John Sugden’s (Oliver Farnworth) reign of terror looks set to reach a dramatic climax in Emmerdale next week, as Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller) does everything he can to escape his killer husband.
Viewers will know that John has been responsible for several deaths, including Nate Robinson, whose body was pulled from a lake earlier this year.
More recently, he has been holding Mack Boyd (Lawrence Robb) hostage in an underground bunker in the woods. Though Mack managed to escape, he ran straight back to John by accident and his fate is yet to be revealed.
However, Mack hasn’t been John’s only target, as he also drugged husband Aaron in recent scenes to make him more reliant on him.
Unfortunately, when Aaron helped himself to more spiked liquor, it had a disastrous effect, and resulted in Aaron suffering a seizure in the woods.
When he came to back at the cottage he and John have been staying in, he was clearly suspicious as he got flashes of memories of hearing Mack shouting in the woods.
He soon realised that perhaps he wasn’t quite as safe as he’d thought when John turned on him, confronting him for his affair with Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley).
Keeping up the appearance that he was ill and faking needing a nap, Aaron took the opportunity to go through John’s things while he was in the shower, and was horrified to find Mack’s phone, confirming his suspicions that John isn’t who he thought he was.
In a new spoiler video, Aaron attempts to make an escape from the cottage.
He makes it as far as the car, only for John to catch him in the act.
As Aaron pleads with John to let him go to hospital, it is clear that the killer isn’t going to let him go anywhere.
Unfortunately, there is even more danger to follow when Robert later arrives at the cottage and accuses his brother of murder.
Their confrontation turns physical, and while John checks over Robert’s lifeless body to confirm he is still alive, Aaron makes his daring escape.
Determined to prove that John was involved somehow in Mack’s disappearance, Aaron searches desperately for the hatch to the bunker, while John tears through the woods, frantically searching for his husband.
On the verge of giving up hope, Aaron is stopped in his tracks by a gorge, where John finally catches up with him and attempts to improvise a cover story.
However, Aaron doesn’t believe a word he says, as it finally becomes clear to him just how unbalanced John is.
Aaron tries his best to get John to reveal Mack’s location, and the killer is close to calling the police when Robert arrives, sending John spiralling as he accuses Aaron of orchestrating a reunion.
Having phoned the police to frame Robert, John jumps into the ravine – pulling Aaron over the edge with him.
