#dottycotton

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NEWS UPDATE

SPOILER NEWS!

Heyyy everyone! So, I know its been a long while since I've posted, I decided to take a few weeks off for me, I was struggling to keep up with episodes and writing a blog whilst also working a full time job as well as trying to find a new house with my partner - it's been a stressful couple of weeks. Also I feel like I haven't been able to enjoy the episodes as much as I'm constantly making notes to make sure I don't miss anything in my blog posts, but over the last few weeks I've been able to binge watch all the episodes I have missed.

I have to acknowledge the fantastic acting skills from Stevie Basaula who plays Isaac Baptise, watching him play the role of someone with schizophrenia has been absolutely stunning. I always thought that Isaac going off his medication was going to cause him to go on a downward spiral, it seems that he has come completely obsessed with the murder of his brother Paul, and is eager to prove that Ruby has some hidden agenda regarding his death. It's been really fascinating watching Isaac become gripped with this theory he's put together in his mind. I can't applaud Stevie enough for his mind-blowing performance!  

To cover a few minor points of the recent episodes I have seen:-

Rainie and Stuart have finally chosen Bernie to be their surrogate

Jags ended up being murdered in prison

Suki blamed Vinny, to which Vinny then blamed himself and almost drank himself into oblivion

Seeking comfort, Vinny then ended up sleeping with Dotty, much to her regret

Dana found out the truth about Bobby's real identity and is left heartbroken

After some wise words from Peter, she decides to give Bobby a second chance

Phil and Kat have opened their new business together

After some wise words from Kat and Patrick, Denise allowed Phil to spend more time with Raymond

However he betrayed her trust by informing the young child that he was in fact his real Dad

Ben received some devastating news from Pam Coker

One of Paul's killers have been released from prison after only serving 5 years

Chelsea and Gray are now dating and he has asked her to move in! (HUGE RED FLAGS GOING UP!)

Overall it's been a dramatic and couple of weeks! Anyway the main reason I've wanted to write this post is that some exciting news was announced yesterday. EastEnders have cast Kate Robbins as the role of Jen Glover. The storyline regarding this new characters seems to be that she is introduced to the Square by Terry (Rocky) to suspend Whitney into the career of pop superstardom. This is quite an interesting turn for Whitney, I'm intrigued to see how all this will unravel. What will it mean for Whitney? Will she be successful or could this be another horrendous storyline which will see her get into some form of trouble? Who knows?!

What are your thoughts on this upcoming storyline? Please feel free to let me know your thoughts! Oh that reminds me, regarding Janine's return, it seems that EastEnders will be putting together a huge fire stunt to welcome the power bitch back to the Square! What or who will cause the fire? Where will it be taking place? Could some of our beloved characters be seriously hurt? I for one am incredibly excited to see this all kick off! 

Even though this has been a nice blog post, I will be away for a week now as I'm going away with my partner for my birthday, when I'm back I'll try my absolute best to get back to blogging. Thank you all for being incredibly understanding! I'm looking forward to getting back into my blog properly. Enjoy the rest of your week everyone and I'll be back very soon! Love you all xXx  

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"Can You Get A Message To Her?"

Monday 22nd March 2021

Hello again folks! Hope you're all doing well! We're back with a start of a new week, I'm intrigued what's going to happen with this week's episode's, Friday's episode ended on such an emotional note, I'm intrigued to see how Chelsea is going to cope knowing her Dad is in prison because of her, maybe it's something that she'll get over gradually. I'd be shocked if she was just to get over it over night, it wouldn't be realistic to me. But we shall see!

Now lets focus on the episode at hand, I'm going to start with Vinny. I guess it's fair to say that for a long while now Vinny hasn't really been agreeing with the way his family handle situations regarding the police. So when the police arrive at their front door wanting Vinny to make a statement regarding the youths that almost attacked him, he is more than willing to help cooperate with the police. But as soon as Suki and Kheerat hear about what's happening they are furious with Vinny and instruct him not to go the police and refuse to help them with their investigation. The thing that really grasped my attention was when Suki stated "We don't help the police, and you know why!" - Oooo there are so many questions resolving around the Panesar's past. What happened before they arrived in Walford? They clearly have some bad history with the police, but what?! I'm so intrigued and the more time goes on, I'm eager to find out their back story!

Later on in the episode, Vinny appears to be minding the shop as Callum enters following a discussion with Ben about guests and flower arrangements for their wedding. However as Ben makes a quick exit, Callum begins to make friendly conversation with Vinny about the police visiting him and asking him for a statement regarding the night he was almost attacked by youths. But when Vinny reveals that he's decided not to go to the police, mainly down to brother (as far as I heard), Callum seems really disappointed. But interestingly gives Vinny some wise words, he's not the only who has family on his back every day, Vinny needs to find the courage and strength to make his own decisions, regardless whether his family like it or not, if he either doesn't feel comfortable or disapproves with the way his family do things, maybe he's better off standing on his own two feet, instead of following rules, make his own rules and lead life the way he wants. Callum's life lesson to Vinny seems to really hit home for him and sink in, as eventually as he's walking alone in the Square, Vinny eventually finds himself outside the police station. Will he take Callum's advice?!

--

The next thing I want to mention is Tiffany and Keegan. Early on in the episode, Keegan is seen to be in deep concentration as he's sat alone punching numbers, as it were. As they joke about the first change they get to visit Florida will be in 17 years time, Keegan reveals to his wife that he has a meeting with the bank next week, however he seems a little bit negative about the whole thing. (Once again!) Keegan has it in his mind that the bank will instantly refuse to give him a loan, due to the colour of his skin. I don't know why this is dragging on for so long, but Keegan seems to have it bedded in his mind that the police force and possibly people in high roles than him are possibly racist? I cannot stress enough that that isn't the case!

Even Tiffany tries to reassure her husband and informs him that he can't go to the bank requesting a loan with that kind of attitude. But then Keegan seems to have an idea and asks his wife to join him at the meeting. Suggesting that if he had his wife there with him, they could take them seriously about having a loan. Plus if they're successful, it would mean that Tiffany wouldn't have to do her hostessing job anymore. Tiffany at first seems really nervous and claims that she'd probably ruin everything, but to give her husband her full support, she eventually agrees.

Later on at the club, Tiffany seems to be serving a woman who happens to work in a bank and seems to be at the top of her game regarding her job role. Tiffany takes this chance to ask her for some advice about herself and her husband seeking a loan, but instead of giving her a genuine answer, I kind of thought this lady insulted Tiffany by instructing her to get rid of her husband! I mean, how bloody rude! Although, she does get karma coming to her as Tiffany realises she's been overcharged by £50! But Dotty seems to have overheard the commotion and suggests that they keep the £50 tip as it'll give Tiffany a chance to find something decent to wear when she goes to this bank meeting. It's then that Dotty also has another idea, with the clientele that they're serving at the club, maybe they could simply start overcharging people by a couple of pounds, with the amount of money that they have and spend, none of them would probably notice. As much as Tiffany knows it's wrong, she eventually agrees to the idea, on the condition that they don't go too overboard with the overcharging. Even though this could help Tiffany and Keegan's money problems, I do think that maybe this could put Tiffany in big trouble if she was to get caught?!

--

One thing I have to briefly mention also, I absolutely loved how they included a conversation between Suki, Patrick and Karen regarding the Covid-19 vaccination. After suffering from Covid himself, Patrick revealed to Suki that he had already had his two doses of the vaccine, to which Suki responds that she has her first one booked later in the week. However, the interesting thing is when Karen overhears the conversation, she seems to a bit suspicious about the whole, claiming her concerns about what the vaccine could do to us in about 5 or 10 years time, which I get is probably most people's concern. I have to say though, I've seen a few headlines about this small scene claiming that people are shocked to hear that Karen is an "Anti-Vaxxer!" - I guess you could say that script writers are only trying to portray it from different people's point of view, unfortunately there are people out there who are anti-vaxxers and believe all sorts of conspiracy theories about Covid-19, but I think that this scene they're trying to maybe make people change their mind about having the vaccine, and I mean that in a positive way. Maybe it'll change those anti-vaxxers minds and convince them to have vaccine, instead of promoting it, if you get what I mean?! After the way both Patrick and Suki spoke about their disappointment and concerns to Karen, Karen mind seemed to change almost instantly! On a personal level, I have luckily had my first dose of the vaccine, so happy days! We are slowly on our way to getting back to some form of normality, let's keep our fingers crossed!

