#dithompson

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"So Are You!"

Tuesday 5th January 2021

Hello again everyone! Well, we're back in lockdown, I hope you're all keeping safe and looking after yourselves. This has got to come to end at some point right? Considering that the UK has been put into another lockdown, for those of you who are wondering, EastEnders have confirmed that they will still be carry on filming with plenty more social distancing policies in place. I'm very pleased to hear this news, I felt it was hard when EastEnders had to go off air, I was so thrilled when it returned to our screens. Also it doesn't even phase me that the episodes only last 20 minutes, I know it might be annoying some of you guys, but it doesn't matter how long an episode lasts, we're still getting our daily Easties fix!

Now about last night's episode, there's quite a bit to cover, there were quite a few moments I got completely confused, but by the end it all made sense! I'll explain more of that a little later, but first lets focus on Kush and the Slater family. Poor Stacey is completely beside herself, fearing the worst that Kush has kidnapped her son and taken him to Dubai! Kush is still in hope that Whitney will help with the funds he needs to get away, only when she turns up empty handed and refusing to help with his plan, he can see his chances to get away have slumped! Whitney tells him some pretty hard hitting truths, regardless whether he thinks he's doing the right thing for Arthur, Whitney tells him that his actions could force Arthur to hate him, taking him away from his Mum and family, this fact seems to really play on Kush's mind. Back on the Square Stacey and Martin are contemplating calling the police, stating the fact that Kush hasn't left them any choice, only just before they're able to dial, a taxi pulls up and little Arthur is seen getting out. Stacey is overcome with relief as she rushes to her little boy and scoops him up in her arms. Kat really isn't best impressed as she approaches her boyfriend and gives him a huge slap around the face! Regardless of emotions being so high, Ruby is there with a really smug looking face watching everything unfold in front of her! Once inside, Kat lays into Kush about his actions, it's quite hard really because I feel for them both, even though Kush did have it coming! I feel, if Kush hadn't started his gambling addiction, he wouldn't be in this awful mess. Kat mentions how she felt safe with him after being lied to so many times by Alfie. It's clear to see she is in deep distress after being lied to again and again, after being betrayed by someone she truly loved and trusted. Even though Kush is apologetic and trying to persuade her that he'll change, she can't seem to find a way back from this announces their relationship is over. What do you think? Will they be able to work it out? Do you like Kat and Kush together?! Later on, when Ruby is at home, Kush knocks on her door and bursts his way in, blaming her for putting the idea in his head an even more so of giving him the money to flee, in an attempt to blackmail her, he announces that he'll be moving in with her and Martin, seeing as he has no where to go, and if Ruby declines, he'll inform Martin about her giving him the money to take Arthur away, from the look of Ruby's face - she simply has no choice but to let him stay!

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The second thing I want to focus on, is Sharon! It looks as if she is still wanting to carry on with her plan and poison Ian. After Phil eventually agreed on helping her take down Ian, she visits him hoping to receive more pills to poison him with, but when he gives her such a small amount, she's not impressed. She informs him that it's not enough and that she needs more, but Phil warns her they need to take it slowly, make it look real, and not give him too many in one go. She seems disappointed but leaves with with pills nonetheless. Back at the Vic, she's prepping the pills and adding them to Ian's coffee, only Linda seems to interrupt her and takes her by surprise. Linda appears with little Ollie as she comes to visit her friend and comes to seek some advice after getting things back on track with Mick, as they begin their catch up, Linda encourages Ollie to go and play with Albie. Later on and Sharon seems to forget what she was previously doing, and enjoys her chat with Linda, little Ollie comes walks in - I'm assuming he's wanting a drink - as he walks straight up to counter and goes to grab the mug left on the side, the mug which contains Ian's poisoned coffee! Luckily, Sharon notices the little boy's actions before any harm can be done, but because she shouted at him so loudly, she scares the poor boy. Linda seems surprised by actions but she thinks quick and explains that she didn't want Ollie having so much caffeine. Linda seems to shake her friends behaviour off, but it looks as if Sharon can't afford to lose her focus, otherwise an innocent party could be badly hurt.

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Lastly, the main focus of this episode was Callum and Jack! Previously, Jack had agreed to help Callum out, regarding DI Thompson. Callum feared that if Thompson was going to reveal everything, he'd lose Ben and his place in the Mitchell family for good. The only person he could turn to and actually trust to help him, was Jack. In this episode, Callum informs Jack that a meeting has been arranged with DI Thompson at Ruby's club, at first it all looks like they have a plan in motion to maybe blackmail Thompson, bullying Callum into doing things he shouldn't be doing etc etc. Callum waits nervously, DI Thompson enters and Callum begins to mention that he has something solid on Phil that he'll be interested in - of course it's just an excuse to keep him there until Jack shows up, however Callum begins to panic and struggles under pressure as Jack fails to turn up. My first thought was - where the hell was Jack? Unfortunately, I don't think that question gets answered. Thompson is clearly getting fed up of Callum and his excuses and makes his exit, leaving Callum in a panic. As he attempts to follow, Jack finally turns up, much to Callum's relief. Jack informs Callum to leave as he'll take it from here - it's then that Jack confronts Thompson with what he's been up to the past couple of months and forcing a junior police officer to do things he shouldn't be doing. To save him getting in any trouble, he urges DI Thompson to take early retirement and leave Phil to him. At this moment, I slightly panicked - it had me questioning as to who's side Jack was actually on?! I was so confused - one minute he was helping Callum, the next, helping Thompson! - WHAT?!

