Emmerdale fans 'work out' Mackenzie Boyd return twist and it's not far away

Emmerdale viewers are convinced that Mackenzie Boyd, played by Lawrence Robb, isn't really dead and will soon return to the village.

Earlier this week, Mack made a shocking discovery about John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth), suggesting he was involved in Nate Robinson's (Jurell Carter) murder.

A tense confrontation followed, during which Mack accused John of being unwell. Realising he was in grave danger, Mack pushed John and fled into the woods.

John pursued Mackenzie, armed with a bow and arrow. He fired an arrow, which pierced Mack's chest, sending him sprawling.

Finding Mackenzie, John claimed he had no choice but to silence him. He picked up a rock and hurled it at Mack, seemingly killing him on the spot, reports the Daily Star.

As Friday's episode (22 August) began, John was seen standing in the woods, watching a fire die out. He returned to the cottage and found Aaron Dingle (Danny Miller) on his phone.

He then took a call from Mack's wife Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins), who is currently on holiday.

Later, Aaron spotted John cleaning his van and noticed blood on John's mirror. In an attempt to cover his tracks, John claimed he had hit a deer and felt guilty.

Unbeknownst to Aaron, John was doing more than just tidying his van. Aaron was distracted by the sight of blood on John's mirror above the wheel.

Returning to the cottage, Aaron failed to notice that John had taken possession of Mackenzie's mobile phone. To avoid arousing suspicion, John needed to act swiftly to prevent Charity from questioning why Mack hadn't been in touch.\

Using Mack's device, he sent a text to Charity containing confirmation that he no longer wished to remain married to her - though viewers believe there could be a dramatic resurrection twist on the cards.

Taking to Reddit, one viewer wrote: "Just to remind everyone of one of soaplands most enduring tropes... No body, no murder/death. Sure we saw something bleeding under the rug, but we didn't exactly see who it was. Looking forward to the return of the Mack at Xmas!"

Another contributed: "I'm thinking the same thing. I'd love it if he wasn't but his injuries were pretty bad before the rock. But then, it's soap, they've pulled things off that are more convoluted, I don't like his chances, as showing him alive after that would still be gory too."

A third person commented: "Mackenzie CAN'T be dead we need a ''Return Of The Mack'." It appears certain that Mackenzie met his end at John's hands, yet in the world of soap operas, nothing is impossible.

Previously, audiences have witnessed numerous characters make comebacks from beyond the grave, so without concrete evidence such as the discovery of a corpse, the possibility remains that John didn't actually kill Mack.

Emmerdale airs weeknights on ITV1 at 7.30pm and available to stream from 7am on ITVX