Emmerdale fans hit out at dullest villain in soap's history

Glasgow Times

2 days ago

Cain Dingle (Jeff Hordley) and Tracy Shankley (Amy Walsh) have now revealed their new plot to find out who killed Nate Robinson, leaving John on edge.
Meanwhile, he then found Owen Michaels (Simon Haines) unconscious during a home visit, but left him to die, as he came up with a plan to attempt to frame him for Nate's death.
Instead of calling an ambulance and getting help, John wrote a note on Owen's laptop, 'confessing' he killed Nate.
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Emmerdale fans slam 'boring' villain John Sugden on ITV soap
But viewers don't seem too impressed with John's tactics as many on Reddit claim he is the 'most boring 'serial killer/villain' they've ever seen'.
Someone's post on the r/emmerdale subreddit said: 'I know this sounds super morbid but c'mon, am I alone in thinking we've been waiting ages for him to get really 'villian-y'?!'
They added: 'I've been waiting for this man to go full-on psycho, otherwise, we've just suffered along with this boring story for close to a year now to watch him squirrel around the village with rolled up sleeves 24/7, act like a weirdo, and talk about how great of a medic he is??'
This fan agreed: 'You nailed it! He's BORING.'
Another wrote: 'I think he bores himself, hence the need to feel that high of bringing folks to the brink of death and then playing hero to revive them.'
One person commented: 'His rolled up sleeves are the most interesting thing about him.'
While this profile responded: 'Yes, he is so boring easily the dullest and most uninteresting serial killer in soap history.'
However, some disagree and think John is an 'interesting' character.
This viewer explained: 'The weird need to be a saviour, the fact you can tell he feels guilty about his actions (especially Nate) yet can't bring himself not to do it again or hand himself in.
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'I've enjoyed the slow burn and seeing how his actions have managed to go undetected so far.
'I'm very much looking forward to seeing the truth come out and how he reacts and how the rest of the village will react too.'
Also in agreement, one viewer shared: 'I enjoy him! He's a quieter, calmer, different kind of villain'.
They revealed the character is better than the 'usual' sort of villain the soap has become known for, 'with dramatic murders, unrealistic kidnappings, and over-the-top hostage situations'.
The fan continued: 'Of course I say this and John's probably going to kidnap somebody at some point. Hopefully not though.
'But I enjoy that they're playing it like he's just a desperate guy who does kind of bad things for selfish reasons. I think the hero complex angle is quite fresh for soap.
'We are getting a decent insight into his guilt and feelings and such through the helpline calls and just his whole haunted demeanor, which adds to the complexity. I guess it's just not that engaging for some people.
'Maybe it's missing a bit of backstory to tell us why he's like this, I'm not sure.'
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This person, who is also a fan of John, said: 'I like him. He's not written or acted like your typical soap villain, which makes him interesting to me. I think if he hadn't been paired with Aaron - who brings down every character he's tied to - his reception would have been better.'
Someone else who enjoys John's character chimed in: 'I like him, think he's quite nuanced and layered - hate him but that's what makes him enjoyable.'
How do you feel about John Sugden on Emmerdale? Let us know if you think he's a good soap villain in the comments below.