But then Jack found Callum and informed him that everything had been sorted, there was no more reason for him to worry and he could tell the Mitchell's everything. Being the supportive colleague, Jack accompanies Callum to the Mitchell's as they reveal everything about DI Thompson's plan. At first both Ben and Phil are furious to hear that Callum was involved, but they both make them see that everything he did was to protect the Mitchell's, putting his career on the line for them! Ben seems to realise how much Callum has gone through to protect him and proposes going to the pub for a drink. However, as Ben and Callum leave, Phil can't seem to understand why Jack would get involved, he senses that something isn't right and he's after something - it's then that Jack reveals to Phil that Thompson has given him a memory stick containing everything that Phil has done in the past up till present day of his dodgy and petty crimes. Phil sees that Jack will want something from him in return if he wants all this to disappear, but what?!

Meanwhile at the pub, Callum is confessing everything to Ben. Informing him that he just wants to be honest with his boyfriend and most importantly, he'd do anything to protect him - even if it means putting his career on the line! Ben is completely overwhelmed by his boyfriend's actions. It's then that Jay walks in and Callum offers to buy the next round of drinks. As he steps up to the bar, Ben looks lovingly at his boyfriend, to which Jay notices, asking what the look was for, Ben innocently smiles and states clear as day "I'm going to marry that man, Jay!" ......... Oooooh I'm sure you Ballum fans will be going crazy after that line!!! Is this a slight hint that there could be a Ballum wedding on the cards? Here's an interesting question - who would you like to see pop the question? Ben to Callum? or Callum to Ben? - Personally I think if Ben was to pop the question to Callum, it would fit so perfectly!!

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The final clip we see is Denise walking through the Square, however unbeknown to her, Lucas is following her from a distance! Can I just say how bloody creepy that was? Clearly Lucas is still has it in for his ex, but why?! Denise really needs to keep on her guard! As she reaches her house, suddenly Jack appears with a huge bouquet of flowers, and admits to Denise that he wants to give them both another try. Even though Denise is touched by his romantic gesture, she questions whether he's accepting of having Phil in her life, literally because of Raymond - it's then that things are made clear. Jack informs her that she doesn't have to worry about Phil as he has sorted it - which basically means that they've made some kind of deal, Jack won't dob him into the police as long as Phil stays away from Denise and Raymond ... That's got to be it, right? Even though Phil may have agreed to this arrangement, I do fear he may find it hard, knowing full well that his son is just on the other side of the Square. Then again, I suppose he could take comfort in knowing that his son is close to home. Who knows? As Jack and Denise close in for a kiss and rekindle their romance, Lucas watches with dark eyes from a distance!! He is so creepy, I am so glad that EastEnders have brought him back, it's going to be so interesting to see what brings Lucas back, Denise had best watch her back!

Overall a great episode, enjoyable and again so much drama! Thank you again for reading, I truly appreciate your time. Please feel free to leave me any messages or comments, I'll always find the time to reply! Thanks again folks! Love you all xXx

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"Gray Is Capable Of Much More Than What People Think!"

Thursday 17th December 2020

Hello everyone! Sorry for the late post, I've been away from my laptop and TV once again over the weekend and this has been the only time I've had to catch up on EastEnders! I apologise for this being late but I'm hoping I'll be able to squeeze in two posts tomorrow in an attempt to catch up! Firstly there is a little bit of news I need to mention, at the end of last week it was revealed that Jake Wood had filmed his final scenes as Max Branning! Even though I knew Max was leaving the soap, I feel a sadness that EastEnders has lost one of it's greats! I'm sure I heard that the door will be left open for Max to return one day in the future! Even though Jake has finished filming, Max's final scenes are due to be aired in February 2021!!

Wow! What another jam packed episode it was! A little bit comical as well as having so much drama! There are a few main things I'd like to talk about but they are kind of all linked together in some way, shape or form! Let's start with the comical moments surrounding Stuart and Rainie! After Stuart revealed to his wife that he potentially murdered Callum's boss, DI Thompson, we've been made to believe that Thompson is in fact dead, and all honestly, I was thrilled when I thought he was! It gave me hope that Callum would be able to forget everything that had happened and move on with his life. When we first see Rainie and Stuart, they are both sat in the hearse with the coffin behind them, both look tremendously nervous as it looks as if they're about to bury a dead body without any form of funeral. Only things are made a lot more tense when Stuart can't get the vehicle to start, he's trying his absolute best to get the vehicle going when suddenly Callum appears. Callum notices that they can't get their car to start and insists that Ben takes a look at it whilst they all go for a drink. Stuart and Rainie both decline his offer in unison, looking almost like a comedy double act! But Callum insists and even points out that the dead body they're carrying isn't going anywhere so what harm could it do? Later on in the Vic, they both look completely awkward as they try to smile their way through the drinks. To pass the time, Stuart questions his brother whether he's seen or spoken to DI Thompson recently, Callum at first confirms that he's not seen him the past couple of days - however - he drops the big bombshell that Thompson was in fact seen at his disciplinary hearing the day before! Both Stuart and Rainie look in absolute shock as they hear this news, what the heck is Callum talking about?! Later on they take it upon themselves to double check the coffin, Rainie is furious with her husband for not checking, as they should do, that DI Thompson was in fact deceased. They look inside the coffin together and we can very clearly see that the box is completely empty! What the hell does this mean for Callum and Stuart? Could they potentially be in more danger? Does this mean that Thompson won't be out for just Callum, but Stuart also? As much comical this section was, I do fear for the Halfway brothers now. I fear Thompson might be out for revenge, I hope he'll get his comeuppance eventually! 

