John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth) is once again more than happy to take the role of local hero in Emmerdale, as he acts fast when his partner Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller) experiences mental health problems.
We know by now that John isn’t your standard soap villain. The character has a god complex and orchestrates situations that he knows he can fix, so he looks like an amazing person to everyone watching him afterwards.
While some of his plans have worked, others haven’t. John attempted to help Nate (Jurell Carter) last year but he reacted badly to the medication administered to him. It meant Nate died, prompting John to dispose of his body in the lake.
A few weeks ago, John tried to get revenge on latest enemy Mackenzie (Lawrence Robb) by attacking him with a plank of wood. However, John got completely the wrong man and ended up knocking Liam (Jonny McPherson) out instead.
In upcoming episodes, John is absolutely loving the attention from the villagers for his heroism award.
However, when he gets word that Aaron is struggling with his mental health, he prioritises his partner’s welfare over attending the event.
When Vic (Isabel Hodgins) and Tracy (Amy Walsh) learn that John missed the event, they decide to hold another celebration in the pub. It makes up for the fact he missed the real award ceremony, and boosts his ego even more.
In the week, the lads gather at HOP for John and Aaron’s stag do. As the first round of paintballing gets underway, Mack remains determined to try and thwart John.
John ends up hot on Mackenzie’s tail though, and sneaks off in pursuit of his prey.
But how much danger is Mack in?
‘The thing is with John, he obviously killed Nate but he didn’t do it intentionally’, actor Lawrence Robb said.
‘Could he go all the way with Mackenzie? I absolutely do think so. If John were to fall into that kind of spiral of being a serial killer, Mackenzie would be right at the top of that list. So on that basis, Mackenzie’s life is in jeopardy.’
He added: ‘I don’t think Mackenzie has seen the threat that John is, at this stage, so if there is a warning from John it’s not heeded by Mackenzie. If anything, it spurs him on. I don’t think anybody really knows how dangerous John is. If Mackenzie did, I think he would probably tread more carefully.’
