spies frantic Aaron trying to flee…
Distressed Aaron begins a hopeless search for the hatch he believes is connected to Mack’s disappearance, as John hunts him down through the dark and creepy woods. Aaron is stopped in his tracks as he reaches the edge of a huge gorge, but when he turns around, he’s face to face with his killer husband!
John thinks on his feet, creating an elaborate cover story for everything that’s happened – but as the lies pour out, Aaron sees his husband for who he really is. He begs John to confess and admit where Mack is, but just as John is on the verge of revealing all, Robert appears…
“John instantly thinks Aaron’s been lying to him,” reveals Ryan. “He knows that Robert and Aaron have had an affair so he suspects it’s more betrayal, and he has to come up with his own survival plan.”
Convinced it was Aaron’s plan all along to get Robert there, John sets a trap in motion by calling the police to frame his brother.
With his sick scheme sealed, John puts his arms around petrified Aaron – deciding that if he can’t have him, no-one can! With nothing left to lose, John drags Aaron with him as he jumps off the ledge and into the gorge.
“It’s a rabbit in the headlights moment when John grabs Aaron and pulls him over the cliff!” gasps Ryan. “Robert approaches the gorge and looks over and sees their two lifeless bodies…”
Distraught Robert struggles to process what he’s seen and immediately calls for an ambulance. But as Aaron fights for his life, John’s wicked ploy means Robert’s harrowing ordeal isn’t over.
“Later in the hospital people start accusing Robert of John’s crimes!” teases Ryan. “No one believes him. He could get sent down again…”
Back in the village, no-one is prepared to believe a word Robert says, convinced he pushed John and Aaron over the edge in an act of jealous revenge. As Chas vows to make Robert pay for harming her son, all broken-hearted Robert is concerned about is whether Aaron will survive the fall.
With false rumours about Robert spreading, he’s taken in for police questioning. Will devious John have the last laugh as his innocent brother is banged up for his crimes? Or will Aaron make it out alive in time to save Robert from John’s twisted revenge?