The second thing I want to talk about is Ben, at the beginning of the episode we see him just about to enjoy his breakfast just as Suki walks in the door. Interesting that as soon as she enters the Cafe, he leaves and claims to have lost his appetite. As he leaves he pulls as face as if to say that he knows that he's up against a brick wall. He knows he needs to give Suki the money she's asking for in return for her silence about the CCTV. Later on, after calling Suki to meet her in the Aches, they meet up and Ben throws her a plastic bag containing the money she's seeking. However, when he asks her for the CCTV footage she has of him, we can see on her phone that she appears to have a made copy which looks much more clearer and sharper. He questions how he can trust her not to give up the original copy, but Suki is another one who's hard at playing games and states to him that he actually can't trust her. However when he states he wants the original copy of the footage, she plays just as dirty and informs him that she wants more money, only this time she's increasing it by another zero! Instead of £10,000, she wants £100,000 for her silence! Ben is completely and utterly stunned by how much she is asking for as later on in the episode he feels he has no choice but to seek help and advice from his Dad, he simply has no where else to turn, it's then he admits to his Dad that he's "Done something stupid!". It looks as if then Phil calls Kathy over to help come up with some kind of alibi for their son, however Kathy admits that she's not going to lie to the police, Ben swears on his daughter's life that he did not attack his brother. But then Kathy asks the very interesting question, if he didn't attack Phil - then what the hell was he actually doing? And why does the CCTV show him leaving the Queen Vic?! 

I'm going to return to Suki and the Mitchell's shortly but another section I want to focus on this episode is Mick and Katy. Katy seems to visit Mick at his house, at first their conversation is pleasant, she appears to be asking how he is and how he's coping. It's then that he reveals to her about the fall out he'd had with Tina the previous day and how low it has made him feel. It's then that Katy starts to twist things and starts to manipulate him just that little bit more, she's snooping through his house and belongings and notices a postcard from his daughter, Nancy, from New Zealand. She compliments how good it must've been for her to move away, Mick acknowledges his pride in his daughter and how he's proud of all of his children. He even voices that his children are simply his greatest achievement in life. Katy then seems to twist things and acknowledge that all his children are doing great now that they've moved away from Walford, and voices her opinion that maybe he should move away in an attempt to have a fresh start and it'll maybe help all the thoughts that swirling through his mind. She even has the audacity to mention Ollie and that maybe he not being around his son during this tough time he's experiencing isn't good for the little boy. But Mick sees red, he states that he could never be too far away from his little boy, so when she puts forward the suggestion of him moving away, for a moment I think that he think that she's overstepped the mark - as a viewer I am disgusted that she's even used Ollie to get to Mick, she's so twisted and manipulative! I am happy to hear when Mick tells her leave, only as she does - the look in his face is once again, fear, is he speculating that what's just said could be right?! We know Mick is not in the best place right now, mentally and emotionally, so I'm sure it'll be understandable for her words to play on his mind. Later on in the episode, Shirley goes to visit her son with an early Christmas present in attempt to make amends to her son. However Mick just isn't impressed and isn't even interested in the present she's bought for him. He tells her that whatever has happened, it's not going to take a Christmas present to make things right, he simply throws the gift to the floor and tells her to leave. Right now, does anyone else feel for Shirley? I feel she's trying her absolute best to make it up to her son, but just keeps getting things thrown back in her face. Obviously, no other members of the Carter family know what's going on with Mick right now, only that something is bothering him and no one knows what. One by one he has pushed them away and they are no closer to finding out what's wrong with him. Surely things have got to come to light soon, haven't they? We know that Mick contemplates taking his own life - could that be the moment that the Carter's rally around Mick once again and plead for him to tell them what on Earth is going on?! Will him attempting to take his own life be the only thing it'll take for them to realise things are more serious than they realised! 

Returning to Suki and the Mitchell's like I said I would, during the episode, Jack visits both Suki and Kheerat and informs them that the blood that was found on the van was actually Ian's blood. Now something tells me that the Panesar's are looking more and more guilty as time goes on. Interestingly, we have another flashback which shows Kheerat handling Ian and possibly throwing him against the van, however Ian is awake and sitting up at this point, although he looks dreary, he's awake and we see Kheerat standing over him. The interesting thing is though is that this is happening OUTSIDE of the Queen Vic, when Ian was actually found inside! Could this altercation cause Ian to have collapsed inside the pub? After hearing the news about the blood, Suki is furious with her son as she questions him on why he wasn't careful. Did Suki maybe put her son up to attacking Ian?! Could they both be to blame?! Meanwhile, after Ben has revealed everything to his Dad, Phil takes it upon himself to break into the Panesar's offices with a baseball bat, and smash everything in sight! In typical Phil style, he smashes everything from tables, chairs, computers, filing cabinets - everything, you name it, he smashes it! After being alerted of a break in, Suki goes to office to see what's happening and eventually comes face-to-face with an angry Phil. He knows exactly what she's got over his son, Ben, and demands for the CCTV footage, even stating that he won't just be hitting computer screens to get it. Now this is where things get really interesting, after mocking Ben, stating that he's not very clever, she goads Phil into hitting her with the baseball bat - "Go on then! Hit me!" - even though he raises the bat, he doesn't swing. - I don't think Phil has ever hit a woman, has he?! At this point, it seems worrying that Phil may have met his match in Suki, who knows?! What is going to happen now though? With Phil being a powerful individual, I'm sure he won't let Suki get away with threatening his son. 