--

The next thing I have to mention is Stacey and Jean. It seems that Stacey has been told by some solicitor that she could be facing up to a year in prison for the alleged assault on Ruby. We all know that Stacey is innocent, even though Stacey seems to have come to terms with the fact that there is simply no evidence to back her side of the story (which we all know is the truth) - the main person who seems to be fretting about Stacey's future is Jean. Poor Jean simply can't fathom the thought of her daughter being back in prison, after everything she's been through. Plus considering the very important fact that Jean could be facing more time alone dealing with her illness. I'm assuming that she's still keeping it a secret from her family that she found another lump a while back? As far as my knowledge goes, Jean hasn't mentioned it since, she decided not to have treatment this time around if it did turn out to be cancer. I feel that that is what on Jean's mind more than anything, she's just got her daughter back after having lost Daniel and having to deal with her illness all on her own, and with the possibility of Stacey being thrown in jail again, Jean unfortunately faces having to deal with her illness all alone for a second time.

While on a cleaning job with Mo, I have to be honest - I have no idea who's house they're cleaning. To me, it looked like Gray's but I have no memory of them ever cleaning for Gray? Or was it the Mitchell's? Either way, Jean happens to mention that if she was to have a huge sum of money she would put all the money towards helping Stacey, which of course any Mum would do the same for their daughter. It's then that Jean happens to stumble upon a box of some kind left on the living room table, taking a sneaky looking inside she finds a huge sparkly necklace, who does it belong to? I'm not so sure. But Jean seems to think back to her words of getting money for her daughter, in a desperate state of mind, she quickly stuffs the necklace into her pocket.

Later on, as we see Jean leaving a pawn shop it's clear that she has sold the necklace she nicked. Will she end up in trouble for stealing a necklace and pawning it? Eventually she ends up bumping into Martin and Ruby on the Square. From a distance they seem to be smiling and giggling, this seems to be completely enrage Jean, she can simply not stand there and watch them laughing while they tear Stacey's life apart. She decides to confront them, mainly Ruby - claiming that now Ruby has everything she's wanted, she's willing to ruin Stacey's life. Even though it's sad and tragic that Ruby lost her baby, the worst thing she can do is blame her accident on someone else and throw false accusations around. Jean is more disappointed in Martin, would he really let the Mother of his children go to prison? Surely there must be some kind of doubt in his mind that Stacey would do something as horrendous as what Ruby is claiming?! Jean stands her ground, stating that she's not going to let things lie as they continue to ruin Stacey's life. As devastating as it seems, with Lacey Turner going on Maternity Leave, it's looking like Stacey will go to prison for something she didn't do!

--

Now the main focus of the episode is Mick! He and Linda have now fully moved back into the Vic. As much as they seem happy to be back where they belong, I guess there is a kind of sadness surrounding them that they don't have their children with them. They happen to mention Johnny and Nancy, am I right in thinking that they went away to visit their children and tell them face-to-face about their Dad's abuse?! They happen to mention Johnny and Nancy crying at the news about their Dad and how Lee will deal with the news in his own way. We know that Nancy is going to be returning to the Square some time soon, will knowing what's happened to her Dad be the main reason for her return?

As the locals begin to welcome back Linda and Mick to their pub, Rainie and Stuart seem to be on their own investigation. As they discuss how convenient it is for Max to leave and then they return to be back behind the pub, in Rainie's mind, something doesn't seem right. Almost like on a mission, she informs her husband to question Mick while she works her way on Linda as they fish for information. Only in their own comical ways, they seem to get nowhere with them. Suddenly a detective of some kind enters asking to speak to Mick in private, this seems to grab the attention of both Stuart and Rainie and they begin to ponder what could be going on.

As they continue their discussion privately upstairs, it's here that the detective reveals to Mick that Katy has been arrested for her crimes. As much as this is good news for Mick, he does also have concerns about Frankie and how her Mum's arrest might affect her. As he questions about the possible DNA sample they've had from them both, the detective reveals that their DNA test does match, hearing this confirmation completely overwhelms Mick, Frankie is his daughter! The next thing that the detective mentions though does concern him that little bit more, he suggests reaching out to more witnesses and possible more victims of Katy's crimes, to which Mick realises his story might become public. I think more than anything, Mick is more worried about going public as he fears people will see him differently, not as the local pub landlord, but as the man who was sexually abused as a child.

As the detective leaves Mick to his thoughts, Frankie makes a drastic entrance. She appears to be absolutely frantic that her Mum has been arrested in front of her, without any warning. Of course this would be terrifying for Frankie but the thing that upset her the most was that all the time she begged Mick not to report her Mum, but now her Mum has been arrested, she feels betrayed by him. Mick then decides to share the news to hear that their DNA test was a match, she is his daughter after all. This does give Frankie some kind of closure but in her mind, she's gained a Dad and now lost a Mum. Linda tries to console her husband's daughter, informing her that if she needs anywhere to stay then they have bedrooms to spare and she can stay with them, however this is followed by an awkward silence and Frankie can see that Mick maybe doesn't think it's a good idea, she decides to leave before anything else can be said between them.

As Mick chases his daughter down the stairs, unbeknown to them, Stuart happens to hear their conversation as he hides underneath the stairs. Mick apologises to Frankie for reporting her Mum but makes the valid point that she has to understand why he had to, what if there were other people she had done it to?! Stuart then realises what's going on. After being sent a link informing him about an arrest that has occurred regarding someone who he knew in care as a kid, he reveals to Rainie that he's figured out exactly what's happened. Knowing the full details now, he reveals to his wife that Mick has actually been the one who has been sexually abused. He recalls to his wife how he used to catch paedophiles, knowing that his best mate has gone through something like that, he needs to act now before it's too late.

Even though Rainie tells him it is not his battle, Stuart decides to call his brother and asking whether he can get a message to Frankie. The only thing is, what is this message going to be?! The one thing that is making me think is, is Stuart also a victim of Katy also but has never ever said anything? Is that the reason why he used track down attackers and bring them to justice? He even voices his concern that Mick's abuse happened over 20 years ago, without any evidence or proof or witnesses, Katy won't be charged with her crimes! Is Stuart actually going to come forward, informing Frankie that he too is one of her Mum's victims? What do you guys think? There are quite a few different ways this story could go and honestly, I'm really looking forward to seeing what's going to happen next!

Thank you all so much for reading, it really does mean the world and I can't thank you enough for your ongoing support! Please feel free to leave me a message or comment regarding anything currently happening in EastEnders, I'd love to hear your thoughts! Thank you again everyone, enjoy the rest of your day and I'll be back very soon! xXx  

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"Our Family's Alright - That's All That Matters!"

Friday 21st May 2021

Hello again everyone! Hope you're all doing well! Today I'll be reviewing Friday's episode, before I do however I know I missed Thursday's episode so I'm going to give you a quick debrief on what happened during that episode. Needless to say that everyone was more than excited when they learnt that Sonia's Dad, Terry, had arrived on the Square! It seemed that he had made quite an impression on Tiffany specifically, she seemed more excited than anyone. But I do have to mention the iconic quote she said to Dotty, after over a decade since she last quoted it, Tiffany told Dotty where to go ... "You're NFI - Not Flippin' Invited!" ... absolutely iconic!! However, after Terry making a good impression with Sonia's family, Sonia couldn't help the feeling that it was too little too late for her Dad to be walking back into her life. As politely as she could, she informed Terry that a simple drink isn't going to make up for long lost years without her Dad. Understanding her completely, Terry left informing her that Jack has his number if she ever wanted to call him and reach out to him to possibly rekindle their relationship. Sonia watched as Terry turned away and walked off into the night.

Meanwhile, Martin makes a fool of himself and lashes out Zack after believing Lily's lies about Ruby cheating on him with Zack. After punching Zack in front of Sharon and Ruby in the club, Ruby puts him straight that his daughter is lying to him and how it hurts that he believed his child without even talking to Ruby first. Is Martin now in the dog house? What is he going to do make it up to Ruby? But also, how are they going to deal with Lily and her lies?!

Elsewhere Mick was preparing himself for court, Frankie still feeling the pressure of her Mum asking her to give a character reference for her. Although I can understand how Frankie must be feeling like piggy in the middle at the moment, she wants to be there for Mick, but I don't know, even though she loves her Mum, she can't stand by her after what she's learnt.

--

Anyway focusing on Friday's episode, I'm going to begin with Sonia and Dotty. I guess it's fair to say Dotty and Sonia have always had a rocky relationship, they've never really seen eye-to-eye. Does Dotty really get a thrill out of slagging off Sonia? I feel there is more to it really and in this particular episode, I think Dotty gives Sonia some food for thought.

