Emmerdale spoilers follow.
Gus Malcolms has made a surprise Emmerdale return as part of Rhona Goskirk’s emotional story.
Earlier this year, Gus was sentenced to four years in prison for fraudulently using his ex-wife Rhona’s frozen embryos to conceive baby Ivy with his second wife.
Ever since Rhona decided to testify against Gus in court, she’s had increasing problems in her marriage with Marlon Dingle. The situation got so out of control that Marlon recently threatened to divorce Rhona.
In Thursday’s (June 6) episode on ITV1 and streaming service ITVX, Marlon was on a camping trip with Paddy where he said he was aiming for “an amicable divorce” with Rhona.
“It’s a blip [in your marriage]. It’s a big blip but it’s a blip,” Paddy tried to convince him.
Marlon wouldn’t be swayed, telling Paddy that his recent marriage trouble was “a pattern” that needed breaking rather than a blip.
Back in the village, Mary had been tipped off by Paddy and tried to convince Rhona it would be “idiotic” to throw away her marriage
“Everything I say is wrong in Marlon’s eyes, so what do I do?” Rhona asked her mother.
Mary encouraged her daughter to do everything she could to make things right. The next time viewers saw Rhona, she was at the prison waiting for a visit with Gus.
Gus was surprised to hear Rhona saying that she regretted the way she’d turned against him in court.
“Despite what you did, I need to tell you that I am sorry for that,” she explained.
However, Gus wasn’t exactly willing to forgive Rhona since her apology wouldn’t mean he’d be freed. Rhona was taken aback as Gus said he’d have done nothing differently with Ivy despite his imprisonment.
“I wonder if my love is strong enough to reach her,” Gus insisted, with Rhona assuring him: “[Ivy] knows. She knows.”
Rhona offered to bring Ivy to visit the prison, but Gus refused and demanded she be kept away. She opened up to Gus about how her court testimony had caused problems in her marriage.
“I hope you work it out. I mean that,” Gus told her.
Rhona headed out to the campsite, where she was worried to hear from Paddy that Marlon had stormed off into the forest after their discussion.
Marlon had gotten lost in the forest, so he was relieved when Rhona found him among the trees. The pair then had a heart-to-heart conversation about the state of their marriage.
“I’m sorry. I can’t bear the thought of not being with [you] forever,” Rhona told Marlon, then vowed: “I don’t think there’s anything we can’t get through!”
Marlon promised that they’d be there for Gus and Ivy in the future before the couple committed to saving their marriage.
Emmerdale airs on weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV1, and streams on ITVX.