The final thing I want to focus on is Gray and Tina. Before Shirley delivers the Christmas present to Mick, she's at the Atkins household, contemplating whether to deliver it or not. Tina is against the idea, considering she's still upset regarding the way Mick spoke to her the previous day. She points out that Mick hasn't been right for months and it doesn't seem like an early Christmas present is going to fix things, she tries to persuade her sister to leave it until Mick is feeling a bit more normal. However, regardless of her opinion, Gray decides to take it upon himself to try and convince Shirley to deliver it, he thinks that it'll show Mick that she's at least trying to make amends. We can see from Tina's look on her face that she's a little annoyed with Gray's opinion. It's clear that Tina is still worrying about her own alibi regarding Ian's attack, as she still hasn't managed to track down the pizza delivery boy, she voices her concerns to Gray, who tries his best to persuade her that everything will be okay (even though he seems to say with a sarcastic smile, I thought anyway). Later on in the episode, after Shirley has attempted to deliver her present to her son, she's sat in the Atkins household confiding in Gray about Mick rejecting the gift. It's then she begins to question what kind of Christmas it's going to be for them all if they can't be with the ones they love, Gray responds by saying that they'll be able to sort things out whilst living in at Atkins household together, however he then mentions that the one thing that could make it a better Christmas, would be for Tina to stop leaving things a mess and stop having her so-called "tantrums", only as he says these words, Tina is listening to their conversation and can hear everything they're saying whilst she's stood on the stairs in the hallway. Even though Shirley promises to have a word with Tina, it seems that these words play on Tina's mind. She goes to find Kheerat and asks what he actually meant when he warned her of Gray. Kheerat voices his concern about the grieving widower, he states that he has no proof over what happened in that household when Chantelle was living there, but he makes his opinion very clear that he's convinced that there's more to Gray than what people think! 

What does this mean for Tina? I know there's so much speculation right now that she could be Gray's next victim? We know she's leaving very soon but I do fear the more she digs and asks questions about Gray, he'll find out and panic that she's about to reveal his secret. Could he potentially kill her too in an attempt to keep her quiet? Who knows? There is so much happening right now my brain is about to go to mush! What do you think is going to happen regarding these storylines? Please feel free to leave a comment or message me, I'd love to hear your thoughts! Thank you again so much for reading, means the absolute world! Love you all xXx

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"Small Price To Pay For Your Freedom!"

Tuesday 15th December 2020

Hello again folks! So even more news has been revealed on what we can expect in the episodes taking place around New Year. Mick has been battling with the knowledge that he was sexually abused in his childhood years by his so-called childhood friend, Katy. Since Katy's arrival on the Square, Mick has behaviour towards his family and friends has been ruined, he's pushed everyone he loves away. Mainly I think because he can't bring him himself to accept the facts, and if he can't accept it - how can he possibly tell his family? He doesn't seem to think they'd understand, so instead of talking he's pushed everyone away, his Mum, his sister and now his wife. Devastatingly things are only going to get worse for Mick as the New Year comes, he contemplates taking his own life as his mental health and emotional feelings get worse and he feels there's no one he can turn to. I feel that this New Year is going to be an upsetting one for the Carter family.

Wow! So there's quite a bit to cover from this episode, the main two things I'll leave till the end. I'll start this blog by talking about Denise and Kim. Of course having her son with her for his first Christmas on Walford would mean a lot to Denise, however she seems to be wary of what his traditions with his adoptive family was like. She comes up with the decision to make this year a traditional Christmas for Raymond, which could might mean that they'd have to go to church. Now as the episode continued, Denise is seen chatting with the pastor from Raymond's church and he voices that he's expecting to see Raymond on Christmas Day. Only Denise isn't too sure as herself and her family are not religious, but maybe to give Raymond some familiarity, she may consider going to the church. However, something is telling me that she may come to regret her decision. We know her ex-husband, Lucas, is returning to the Square on Christmas Day, what if he just so happens to appear at the church that she takes Raymond to?!

From the recent Christmas trailer that has dropped, we see Denise look in absolute fear as she comes face-to-face with Lucas, however he doesn't seem as happy to see her, as I'm sure we see him clench his fist! What brings him back to Walford?! Could he end up ruining Denise and Raymond's Christmas?! Although, before she can start her plans for a traditional Christmas, she needs to bring her family round to the idea. At first, Kim announces that she's not a church person (maybe it'll take something more to bring Kim around to the idea)? but Patrick! Ahhhhh Patrick! How good is it to see him back on the Square?! For those of you who weren't aware, during the lockdown, Patrick had caught Covid-19 and was in intensive care, he has not been seen since the soap come back on air. This is the first time we've seen him in months! Clearly both Denise and Kim are thrilled to see him looking so healthy. Before their family reunion, Kim does as she was asks and attends the Prince Albert, for what she thinks, is her first day on the job. However, there appears to be another young girl waiting for Kathy also, named Mila. It looks as if Kim has got the wrong end of the stick and comes to realise that she'll have to fight for her position at the Prince Albert. They find that Kathy has left them a list of cocktails to make, they both appear to be making the cocktails with ease, only when they both reach for the vodka bottle, Kim yanks it from her and sends the bottle flying across the room and smashing all over the floor, just as Kathy walks in. I love how Kim is playing the sympathy card in an attempt to win Kathy over. Mila however tells the truth and admits fighting with Kim for the bottle and how she got a little competitive, interestingly, Kathy decides to give Mila the job, leaving Kim in absolute shock! I don't know whether anyone else was questioning who Mila is, or was it just me?! Could she have simply been an extra? Or will she have some unknown connection to the Fox family? Will she have anything to do with Lucas's return? Who knows, I am simply guessing and I certainly could be wrong - but it's nice to guess, right?!

