[messymindofmine]

About Me

South Asian (she/hers), Largely media and music focused. Media analyst by trade. This blog is a mix of whatever my messy mind latches on to.

Likes, follows and asks from old main blog ladyofthedragonsblog

[messymindofmine]

Rewatching Robron's storyline from the start and I have so many feelings but one thing that really stuck out to me was the difference in Robert when he cried. I know others have remarked on it over the years but I never thought there was anything wrong with how Robert cried before prison. He always looked to me like a little boy trying to hold his tears back and that fit for Robert during that time. But even then, there were definitely moments where you could see the tears. The difference is now the tears aren't held back anymore but he remains childlike in his vulnerability. It really tracks with how Robert is basically a different person after prison and I love how Ryan always brings so much sensitivity to it.

[messymindofmine]

The thing is ...it wouldn't have mattered if Niall married Alby and left the wedding alive. Because he would never be free from Ruben any more than Ruben would be free from him. They had been physically apart for years by the time Ruben showed up like the grim reaper on Niall's wedding day. And he chose that day of all days.

And maybe Niall wanted to die. Maybe that's why he kept making jokes about using his father sgian dubh on himself (he would later use it on Ruben instead). And maybe that's why it was Niall who led Ruben into that barn. But maybe it wasn't so much that Niall wanted to die as much as it was he knew he would. Maybe he simply knew that death was the only way he would be free. And maybe Ruben knew that too. And yet he was scared. Because to die by one's own hand is not thing but to die by the hand of the person you love and fear the most is another.

And Ruben knew that he would never be free or Niall unless one of them died but he also had to be the one to make that decision because he always saw Niall as belonging to him. The only way Niall was allowed to die is if Ruben decided it was right. But life has no meaning for Ruben without Niall. And even though it was Niall that dug the knife (his father's knife) into Ruben, Ruben got to decide that he wanted to die by the wound Niall inflicted on him as he fought for his own life.

Maybe things could have been different for both of them if they had made different choices years ago. If they had let go of their anger. Accepted themselves and the traumas they carried. If they could have just been honest with each other and themselves. If they had been able to let each other go. It didn't have to end the way that it did. It could have been different. But at the same time, it did end this way. It ended this way because they made that choice a long time ago.

And we are left to ponder all the ways it could have been different.

[messymindofmine]

All this talk about Farmbert and rightfully so but you know what I'd love to see? Artbert. Robert choosing art for his GCSEs was a big point of contention for him and Jack. And with him getting the farm back and talk of restoring the family legacy and the mentions of Jack and Robert's self-doubt, it could be cool to see Robert's arty side make a comeback in some way

[messymindofmine]

I've noticed a lot of people have been really upset at the way Half Man was snubbed and while I completely understand, I have to admit I expected it. This was never going to be a show the majority would understand. And I don't say that to be a snob but I'm simply stating facts.

It's a show that makes people uncomfortable in ways they can't easily box in. It's a show that truly pushes the boundaries of what we deem acceptable. And beyond that, it's a show without star power. The biggest name in it is Jamie Bell and even he isn't a "celebrity" the way most Hollywood stars are. I do believe he and Stuart and Mitchell all deserved their flowers. I believe Richard deserved at least a nomination for his writing. I believe everyone who was submitted for this show deserved at least a nomination from the directors to the makeup artist. But as I said, I'm not surprised.

Watching Half Man recontextualized Baby Reindeer for me. As well deserved as Richard Gadd sweeping the awards had been then, I could see many people even at the time hadn't really understood the show. And this was proven with all the drama in the aftermath. But Baby Reindeer was still easier to understand than Half Man.

But at the centre of all this is something I've said before, you can tell that this was a show made purely for the art. And everyone involved put everything they had into it. And that is what makes it special. No amount of awards could measure that.

[messymindofmine]

Given how much emphasis is put on Ruben needing to be the provider in order to assert his masculinity, it is interesting how a young Niall is sort of forced into the role of Ruben's caretaker who defends his destructive behaviour. And mixed in with that is the lack of agency when it comes to Ruben.

Right from the start, Niall is given no say in Ruben sharing a bedroom with him. And then he comes in and Ruben is already making changes and ropes him into helping. And then Lori and Maura pressure Niall into getting Ruben to sit his exams. Niall makes it clear he doesn't want to do it but he's constantly pushed (and there is a lot to be said for Maura's behaviour during the scene but not right now) until he concedes. And then he fills Ruben's test himself because Ruben didn't bother preparing for it, came in late and then stormed out.