After having a bit of a row at home, Dotty leaves and heads to the club, but Sonia follows to check if she's alright, it here that Dotty admits to her that she'd give anything to have one last chat with her Dad, how can she stand there and watch willingly as Sonia just let's her Dad walk out of her life. At the beginning of the episode, Sonia claims that she's surprised that Tiffany believed everything that Terry had said about his life, in Sonia's eyes - why should she believe this man who, even if he is her Dad biologically, he is a bit of a stranger to her. She knows nothing about him and he knows very little about her, as far as she was concerned, it's too little too late to make up for lost time.

But I think after Dotty admitting that she's give anything to be with her Dad again, Sonia takes these words on board. I think she probably will reach out to her Dad and slowly begin to build a relationship with him. What do you guys think? I'm not 100% sure whether Terry is going to be a permanent role in the soap, but it'll be interesting to see what he brings to the Square, what friendships he'll make and whether we'll find out anything about is past?

--

Elsewhere, Sharon has informed her brother that regardless of him not actually sleeping with Ruby, he's not as innocent as he makes out, as he has been continuously flirting with the married woman, purposefully winding Martin up and instructs him to apologise and take him for a pint. But, Ruby seems less than impressed with her husband's actions as we see he has been sleeping on the sofa. As he wakes, Ruby walks in informing him that she's been up since the early hours of the morning looking after his children, almost kind of giving them guilty treatment. She mentions how she was looking forward to him coming home from Dubai, how much she had done for his children whilst he was away and he throws it back in her face by listening to Lily's lies. It's fair to say that Ruby is deeply hurt and informs Martin that he has to confront his daughter and stop her from saying all these horrible lies, otherwise Lily or Ruby herself will be moving out.

Realising the seriousness of his mistake, he gives his word to Ruby and eventually gets his chance to speak to Lily. I believe that Lily is still holding a grudge against Ruby for putting her Mum in prison for something she didn't do, so feels she needs to get her own back in some way. Is she really trying to split her Dad and Ruby up to maybe teach Ruby a lesson? However, even though she's a kid and she's missing her Mum, what she is doing is really out of order, making up lies about Ruby just to get back at her.

Martin confronts his daughter and informs her that she needs to stop the lies and give Ruby a break. But it's not just the lies she's been saying, even cutting up her deceased Mum's wedding dress. Even though Lily claims she didn't know it was Ruby's Mum's, she still shouldn't have done it. This is an interesting one though, who's side are you on? Ruby's or Lily's? As Martin instructs his daughter to be more respectful to his wife, Lily leaves the house without saying a single word, although it's clear she's not very happy about it. Later we see her sat at the allotments calling her Nan, asking whether she can move back in with her.

Of course Jean isn't going to see her Granddaughter out on the streets, but I feel that maybe Jean will start to ask questions about why Lily is wanting to return to live with her. Actually speaking of Jean, I happened to notice that maybe two or three times in this episode, she complained of stomach pains - although she used the excuse of having prunes for breakfast and it has made her slightly windy. But something is telling me it could be more than that. Could it be the cancer? I have to be honest, I am still stunned to realise that no one in her family knows about her cancer and only Ruby is aware about how terminal she is. If Jean takes a turn for the worse, surely Ruby is going to have to inform them about what she knows? I swear though if EastEnders come to the decision of killing Jean off, I will be deeply upset!!! (Let's hope it won't come to that!)

--

Now of course the main focus of the episode was Mick and his family. Today was the day that they had been dreading, but yet they had all been waiting for. It was the day that Mick would finally face Katy in court. Even though he is twitching his leg with nerves, he's looking as ready as he'll ever be as the cars pull up outside the Vic, ready to take him and the family to court.

As everyone gathers in court, Frankie is trying to tell both Mick and the rest of the family something, whatever it is it seems really important, but she's never given the opportunity to say what she needs to say. As The Carter family make their way into the court, you can't help but feel for Mick as he comes face-to-face with Katy, the person who abused him as a child, one last time. Frankie is sat beside her Dad as she tries one last try to attempt to tell him something really important, but unfortunately the moment is taken from her a second time.

As statements are read out in the court, it becomes clear what Frankie was so desperately trying to tell her Dad and his family. It turns out that Frankie did give her a Mum a character reference, regardless of what she did in her past, Frankie cannot deny that she was a good Mum to her. Katy looks over to her daughter with a smile as the Carter family look over to Frankie in shock. Frankie almost looks as if she feels she's betrayed her Dad's side of the family, but Mick does the most honest and decent a thing a Dad could. He takes a firm hold of Frankie's hand, informing her that he completely understands her giving her statement, at the end of the day, Katy is her Mum and she gave her a happy childhood, regardless of her crimes.

As the court goes into recess, The Carter's confront Frankie about her decision, informing her that she could've jeopardised the length of sentence that Katy could receive for her crimes. Shirley more so than anyone is voicing her disappointment in Frankie, but Frankie defends herself. Do they really have wanted her to be a victim of Katy's also? Frankie cannot deny that her Mum gave her a good childhood, and Mick interrupts the discussion claiming that Frankie did the right thing and he completely understands and supports his decision.

During this whole interaction, Nancy makes herself scarce and gets some fresh air. But as the court is called in to hear the final statement and the verdict, Mick goes to search for Nancy as the rest of the family enter the courtroom. As he makes his way outside, he's faced with the terrifying scene of Nancy having a vicious epileptic fit in the middle of the road. Mick acts fast and stays with his daughter, putting his jacket under her head so she doesn't get any lasting brain damage from bashing her head against the gravel. Devastatingly, the rest of the Carter family have no idea what's happening as they're waiting for Mick to return to give his victim statement.

But Mick knows he cannot leave his vulnerable daughter in this state and desperately calls an ambulance. Linda then informs the judge to read out Mick's statement on his behalf. Now I have to say how this moment played out was really powerful, the words used in Mick's statement were so moving that it brought both Linda and Shirley to tears. But hearing these words about how much he was made to feel embarrassed and how it affected his anxiety and relationships with his family, he claims that without Linda and the strength of his family he wouldn't have been able to carry on. While hearing these words, Mick stays with his Nancy until she slowly comes round from her seizure.

Eventually Nancy is helped by paramedics and she slowly comes round from her horrific seizure. Together they walk back into the courtroom, just in time to hear the sentence Katy is given. A total of 10 years in prison! Now I have to be honest, how this episode ended was absolutely perfect, touching and powerful. As the Carter's leave the court and step out into the fresh air, Mick grabs each daughter, Frankie and Nancy, from both sides and hold them ever so tightly. The air is blue and bright, the birds are singing and Mick takes huge breath in. I absolutely LOVE that Julia's Theme was used for this ending, after a horrendous couple of months that Mick has had to endure, it's all over. Katy has been put away for her crimes of child sexual abuse and Mick can now sleep easy knowing justice has been done.

Together as a family, Mick, Linda, Shirley, Nancy and Frankie leave the court together. A untied front showing full well that nothing could ever bring The Carter Family down! With Katy now behind bars, the can carry on with their lives as a family. An absolutely beautiful and moving ending to a deeply devastating storyline! I can't applaud everyone enough for their performance in this storyline - Danny Dyer, Kellie Bright, Rose Ayling-Ellis, Linda Henry and Simone Lahbib! They've all been absolutely incredible!

What did you guys think of the episode? Was it a satisfying ending for you or do you think Katy should've got a longer sentence? Did you enjoy the use of Julia's Theme? I'm really excited to see what happens with the Carter family now, I'm hoping and praying that Frankie will now become a firm member of the Carter family. Thank you all for reading! Please feel free to leave me any comments or messages regarding any of the current storylines happening in EastEnders right now. I'd love to hear your thoughts! Love you all xXx

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"I'm Your Father, Love!"

Tuesday 18th May 2021

Hello again everyone! Hope you're all doing okay, I'm back with another post and tonight I'll be reviewing Tuesday's post episode. However before we get started I have a little bit of news to share, which I'm sure the majority of you might've heard by now. Adam Woodyatt has announced that he's not going to be returning to Albert Square until at least 2022! So of course, for me, that raises the question - What has Ian been doing all of this time? Where did he go when he wondered off into the night? I know that there's going to be some major questions to be asked. We all last saw Ian leave the Square after he realised that his new wife, Sharon was poisoning him after she found out about his involvement in her son, Dennis's death. I hope Ian's return will be a big one, considering the way he left - with no money, no phone - just the clothes on his back, I'm eager to see where he has been and what he's been doing. What do you guys think?