Another minor thing which happened in the episode involved Tina, Gray and Shirley. Earlier in the episode, we can see Gray's frustration at the mess Tina continues to leave around his house. He informs Shirley that he's wanting his children back and if Tina can't keep things tidy then it's going to cause problems for the household, maybe Gray won't get his children back?! Shirley pleads to him to give her another chance as everything is up in the air at the moment, everyone seems to be walking on eggshells around Mick and after Tina being arrested for being a suspect in the case against Ian, it's clear that Tina's head is all over the place, she tries to fight her sister's corner, even stating that if Tina leaves, then so will she, and it's clear that Gray wouldn't want Shirley to leave as she's been the support he's needed in recent weeks. He softly agrees to let Tina stay, however later on in the episode, Tina questions her sister as to why Gray is so on edge when it comes to the mess. Tina can see that her sister is hiding something and she questions whether Gray has anything on his sister which is making her stay. But Shirley reassures her sister and warns her that if she tells her the truth, it goes no further! It's then she takes the brave decision in informing Tina about the night she found Gray threatening to blaze the house with him and the children inside. Tina can't believe what she's hearing, she fears that she could be living with a potential killer (She's not wrong there - Oooh if only she knew!) Oh!!! That could be the big question now couldn't it?! - We know that Luisa Bradshaw-White will be leaving her role as Tina, what if she comes to realise that Gray is incredibly dangerous? What if she confronts him about what Shirley told her and she becomes the target of his anger? Could Tina be Gray's second victim?!

Now focusing on one of the main aspects of the episode, involving Rainie and Stuart. Earlier on in the episode, Stuart approaches his wife with the news that he's made an appointment for them to go a surrogacy clinic, however Rainie seems pretty unsettling when he delivers the news. She questions what they'd have to do during their appointment, only when he mentions they'd have to take a blood test, Rainie freaks out and lashes out at her husband, claiming that it was a stupid idea and stating that neither of them are destined to be parents, this leaves Stuart looking really confused - together, they want a child more than anything. So why would she lash out in this way? Honestly, it becomes very obvious to the viewer before anyone has to mention anything - the only reason why Rainie would lash out after having being told she'd need a blood test, is because she's been taking drugs and she'd fear that what they'd find in her blood would ruin their chance of becoming parents. Eventually she does come clean to husband - it's then we see the flashback of her night, during the time Ian was attack - after being insulted by Ian, Rainie was clearly feeling devastated - especially after Tiffany and Keegan changing their minds on being their surrogates earlier in the day - Ian just topped everything off for he, didn't he? She went down an alleyway and scored some drugs. Which explains her disappearing for a number of days, maybe she feared what people would say if they found out?! The moment she reveals everything to her husband is so touching, she feels as if she's become a failure again - but no matter her flaws, Stuart informs her that he still loves her, regardless of her knockback. But suddenly, with Rainie giving her version of events of her night, she questions what her husband was doing on the night Ian was attack. Now this, I didn't see coming! Stuart had gotten himself worked up for losing their surrogate, plus having to cope with the fact that his brother is struggling. We then see a flashback of Stuart's night - he was in fact stood in an alleyway, waiting to confront DI Thompson! Initially he only wanted to scare him, trying to defend his younger brother - but things got a little out of hand as Stuart punched Thompson and he ended up knocking him to the floor. It's then we come to realise that Stuart had (accidentally) killed DI Thompson, however when Rainie questions where the man is now, Stuart confesses that he's in the fridges in their undertakers. Honestly, I'm glad DI Thompson is now out of the way but I do worry if the police start searching for their colleague? His disappearance is going to be talk amongst the police, and with Callum being at the forefront of his threats, what will it mean for Callum? Does this mean that the police will stop looking for Phil and Ben? Or something much more darker?! Who knows, either way I think that revelation is the most mind-blowing of all!!

Finally, coming to Ben, Ian and Suki! At the very beginning of the episode, Ben confronts his brother after being released from the police. Ian is visibly shaken to his brother out on the Square, after he reported him to the police. Ben toys with his brother, teasing him, making him quiver in a sense by informing him that even though the police tried their best to find evidence, the only thing they found were a few of Ben's prints from a tyre iron, but to Ian's surprise, the prints didn't match to Ian's scene of attack. It's then that Ben informs his brother that after everything he's done to his family - stealing from their Mum, grassing up his own brother, Ian is now dead to Ben! The only thing I've noticed through out this scene is that Suki has been stood behind Ian, listening to their conversation the whole time. Is that just a ploy maybe?! Trying to get more information possibly to stop the attention being drawn to herself? As Ben walks away, Suki points out to Ian a letter which is hanging beside the Vic addressed to him. As Ian opens it, all that's inside is a small simple bullet. Is this some kind of warning? Will his attacker come back to finish the job? Funnily enough, Ben and Suki come into contact again at the very end of the episode, she just happens to mention to Ben that her shop has had graffiti sprayed all across it in recent weeks and she's been trying to find the culprit, Ben is polite as they share this brief conversation, but suddenly Suki takes the story on another direction, by informing that her shop has CCTV, but even though she hasn't found the culprit who keeps spray painting her shop, what she has found is footage of Ben leaving the Queen Vic on the night Ian was attacked. Ben instantly realises that he needs to find a way to keep her quiet, instantly he simply just asks her out straight how much it would cost for her to keep quiet and not show the CCTV to the police. She demands £10,000 for her silence!!!

Now what will Ben do? Will he give her the money? Do we actually think he's the guilty one who attacked Ian? I, personally, am not so sure. I'd like to say it wasn't him. I feel the ones we can rule out now are Bobby, Tina, Rainie and Stuart. I still think there could be a chance it was Max, Peter, Sharon or Kheerat. I'd like to think it's not Ben, I hope it's not him! What do you guys think? Do you have a theory of who Ian's attacker could be?! Please feel free to leave me and thoughts, comments or theories you may have, I'd love to hear them! Thank you all again for reading, I really do appreciate it! Love you all xXx

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"Make Your Choice!"