At university, when Ruben trashes the kitchen and Niall is left to clean it up. This is after Ruben has spat on Joanna and Niall tried to make excuses for his bad behaviour. That kitchen scene is later paralleled with him and Mona in episode 5.

And then later with the trial, he's put into the impossible situation of having to choose telling the truth or perjuring himself to keep Ruben from going to prison. And he's being pressured on both sides. He's got Maura, Lori and Ruben constantly guilting him and pushing him to commit a very serious crime so Ruben wouldn't have to go to prison for a vicious assault. And Joanna, rightfully I would argue, recognizes the lack of accountability and the injustice of it and pushes Niall to tell the truth. And then Niall himself is constantly conflicted because of course he doesn't want Ruben to go to prison but he also recognizes what Ruben did. And he sees the softer side of Ruben (and that side is not fake) and he decides to lie. But then he actually sees the damage Ruben caused to Alby for himself and the gravity of it hits him for the first time. And he chooses to tell the truth. And as a result, Alby is able to get the justice he deserves but Ruben blames him and threatens him as he's pulled away. And his relationship with Lori changes and he is blamed by Maura. And he carries the guilt and questions himself. Somehow, Ruben's wrongdoing became his responsibility to manage just as Ruben needing to take that test had. And he tortured himself over it for years and he was blamed for not lying.

And then Niall is shown to calm Ruben down when he's raging outside and yelling at a neighbour. When Ruben comes into his and Ava's home late at night, he asks Ruben if he's taken his meds.

Even in that prison scene, Niall is trying to get Ruben to acknowledge the ways that Ruben has hurt him. Ways that Niall himself doesn't seem to fully understand. But Ruben refuses. And then Niall takes care of him when Ruben finally feels safe enough to talk about what his father did to him. And Ruben deserved to be taken care of in that moment but so did Niall. And Niall didn't get that.

And as much as there is obviously resentment mixed in with the love and fear that Niall has for Ruben, I can't help but wonder if part of the resentment is fuelled by the fact that he has always been put in a position of choosing Ruben over everyone else including himself. And how that is seemingly never reciprocated. Certainly the hospital scene indicates that he feels resentment that he had to suffer for 14 years because he did what was objectively the right thing. But the objective right thing was the wrong thing for his him, his family (such as it was) and for Ruben.

[many-blogs]

Our Half Man Hot Take™️ is that there’s such a large presence of RPFers within the fandom because people are uncomfortable with the fictional incest and abuse (including sexual, physical, emotional and financial) but there’s no denying that there’s emotion like lust and desire present, so fans reconcile this by assigning those emotions to two consenting performers, so they can talk about Niall and Ruben without talking about Niall and Ruben.

[jonny-versace]

No one has ever said Robert wasn't a toxic abusive mess during the literal first year of him knowing and being with Aaron. But, even in 2015 he was a complex guy who had a lot to lose and couldn't help himself throwing it away anyway, with years and years of history, all of which got addressed by the show, and he lost it all, nearly died and went through a lengthy redemption arc (and another after). And he still gets it all thrown back in his face which happens to no other morally dubious character on the show. It's not apples and oranges, let's be so so for real

[messymindofmine]

The thing is I don’t hate the Kev character or actor, I hate how they’ve half written him, if that makes sense. They need to reconcile the shitty stuff he’s done (mostly stabbing himself to manipulate Robert) before all this stuff we’re getting now feels earned at all. You can’t skip that acknowledgement (I’ll only call it “redemption” bc it’s a soap by nature).

If they spent like even one week with Kev + Robert getting into that and moving forward, I could get on board more. He’s an interesting character to watch, which is what tv is. And I get why they wanted to bring him back. But come on, give us something there.

I actually agree with this. I think Kev was shown to be quite complex when he first appeared. I will say that I do find it hypocritical when people act like Kev is irredeemable or on John's level. Because I think that really is people upset that he was a roadblock to Robron. Because Robron have both done and said some pretty shitty things to each other and to others. The difference is mainly in how Robert is actually held accountable and even to a double standard whereas Aaron for the most part tends to not be judged as harshly which I think is mainly down to the fact that he's a Dingle. Even then, the likes of Cain and Moira are being portrayed as more sympathetic right now. But his trauma with John has at least been addressed in some capacity. Whereas Robert's trauma in general tends to get brushed aside. And that's been the case since pretty much 2016.