Anyway, focusing on the episode at hand, firstly I'm going to begin with Katy and Frankie. Considering that Monday's episode ended with Katy returning to the Square, it wasn't going to be long until she crossed someone's path. Unfortunately for Frankie, it turns out her Mum has come back to the Square to see her. As Frankie is sat quietly in the club, she's startled as she looks up to see her Mum standing over her. Katy tries to plead with her to have one last drink with her before she gets locked up, but Frankie is having none of it. Although when she escapes from her Mum arrives back at the Vic, she realises that Mick's victim statement is all placed in an envelope and ready to be read out loud in court. 

To me it seems that Frankie was struggling whether to go and see her Mum or not, because at the end of the day, she is her Mum. Eventually Frankie agrees to meet with her Mum in the park, without anyone else around. At first it looks as if they're bonding as Katy recalls about the time she took her daughter to the beach around Christmas time. It looks as if Katy is still holding onto the hope that she can be seen as a good person in her daughter's eyes. Eventually it becomes perfectly clear what Katy is wanting from her daughter, she questions whether Frankie will give her a character reference so the court can see what kind of person she can be. But Frankie realises that once again she's being used by her Mum, she walks away completely ignoring her Mother. I do feel for Frankie as she is kind of in the middle of all of this, but she needs to realise that she has no blame in any of it, all the blame leads directly to Katy. 

Returning to the Vic, Frankie confides in Shirley, informing her of her Mother's request but she makes it known that she completely refused, much to Shirley's delight. Shirley claims she's proud of Frankie for doing the right thing and how she always knew she was on their side. I think as much as Frankie is wanting to stand by her Dad and help him through this ordeal, I guess a part of her is also thinking that she's also losing her Mum in all of this. I think I do feel for Frankie right now, but I am really intrigued to see the court scenes when they air. Will Mick be able to read his statement in court with Katy sat right there in the room?!

--

Elsewhere on the Square, Sharon is prepping herself for the launch of her new gym, however she's getting very little help from Zack. As she voices her ideas to him, he's insulting every single suggestion. He informs her that she needs to think bigger and advertise on social media and consider that people are going to be wanting to join the gym, so she should have some fresh smoothies made etc etc. 

As Zack tries to, once again, show off, Martin and Ruby happen to be walking with Lily across the Square. Is it me, or does this Zack think that he's God's gift to women? Showing off and flirting with anything that moves, but it seems his eyes are focused on Ruby at the moment - and Martin is really noticing which is making him incredibly jealous and possibly even cautious. Only did you guys happen to see the look on Lily's face? Do you think she has sussed out that her Dad may be jealous of Zack? 

Later as Zack is trying out a new cocktail, I'm not 100% sure whether it was something new for the club or something he was working on for the gym launch, but regardless he gets Ruby to be his guinea pig. However, lurking in the corner, sitting and watching everything unfold in front of her, is Lily. Ruby happens to notice her step-daughter and questions why she's not in school. Lily makes up an excuse and instantly asks her step-mum whether she has a crush on Zack, which of course Ruby firmly denies and informs her not to get involved in "Adult Business!" 

However, it looks as if the cogs are turning in Lily's mind. I'm assuming she still really doesn't look Ruby and will do anything to make her life a misery, maybe even split her and her Dad up. As she returns him and is sat watching TV with her Dad, Martin asks about what she's been doing whilst he's been away. It's then that Lily spins a web of lies, telling her Dad that Ruby wasn't around much and she was hanging around with Zack a lot, even mentioning that Zack had stayed over. Knowing full well how this would make her Dad feel, I think it's simply to do with Lily getting back at Ruby, purely for her Mum's sake. Is there anything Lily won't do to ruin Martin and Ruby's marriage?!

--

Another thing I have to mention is Bernie! Now Bailey has returned home, the Taylor family are slowly getting back to normal and having the family together again. Even though the family are terrified to let Bailey out of their sight. Bailey overhears Karen shouting for her in a blind panic, but once Karen realises that she's still safe and sound in the apartment, Bailey realises how worried her family were about it, claiming that she's seen all the online posts about her online. Does Bailey now feel guilty for running out on her family? Did she really believe that her family would be better off without her? The poor kid! 

But it seems that Karen isn't the only one who's concerned about Bailey's whereabouts, it looks as if Keegan is eager to keep a close eye on her also. He mentions to Tiffany that he and Bernie will be taking Bailey out for some lunch. Later as they all gather at McKlunky's, Keegan asks his sister about this "bonus" she'll be getting from Kheerat. But Bernie reassures her brother that he doesn't have to match her money, and he doesn't have to pay her back either. As a sweet and joking gesture, she informs him that as soon he has made his first million, that he can pay her back! 

However, the previous episode, Rainie informed Bernadette that she and Stuart are going to be finding another surrogate, so if Bernie is eager to make some quick cash for her family then she needs to act fast! Desperately she approaches Rainie begging her to give her a chance, to the point where she pushes herself to inform Rainie that she can lose the weight within a month! Rainie realises that Bernie is deeply serious about her surrogate and agrees to give her the one month deadline for her to lose weight so she can be their surrogate and carry a baby safely. 

Now I fear that this is where Bernie's eating disorder is going to come in, I know what it's like to lose weight, it can be a long and hard process - weight does not simply drop off you within a month! I fear that Bernie may make some drastic and hard decisions when it comes to her eating now. Will she perhaps start making herself sick? Or will she not eat at all and eventually go light headed and pass out? There could so many different and dark roads this storyline will take, I just hope there will be no lasting damage to both Bernadette, and the soon to be baby she'll be carrying - if it ever gets to that point! What do you guys think of this current storyline? I'm really interested in hearing your thoughts on this one! 

--

The final thing I have to mention is Sonia! Oh poor Sonia! After overhearing Dotty and Tiffany taking the mick out of her and calling her horrendous names, it looks as if Sonia is feeling as if she's aged since leaving the Square. Almost to the point where she feels it's time for her to change her look, she approaches Denise in the salon and asks her to give her a new do - from what we gather, something along the lines of what Dua Lipa has! 

Now Denise questions Sonia's decision and can see that maybe Sonia is having some kind of breakdown. She swiftly talks her into having a drink with her at the Vic. I have to say though, this scene between Sonia and Denise I absolutely loved. We don't get to see these two women socialise enough, it was just so lovely to see Denise reassure Sonia that she's not as "Boring" as some people think she is! She is a very important part of the community and mentions rightly how much Sonia has had to cope with over the last year, being a nurse and regards to the pandemic. It made it feel quite realistic for me, everyone knows how much we have needed the NHS this last year or so and how hard every single NHS employee has worked to keep us all safe! Even though the pandemic is real and Sonia is a fictional character, it was just nice for someone to reassure her that she is important and she is deeply loved within the community. I also have to say how much I love Denise also - I don't think Diane Parish gets the recognition she deserves! 

However as the drinks begin to flow, Denise and Sonia begin talking about Dotty. Denise informs her that she shouldn't listen to anything Dotty has to say, but unfortunately lets slip that Dotty has been performing as a hostess at the club. Learning this news, Sonia storms right over to the club and instructs Dotty to stop doing what she's doing, flaunting herself over middle aged men for money! However, she happens to insult a man standing by the bar, calling him a pervert! Dotty is left absolutely humiliated, but personally - it felt good to see Dotty be told straight! Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike Dotty, but I think becoming a hostess and dragging Tiffany in to doing it also, just doesn't seem right. I don't think she's no where near as bad as her Father, but I think she'll always have a rebel side to her! 

Oh so finally Brian Connelly has made his first appearance on the Square as Terry Cant. His first encounter was accidently bumping into Rainie. But as he continued to wonder Walford, he found himself in Ruby's club, working up an audience telling them a really interesting story, from what I could make out! However, he happened to be the one who was caught up in Sonia's confrontation with Dotty, being the one called a pervert. 

As Sonia returned back to the Square and began chatting once again with Denise and Tiffany, she was horrified to see that the "Pervert Man" had followed her back to the Vic. As she makes herself scarce by hiding underneath the table, Terry begins to ask for Sonia Fowler. But as Denise questions what he wants her for and whether she's done anything wrong, Terry informs them that she in fact hasn't done anything wrong, but called her Dad a pervert! Yep, that's right! Terry Cant is Sonia's Dad!!!! Where has he been all this time? How will Sonia react to her Father rolling up on the Square?

