Emmerdale airs deadly confrontation between Cain Dingle and Robert Sugden with devastating consequences in early ITVX release
Warning: Contains spoilers for Friday's episode of Emmerdale, which airs at 8pm on ITV1 or can be streamed now on ITVX.
The Dingles have walked the hallowed ground of Emmerdale village for over three decades, and if there’s one thing we’ve discovered during that time, it’s never to mess with the unruly clan.
Unfortunately, if you're name's Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley), you're currently in their firing line.
He's committed a multitude of sins in his life time, most recently framing Dingle matriarch Moira (Natalie J Robb) for human trafficking and double murder. He'd been blackmailed by Joe Tate (Ned Porteous), who had a video of Victoria Sugden (Isobel Hodgins) killing her half-brother John (Oliver Farnworth).
Joe's ulterior motive was to get his hands on Butler's Farm, Moira's home and business. She was initially reluctant, though after learning that her husband Cain (Jeff Hordley) had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, everything changed.
Robert is now tenant father at Butler's, which he renamed Emmerdale Farm, Joe has chopped down the memorial tree for Moira's daughter, and the Dingles have been left to try and establish a new agricultural venture upon her release from prison.
Cain noticed that his wife was behaving oddly, and she finally came clean to him about Robert and Joe's involvement in her imprisonment.
It's safe to say that he was less than impressed, though chose to sit quietly while Robert panicked about the consequences. He also had to undergo a radical prostatectomy operation, which has left him requiring the use of a catheter.
He was finally discharged from the hospital yesterday, after proving that he was able to walk without assistance and in today's episode, decided that the time had come to enact his revenge.
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Robert innocently worked away at the farm, with partner Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller) heading out to work on the other side of Hotten. He said that the job would take quite some time, and as a result, he wouldn't be back in time for lunch.
In the distance, Sam Dingle (James Hooten) lurked, armed with a shovel. He stormed over to Robert and smacked him across the head with the weapon, and when he awoke, he was tied to a chair in the kitchen.
Cain stood over him with a hammer, demanding answers. Robert sheepishly skirted around the story, leaving out some of the finer details, but it didn't exactly explain why he was lured into the act by Joe.
Upon realising that the situation could turn deadly, Robert quickly mentioned Vic's dilemma, but was knocked to the floor by Cain. The hammer went flying across the floor, but as Cain went to grab it, he collapsed in agony.
Robert rushed him to the hospital, and it didn't take long for Moira and Aaron to realise that they were both notably absent.
After also making their way to the infirmary, Cain told Moira what had happened and that he seemed pleased to have scared Robert.
However, it seemed like this was only the beginning of his revenge...
On Emmerdale Farm, a hooded figure set fire to some hay bales in front of the barn. Is Cain the arsonist?
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Authors
Michael Adams is the Soaps Editor at Radio Times, covering all of the hot gossip and spoilers from Weatherfield to Walford, Emmerdale to Hollyoaks and everywhere in-between. He joined the team from Metro, where he spent two years as a Soaps Reporter and previously worked on the sets of both Coronation Street and Emmerdale.
