Robert Sugden’s State of Mind (Part 2)
This may not be a popular post and may not be what was intended by the production staff, but I wanted to share my “alternative” thoughts on the events of 16-March-2017 & 17-March-2017.
I previously posted the excerpt below about Robert’s frame of mind after his visit with Aaron. I agree with many others who have commented about the inconsistent dialog with some statements by characters throughout this story feeling out of place or not making sense with what was taking place.
Robert had been sitting in the bedroom he was to share with Aaron after lashing out and damaging their home. He had been drinking & all around feeling sorry for himself. Aaron didn’t end things with Robert when he walked away from the prison visit. In Robert’s head, maybe he is the one who is ending things.
As much as I have been snarky about the entire “context” statement, that is exactly what I will be doing…reviewing the events/dialog and putting it into a different context from what I’ve seen on Twitter/Tumblr.
I promise I have not drank the Iain MacLeod “Koolaid” and will continue to be a sarcastic little shite towards him if only to keep him on his toes (I’m that damned important in my own head). That being stated, I can agree with him that both lads meant their vows. I’m including Robert in this because of his frame of mind at the time as outlined below.
Generalizing and simplifying Twitter/Tumblr conversations and interpretations of the events from the episode of 16-March-2017, Robert believed Aaron had broken up with him when he pushed him away as he left the prison visiting room. Robert self-destruction began when he destroyed their future bedroom while drunk, slept with Rebecca knowing this action alone would hurt Aaron the most. The next day/morning, Robert feels guilty for what he has done and begins the process to make amends/cover up what has happened with Rebecca and Chas.
Here is a different view on the scenes and how they unfolded including my thought on what was going on in Robert’s mind throughout. My apologies if anyone else has already posted anything similar. I do not remember reading similar ideas and am not attempting to plagiarize anybody else’s posts.
Robert tried many different arguments to get Aaron to see sense, finally asking Aaron to think about their future together with Liv. Aaron threw this back in his face and walked away telling him to leave him alone.
Robert was upset after Aaron had pushed him away and as he saw it given up on their future. In his angry and inebriated state, he decides to give up on him just like Aaron has and the future he had been building while Aaron was incarcerated. He destroys the symbol (the Mill bedroom) of that future and contacts the only friend (Rebeccca) he has in Emmerdale that is not directly connected or related to Aaron.
While he is offloading his disappointment in Aaron and explaining their relationship is over to Rebecca, she plants the idea in his head that Robert knows exactly why he contacted her. He takes the bait knowing Rebecca is there for him when things aren’t going his way and in his desire to “show Aaron” he offers to have a relationship with her. In his mind, he wanted to prove and hurt Aaron that he can move on and have an easier life with Rebecca, the one person Aaron was insecure about.
Again, we do not see what happens after the fact due to the watershed rules. We also do not know how the next morning was but can only assume based on Rebecca’s different outfit and voicemail that she did not spend the night at the Mill with Robert.
The next morning, Robert being sober and having time to think about the previous days’ event, knows he has made a mistake. Now that his emotions are in check and he can reflect on what he said to Rebecca and how he acted I would think the following would be going through his head:
Aaron pushes people away when he needs them the most, including him
Aaron bottles up his problems, hiding them from his loved ones
He regrets and is embarrassed for using his friend just to hurt Aaron
He is ashamed he broke his vows to Aaron. Not just the promise to be faithful, but pledging to put Aaron first, to make him happy, and to keep trying to be a better person (the one he deserves).
After Rebecca tracks him down, he owns up to his mistake explaining he really doesn’t want a relationship with her. He begins non-committed about the status of his and Aaron’s relationship when asked, only acknowledging and apologizing to her when she accuses him of lying to her.
17-March-2017 Robert/Rebecca Outside Mill Scene Dialog (Excerpt):
Robert: ‘Last night was a mistake. I was so angry. I needed to, I don’t know…I wanted to show Aaron. Maybe, in my head, I thought that this is what I wanted, but it’s not.’
Rebecca: ‘You used me.’
Robert: ‘I didn’t mean to.’
Rebecca: ‘All that stuff you said about you and Aaron being over. Is that even true?’
Robert: ‘Yes, Yeah. At the time. Maybe.’