I know that Thursday's episode has already aired, but I'm looking forward to reviewing that episode tomorrow! Do you hope that Terry will become a permanent member of the cast? What else will bring him to Walford other than reconnecting with his daughter? I have to be honest, I'm looking forward to seeing what Brian Connelly will bring to the Square. I know he's well known for his comedy, but I'll be interested to see if they bring a more serious and maybe dark side to his character. I just think it'll give Brian Connelly that chance to shine and prove he can be a brilliant actor as well as a brilliant comedian! What do you guys think?? 

Thank you all for reading, it truly means the world! Please feel free to leave me a comment or leave me a message regarding anything currently happening in EastEnders right now. I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts, opinions and theories! Love you all xXx

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NEWS AND PROMO PICTURES!

Good Evening everyone! I apologise for there being no post tonight following tonight’s episode, I have been in work. While in work I had seen the news that I was just desperate to share with you all! Recently we found out that Don Gilet was returning to his role as Lucas Johnson ... BUT something even more exciting, after a staggering 10 years away from the soap CHELSEA FOX IS RETURNING TO THE SQUARE!!!! Of course fans will know that Tiana Benjamin previously played the role as Chelsea from 2006-2010! It has been revealed that Zaraah Abrahams will be taking on the role! I for one am SO excited that Chelsea will be returning, I always felt .... EVENTUALLY, Chelsea would return! They say things come in three’s ... does this mean that perhaps Libby could also make a return? Denise would have her whole family back on the Square!! This does make me think that it must be something to do with Raymond, but of course we shall have to wait and see! Are you excited to see Chelsea return to Walford?! 

In other news ... (I’m unsure whether it’s just a rumour or truth) ... but Stacey is in for a nasty attack? Could Ruby be to blame? Stacey is to be targeted by a hooded figure - who is this person? What do they want with Stacey? However later on in the week Stacey is to receive some shocking post! What could it be and will Stacey potentially be in danger? While we speculate on what could be happening with Stacey, let’s admire her beauty in these stunning new promo pictures for Stacey Slater! 

Also, I’m sure you guys must’ve seen these pictures already but can we just enjoy the new promo pictures of Ben Mitchell and Callum Highway!!! Let’s just adore these two and swoon over how amazing they look in these new promo pictures! 

Also it looks as if Dotty Cotton has also been given new promo pictures! She has kind of disappeared since revealing to Sharon the truth about Ian. Of course Sharon didn’t believe her ... but surely Ian will be getting his comeuppance soon right?! Meanwhile, let’s see this gorgeous new pictures of Dotty! Also I will unfortunately be away from my laptop/computer and TV from tomorrow evening and all through the weekend, I’ll try post up a blog following tonight’s and Friday’s episode as soon as I can! In the mean time, enjoy your weekend and I hope you enjoy glancing as these new stunning promo pictures! Goodnight all! Love you all xXx 

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"Ian Is The Reason Dennis Is Dead!"

Monday 7th September 2020

Good evening everyone and what an exciting night it is!!! EastEnders is back on our screens tonight!  It's been a good few months since the soap has been on our screens. Tonight it's finally back, even though the time has been reduced from 30 minutes to 20 minutes, it doesn't matter! Our favourite characters will be back and the story-lines will be able to continue, so many answers will be given and so many secrets revealed!

But before we delve into the excitement of tonight's episode, i'm sure the majority of you have been made aware of the news regarding the beautiful Chantelle Atkins. For those of you who might've missed it somehow, EastEnders have announced that poor Chantelle will pass away due to domestic violence at the hands of her husband, Gray.

Since Chantelle and Gray appeared on the Square, they portrayed the perfect family! Two successful people working brilliant jobs, with two beautiful children and on the outside, it looked as if they lived a very happy life! But little do the Walford residents know that behind closed doors, poor Chantelle has been the target of domestic abuse from her husband. Taking beatings and beatings and suffering in silence. None of her close friends or family are aware of what is happening in their family home when no one else is around. Gray appears to have nasty temper on him, and he takes it out on his wife. EastEnders have announced the passing of Chantelle before the soap reappears on our screens due to the fact that the next few episodes will be quite harrowing, as viewers will see Chantelle attempt to escape and leave her husband. Jessica Plummer's last appearance as Chantelle will be on the 18th September. I believe both Jessica Plummer and Toby-Alexander Smith's performance as Chantelle and Gray have been phenomenal! It's a very sensitive issue to portray, but in all seriousness ... this does happen to people every single day, and unfortunately - due to the lock-down, some people are suffering in silence, being victims of domestic abuse and being attacked at their home day after day. I, for one will be devastated to see Chantelle be killed off, but I do feel it's a very important issue and it's fantastic of EastEnders to be raising awareness of such vicious acts of cruelty. What the big questions I want to ask now are, what will happen in the aftermath? Will Gray be found out? How will the Taylor family react to the passing of Chantelle? Will Gray go to deep lengths to hide the truth from his family and neighbours? I'm sure many fans were always hoping that Chantelle would find a way to speak up and ask for help or eventually escape Gray, but sadly in Chantelle's case, it will never be that way. I applaud the cast and story writers who took part in this story-line, it's a big subject and it's needs to be spoken about openly, more and more, and if anyone who views this story-line, who is currently in Chantelle's situation, hopefully they'll get the courage to speak out and/or seek help to escape. --- Now, shall we focus on tonight's episode? I don't know about you lot but I've been really looking forward to the day EastEnders came back on air! And it certainly came back with a bang!! Ahhh it felt so good to hear that theme tune again!! Brilliant!!

Awww and what a brilliant opening, Ian looking all smug and proud, putting the Queen Vic bust back on the counter. Quick question ... where the hell did he get that from?! I'm assuming it's something that could've been replaced, but me - being naive, honestly thought that the old Queen Vic bust which sank during the anniversary episodes, was one of a kind! Clearly - obviously not! Oh gosh ... look at all those photos of Ian and Sharon being landlords of the Vic! Makes a nice realistic touch, don't you guys think? Clearly, Ian has been making himself at home at the Vic during lock-down! Oooh it does look as if Ian and Dotty still have daggers for each other, Dotty's case has come up after Ian grassed her up to the police about selling some form of drugs at the club and they both appear to be going to court together. Dotty is NOT going to keep quiet for long, she will soon tell Sharon all about the secrets Ian has been hiding form her regarding her son, Dennis. Dotty must've been finding it so hard to watch Ian and Sharon together in the Vic, the secret must be eating her up to the core! 

Is it just me, or is Chantelle looking very fragile? She's very shaky, nervous ... it looks as if while she's been in lock-down, she's had nothing but abuse from Gray. It looks as if she's looking to divorce her husband and get away as soon as she can! Watching this, knowing what is going to happen in a couple of episodes time, I'm already feeling worried and scared for her. She's made things perfectly clear that she wants to the divorce to be quick and easy. Gray will still be able to see his children and they'll be living near by. This is something that does worry me, will Gray find out about her wanting a divorce and lash out? She's been told that a divorce could be incredibly expensive. Is she going to be able to afford what she needs to be able to go ahead? I know I am asking all sorts of questions, but with this being the first episode back, there are so many things that could happen with each and every story! Plus it feels like it's been so long since we've seen these characters, it feels so good to have them back again! Will Chantelle be able to open up to Kheerat before it's too late! Suki has already informed him that Gray was the one who put him up to Trading Standards, could there be some kind of conversation to come between Chantelle and Kheerat where he'll confront her about Gray's behaviour, and could she finally be able to tell him how Gray actually treats her?! You can see the fear in Chantelle's eyes as she enters her house and Gray comes to approach her from the stairs, already questioning her where she has been. When he reached into her bag I was worried he was going to pull out some form of paperwork regarding a divorce, but instead he's putting a tracker on her phone, to keep an eye on her. Chantelle clearly isn't happy about this, but sadly, there's nothing she can say. Gray is controlling and is wanting to keep an eye on her every move, he's frustrated as he has been put on furlough from his job, so he has also been stuck in the house while his children have gone back to school and Chantelle working also. How is Chantelle going to be able to escape Gray now he's put a tracker on her phone? Gosh, I just want to hold her and tell her she can escape from this! She later approaches Kheerat, telling him he's the only one she can trust and asks him for the money for her divorce, even though she can't tell him what it's for. But of course she feels guilty for asking after finding out her husband was the one who called up Trading Standards on Kheerat's company. I really do think Chantelle will tell him something, if not everything, but something before she sadly passes away. Kheerat will do everything he can to get justice for Chantelle! 

