If this week in Emmerdale taught us anything, it’s that bad men make for frustrating viewing—and only one might just turn it around.

Let’s start with the pitiful parade of disappointment. Ray Walters returned with all the menace of a deflated balloon. Yes, Joe Absalom delivers presence—but what good is a villain who vanishes by Tuesday and reappears with threats we’ve all heard before? Ray lurks. He smirks. He talks big. But does he do anything? Not really.

Joe Tate didn’t fare much better. A figure once bursting with layered menace now drifts between farmhouses like a knockoff bargain villain. All the door-lurking and sly glances amount to nothing when the writing offers neither bite nor twist. Suspense is built on momentum. Joe just paces in circles.

Meanwhile, the Dads of the Dales seem hell-bent on winning the title of “Worst Father Figure.” Marlon’s campaign peaked in cruelty this week—first blocking April’s apprenticeship, then pressuring Belle to intervene. His actions reeked not of concern but control. In a village already overrun with negligent fathers, Marlon’s bullying stood out in the worst way.

And then there’s Dylan—fresh from a pitchfork disaster and hobbling back into April’s world. Their scenes should have simmered with unspoken tension, history, longing. Instead? We got a slow crawl through clichés. That’s not on the actors—it’s the clunky pacing that undercut the drama.

Only Moira delivered the week’s necessary jolt. Her confrontation with Lydia was raw, fierce, and edged with grief and danger. A loaded gun, a loaded stare, and a shove that spoke louder than any monologue. Moira reminded us what Emmerdale can be when it leans into messy, emotional truth. Compare that with Cain’s plant pot tantrum—playground rage wearing a tough man’s mask. No thanks.

But then—Robert Sugden stepped up.

Finally, sparks. Finally, strategy. In a week drowning in limp threats, Robert grabbed the storyline by the throat. He sensed Jon’s convenient heroics weren’t so heroic. He connected dots. He pressed record. He tried—truly tried—to build a case. And then, that sly twist: Jon outwitting him with a planted listening plug. Robert’s rage. Jon’s grin. It was pure soap brilliance.

For the first time in weeks, a storyline moved forward instead of circling. The stakes rose. The tension returned.

And that’s what Emmerdale needs now more than ever—movement, consequences, ambition.

There were other flickers. Adil’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it return. Nicola and Lewis bickering in the café like it’s 2008 again. But it’s not enough to counteract the limp writing plaguing Ray, Joe, Dylan, and Marlon. The men of the Dales need either new motivations—or the nearest exit.

As for the women—Victoria floats without direction, Charity’s surrogacy plot is repeating beats, and Belle’s potential is once again tethered to broken men. Enough.

This village belongs to the Moiras and the Roberts, the ones who burn and scheme, who cry and claw, who carry the story on their backs. Let’s give them plots worthy of their fire.

Will Robert outmaneuver Jon next week, or is he walking straight into a deeper trap? And will any of Erdale’s failing men finally step up—or keep dragging the village down?