I do agree though that I would like to see the darker side reconcile with the more comedic side we have now. Otherwise it feels pointless. Especially since Robert is still unaware of the lengths Kev went to to keep him. And this isn't a dig at Kev. In fact, one of the reasons I want that darker side addressed is because I actually would like to see more of him as an interesting, nuanced character.

[messymindofmine]

Previous anon again. I don't follow your blog, I usually just search for the Kev Townsend tag and read whatever comes up under it. It's how I came across your posts. I don't have a blog myself, my 'blog' is a blank page. So whether I send asks as anon or not doesn't really change much since I'm not part of the Kev fan club on here nor have I ever written essays or meta about him. The only time I really comment is through asks if I disagree with someone's take. I don't know you and don't take anything you say personally. Nothing you've said has upset me. I may disagree with some opinions but I cannot imagine being upset over anyone's opinion on fictional characters. Sorry I think I projected something onto you that wasn't there. I'm so used to seeing people complain that the show treats Robert unfairly or doesn't give him enough screentime that I just assumed you were coming from the same place. Since I don't follow your blog other than what comes up under the Kev tag, I didn't know what your views were on other characters. It just seems to me that Robert is the centre of gravity for a lot of people on here and every discussion somehow ends up coming back to him. For eg, people complain that the Dingles are never really framed as being in the wrong. But I wonder if that's really about the Dingles or if it's because they're comparing them to Robert. If Robert got the same treatment and was allowed to get away with things too, would they still care as much? That's a genuine question btw, not aimed at you specifically. The other thing I see a lot is people wanting the show to explore Robert's mental health. Personally, I just don't think Robert is that kind of character. I don't think he's ever been written as someone with a particularly deep or complex inner life. He's always been a larger than life, almost cartoonish character whose actions tend to drive the drama more than his internal psychology. To me that's how the show has consistently written him and it still seems to be how they want to write him now.

Ok so to your point about Robert. Genuine question have you watched Robert's entire arc? As in back when he was a kid on Classic Emmerdale? Because I can promise you none of the stuff that people talk about re the complexities of his character are made up. And this is why I don't think those of us who feel Robert is treated unfairly are wrong in how we feel. Robert was literally described as having PTSD. That wasn't something that we made up. He was shown to have classic symptoms. And we have countless onscreen references to his traumas in general since his return in 2014. And those references are backed up pretty well by actual onscreen events that happened during the classic years.

And then he was mentally tortured by John for months. And that's not even touching on the trauma that has happened to him during the classic years or since his return in 2014. This isn't even touching on the trauma that's occured beyond John and prison since his return in 2025. He has literally been victimised onscreen multiple times this year. I don't think we are in the wrong for wanting to see that addressed. Robert has always been a complex character. He is a legacy character in his own right who we saw born onscreen and grow up onscreen.

As of right now, he is the last of the original Sugden descendants on the show. It's fine if you don't care for him personally or if you haven't seen his entire backstory but that doesn't mean that he isn't a very complex character in his own right with a very deeply rooted backstory. A lot of what we see Robert experiencing these days is directly connected to the things he experienced as a child and a teenager. I'm sorry but the concept that he has always been a character only meant to drive drama is just plain false. And even if he was, considering he is one half of what is objectively a flagship pairing, it would still be bad writing to not explore him more. Because however people may feel about them in general, Robron was a juggernaut when it happened and the soap rode that wave for years. And I can promise you that there were people even in 2016-2019 who felt that Robert wasn't being treated well and there were double standards. And it's very disappointing that this hasn't really changed. I think we are allowed to vent about how that makes us feel.

Also, for the record, I can promise you it's not just Robert fans who feel that the Dingles are never portrayed as being in the wrong. A lot of people (myself included) felt that they were extremely hypocritical in the way they treated Kammy relatively recently. And even if it was purely re Robert, it would still hold true. Because there is a very clear double standard. Even within the Robron relationship, there is a double standard where Robert tends to be held to a higher standard than Aaron a lot. Robert fans being upset that Robert is held to a different standard than Aaron and the other Dingles and the GA being upset that the Dingles are hypocritical and don't get held accountable are not mutually exclusive.

Also, I genuinely ask why people liking Robert and wanting to see more of him cause such strong negative feelings for you? Because you're completely fine to disagree but you've accused me more than once now of wanting Robert to "dominate" screentime and wanting him to be a victim. Many of us have been watching Emmerdale for a very long time and have been able to see the ways Robert has been mistreated and how that goes unchecked.