Oh Ballum!!!! Gosh I almost forgot about Ballum!!! Ha! Ben's hair has surely grown ... of course so had millions of other men's hair during lock-down! I love how happy they both appear to be able to see each other. Oh, is Ben going to ask Callum to move in?! IS THAT GOING TO BE A THING?! Haha is anyone feeling really proud of Callum? Is he now an official police officer? When he stopped that thief and stated "I'm a police officer! You're nicked!" I just felt a little sense of pride! God bless his little soul! Oh and look at him in his police gear!!! He looks SO good!!!!! I can't get over how manly he's become, I know that's a bit pathetic to say ... but we've seen him become a real man, come to terms with his sexuality and now he's followed his dreams and become a Police Officer, with the support of his boyfriend. Callum is eager to get his job done so he can go to the hospital with Ben, needless to say his colleagues aren't aware that he's gay, but in all honesty ... it's none of their business really. But I do have a feeling that eventually it will come to their attention, and as soon as they realise who Callum's partner is, his job could be at risk, even before it's started! Ooooh noooo, Callum is going to figure out what Ben did, while he is sat looking through the CCTV footage that he's been given, Ben slowly appears onto the screen. This would've been when he and Phil went after Danny and his money during this job that was meant to happen. How is Callum going to approach this with Ben? Am I right in thinking that Ben lied to him and told him he had nothing to do with it, but of course, the CCTV tells otherwise. 

Ahhh okay, so Linda has revealed that Sharon has renamed her son "Albie" ... Honestly, I think I preferred Kayden, but each to their own! Awww both Mick and Linda are adjusting to their life out of the Queen Vic. It looks as if Mick has some kind of interview or something the way he has dressed smartly with his waistcoat. Linda has been working in the cafe as a cleaner from the looks of it, while Mick has been home-schooling Ollie. It's going to be so weird not seeing them behind the Queen Vic bar, but I'm sure we'll get used to them being out in the community in a much different way. 

Sharon seems really happy where she is, she is back in her home to be honest! She grew up in the pub, it's only right that she brings up her child where she spent her childhood. It's only when she sees the Queen Vic pub, she stops in her tracks and goes silent. Has Ian made the right decision in ordering a second Queen Vic bust? Or is it something that is going to haunt Sharon, knowing it sank where her son lost his life? It's questionable. 

Oh I am so happy to see Kat back!!! Is it going to be revealed why she left? We know Jessie Wallace was suspended, but what was the reason for Kat to depart the Square? Is this going to made known? Oh and soon as she spots Ruby and Martin together, she's doing what Kat does best and sticking up for her family! Are Ruby and Martin now an item? Have they decided to become official while during lockdown together? It's been revealed that Martin has had the time of his life living with Ruby, but also she has kept secret from him that she has been having money problems due to the club being closed. When Stacey returns, she is going to be such a shock when she learns about Ruby and Martin, I already am kind of feeling sorry for her. 

When Ian and Dotty are back from the court, Ian is just slightly poking at Dotty more and more, saying that she should thank him for changing his statement, or even buy him a drink. You can see it's slowly eating her upside, how much she's desperate for him to have his comeuppance. She's made it clear now that she's not going to prison, what is to stop her from telling Sharon the truth now? What other threats could he throw at her? It's only when Sharon approaches in dismay asking whether any of Dennis's things had been returned from the police that Ian goes all scares. Ahh so, the Queen Vic bust is actually the original, from what I understand, it was recovered from the accident and sent back to the Vic where it belongs! (And there's me thinking it was a brand new one!) Later when Dotty is sat on Albert's bench, Bobby approaches her saying that she must be thankful for his Dad to help her out of the situation. But she makes a slight dig at Ian, saying that her father, Nick Cotton, was more like Mother Theresa compared to him! Which, Bobby can't seem to understand, he can't understand why Dotty enjoys slagging him off, but she makes a fair point that Nick never coward behind someone else and he always accepted who he was and took everyone else how they were. It's then she claims that she just like her father and is proud for what she stands for and believes in. She makes her way into the Vic just as Ian and Sharon are clearing the air about things being returned to the Vic, this is when the climax comes, what viewers have been waiting for for months! Ian getting his comeuppance and Sharon finding out the truth about how her boy died. Dotty goes on to say that people deserve to know the truth about how their loved ones die, Ian trying to worm his way out of the conversation, maybe trying to change the conversation and say it's not right to upset Sharon ... then she comes out with it, "He's the reason Dennis died! He locked him in the cabin on the boat and that's why he drowned!" 

Ian's eyes look frantic from Dotty to Sharon, Sharon face in absolute disbelief that he dearest friend could've done something so cruel to her and not said anything, kept the absolute worst secret from her. Dotty's words ringing in her ears. Is Ian going to worm his way out of it and claim Dotty doesn't know what she's talking about? Or is Sharon going to demand answers from Ian! What an absolute brilliant ending to first episode back on air! It's true tomorrow's episode is going to be just as gripping! What was your opinion on tonight's episode? I personally thought it was brilliant! So many things happening and I can't wait to see them all unravel. I am so glad to be back posting as well, I know it's been a long time and I know I've only done one post a week - if that - but I hope you'll all enjoy my blog now EastEnders is back and better than ever! I'll be back either tomorrow or Wednesday following up tomorrow's episode. Goodnight everyone and enjoy the rest of your night xXx

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"It's All Her Fault!"

Double Episode Special

Thursday 25th February - Friday 26th February 2021

Hello everyone! I apologise for this post being so late, I've been away from my computer since Friday and I've not had a chance to watch EastEnders at all. I realise I'm a few episodes behind, but in this blog post, I've decided to review both Thursday's and Friday's episodes together, that way through-out the week I can catch up and be up to date with you all. I do however have to say that this week, I will possibly be missing out Thursday and Friday again as I have some personal time away from my computer. I want thank you all though for being incredibly patient with me and allowing me to write up my blog as and when I can. You're all amazing people and I can't thank you enough for the on-going support.

There is SO much to cover, so let's discuss a few things, the first thing I'm going to focus on is Ben, Phil and this new business deal that's supposed to be going on. I have to be honest though, this storyline I'm finding a little bit confusing. Maybe because I've been away for a few days, but what was the whole business agreement/plan that Ben, Phil and this new character were involved in in the first place? All we know for sure really is that this new character, who I still can't recall the name of, "Stas" or "Stan", has been a loyal customer/client of the Mitchells for years and now he's taking his business elsewhere, to Kheerat. Of course this is going to upset and annoy the Mitchells, but after a lot of confrontation between Ben and Kheerat about nicking potential business plans/propositions, it looks as if it all comes down to money at the end of the day. Who is this new character? We really don't know much about him at all, and to be honest, I'm getting sick of seeing his face ... he doesn't speak clearly and I can't quite understand what's going on when he's onscreen! Thursday's episode shows Kheerat celebrating his new business prospects, and of course Ben kicks off as he feels that Kheerat is flaunting his celebrations right in front of them, nicking their clientele.

However, the following day, it looks that maybe Kheerat has got himself in a bit too deep as "Stas"/"Stan" demands more money that was originally agreed. Vinny notices that his brother appears to be doing some kind of business and might have been in the foresight of the Mitchells. He warns his brother to be careful and whether they should include their Mother, Suki, for help. But Kheerat is adamant that he was to do the business his way and will only inform Suki when he's ready. Has Kheerat taken on a bit too much? Meanwhile Ben seems to be seething that Kheerat is laughing at his family, mainly himself and Phil. But Phil informs his son that they should do absolutely nothing. Instead of getting worked up about lost business and money, he suggests that they should just lay back and watch from the side-lines and watch things go to pot! As that way, if things do turn out wrong, it won't be their problem, it'll be Kheerat's. As much as that appeals to Ben, watching things crash and burn would be some form of entertainment for him, he seems to ignore his Dad and approaches Kheerat whilst he's sat in Ruby's club. Interestingly, he seems to warn to Kheerat about the clientele he's working with, informing him to be on his guard and proposes that if ever he needs help in anything, he's willing to step up. Ben is clearly trying to worm his way in to be involved, just once I wish he'd listen to his Dad's advice and leave things be.

--

Whilst on the subject of the Mitchell's, who else has Phil been involved with lately? Kat! And after overhearing him bad-mouth her and humiliate her to Ben after their romp, she took it things into her own hands. Initially, she is the one who kind of caused the Mitchell's to lose their business proposition as she went blabbing, which turns out why Stas/Stan took his business to Kheerat instead. During this whole section of Ben trying to figure out who blabbed, Kat has been lying low, but her family are starting to notice that someone or something has seemed to upset her. Stacey mentions that if it happens to be a bloke who has let her down, then he's not worth it. Eventually Kat takes it upon herself to give Phil a visit, informing him that she's not someone to be messed around with, also dropping the bombshell that she was the one to blabbed, I think it's this point that Phil realises he has met his match in Kat, after their little fling, Kat announces that things are over between them. Only later on, it looks as if Phil realises that Kat is right and he shouldn't have bad-mouthed her the way he did, he decides to pop over to her and, in not so many words, apologise. Maybe things between Kat and Phil could get serious? Who knows, I think they'd made a very big power couple!

