Emmerdale: Discussion Thread

[I Am A Swede]

I agree. It never felt right.

[DRW50]

Long overdue.

https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/soaps/radio-times-soap-awards-special-recognition-chris-chittell-newsupdate-exclusive/

[vetsoapfan]

I haven't had access to Emmerdale for many years, but I still think of its golden years fondly, and the idea of a new, blood Sugden being introduced thrills me.  Hopefully, TPTB won't screw it up. I be happy to see a strong push to reinvigorate the core family, and maybe have Diane, Andy and Robert return too.

Out of morbid curiosity, I just looked up the show's current cast of characters. I was aghast to find such a widespread infection of DINGLES.

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[DRW50]

A number of them are leaving or have left, it's just there are still quite a few others (and some have kids as the show has about 30 children at the moment).

[vetsoapfan]

To me, the Dingles are as bad as the Shaynes, Winslows and Santoses on TGL. Bleck!

[I Am A Swede]

They still dominate airtime though. The other characters and their storylines only get scraps, whereas a storyline revolving around a Dingle gets a huge amount of attention.

[Bright Eyes]

Unfortunately, the new Sugden is allegedly being paired with the insufferable Aaron Dingle.

[I Am A Swede]

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[vetsoapfan]

Wait, what?

Eons ago, when I was able to watch Emmerdale, Aaron was a Livesy.

He's a Dingle now???

EEK!

[DRW50]

He changed his last name after processing that his father sexually abused him.

(which was a retcon, although I guess there have been worse on this show)

[vetsoapfan]

The last I heard (but was unable to actually watch), Aaron married Robert Sudgen and took the Sugden family name.

I was satisfied upon hearing that, mainly because it meant an additional Sugden family member on the show.

Whatever happened to Robert?

And if Aaron is now calling himself a Dingle, can we at least hope that he will marry this new, incoming Sugden too, and return to using THAT family name?

Please, Lord.

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BTW, are there any Barton family members left on the show, or have they all be assimilated by the Dingles too?

I have a feeling there are not many characters from "my time" still living in Emmerdale.

Who is running (or owns) the Sugden farm now, or has it been wiped out and forgotten?

[DRW50]

In 2019, Robert was sent to prison after killing his sister's rapist. He cut off all contact with Aaron and divorced him.

The Bartons left are Moira (who is married to Cain), her son with Cain, and Matty, who used to be Moira's daughter Hannah but transitioned (and is now played by a trans actor). Matty is married to Amy (I don't know if you remember her - she was the ward of Val and Eric).

Moira still runs and owns what was the Sugden farm.

Edited July 15, 2024 by DRW50

[vetsoapfan]

They made one of the last remaining Sugdens a murderer and trotted him off to jail? What a terrible, short-sighted mistake, to destroy a legacy character like that. UGH!

So the Bartons have been sucked into the Dingles' orbit as well. How depressing.

At least the fabled Sugden family farm still exists, but it's a shame it's tied in with the Dingles, like everything and everyone else on the show.

Was Gavin Blyth the last competent producer this series had?

[I Am A Swede]

No, no, no, nooooo!! Keep Aaron away from the Sugdens now and for evermore! I don't want him anywhere near them, polluting them with his presence ever again!   

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[DRW50]

I tend to blame Blyth (RIP) for a lot of where the show is now, to be honest, as he removed much of the heart and identity, but he did turn things around when he arrived.

The last competent producer the show had was probably Kate Oates in 2013 before she let all the praise go to her head.

Compared to some of the stories Robert had had a few years earlier, like leaving Katie to die and hiring a hitman to kill Chastity, etc. I don't think the exit he got was that horrible as he was just angry on his sister's behalf and it was a heated moment, but the whole thing was depressing and ugly. They should recast and bring him back but I don't know if they will.

I don't know if it makes you feel any better or worse, but the family farm that Moira is running is one that Andy bought in 2003 or 2004. The original farm, IIRC, Jack had to sell in 2001 due to debts and being unable to run it anymore. Either that or it was lost in the early '90s due to rot and that farm was another farm. @I Am A Swede will know better than I do.