I appreciate your explanation and your apology. You can of course disagree with my opinions. The only thing I take issue with is accusations that are not based on anything that I've actually said.

[messymindofmine]

Anon who thinks Robert won't get a PTSD story here. They won't go back to Robert's prison PTSD because they did a complete 180 once Kev came into the picture. I really think those scenes in summer 2025 showing Robert still having nightmares and struggling were written before they had fully developed the Kev SL or decided what kind of character Kev was going to become.

The story they ultimately chose to tell was that Kev 'saved' Robert, just as Robert saved Kev. If we take that at face value then once Kev became Robert's protector and they got married in prison, Robert was no longer being beaten up and had someone who made prison bearable for him. Once you've established that narrative, it doesn't make sense to then go back and tell a major PTSD story centred on the period before Kev arrived in Roberts' life (late 2019 to late 2020). The emotional resolution has already been provided (Kev became Robert's lifeline in prison). That's what I meant when I said the show clearly decided that the Kev story was more rewarding than a Robert PTSD story, not that the show is more beautiful now in general.

The GA may have plenty of complaints about the show overall but the majority clearly enjoyed Kev and wanted to see more of him. That's why he returned 'by popular demand.' Some people here (not you) mocked that phrase and said Emmerdale had invented it as an excuse to bring him back but I really don't think they made anything up about his popularity. Also, I agree that there's defo more to him than just being comic relief but it's not some big bad psychological evil side. The hostage/self stabbing/threatening people with violence I don't think are moments meant to define him. The 'dark' side always struck me more as the hard man persona he built in prison to survive in there. Once he was out and had the opportunity to discover who he was outside, that facade gradually disappeared. In the same vein, the self stabbing can be seen as an act of desperation from someone who had spent years in prison deprived of love and human connection rather than evidence he was some evil psychopath. The threats of violence when he was freshly out of prison too were more like learned prison behaviour. We have characters like Cain threatening violence on a daily basis but the show doesn't frame that as some dark evil side that needs exploring. The only negative traits that seem to have carried over for Kev are his defaulting to petty crime and dodgy schemes (like short changing customers at the mobile café, encouraging Mack to teach someone Todd a lesson, etc). I think this is the side of him the show will keep, not some huge dark evil side waiting to be uncovered.

Re: Robert getting more screentime, you don't think the GA would get tired of him as well if he dominated the show the way Cain does now? The GA LOVES Cain but even many of his fans are now fed up with the way he's being shoved in the audience's face. Is the real issue that of your favourite character not getting enough screentime or do you specifically want a mental health/whump storyline because you want to see Robert hurt, victimised, pitied and then looked after by everyone around him? If Robert is given a completely different A-plot that made him central to the show without involving any PTSD or trauma, would that satisfy you?

I'm not really sure why me posting on my own blog about wanting more screentime for a character I like is so offensive to you. Also why do you assume that I want Robert to "dominate" screentime when all I have said is that I would like to see more of him? I am not going to apologize for that or for being sick of the constant focus on the Dingles because as you said even fans of Cain are apparently getting annoyed by seeing him all the time.

I am also fully aware of why Kev is the way he is. That has been explained in the show that I have also watched. That doesn't mean that I wouldn't like to see that explored. And for the record, a big reason why I'm annoyed with the Dingles is precisely because their hypocrisy and bad behaviour is never really framed as being bad. But if you actually look at posts I've made since you are clearly paying attention to my blog, you would see that I have been very positive about Kev and actually want more of him as well.

And just for the record, I have actually been more critical of Robron and Aaron's behaviour towards Robert and how unbalanced their relationship has been for a decade.

Also, even though you are clearly not coming at this in good faith, yes I would like to see Robert's mental health issues be addressed and him being supported. I'm not sure why that's such a bad thing to you. I would also like to see him have more storylines in general but the reason I talk about the PTSD is because I think that is one worth exploring especially since they did make a very real point of it. In fact, I even addressed the fact that the PTSD was something made very clearly something he had from prison in general as opposed to something from Kev. Again, I am really not sure why me saying this upsets you so much. But if you would like to come off of anon and have a reasonable discussion, I would be willing to have one.

Is the real issue here that you like Kev as a character and knee-jerk getting upset on anon rather than actually reading posts properly?

[messymindofmine]

Sorry, haha! I feel like I comment a lot on your posts, but it's just nice to see nuance where Kev and or kevbert is concerned.

We tend to hang out on discord instead as...tumblr was not kind. 💔

Thanks for being lovely!

