Emmerdale finally confirms Mack’s fate in early ITVX release as killer John escapes

Emmerdale spoilers follow for Thursday’s (September 18) episode that is now available to view on ITVX. The episode in question will air on ITV1 on at 7:30pm.

After weeks of being held captive by crazed killer John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth), Emmerdale has finally confirmed the fate of Mackenzie Boyd (Lawrence Robb).

Mack, as viewers know, has long thought John was a wrong ‘un, having flagged his concerns about the army medic to various villagers who thought he was seeing things that weren’t there.

But his theories proved spot on, with John having something of a hero complex whereby he endangers the lives of those around him so that he can swoop in and claim the glory when he ‘rescues’ them.

Nate Robinson (Jurell Carter) tragically died before John could complete his performance and play the hero, prompting the villain to dispose of the farmhand’s body in the lake and pin the blame on a patient from the surgery.

Mack too suffered at the hands of John, who was responsible for the slurry leak up at Butlers. As fans know, Mack copped the blame for the incident, which cost sister Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb) a fortune.

Despite John’s best efforts, Mack couldn’t help but shake the feeling that there was something off about him and his worst fears were confirmed last month when he worked out that John was to blame for Nate’s murder.

In a bid to keep Mack quiet, John chased him through the forest with crossbow, wounding the popular character and taking him prisoner in a bunker nearby the remote cottage where he holidayed with Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller).

Aaron started to piece together the puzzle when he heard Mack’s cries for help and the situation escalated dramatically when John – shortly after confessing his crimes – grabbed his husband and threw them both from a gorge.

Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) watched in horror and was subsequently jailed, with the police believing that he pushed Aaron and love rival John in a heated act of revenge.

John came to in hospital and backed up such a theory, delighted to have his sibling in prison. But Victoria’s (Isabel Hodgins) spidey senses were tingling after a prison visit with Robert as she started to realise that John was not all he seemed.

With Aaron due to wake from his coma, John attempted to murder him before making a run for it. His plan failed, however, as Aaron subsequently woke up and notified his loved ones about Mackenzie being trapped in the bunker.

A number of days had passed since viewers last had any sort of update regarding Mack’s status but Thursday’s offering of the ITV serial confirmed that he’s alive.

The much-loved character injected himself with the syringe John had left for him previously, hoping to bring his nightmare to an end. In emotional scenes, he hallucinated his beloved Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins) before losing consciousness.

Speaking of Charity, the Woolpack landlady had been notified about Aaron’s bombshell about Mack and, upon learning of the bunker, she set off for the cottage to join the police for the search, much to the leading detective’s chagrin.

When a police officer confirmed the discovery of the bunker, Charity ignored all protocol and raced inside, desperately hoping to be reunited with her beloved Mack.

To her disappointment, there was no-one inside.

Meanwhile at the hospital, a guilty John carried a weakened Mack inside, where he received the medical attention he urgently needed. As John fled the scene, Mack’s immediate family were notified – and it wasn’t looking good.

Charity, meanwhile, waited at Mack’s beside. In heartwarming scenes, Mack regained consciousness. Charity fought tears and kissed her husband’s head, relieved to have him back with her.