We finally know what Serena Sugden (Casey Al-Shaqsy) is hiding in Emmerdale.
The newcomer arrived on distant cousin Robert Sugden’s (Ryan Hawley) doorstep last month, and has proved to be quite an enigma.
Speaking of the new addition, producer Laura Shaw said at the time: “The Sugdens are a core part of the Emmerdale fabric, and we are thrilled to welcome Casey to the family.
“Her character will be at the heart of some extremely gripping and unexpected storylines, forcing her to make difficult choices that will have dramatic consequences for some of the village’s biggest names.”
There’s not a lot we know about Serena. She claimed to have had brief interactions with murderous John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth), but this didn’t quite add up as he was estranged from his father’s side of the family for quite some time.
She’s also asked a number of questions about the crimes he committed, and the death of his victim Nate Robinson (Jurell Carter).
There was also another mystery – Kev Barton (Chris Coghill) remembered her from somewhere, but couldn’t quite put his finger on how they’d crossed paths. She was insistent that they’d never met, and that he was mistaken.
However, in today’s episode, he made a sudden realisation.
It all kicked off when Serena hid her laptop from Robert. She’d been searching for information on Nate’s death, and quickly covered by pretending she was reading Jack Sugden’s best-selling novel “The Field of Tares”.
Vanessa Woodfield (Michelle Hardwick) noticed her incessant questioning about Nate and John, and decided to tip off Moira Dingle (Natalie J Robb) about her concerns. Moira said that, although it was none of her business, she wanted to warn Robert that something odd was happening.
He declined to accept that Serena was a dodgy character, though said he’d keep a close eye on her to ensure that the truth about John’s death – and the fact that Victoria Sugden (Isabel Hodgins) was his killer.
In the village, Kev had another chance meeting with Serena and she lashed out when he suggested that he knew one another. In that moment, he remembered.
Racing up to Emmerdale Farm, he told Robert that his cousin wasn’t a prison guard as originally suspected – but a police officer.
What could this mean for Robert?
Read more:
- 8 Emmerdale spoilers for this week: Mackenzie Boyd takes revenge on Ross Barton and Serena Sugden secrets revealed
- Emmerdale exit revealed for long-running character after over 20 years in popular role
- Emmerdale star teases “complex year” ahead for Charity Dingle after nightmare labour
Emmerdale airs weeknights at 8pm on ITV1 and from 7am on ITVX.
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Authors
Michael Adams is the Soaps Editor at Radio Times, covering all of the hot gossip and spoilers from Weatherfield to Walford, Emmerdale to Hollyoaks and everywhere in-between. He joined the team from Metro, where he spent two years as a Soaps Reporter and previously worked on the sets of both Coronation Street and Emmerdale.
