Carl King
| Carl King | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Emmerdale character | |||||||||||||||||||||||
 Carl in 2009. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Tom Lister | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Duration | 2004— | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| First appearance | 6 February 2004 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classification | Present; regular | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Created by | Steve Frost | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Carl Thomas King is a fictional character appearing on the British ITV soap opera Emmerdale. He is portrayed by Tom Lister.
Overview
Carl was the first of the Kings to arrive in Emmerdale, claiming to be footloose and fancy-free. The truth was, he was married to Colleen and had two children - Thomas and Anya. This proved that under the 'butter wouldn't melt' persona, Carl is a master of deception. He has a hot-headed approach to life and has caused havoc as a result. Due to being involved in the deaths of four people, he has become colder and more ruthless - taking after Matthew.
Carl is the third son of Tom and Mary King. He was closest to Max, they bonded over Tom taking more interest in Jimmy and Matthew. Carl's relationship with Matthew became volatile, particularly after Matthew learned Carl was responsible for Tom's death. Carl has little in common with his remaining siblings, Jimmy or Scarlett.
Carl can be very moral and does not hesitate to speak when he sees people being dishonest or unfair to others, such as his objection to Matthew not telling Anna that he was with Donald when he died.
Early days in the village
Having joined Tate Haulage as a driver, Carl got information from Scott Windsor about a contract they were bidding for, winning it for King & Sons. Zoe Tate was furious but blamed Scott, feeling he had betrayed her trust. Although Carl is a businessman like his father and brothers, he wasn't as ruthless as Matthew.
Despite being married, Carl tried wooing Louise Appleton and was thrilled when she agreed to a date. However, as they were about to leave, Colleen told Louise that Carl was married to her so Louise slapped him. Carl’s bad boy side infuriated Tom, who considered him the black sheep of the family. So when Carl embarrassed himself at a party when he was caught with Chas Dingle, Tom was furious. Carl was surprised by how strongly he felt about brassy Chas. The pair were soon very close, and got closer still when Carl confessed his darkest secret to her.
Paul Marsden's death
Carl was with postman Paul Marsden when he died. Carl was repairing the roof at Holdgate Farm so Paul climbed up to help and saw that Carl was scared of heights. He started mucking around but died after he fell from the scaffolding. Despite it being an accident, Carl called his brothers and they moved Paul's body so Carl wasn't implicated. Siobhan Marsden, Paul's widow, found his body in their back garden. She assumed he was trying to fix the tv aerial, as it wasn't working, and fell from their roof. Unable to afford the cottage, she sold it to Matthew and moved away.
Chas was sympathetic, as she could see how guilty Carl felt, and it looked like their relationship was about to move to the next level.
Romantic relationships
However, Chas had competition for Carl's affections - Chloe Atkinson. She and Carl had a one night stand and thought they were together so she was shocked when he and Chas reconciled. Determined to make sure this didn't last, she wrote poison pen letters and undermined Chas's trust in Carl. Eventually they split and Carl reconciled with Chloe. Unfortunately he soon tired of her and tried to end things but she claimed to be pregnant. She wasn't but tried desperately to conceive before Carl realised. Chas discovered Chloe's lies and made her confess to Carl, who promptly dumped her. Just before she left the village, she reminded Carl that she could be pregnant as they weren't taking precautions.
After this, Carl kept a low profile but knew he still had feelings for Chas but she had also left the village, joining the army. Carl became close to her cousin Delilah, whom she hated. Del fell in love with Carl but she knew how he really felt and turned him down when he suggested making a go of their relationship, encouraging him to fight for Chas instead. Aided by Del, Carl tracked her down and gatecrashed a wedding to declare his feelings, even picking up her up in his arms. Unfortunately he dropped her and broke her leg so she returned to Emmerdale after she was discharged on medical grounds. Eventually she and Carl reconciled. Now back together, Carl proposed but she said no until he tackled his vertigo by doing a wing walk with her cousin, Alice Wilson, she changed her mind and they got engaged. They moved into Home Farm with Tom and Chas became Jimmy’s PA.
Family disputes
Tensions erupted when Matthew King chose Sadie King over his family and their business. Matthew and Sadie started a rival company and Matthew used Carl to pass Jimmy false information so he lost an important deal. Despite Chas defending Tom's relationship with Rosemary, Rosemary repaid her by telling Tom that he was right to feel that Chas wasn't good enough for Carl. Between them, they bullied/bribed her to dump him. Chas's cousin, Eli Dingle, convinced her that Carl deserved the truth and she told him at Tom and Rosemary's wedding.
Unexpected family
After Tom's death, Carl discovered he had a half sister Scarlett Nicholls, who he struggled to bond with. He and Matthew wanted to buy her share of the business but she refused to sell. Carl softened towards Scarlett but was uncomfortable with Carrie until it was revealed that they had had a one night stand when he was a teenager. He was hurt when she said sleeping with him meant nothing and struggled to cope with discovering that she had preferred Tom. Scarlett was proof of that.