No need to apologize! I always enjoy engaging with fellow fans as long as things remain respectful. And you've always been that so I definitely don't mind your comments or you sending me a message ❤️

[messymindofmine]

i fear you're getting the Kevcels out in force, which is wild because you're by far one of the most nuanced blogs on here in that regard

so this is mostly just a good vibe message! to say i appreciate you! and all the great energy you're bringing! thank you :)

I suppose it's a testament to Chris Coghill that Kev has apparently already attracted such a fierce fanbase that apparently hates the idea of anyone pointing out that he's not purely the cake-baking, karaoke-singing comedy character that he's being shown as right now. Personally, I think the fact that he has been shown to have a darker side makes him a more interesting soap character. Especially if the intent is to keep him for a while this time.

And thank you! I appreciate your message. I really do try to be as nuanced as possible because I do love Robert, Aaron and Kev as individual characters.

[messymindofmine]

I think people need to let go of the idea that Robert is getting a PTSD story. The show has made it pretty clear that isn't a direction they are interested in taking. It's the same as those who convinced themselves that Kev was an abusive rapist and that Robert was the victim of domestic abuse, sexual assault, PTSD and every other imaginable trauma at Kev's hands. That simply isn't the story the show wanted or wants to tell.

Emmerdale has no obligation to tell the story that some people want. Even if they may have planted the seeds for a particular direction at first it doesn't mean they are committed to following through with it. Storylines can evolve during development. They can be dropped, rewritten or replaced all the time if the creative team believes another direction works better, fits the show better or simply makes for stronger television. It's like setting off on a hiking trail only to discover another route with a far better view, you change course because it's the more rewarding journey.

We'll never know exactly how they originally intended the Kev/Robert story to develop but somewhere along the way they clearly chose a different path. And the GA lapped it up! The people who were unhappy were/are largely Robert and Robron fans. The show evidently isn't concerned by that because Kev seems to have resonated with the GA far more than Robert ever did. And none of that is a reason to abuse either Kev or the actor as so many Robron fans have done. There was never any guarantee that Robert would get a PTSD or mental health storyline and even if there had been one in development, TV isn't a contract with the audience. Personally I think it was the right call for the GA. I'm not convinced they would have enjoyed a prolonged Robert PTSD storyline nearly as much as the version of Kev they ultimately got.

Ok so for the first part, they literally made a point to mention that Robert had PTSD. Robert himself stated multiple times that prison messed him up and he was shown to exhibit classic symptoms. All of this was before Kev and John had nothing to do with those. He simply exploited them. Also, I can't speak for others but I certainly have never convinced myself that Kev was an abusive rapist. But he also isn't purely some comedy character with a heart of gold. He literally held three people hostage with a samurai sword. And he stabbed himself to keep Robert with him in prison. He threatened multiple people with violence.

Also, to the point of your metaphor, I certainly don't feel that the path that Emmerdale is on is any different than what we have already seen multiple times over and I certainly don't think it's more beautiful. If that's your opinion, that's fine but that doesn't mean I have to share it. But for whatever it's worth, even without putting Robert or Robron into the mix, it seems that GA isn't entirely happy with the direction the show in general is taking these days anyway. Are all the people who are upset about the screentime the Dingles take up Robron fans? Are all the people who are upset at how the Dr. Todd storyline has turned into a whodunnit Robron fans? Also, Robert fans and/or Robron fans are a part of the larger audience just as much as anyone else. I have had issues with the behaviour of many Robron fans the past year but that doesn't mean that anybody who is a fan of Robron is separate from the core audience. Plus, not every single person who is a fan of Robert is solely a Robron fan. I certainly don't think that the soap needs to cater solely to Robert fans but that doesn't mean that I am not allowed to feel frustrated or want a character that I like (and to be clear I like Robert outside of Robron or Kevbert) to have more screentime.

I certainly have never had anything abusive to say about Kev or Chris so I'm not sure why you're coming at me with this. In fact, if you actually look at my recent posts, I have been very positive about Kev.

Lastly, you are certainly allowed to have your opinions about what the GA would want but I am also allowed to express my own opinions about what I would like to see for a character that I am a fan of. And the GA is not a monolith. I'm not sure why there is this assumption that there wouldn't be people in the GA who wouldn't appreciate a PTSD storyline simply because they also enjoy a light-hearted version of Kev. I'm not sure why people think it's not possible to have both.