Thursday 19th November 2020

Hello again everyone, my apologise for being so late at putting this post up, once again this weekend I have been away from my TV and my laptop/computer that I've not had chance to watch EastEnders up until now. This post will be reviewing from where I left off and will be following Thursday's episode. I'm hoping through-out this week I'll be able to catch up before next week. Let's not waste any time and get stuck in.

The episode begins pretty much where the last episode cut off, Callum has caught up with Kush after he legged it away from police after being confronted about the robbery. Kush is begging for Callum to let him go, even threatening the fact that if he doesn't let him leave, he will drop both Ben and Phil in on it. Callum looks as if he's battling so many demons, he's clearly battling to either follow his role as a police officer or follow his heart and protect his boyfriend. As DI Thompson calls in on Callum's radio, Callum informs him that he has located Kush, Callum is then under strict instructions to not let him leave the building. But Kush eventually realises that Callum knew that Ben and Phil were taking part in this burglary, and that's why Ben got away so quickly, Callum informed him some how. Kush once again tells Callum to move aside, it looks as if Callum hasn't really got a choice as he reluctantly steps to one side to let him pass. As Kush begins to make his final escape, he turns back to Callum and punches him right in the face, and informs him that it has to look convincing. If the police find out that Callum let him go purposely, he will be in big trouble, at least this way it will look like Kush fought his way out.

Returning to the Square, Kim is making herself at home. I have to say it so nice to see her back on the Square, I have been so excited for her return. She's happily informing both Jack and Denise about her tours and how successful she was during her time in Scotland. However as much as they're having to listen to Kim's stories, Jack notices the huge elephant in the room that Denise hasn't yet informed her sister about young Raymond. As Jack makes an excuse to leave so it'll be able to give Denise some time and space to update her sister on recent events, little Raymond makes his way through the living room door. As Denise starts to make a fuss over the young boy, Kim is instantly interested in finding out who the little stranger is, she questions who he is and it's then Denise informs her sister that he is in fact her nephew. Kim's face is in absolute shock!

Meanwhile, back at the Mitchell household, it looks as if Ben and Shirley are waiting nervously for Kat and Phil's return. They suddenly hear commotion coming through the hall when finally they both walk in, but Ben instantly notices that Kush isn't with them. As they continue to argue about Kush, Ben asks the very important question, "Where is Kush?" it's then Phil mentions that he got left behind and has most likely ended up getting arrested. It looks as if Kat is beginning to feel guilty for leaving him there, but as Phil begins to panic about whether Kush will grass them all up to the police, Kat is adamant that Kush wouldn't do that. It's clear to see that everyone is feeling nervous and anxious about what's happened. they're panicking as to what has happened to Kush and also what is going to happen next. Will they have gotten away with this?! Kat informs Phil that if it wasn't for her, he wouldn't have known about the job and not earned a big amount of money, but Phil is quick to insult her and Kush, considering that Shirley drops the information that Kush has a gambling problem. It all comes clear to Phil that Kush wanted to take part in this job for the buzz and the adrenaline of it. As tempers heat, Shirley suggests that Kat waits at home for Kush and for any updates or news on his whereabouts, while they go and show their faces in the Vic. They begin to speculate how the police knew they were there, and possibly who it was who told them, they rule out both Kush and Kat as they all know they wouldn't have gone through with it, just to end up being arrested, but then Shirley named Callum and both Ben and Phil are quick to defend him, informing her that regardless of working for the police, they believe he is completely on their side.

However as they're making this assumption, Callum is heading back to his employees and co-workers. As he stands behind a wall, he overhears them discussing who the potential suspects could be, as DI Thompson is asking for a description of the individuals they saw, they admit that Callum was the officer who had clearer view. Does his DI Thompson know that Callum didn't chase after the car?! Honestly, I'm really interested to see how Callum will worm his way out of this one. Will anyone believe him when he says he didn't see anything?! Something tells me it's going to take a lot of work to convince DI Thompson. Meanwhile, back at the Slater household, Kat has returned home and is eager to get in contact with Kush. She's sat with Stacey as she attempts to call him, but fails to get an answer. Stacey appears to be worrying as she's voices whether Kush has been caught by the police or not, however Kat is quick to defend him and informs her that she still has faith and trust in her boyfriend. But then Stacey feels like she has no choice but to show Kat what she's found, she passes her the laptop and shows her the screen showing all of Kush's gambling information. What is Kat going to do now after he promised her he'd stop?!

At the Vic, Ian is once again going over paperwork for the building, Sharon pops her head from around the corner asking him whether he's okay with paying for the gas and electricity bill. Ian reassures her that he'll sort it. Just then, Ben, Phil and Shirley enter their way into the pub. Ian is visibly surprised to see them, (as of course he was the one who called the police on them, was he expecting them to be arrested?!) - Ian tells Sharon that he will serve them to which Ben sarcastically responds by asking whether it was his attempt of apologising for his actions. However, as he pours his brother a drink, he does admit that earlier in the day they both said things to each other that they didn't mean, but is he really trying to make amends? Or is he simply feeling guilty for grassing up his brother?!

