YMMV / Emmerdale

• Aborted Arc: Chloe's dad was billed as this dangerous criminal who constantly monitored his daughter even in prison and as someone who shouldn't be messed with. However Chloe cut ties with him and was never brought up ever again. However, this would later be undone near the end of 2023 where it was revealed he was responsible for Chas’ kidnap and held hostage Mackenzie Boyd for cheating on Chloe, before meeting his demise being killed in self-defence by Charity Dingle.
• Base-Breaking Character:
  • Chas Dingle: Some view this character as a tragic figure, who's doing her best to keep her family together and has suffered through terrible situations whereas others see her as a woman who will put her son's happiness before anyone else, even at the cost at the people around her, takes her frustrations out unjustly on Paddy, complains at situations that are beyond her control, judgemental and hypocritical. However, her affair with Al and her treatment of her dying mother has pushed her into scrappy status for a lot of watchers.
  • Meena Jutla: Some viewers loved her for being a sexy, fun, psychotic killer with no remorse who brought some much needed drama to village. Destractors say that she was part of an annoying storyline that was dragged out and she got away with things too easily, making everyone else look stupid, rather than making Meena look smart.
• Creator's Pet: In 2015 Ross Barton was taking up the majority of storylines and ended up being the answer to all the whodunnits. Who shot Robert? Ross. Who is the father of Charity's baby? Ross. He was seemingly killed by Pete but no, he survived that as well.
• Fan-Preferred Couple: It's split on whenever David is better with Leyla or Alicia but it's mostly agreed that he has better chemistry with them then any other the other women he's been with.
• Memetic Mutation: Paddy Interrupting Lesbian Couples, which has happened at least three times now. It's almost to the point of being a Running Gag.
• Harsher in Hindsight: Aaron's coming-out storyline in 2010 (which included a suicide attempt as he struggled to deal with it) was harsh at the time, but seemed like standard soapland Gayngst. In 2016, it's revealed that Aaron was abused by his father as a child, and that the trauma of this was a major reason why he had so much trouble accepting his sexuality, recasting an already dark storyline in an even darker light.
• Jerkass Woobie:
  • Robert Sugden is a terrible human being, but knowing his family history helps understand where he comes from and why he grew to become a terrible human being. He does have a nicer, kinder side, which he shows to very few people. At this point, this circle has expanded to include his sister Victoria and his husband Aaron.
    • Many felt sympathetic to him during the 2017 break-up with Aaron where he completely fell apart. The beating he took as a kid for kissing a boy and the subsequent suppression of his bisexuality is another point where many feel sympathetic to him.
  • Liv Flaherty lies, steals and cheats, and is pretty snarky to everyone around her; on the other hand, her parents split up when she was a child (once her mother realised that her father had been abusing her half-brother), her mother moved her to a new city and changed their name, and she seems for the most part to just want someone to show her some attention and affection.
  • Charity, for all her manipulative behaviour over the years, was raped as a teenager by a police officer.
• Never Live It Down: The show is often referred to in the media as the soap where everyone gets drunk and kidnaps each other. Not helping that kidnapping is a common choice of revenge/interrogating for Cain, Ross, and Robert, and that — in every episode — there's at least one scene of the locals in the Woolpack either arguing or discussing previous events, or how to get their revenge (usually by kidnapping).
• Retroactive Recognition:
  • YUNGBLUD appeared in one 2015 episode as Matt, a love interest for Belle Dingle.
  • Sharon (who appeared in 4 episodes between 1991 and 1992) is played by Andrée Bernard, who would later be best known for playing Liz Burton in Hollyoaks.
  • Norman Harrison (who appeared in 3 episodes in 1972) is played by Christopher Mitchell, who would later be best known for playing Gunner Parkin in It Ain't Half Hot, Mum.
  • Steve Ashcroft is played by David Griffin, who would later be best known for playing Clive Dempster in Hi-de-Hi! and Emmet Hawksworth in Keeping Up Appearances.
  • Marian Wilks is played by Gail Harrison, who would later be best known for playing Isobel Hardacre in Brass.
  • Gerry (who appeared in 7 episodes between 1973 and 1975) is played by Gorden Kaye, who would later be best known for playing René Artois in 'Allo 'Allo!.
  • A driver from a 1973 episode is played by Joe Black, who would later be best known for playing Garstang in Come Back Mrs. Noah.
  • Hilda Semple from four 1975 episodes is played by Liz Smith, who would later be best known for playing Mrs. Cropley in The Vicar of Dibley and Nana in The Royle Family.
  • Steven from three 1977 episodes is played by Tim Healy, who would later be best known for playing Dennis Patterson in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.
• Ron the Death Eater: Some fans see Jacob as this whenever he's hostile towards David and Leyla, forgetting the fact that his behaviour is a consequenece of being groomed and manipulated by Maya.
• Strangled by the Red String: Sometimes the show will throw random characters together and claim that they're in love, despite them having no chemistry just for the sake of drama which usually leads them to a quick break up. It's then forgotten that they even dated, from the characters and the show itself.
• The Scrappy: Jessie Grant. Try to find anyone who likes the character. Just go onto the Emmerdale facebook page and see how dislike she is.
• Squick: Maya grooming teenager Jacob is enough to disgust many viewers.
• Take That, Scrappy!: Some fans were delighted that Jessie Grant was suspended from her job, after failing to report or even notice any hints of Maya's grooming of Jacob.
• Took a Level in Jerkass: While David did have his issues beforehand, his character declined around 2016 what with him cheating on whatever women he's with, being ashamed of Tracey's past and failing to support her, and failing to see that his son was being groomed by David's girlfriend and when the truth came out, initially blaming Jacob for the situation.
• They Wasted a Perfectly Good Plot: The Jacob and Maya did a good job showing grooming and abuse between a minor and a adult in a postion of trust. However, when the reveal happened, everything went downhill. Jacob was written horribly out of character, being a jerk to everyone and willing to leave his family for Maya at the drop of the hat and not treated with respect as a victim of sexual abuse. The storyline lost sense of the message it was trying to tell. Maya didn't even get charged for all her crimes, only for sexual commination with a minor.