[messymindofmine]

This is why I think there is still potential for growth for Robron if Kev and Robert become close friends. It can show Aaron that someone else finds Robert desirable and wants to be there for him and that he can't just keep taking Robert for granted. And it can provide Robert with support and a friend who's there for him. Plus it can mean growth for Kev as a character.

Thing is though, with the way they are integrating Kev into the village, he won't need Robert as a friend. He has chemistry with and gets on with pretty much everyone he interacts with. Robert probably needs Kev as a friend more than Kev needs Robert. I also found Kev's attitude towards Robert pretty nonchalant when he told him he'll get the ball rolling on their divorce. He was happy to leave it at that, it was Robert who wanted to keep the conversation going ("So you're back?) before Serena interrupted them. If Kev's been able to get along with Mack and Jimmy (his cafe rival's husband), he'll get along with almost anyone, eventually even Ross once Lewis accepts him. For me personally, a MacKev, RossKev, LiamKev friendship or bromance will be far more interesting than a friendship with Robert. I don't think Kev will get anything out of a friendship with Robert that he can't get with others (like Charles, Ross, Liam, Mack and potentially Graham in future). The other reason I don't see it happening is 90% of Robert's scenes will be confined to the farm in the foreseeable whereas Kev in all likelihood will be working in the cafe with Nicola and Lewis once Jimmy is gone.

I can see where you're coming from but I don't think that a friendship with Robert would be useless for Kev. Aside from anything else, it feels highly unrealistic that Kev would be able to be so nonchalant about Robert considering that right before he left the village, he literally held Robert hostage because he was so desperate and angry about Robert not loving him. Kev literally just got back and obviously his focus is on building a relationship with Lewis but that doesn't mean that he can't have a friendship with Robert that can build on his character more. Especially considering Robert is the only character that can even begin to understand why Kev is the way he is.

As far as Robert being confined to the farm goes, that's another issue I have. His PTSD has never properly been addressed. And Kev did cause damage to Robert even though he loved him and that has never been addressed properly. And quite frankly, I don't like that Robert is so isolated.

I like Kev as a character in his own right and I think there is a lot more to him than the comedic elements that they're leaning into so much right now. Robert is the perfect character to bring out the darker side of Kev that we saw in his first appearance and it can be a source of growth for Kev precisely because Robert is the one who has seen Kev at his absolute worst. The fact that Robert did want to stay and talk indicates that there is still something there and I find it hard to believe that Emmerdale would just leave it at that. Otherwise why have Robert want to stay and talk since he's back with Aaron? We have a chance to explore not only Robert's but also Kev's prison trauma. And that can't happen with any of the others since they weren't the ones that were in prison with Kev for 6 years. They weren't the ones that were married to Kev. They weren't the ones Kev was so desperate to keep that he lied about dying.

[messymindofmine]

Considering how much soaps love their issue-based storylines these days, I'm constantly surprised at how Robert's PTSD was acknowledged yet never fully addressed. It was a big deal when it was being used against him by John but that also meant that the focus was more on exposing John rather than the PTSD itself. Plus he repeatedly got very little grace for his struggles with Vic outright threatening to kick him out and ultimately choosing John over him. And Robert doesn't even get a proper apology for that. He immediately goes to Aaron only to be rejected and accused of using Aaron's vulnerability to get back with him.

And then immediately after that, we got Kev and it looked like there was going to be a deeper exploration but then it became more about how Kev was a roadblock to Robron. I liked the prison episode but it feels like it didn't really go anywhere since we basically had Kev hold Robron and Liam hostage and then leave. And then obviously John comes back. And the story becomes about Robron being a united front against him.

And then after that, Robert is put into a position of having to protect Vic and in the process ends up becoming the bad guy in the eyes of the Dingles. On top of all that, he has constantly been a victim of violence since his return including being punched by Aaron. I can't imagine all of this would have helped his PTSD any.

And the thing is, Emmerdale has had multiple male mental health storylines. Aaron specifically has had multiple arcs related to his mental health (and many of those have had Robert there supporting him through it). But I can't remember if PTSD specifically has ever been done. Or especially PTSD related to prison. And it's something new for Robert's character that already has a backstory full of trauma that has never properly been addressed. There is still so much that could be explored. And since we all know that these issue-based storylines are more about getting the awards, it would be great for that too.

Plus it could be great to have Robron in the focus where Aaron is being a supportive partner as opposed to right now where we barely even see them as a proper couple these days.

[flawersblu86]

Emmerdale village tour for Pride Months ❤️🏳️‍🌈 x