Emmerdale aired a heart-stopping episode as John Sugden hunted down and attacked Mackenzie Boyd on Thursday, appearing to brutally kill him – but has Lawrence Robb left?
Is Mack dead and is he leaving Emmerdale? It’s the big question every viewer is asking after his brutal showdown with killer John Sugden on Thursday’s episode, which left fans on the edge of their seats.
Friday’s episode dropped on ITVX in the morning ahead of it airing on ITVX that evening, and it revealed the aftermath of the dramatic and tense episode from the night before. But did it reveal much about what comes next for John, or even Mack amid his apparent death?
It seems sadly he’s been killed off, amid reports by a publication that this would be the case and that actor Lawrence Robb was leaving the role after five years. The soap has not confirmed either way, but the episode on Thursday appeared to reveal he was dead.
We saw Mackenzie Boyd running through the woods, battling for survival as John chased him with a bow and arrow. He shot Mack, and an arrow appeared to go through his chest, leaving him in a bad way.
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John wasn’t done though, desperate to cover his tracks as he told Mack it was over, and he wasn’t able to let him get away. Mack, clearly deteriorating, pleaded with John for survival, begging him not to kill him.
He told John he wasn’t a murderer, but John told him this was «about survival» and appeared to slam him over the head with a rock. Of course we never saw Mack again, but back in the village we saw a grisly discovery.
John had headed home and was preparing for his trip with his husband Aaron Dingle, Mack’s best friend, when he noticed blood all over the outside of his van. No doubt this being Mack’s blood, there was then another grim find in the back of the van.
As John looked towards the back it looked as though there was a body, no doubt Mack’s, under a blanket with John then driving off. So Friday’s episode, the aftermath, was hoped to answer all the questions still remaining by fans, ahead of John’s downfall finally airing.
In the episode, there was a telling scene, possibly, about whether Mack was truly dead or not. At the start of the episode and then again at the end, we saw the episode focus on something in particular, while John was shown going to some big lengths to cover up his latest crime.
We’ve chosen not to reveal what happens so that viewers can watch the scenes, and also make their own mind up on the eerie fallout as John hid what happened to Mack from those in the village. But let’s just say the scenes featured certainly prove John wants Mack’s loved ones to think he’s gone for good all on his own doing.
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 , YouTube and Threads .