Back at at the Fox's household, Kim is looking livid after finding out about Raymond. It's clear she's feeling devastated that her sister hadn't at least phoned her up to tell her about her recent news. Denise walks in and tries to explain that she was going wait until Raymond had had his therapy and wait for him to feel more settled in before she informed her sister, as she worried it would've been a bit too much for the young boy. Kim is more upset about the fact that Denise had pretty much told everyone except her, which is understandable. As Jack makes his way into the living room, he informs them that Raymond has managed to fall asleep, as he makes his way to leave and give some Kim and Denise some space, Kim voices how frustrated she is about not being able to hold him as a baby after her sister decided to give him up in the first place, but this outburst causes Jack to stop in his tracks and defend Denise. He informs Kim how much Denise has had to sacrifice and how much they have all been through after Raymond came back into her life. Kim seems visibly speechless, Denise thanks Jack for sticking up for her but assures him that everything will be okay if she has time to speak to Kim alone. As Jack leaves the room, Kim apologises for her outburst and admits it was just the shock of it all, eventually she seems a lot more calmer and a lot more cheerful, she reveals she's looking forward to getting to know the young boy, once he feels ready to meet his Auntie. She tries persuade Denise to go after Jack whilst she stays at home and babysits, it's then Denise drops the other bombshell that she and Jack have in fact split up. Do you think Kim might persuade Denise to get back with Jack?!

Back at the Vic, the Mitchells are making themselves cosy and enjoying drinks and a game of darts. Attempting to put on the impression that they've not been up to anything suspicious at all. Only suddenly, DI Thompson enters the Vic as eyes are straight for Ben as he's sat in a booth. Shirley also clocks on to his presence and quickly notifies Phil, subtly. The next few moments had me worried and yet really surprised - DI Thompson then clocks Phil and makes his way to confront him, as he's informing Phil about a supposed car burglary that a known neighbour was caught taking part in, Phil plays dumb and informs the Detective that he knows nothing about the robbery but informs him that he'll keep his ear to the ground if he hears of anything. However, Thompson is quick to mention that he's certain he saw Phil at the scene, even though he has no proof. Phil is quick to question whether he's actually being arrested otherwise he'll have the Detective done for harassment. However, whilst all this confrontation is going on, Sharon is watching discreetly from behind the bar - as Thompson begins to announce Phil's arrest, Sharon is quick to stop him in his tracks, informing Thompson that he's actually wasting his time and breath and quickly makes up a lie that in fact Phil was upstairs in the Vic baby-sitting for her. Now the big question for me is - why would she do that for Phil?! Why would she lie and pretend to be an alibi for him? Is she out to get something in return? Will this be her way of getting something from him through their divorce?! If she becomes his alibi she'll surely want something in return?! As Sharon informs the Detective, he's clearly shocked to hear this information and questions Sharon whether she'd be willing to testify in court if it actually came to that point, which she admitted she would gladly do so. As DI Thompson leaves the Vic, Sharon pulls Phil into the back of the pub for a private word.

Returning to Denise and Kim (I have to be honest, I am loving these scenes with Kim now she's back, and can I also mention how much I love her new hairstyle and colour!) Kim is surprised to hear that is was actually Jack who called their relationship off. But I'm not sure not just Kim, but everyone, can see that Jack is still besotted with Denise and that there is still something there between them. Even the way he stood up to Kim and defended Denise, plus considering the fact he's also paying for Raymond's therapy - and he just wants to keep things between him and Denise as "Friends!" - She explains that Denise needs to make sure she wins Jack back before he gets with somebody else, it's clear that they both have feelings for each other. Kim also makes a very valid point - Raymond - even he can see it. After everything the little boy has been through, he needs stability and a good family unit around him, of course he'll have his Auntie Denise and Patrick, Sheree and Isaac, but maybe Jack and Denise could be exactly what he needs also. She points out the small drawing that young Raymond had done of Denise and Jack and Denise looks at it softly. I do think that Kim is right, I'm hoping Denise will take her sister's advice and try and persuade Jack to rekindle their romance.

Back at the Vic, Ian - of course - is trying to listen in on Phil and Sharon's private conversation. He is stood at the bottom of the stairs whilst Phil and Sharon are on the floor above. Suddenly, Bobby finds his Father behind the Vic and its looking as if the teenager is looking for some parental advice about his charity for his sister. He informs his Dad that he's increasing the age of entries for the award he's giving out, he admits that both Peter and Kathy agree that it's a good idea. I do feel sorry for Bobby at the minute, as for the past couple of weeks, it's as if Ian has showed no interest in his son's charity work for his deceased sister. If he actually was a supportive Dad, he'd do everything in his power to help his son set it up and pull it all off, especially considering he has a lot of business experience. However, instead of listening to his son, Ian seems more interested to what is happening upstairs. He informs Bobby that he'll listen to his ideas another time and heads on upstairs to see what's going on between Phil and Sharon, once again, leaving Bobby extremely disappointed.

(In all honesty, it wouldn't surprise me if it turns out to be Bobby who attacks his Dad at Christmas! #Spoiler)

Back at the Slater's, Kat and Stacey are debating about Kush once again. At first it looks as if Stacey has had enough with Kush and is complaining to her cousin, but as the conversation goes on, it looks as if she's trying to explain to Kat that her boyfriend is in fact an addict. Okay, he may not be addicted to alcohol or drugs, but in hindsight, it's the same thing. He gets a sense of excitement, a buzz, an adrenaline rush whilst gambling, and that is what he's addicted to. Stacey tries her absolute best to explain that everyone has their highs and lows, Kush knows that his addiction has caused so much trouble. Even though Kat is convinced that Kush can give it up whenever he wants, Stacey's not so sure. It's true that Kush may need a little bit of help to overcome his gambling addiction, but he needs to acknowledge that he actually has a problem - Stacey tries to compare it to her bipolar disorder, in the best way to describe to her cousin that everyone's brains are wired differently and there have been so many times when she's been told to just "Snap out of it!" or "Pull yourself together!" - it must be the same for Kush, it's when she mentions this that Kat seems to realise what she's saying. Suddenly they're interrupted by a knock on the front door, Callum's voice can be heard from the hallway and Stacey brings him in. As they enter the kitchen, Kat begins to thank Callum for not dobbing them into the police, unaware that Callum has come with a fellow officer. Suddenly Callum announces that they're looking for Kush as they believe he has something to do with a robbery. Kat and Stacey are quick to defend Kush, informing them that they must have the wrong man, as he wouldn't do something like that. When Callum questions Kat that the robbery took place at a building she works in, she also plays dumb and admits that she's just the cleaner and knows nothing about a burglary. Callum then informs him that if they do hear from Kush, he'll need to get in contact with them urgently.