--

The next thing I have focus on is Isaac. So it's now been revealed that the illness that Isaac is suffering from is Schizophrenia. Now I've had to do a little bit of research for this as I'm not 100% sure what that entails. I think this is the first time that EastEnders have brought up the subject of Schizophrenia. For those of you unsure, Schizophrenia is a mental illness which affects how people think and how they understand the world around them. The symptoms brought on could be things such as hallucinations or delusions to an extent that they can't tell what's fantasy and reality.

But now we know what Isaac is having to deal with in his personal life, it all makes complete sense as to why Sheree has been acting so protective of her son. Of course, at this moment in time, only Isaac and herself are aware about his diagnosis. I'm intrigued to see how the rest of the family are going to react once they find out the truth, Patrick, Denise and Kim. One thing I hope, is that Isaac isn't seen as a freak or anything, I don't mean that in a harsh way, but people might begin to think they he hears voices or something? I don't know, we'll have to wait and see. But poor Lola has also been left in the dark, for now. Sheree has warned her to stay away from her son, of course she means well where he son is concerned, but she didn't really go the right way about it. Isaac is left furious at his Mum when he learns that she was the one who warned Lola to stay away, but Isaac truly feels that he's ready to move on and have a relationship.

After learning from Patrick that Sheree warned Lola to stay away, Isaac storms to the salon to confront his Mother. In this moment, I kind of feel sorry for Sheree - well both of them really. I'm not too sure how long Isaac has had this illness, but he claims to have things under control where his medication is concerned. The fact that he hasn't had a normal life for a long time seems to be interesting, he admits to his Mum that he genuinely has feelings for Lola and is ready for some happiness in his life. But Sheree is deeply concerned, concerned that she doesn't want her son getting hurt if people find out the truth. This is where Isaac really passionately aches to be heard, he's not scared of his diagnosis and is ready to reveal it to the people close to him. He demands his Mum to say the name of his illness, but she simply refuses, which is when the big reveal is announced and we learn of his Schizophrenia. Later on, Lola is sat alone in the Cafe and Isaac is quick to join her, she claims that she's not willing to put her job on the line if her job is at risk if they were to start dating. But Isaac reassures her that he will put his Mother straight, regardless of her worries, and he convinces Lola to go out on another date.

I know this has have already, but I'm really looking forward to seeing Monday's episode tomorrow so I can comment on Lola's reaction to Isaac's medical news. Let's just hope things won't get worse for Isaac and he and Lola might be able to have a relationship that works, regardless of his mental illness.

--

Okay so we know that Ruby has been the main focus of these two episodes, but before we delve into her storyline, I want to mention Dotty. Early on in the week we saw her approach Ruby with a business proposition of having a hostess at the club, as a way of gaining more customers and making more money for the club. At first, Ruby seems really against the idea as it'll look as if they're prostituting young women. However, as the episodes have gone on, Dotty seems to have convinced Tiffany to be the hostess of the club, as she would be earning more money for herself and Keegan, in an exchange Dotty has allowed them to move into Sonia's house and live with her, Whitney and Kush. I guess it's fair to say that both Tiffany and Keegan have been struggling for money in recent months, with Keegan working at the club as bar-staff as well as doing his own sandwich business. But to get Ruby on board with this hostess idea, Dotty is eager to find out more information on Ruby. She approaches Tiffany and asks her to tell her everything she knows about the club owner, when she learns about Ruby's Dad and her past and how she became so wealthy, Dotty seems to approach Ruby - I'll mention Ruby's mental state and emotional state shortly, but Dotty catches her at the worst possible time. I thought that Dotty kind of manipulated Ruby into allowing to go forward with the hostess job, complimenting how far she has come in her life and how successful she's been, mentioning that they both have Dad's with bad reputations and she simply wants to make something of her life and make her Dad proud. All this seems to fall on deaf ears, Ruby understandably has other things on her mind, but when Dotty claims she wants 50% of the profits, Ruby claims that she'll have to settle for just 10% otherwise there will be no deal, to which Dotty happily agrees.

I wasn't going to mention much about it, but I do fear for Tiffany. Maybe taking this job at the club may not be a good idea? And how on Earth with Keegan react when he finds out? Tiffany has said she's going to keep it a secret from her husband for a while, until she's ready to tell him. But I guess she's only doing it so they can afford a house for themselves? What do you think? Could Tiffany be putting herself in danger?

--

Okay so the main event I need to mention is Ruby. Oh Ruby ... poor Ruby! I do really feel for her, but I feel like she's so struck by grief and loss that her whole world is crumbling around her. She tries to do something nice but things get thrown back into her face. So, before I mention the devastating loss that Ruby has gone through, we need to start with how this all happened and kicked off. Martin proposes to his wife that she deserves and break and plans a holiday to Greece during the Easter holidays, but Ruby voices her concerns about leaving the children behind during Easter, to which she suggests maybe taking the children with them. Of course that is a really nice gesture, I still can't tell whether she's trying to do one over Stacey or not, but it could simply be a nice gesture for the children, considering that during this moment, Ruby is pregnant and her child would be a sibling to Stacey's children. Unfortunately though, Stacey isn't too keen on her taking the children on holiday. It's revealed that they would take the children away for two weeks, which in Stacey's mind, gives Ruby enough time to turn her children against her. But really, why would Ruby do that if she was pregnant with her own child? Know what I mean?

To try and come up with some sort of an agreement, Stacey, Martin and Ruby decide to meet for a discussion about the holiday plans. However Stacey is furious when Ruby turns up with nail polish for Lilly, when just a few moments before Stacey refused to buy it for her daughter. Stacey once again feels like Ruby is wading in on her children, but honestly, I really don't think that's the case. All Ruby has ever truly wanted is to have a family of her own. To get away from the confrontation she goes to visit the restroom whilst Martin tries to calm Stacey down. Only when Ruby returns, she is visibly very quiet, only she doesn't approach the table to join Martin and Stacey. She grabs her phone and calls up the clinic, informing them that she's 7 weeks pregnant and worryingly, she's bleeding. Without anyone's knowledge, she goes on her own to the clinic where unfortunately the nurse can't seem to pick up a heartbeat on the baby monitor. Devastatingly, she has last her baby, the child she has always wanted.

The following day, she seems to be completely in a world of her own and the previous days events seem to play over and over again in her mind. Martin is trying to do his best to cheer up his wife, even making the kind gesture of putting the baby scan picture in a cute small baby picture frame. However, I still have to mention that that baby scan picture, really isn't hers. Perhaps she never got to have a picture scan? I'm assuming because she was only 7 weeks, she doesn't get a picture? Do you only get a picture when you're 12 weeks? I'm unsure. But regardless, she sadly has no baby scan picture of her own baby. Ruby tries to go on about her day, heading off to work, but whilst she's there Stacey pays her a visit, informing her that if she wants to take her children to Greece for a holiday, then she can pay for it because Stacey simply cannot afford it.

I found this scene between Ruby and Stacey really really gripping actually. Even though they seem to be at each other's throats right now, it was nice to see them actually having a conversation about their teenage years. Recalling on how their memories as best friends and their wishes of having children around the same time as each other, both being Mum's walking their prams around the Square, each of their children calling them "Auntie". I really enjoyed watching this moment, they truly were very best friends for a long time. It's a crying shame how things have changed between them. Okay, Ruby being with Stacey's ex-husband isn't a good start, but I don't know about you guys, but do you miss the friendship that they once had? Would you like it if they were to move on and forgive each other for their wrong doings and become friends again? Honestly, I think they both could do with a good friend right now.

Sadly, their discussion and happy memories doesn't last for long. Ruby claims that she can't see what Martin saw in Stacey, but to clash once again, Stacey gives her the same insult. Does Stacey still have feelings for Martin? Before she found out about them being married, Stacey did confess to Martin that she still loved him, but does her feelings still remain the same? Stacey claims that because she was married to him for quite a long time, plus she's the Mother of his children, she and Martin will always have a history and he will always hold a spark for her. As she goes to leave Ruby alone in the club, Ruby follows her asking her to elaborate on what she means. She stands her ground and informs her ex-best friend that she and her husband are solid and nothing and no one is ever going to come in between them.