Carl got used to Carrie and was grateful when she helped evict their stepmother, Rosemary King from Home Farm. Tom left her Home Farm Estates but left everything else to his children, providing they gave Rosemary a home. Eventually, fearing for her life, Rosemary was "persuaded" to sell Home Farm Estates and joined her son, Grayson, at Mill Cottage.
Tom King's murderer unmasked
The case against the King brothers collapsed in May 2007 when Louise Appleton told the police that she and Hari Prasad gave false statements. Matthew was sure that Jimmy was responsible and told him to admit it. When he wouldn't, Matthew attacked him so Carl admitted he was responsible. He told Matthew that he had confronted Tom in his room and they rowed about Chas. Tom started calling her names so Carl hit him to stop him. As Tom fell, Carl pushed him away and Tom fell from the window. Jimmy realised Carl was responsible but kept quiet, angering Matthew as he felt he had a right to know. When he calmed down, however, he told Carl that Tom had provoked him and didn't blame him.
Relationship with Grace Barraclough
Meanwhile, Carl and DCI Grace Barraclough were dating in secret. She started it as a honeytrap, asking him who killed Tom but Carl wouldn't say and they ended up in bed together. Grace ended their relationship, telling Carl if her career was over if her boss found out. Hurt by her rejection, Carl got drunk and told Jimmy and Matthew that he and Grace were dating briefly. When he passed out, Jimmy took him abroad to clear his head, going with him to make sure he kept quiet. Carl was reluctant to end things with Grace. When he returned, he deliberately got arrested for drink driving, wanting to get closer to Grace, which they did, in his cell. His brothers thought he was over Grace but he told her that he had killed Tom. Grace had to choose: Carl or her career.
Grace's death
Carl decided to confess to Tom's murder and went to the police station with Grace, holding hands. Jimmy watched after begging Carl to reconsider. Carl's phone rang and he stopped to answer it but Grace didn't. She carried on and was mowed down by a lorry, dying instantly. Carl came to terms with Tom and Grace's death and resolved to not care what happened around him, becoming stone cold, just like Matthew. (It was never definitely found out but there were rumours that Matthew was involved in Grace's death)
Early relationship with Lexi
After Carrie Nicholls emigrated, Scarlett needed a new trustee. Lexi wanted the job and got closer to Carl, hoping he would back her up. Fortunately for Scarlett, Matthew took over. Lexi dumped Carl but Chas found out that Lexi and Carl had dated briefly. Furious as she had warned Lexi to stay away from him, she ended their friendship and punched Carl.
When Carl joined De Souza Enterprises, Matthew was angry - he felt Carl had stitched them up, particularly as Carl took the bin contract with him. So when Carl needed a PA, Matthew insisted Lexi apply and pass information to him, threatening to tell Scarlett about her time as a lap dancer if she didn't. Chas warned Carl that Lexi was up to no good but, amused, he hired her. He wasn't amused when he realised Matthew had used his ideas to reduce King & Sons' carbon footprint. Carl initially blamed Jimmy until Lexi admitted being responsible. She and Carl had reconciled but angry at her deception, he dumped her and Donald sacked her.
Relationship with the De Souzas
Carl soon won the respect of Donald De Souza. At Donald's birthday party, Donald announced he was retiring and that he was appointing Carl the new MD. However, Donald's daughter, Anna De Souza, wanted that job herself but Donald insisted she prove herself first.
Carl and Anna's working relationship was difficult as it was clear that they were attracted to each other. He was jealous of her relationship with Matthew and reconciled with Lexi again to annoy her but she was merely amused. However, Carl and Anna's relationship thawed after she argued with Donald. Carl comforted her and they admitted their true feelings for each other. Torn between Carl and Matthew, Anna chose Carl, telling him to end things with Lexi if he wanted her. He agreed but changed his mind when Lexi told Carrie had told her that he had killed Tom so Carl and Anna's relationship turned frosty again. Anna warned Donald that sooner or later Carl would choose his family over Donald and was proved right when an investor invested in King and Sons, not De Souza Enterprises. Donald was upset as he had seen Carl as a surrogate son and bought Mill Cottage for him. Carl and Lexi moved in there together.
Donald and Matthew's Death
Donald saw that Matthew had feelings for Anna and wanting revenge, told her to use Matthew's feelings for her to get close to him and destroy the Kings from within. Anna spent time with Matthew and they fell in love. She eventually told him everything and proposed marriage. He agreed and asked her to move into Home Farm, proposing to her at Holdgate Farm, knowing Donald could see them.
After a row at Matthew and Anna's engagement party, Anna threw Donald out and Matthew confronted him. The conversation ended when Matthew refused to give Donald his heart pills until he agreed to attend the wedding but Donald died and Matthew, shocked and traumatised, went home. Betty and Laurel found his body the next day. Carl was upset and when he saw Matthew acting oddly, confronted him. Matthew told Carl what had happened and he insisted Matthew tell Anna. He lied to Carl that he'd told Anna and she had understood.