Returning to the Vic, Ian is STILL trying to ear-wig on Phil and Sharon's conversation. - (How much do you want to bet that he's going to walk in on them kissing or something?!) - As he makes his way into the kitchen, we can see that Sharon and Phil are sat at a table together on opposite ends of the table, needless to say the atmosphere is slightly awkward and yet very silent. Phil announces that his solicitor will be in touch with her and he leaves the room. Ian closes the door behind him and is absolutely dumbfounded with his friend, he questions her actions on giving him a false alibi. Something tells me that they have come up with a mutual agreement, I'm guessing that Sharon has offered Phil an alibi in return for something else - but what?! What have they agreed on? Sharon reveals that the only reason she's given him an alibi was to smooth things over with their divorce. But Ian can't seem to understand why, why would she even care?! He even mentions that she could go prison. But she makes a very interesting point - the only way she would go to prison is if someone let on that it was a lie, now this is where Ian is caught in the middle now really isn't he? - He was the one who called the police, but now it looks as if he didn't expect his childhood friend to give his enemy a false alibi - it seems that if Ian was to tell the police the truth, then he wouldn't just cause Phil to go to prison, but Sharon too. I'm sure he wouldn't do that to his closest friend - would he?!

As Shirley leaves the Vic, she slowly makes her way back to the Atkins household where she's currently staying. As she makes her way up the stairs, she interrupted by a weepy Tina. She tells her to go back home and make things up with her housemates and she'll call her in the morning. However, Tina is teary as she informs her sister that she's been made to move out of the house and she now has no where else to go. Shirley consoles with her younger sister and invites her inside.

On the other side of the Square, Denise has decided to pay Jack a visit. Honestly, this scene also surprised me. I was kind of expecting Denise and Jack and to fall into each other's arms and agree to bring up little Raymond together as a family. However, Denise is quick to tell Jack that they both know that they don't see each other as mates. They mean something far much more to each other right now. Denise then confesses that she actually does love him. Jack seems really happy at her revelation, but just as he's about to embrace her, Denise then drops the bombshell that, for things to be easier for her, himself and little Raymond, maybe it would be best if Jack kept his distance and stays away. Understandably, she's trying to do it for Raymond, as the young boy needs stability. Jack appears absolutely devastated as she passes him the money back that he gave her. He pleads to her for not things to be this way, but even Denise asks him to look her in the eye and say that they're not just mates, because they both know that deep down, they both mean something to one another, they both have feelings for each other - does Jack love Denise in return?! As Denise says her goodbyes she leaves the house almost in floods of tears.

Meanwhile, at the Atkins household, Tina is sound asleep on the sofa. Shirley is sat on the sofa next to hear as Gray makes his way into the living room after hearing Shirley return home. Something tells me that Gray also knows what has been happening as he questions Shirley about the robbery. She reveals to him that not everything went to plan and they only got away with two cars. Gray then notices Tina lying on the sofa, Shirley begs him to let her stay for a while, as she has nowhere else to go after being chucked out of her house, she promises Tina wouldn't be any bother - not so much as an excited Labrador. Gray agrees to let her sleep in the basement, Shirley thanks Gray for the kindness he's showed both her and Tina.

Uh-oh, the next scene gives me a horrible feeling - Ian has decided to pay Suki a visit, she questions him on whether his visit is worth her getting out of bed for. It's then Ian makes a comment, why can't he get what he wants for a change? But seriously, what does he want?! He agrees to help Suki. I might be a bit lost right now, but Suki has it in for the Slater's right? - Who has Ian got it in for?! Ooooh did he know that Kat was in on the robbery?! So, he's going to push Suki's application to get work done on the Slater household in exchange for money?! But what is he going to do with her money?! Something tells me Ian has got it in for Phil more than anyone, but I have no idea what he's going to get out of this arrangement with Suki. The only thing that Ian is going to get, is more enemies, I'm telling you when Christmas comes, there are going to be a long list of suspects as to who attacks Ian, I'm sure of it!

The final scene I found was a bit of a frightening one, I kind of felt scared for Callum. He's sat at the police station writing his own statement about how Kush punched him and fled the scene. Suddenly, DI Thompson makes his way into the room, he is clearly very angry with Callum, he locks the door and turns away every single security camera in the room. Something was telling me that he was going to attack Callum himself. Callum begins to apologise for his mistake but he tries to reassure Thompson that he is doing his best. But Thompson is having none of it, he calls Callum a liar and bangs against the table. He knows full well that he let them all go. Callum once again tries to reassure him that he wouldn't do that and potentially put his job on the line. DI Thompson grabs a chair and gets close to Callum and he gives him a huge ultimatum - he has two weeks to dob Phil into the police, otherwise Ben will go to prison. Now he has definitely been put into a corner, what the heck is poor Callum going to do?! Will he inform his boyfriend and tell him everything that's been happening? Or will he find he'll have no choice but to give Phil to the police?! Who knows?!

I for one am feeling nervous and yet excited for the upcoming episodes. There are so many things happening all at once, it's nuts! Ian is going to become public enemy number one by the way he's going. What is Callum going to do? And where the heck did Kush disappear to?! I apologise once again for this blog being up so late but I hope you'll enjoy reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Thank you for all your support and I'll be back very soon. Love you all xXx