Emmerdale John's plan for Robert Sugden revealed - and he's not working alone

The truth behind John Sugden's plan for brother Robert Sugden in Emmerdale was revealed on Wednesday night.

After spoilers had hinted Robert would face grave danger and appeared to allude that John would kidnap him and try to kill him, his actual plan came to light. In a twist John wasn't plotting alone, and someone else was in on it.

In an even bigger twist, not all was as it seems and the soap had led fans down the wrong path. It turned out John's real intentions were not to hurt his brother despite their feud.

John had spotted newcomer Owen drugging his date Robert during Tuesday's episode, allowing it to happen. He then stopped Owen from taking him somewhere, and put Robert in the back of his own van before saying: "What are we gonna do with you?"

Blaring out the music in his van, John then sped off with an unconscious Robert in the back. As Wednesday's episode began we saw John looming over the character with a syringe, appearing to want to hurt him.

Given John's history with harming and even killing people, it looked like he was about to claim his next victim. But soon everything became clearer, as John and someone else in the village actually had a plan together to help Robert, not hurt him.

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John seemingly saved his sibling from Owen. Instead of hurting him, he instead planned to give him a sedative so that when Robert woke up, he remained calm.

Robert wasn't calm though, and as he regained consciousness in the van, he saw John with the needle and freaked out. He launched himself at John and attacked him, fearing he was about to be killed by his creepy sibling.

Soon, their sister Victoria Sugden rushed over to stop the drama and told Robert what had really happened. She confirmed it was her idea, not John's, to keep him in the van until he woke up.

She was also aware about the needle and John's plan to keep their brother calm. The pair had plotted together after realising he had been drugged that it was "safer" to keep Robert in the van overnight.

With Robert alarmed at this and unsure why he wasn't taken to hospital, John claimed he had what was needed to help him. Robert clearly feared he was in danger, accusing John of kidnapping him and then trying to kill him.

John told Robert he had been spiked by Owen, with Victoria backing the former and saying he was helping him. John also claimed he was doing Robert a favour by not taking him to the hospital in case the police came knocking, with Robert only just getting out of prison.

Robert challenged this though, suggesting John could have been the one who drugged him and said he was a "liar". Robert clearly doesn't trust his sibling, so could he get closer to the truth and expose him?

Viewers were not impressed with Victoria, with one fan writing: "There is no doubt about it what Vic did to Robert was wrong. Leaving him in the van, not taking him the hospital, not comforting him after the state he woke up in. But all I am saying is, she reacted out of fear for her son. She wasn’t thinking logically!"

Others were thrilled to see Robert suspicious of his brother, hoping it would lead to the villain's comeuppance. One fan posted: "Robert is clever so he's not buying any of John's bs, I'm glad he can see right through that rat." Another fan said: "I’m so here for the John and Robert feud!"

Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX, with an hour-long episode on Thursdays. * Follow Mirror Celebs and TV on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , and Threads.