By their wedding day (December 16), King & Sons were declared bankrupt and as the bailiffs moved in, Carl visited their lawyer. He discovered that Donald had done a deal with a major client and knew Anna would inherit the company. As her husband, Matthew, had an interest in De Souza Enterprises. Paranoid about Matthew and Anna's intentions, he interrupted the wedding, telling Anna about Matthew's involvement in Donald's death. Devastated, Anna ran out in tears. Matthew and Carl had a huge fight and in revenge, Matthew drove a van at Carl, intending to run him over until he saw Anna and Carl together. He swerved but went through the windscreen and smashed onto the road. Jimmy phoned for an ambulance, while Carl stared in shock as Matthew died in Anna's arms.
Rebuilding the family
Carl's only assets now were Mill Cottage and the mortgage he'd given Debbie Dingle so he began to pressure her for money. Carl, Jimmy, Lexi and Scarlett thought about leaving but decided to stay and scraped up the cash to buy a truck and start a new haulage company, using their old contacts. Edna and Scarlett worked together to run the office and Lexi continued working at the factory. Natasha Wylde also helped - she had taken a shine to Debbie and when she was arrested her, helped her by clearing her arrears to Carl plus rent for the next 6 months.
In early 2009, Carl felt alienated from his family. Chas supported him and when Lexi forgot his mother's jewelry while packing their personal belongings at Home Farm, she and Katie helped Carl retrieve it. Hiding from the security guard, he showed her the jewelry - particularly the items Tom gave Mary when their sons were born. Carl told Chas that he still loved her but she insisted they were history, particularly after Aaron Livesy made her choose - him or Carl. Chas was torn until Debbie made Chas realise that Aaron hated Carl for hurting her in the past so Chas told Carl again that they were finished for good.
Living with Lexi
Carl was distant with Lexi but wanting to make their relationship work, she proposed. She implied that if he didn't agree, she'd tell people that he had killed Tom. Carl agreed but was non-committal about setting a date. Lexi, however, had other ideas and visited Ashley, setting the date for 31 March 2009. Carl went along with it but went missing on the day. Lexi arrived at the church to find Jimmy claimed that Carl had a stomach bug while he tried to find him. Carl, meanwhile, had gone to meet Chas, hoping they would reconcile but she insisted that they were finished for good. Devastated, Carl married Lexi, despite being so late for the wedding that Ashley was about to send the guests home. Jimmy insisted Carl take Lexi on honeymoon and she was pleased that their relationship had improved but it didn't last so she told Gennie that she and Carl were trying for a baby. Carl only found out what Lexi was planning when he caught her with a pregnancy test. He was furious but not wanting to hurt Lexi, agreed to try again when the test was negative.
Trying for a baby
In June, Lexi discovered that she was pregnant and was thrilled. Sadly, the pregnancy was ectopic. At a follow-up appointment a few days later, Lexi discovered her remaining fallopian tube was badly damaged and she was unlikely to conceive without IVF. Lexi was devastated and wanted to start IVF immediately but Carl only agreed because he felt guilty. Jimmy and Nicola guessed and told Carl that he had to tell Lexi that he didn't want children, which he did. Angry, Lexi threw him out and Nicola tried to comfort her but that ended in Lexi pushing Nicola down the stairs after an argument. Horrified at what she'd done, Lexi called an ambulance. Nicola and the baby got the all-clear but she went into premature labour a few days later, giving birth on 6 August. The baby, later named Angelica, was rushed to the special care baby unit and spent a few days there but soon got the all-clear.
Lexi agreed with Carl that being together was more important than having a family. Nicola, however, could see Lexi's heart wasn't in it and told her that she'd get what she settled for in life and so she should make sure she was happy with it.
Lexi's departure
On 13 August, baby Angelica went for some tests so Nicola went for a shower. Angelica was back sooner than expected so the nurse gave her to Lexi. Initially, Lexi took her to find Nicola but went up on to the hospital roof to show her the world. When Jimmy, Nicola and Scarlett realised where Lexi and Angelica were, they were terrified but Carl didn't care. He finally came clean, telling Lexi that he had never wanted children and what he really thought of her. Lexi returned Angelica to Jimmy and Nicola and angry with Carl, they had a fight. Lexi realised that Carl didn't love her and wasn't prepared to have a family with her so she left him on the hospital roof, going home to pack and left Emmerdale for good.
Life after Lexi
Now separated from Lexi, Carl realised that Nicola and Scarlett were angry with him for the way he had treated her. Nicola insisted he move out, which he did - moving into Pear Tree but Jimmy persuaded her to let him move back when she asked Jimmy to be a stay-at-home dad. Now back home, Carl set his sights on getting Chas back. Undeterred by the fact that she was with Paddy, he went after her and after they spent a night together while Paddy was away, Carl told him. Devastated, Paddy threw Chas and Aaron out. Chas moved into Victoria Cottage briefly but was driven out by Gennie's disgust so she moved into Mill Cottage with Carl, Jimmy, Nicola and the baby. Nicola and Scarlett weren't pleased so Carl took Chas on a business trip to Italy.