Rebecca: ‘You lied to me.’
Robert: ‘I’m sorry.’
Rebecca: ‘Seriously, do you have any idea how cheap I feel right now.’
Robert: ‘I’m so sorry. I wasn’t thinking straight.’
Later, after being prompted by Chas he confesses that he slept with Rebecca reiterating that he “lied” to her about him and Aaron being over, but he confirms that they were over. After Robert has reflected first thing in the morning and then after his conversation with Rebecca accepts that he was the one to end it only after being confused and angry with Aaron’s behaviour during their visit.
It may be a semantic argument, but he never says Aaron ended it, only repeatedly stating “I thought we were over”. In this way, he is vocally deflecting that he was responsible for ending it, but also not blaming Aaron for his own actions and confusion.
17-March-2017 Robert/Chas Woolpack Pre-Rebecca Slap Backroom Scene Dialog:
Robert: ‘Last night, after seeing him. I was all over the place. I got really really drunk. And, I slept with Rebecca.
******
Robert: ‘He said I was no use to him anymore. He pushed me away. I thought we were over. He hurt me, and I wanted to hurt him back. And once the idea took hold, I couldn’t stop it. I got drunk, smashed the place up, and then Rebecca showed up. She was just there.
Chas: ‘I always knew you were wrong for Aaron. I told him so many times. After what you did to Katie, then Chrissie. The countless lives you have ruined. But I convinced myself that you’d changed, because Aaron loved you. But I was wrong, because you are still the same pathetic twisted little boy that you always were. Only you got very good at hiding it.’
Robert: ‘I know I don’t deserve him.’
Chas: ‘No you don’t. And Rebecca. I could kill her and all.’
Robert: ‘It wasn’t her fault. I lied to her and told her we were over. We were. And then I woke up this morning, knowing I still love him. I don’t want to lose him.’
Chas: ‘It’s a bit late now.’
Robert: ‘Please.’
Chas: ‘You made a commitment to each other a few weeks ago, doesn’t that mean anything to ya?’
Robert: ‘It means everything to me. But you don’t know what it’s been like. I’ve been worried out of my mind. And I finally got to see him and he didn’t care. All he wanted was the drugs.’
At the visit where Robert is prepared to confess, Aaron repeatedly tries to apologize for his behaviour during the previous visit. The desperation in Aaron’s demeanor and apologies to Robert, I would be unsure if Aaron really registered that Robert had said “I thought we were over.” He wasn’t apologizing for “ending it” with Robert, but apologizing for taking drugs, pushing him away, and telling Robert that their future (with Liv) was of no use to him inside.
20-March-2017 Robert/Chas/Aaron Prison Visiting Room Scene Dialog:
Robert: ‘I was so worried about ya. And the last time, you were- ‘
Aaron: ‘I haven’t taken anything since last time I saw ya. I swear. Robert…I know I’ve messed everything up big time, but I didn’t mean what I said.’
Chas: ‘None of that matters. Okay? All you have to do is...is focus on the next few weeks. And then- ‘
Aaron: ‘Robert, I’m sorry.’
Robert: ‘Not as sorry as I am.’
Aaron: ‘What for? Has something happened?’
Robert: ‘You can say that. I thought you hated me. I thought we were over.’
Aaron: ‘I know Robert and I’m so sorry. It’s this place…it got to me. You don’t understand what it’s like. It’s always at ya, you’re constantly watching your back.’
Did Robert Sugden cheat on Aaron with Rebecca White?
I think most everyone agrees that the answer is yes. Even Robert has accepted his actions constitute cheating on Aaron based on his conversations with both Rebecca and Chas.
The events of the days before and the situation with Aaron inside overwhelming Robert make him fall back into old habits reverting to a worse version of himself. His actions are deplorable, but it is his willingness to accept responsibility for the previous night as he speaks with Rebecca and Chas and the offer to admit his mistake to Aaron that starts him on his path to redemption.
Again, this was just an alternative view of the situation and while it doesn’t take away from the problems with the storyline, it does allow me some peace of mind to see Robert in a slightly less negative light with the events and give me hope that he will come good in the future.
The events after Chas stops Robert from confessing to Aaron are a subject for a later post.
