On a Reddit thread on the r/Emmerdale board, frustrated users aired their opinions on the ITV soap’s latest going-ons.
From Nate’s death at the hands of villain John Sugden to Kim Joe Tate’s relationship with Dawn – some fans felt the storylines all had similiar issues.
One user wrote: “They aren’t really building the character relationships to make it work.
“Like there was no burn in Dawn and Joe’s relationship and there aren’t really any other romances happening either.”
Another commented on the saga, saying: “The Dawn/Joe relationship feels like someone read one of those toxic romance books and tried to speedrun it.”
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While a third said: “Something is off, it’s either too fast or too slow.”
Pace and change of direction in characters was also a bugbear, with one person saying: “It’s frustrating, but I constantly feel the same way about every storyline now: ‘Why does this matter?’
“I wouldn’t mind the pacing so much if characters and stories were better developed. For example, the John storyline….Who doesn’t love a “slow burn” but this isn’t that, this is a sparkler that didn’t spark.”
While another added: “Agree! Lots of stop/start/change of direction!”
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However, one storyline that has attracted positive attention in recent months was praised by some.
One user commented: “Regarding slow pacing, I know I’m probably one of the few who is enjoying the damaged John, unstable, accidental serial killer story and its pace…..and the building betrayal scene between Tracey and Cain could be potentially amazing.”
The Reddit thread was sparked following a TV Guide article, where writer Carena Crawford emphasised that the recent pace of Emmerdale “is the problem”, adding: “The stories just aren’t moving fast enough. Or sometimes they move so fast it’s farcical.”