As Stacey goes to leave, Ruby follows her up the stairs, but in the commotion of their argument, as Stacey turns to tell Ruby to leave her alone, Ruby's ankle gives way as she steps on one of the stairs and she goes falling backwards along the stairs. Of course Stacey is absolutely terrified for Ruby, knowing that she's pregnant and had a dangerous fall. She stays by her side and places a cushion under her head, calling up Martin to inform him of his wife's accident. Poor Ruby pleads Stacey not to leave her and they both clasp hands. Later on, when Ruby is alone in the hospital, Martin arrives after hearing the news from Stacey. As Ruby looks up at her husband, she absolutely crumbles and bursts into floods of tears. Apologising to her husband and claiming that she really tried, Martin tries his absolute best to console his devastated wife over the loss of their baby. Only, when me mentions that Stacey called him, Ruby is more than furious, I don't know whether it's the grief that's really struck her, or whether she's feeling angry for losing the child she's always wanted, who knows what she could be feeling? Maybe everything just builds inside of her, she makes the horrendous claim that Stacey is to blame for her losing her child as she sobs into Martin's arms.

I do feel that things are going to going to turn dark and more upsetting for all involved in this story. Of course Martin is going to believe his wife, which means that Stacey is going to have a huge battle to fight. If there wasn't a battle before, there most definitely will be a war. Ruby did sadly lose her baby, but Stacey was not to blame. To be honest, she had lost the baby even before she fell, she had miscarried the previous day when she bled and they nurse couldn't detect a heartbeat. But now she's taken a bad fall and Stacey was there, I suppose it gives her the opportunity to put Stacey in the frame and blame her, anything to get back at her, or to even keep her husband on side. Who knows? I do feel for Ruby, I really do, but blaming Stacey for something which wasn't her fault is really not the right thing to do.

As I said, I don't know whether because she's grieving, she's angry, jealous? She could be feeling all these emotions right. But one thing is for sure Stacey is going to have a huge battle on her hands now to prove her innocence. I'm really looking forward to reviewing Monday's episode. I might do the same thing tomorrow and blog about Monday's and Tuesday's episode together, just to make sure I catch up! Thank you all for reading, I apologise for this being so late, but all your support really means the world. I'll be back again tomorrow! Love you all xXx  

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"You're The Biggest Mistake I Ever Made!"

Tuesday 12th January 2021

Hello again everyone! Hope you're all keeping well! I apologise for this one being late, but I'm really looking forward to seeing what happens next, following yesterday's episode! I'm not going to waste any of your time and jump straight into it!

Firstly, I want to mention Frankie and Ben. With recent events spiralling out of control, poor Frankie has no idea how to cope with it all, knowing that Mick is her Dad and that her Mother is a paedophile! Ben and Callum find her at the Prince Albert and decide to stay with her to keep an eye on her as it becomes clear that she's been drinking all day! Ben seems concerned for his friend, he manages to sit down and inform her about the fight he had just witnessed outside on the Square, informing Frankie that Shirley had beaten a woman up on the Square, but refused to say who it was. Frankie seems to look suspicious, after Ben tells her this information, she takes a quick look at her phone and sees that she has many missed calls from her Mum, but chooses to completely ignore them! During her time in the Prince Albert, Frankie has been assumed as gay, first with Tina and now with this new lady working at the bar, calling her "Gorgeous!" - I mean, that does not necessarily mean that the girl was chatting her up, could be just a nice polite compliment, but Frankie seems to take it as another girl is once again chatting her up, she questions Ben why people assume that she's gay - but as soon as Ben makes a light joke, she snaps back at him, leaving Ben very surprised. He can see that his friend is struggling with something, will he manage to find out what?!

The next thing I want to talk about is Dotty's party, now there's quite a lot to cover here involving a number of characters. Firstly, that Sharon offers Dotty an olive branch and gifts her a crate of alcohol for her party. She informs the teenager that she and Dotty's Grandmother "Dot" have been close for years and she hate for them to fall out because of Dotty, she tries to inform her that she and Ian are just starting out and she should accept it and move on. However, during the party, Dotty can't seem to come to terms with Sharon's offer, it's only after some wise words from Jean that she decides to give the alcohol back to Sharon and informs her that she can't just forget what Ian did to Dennis. It would be wrong for her accept it, unfortunately, Dotty doesn't know about Sharon's knowledge of Ian's involvement in her son's death. But Dotty makes a statement, that she needs to think about who she's really married to, there is no misunderstanding and she knows exactly what Ian did! She made the very important point that maybe Ian can buy Sharon, but she can't buy her!

During Dotty's party, poor Iqra is stood on her own, but when Keegan and Tiffany ask where Ash is, she informs them that she's probably still working, the states that the girl is a workaholic! Only just a few seconds later, Ash appears from around the doorframe - it looks like she's already had a few drinks already, much to Iqra's shock! I do feel for Iqra during these scenes, as it looks as if Ash is slowly losing interest in her girlfriend. Even when Ash proposes taking the party somewhere else, Iqra questions whether it's a good idea, to which her girlfriend responds with "Well, you can just stay here!" - leaving Iqra visibly upset. Later, when Iqra and Jean find each other, Jean gives Iqra some wise words also. When Iqra informs her that Ash has changed since Jag's has been in prison, its as if she doesn't know what her girlfriend wants anymore. Once again, Jean plays the role of being everyone's agony aunt and gives Iqra some home truths to think about, also mentioning that she needs to live in the moment, she has her whole life to figure out what she wants, but while she's young, she needs to live in the now and enjoy it! But while Iqra and Jean are having this conversation, Ash, Peter, Tiffany and Keegan have gone to the Panesar's office, where they thought the party would kick off. However, it's only when Suki walks in and informs everyone to leave that it looks like the party's over. It's been blatantly obvious in recent weeks that Peter has been flirting with Ash, even before Suki comes in to ruin the party, he questions Ash on what his chances are of being with her, she looks tempted but gives him the blow that he stands no chance with her at all. But when Suki tells them to leave, as Peter grabs his coat, his wallet falls out, which of course, Suki takes pleasure in snooping at. But she seems either disgusted or stunned to find a condom in Peter's wallet. When he comes back to find it, realising that Suki has found the content of his wallet, he informs her that it's best to be safe. Suki seems interested to know that Peter is interested in her daughter, however Peter informs her that her feelings towards him are not mutual. But what happens next REALLY shocks me - Suki starts flirting with Peter! Informing him that she's just been on a date and that the obvious end result of that date has ended with her talking to him and not in bed with her date. Peter seems kind of shocked and embarrassed at the thought, but Suki informs him that passion doesn't stop at the age of 40 and drops the biggest flirtatious bomb of all and questions whether he'd like to find out!!! To say I was shocked is a total understatement!! I have no idea why Suki would even be interested in Peter, would it be simply to get her own back on Ian? Or to even cause a rift between him and Ash? Who knows?!

Also, can I just mention what an absolute inspiration Jean was during this episode! Regardless of having to deal with the possibility that her cancer is back, she puts on a brave face, with some gorgeous make-up, gets dressed into a stunning sparkly dress and attends Dotty's party with Mo! During her time there, she helps not to just one - but two people - Dotty and Iqra! Informing them to take a hold of their life, live in the moment and enjoy it while they can. Jean seemed to be really enjoying herself at the party and also seemed to be taking her own advice. When Iqra asks her what she wants, she simply gets up and says "I want to dance!" - Jean gets up onto the dancefloor and shows the young ones how to live in the moment. She's swaying her arms and legs and singing along to the music, eyes closed - actually living in that very moment! Jean was just beautiful tonight, an inspiration. I love her so so much! I want to applaud Gillian Wright for her performance as Jean, she's just a fantastic actress and plays the role of Jean so perfectly, I can't fault her at all!! Of course we don't know for sure whether Jean's cancer has returned, I pray to God it hasn't, but even so - she has given us a brilliant life lesson. Don't dwell on things, face life head on, enjoy it - because we simply don't know how long we all have on this Earth!

The final thing I want to talk about, of course is Mick and Shirley! After the events of what happened in the previous episode, Mick is panicking that his Mum is going to the police everything, about why she attacked Katy and that soon Mick's secret will come flooding out onto the Square. Linda tries to console her husband, but he states that he simply isn't ready for things to be revealed yet. I do also feel for Shirley during this episode, during her confrontation with Linda, she states that after learning the truth, she can't just stand back and do nothing! Linda pleads to Shirley not to call the police, she understands that she wants to help Mick, but doing this isn't the right way. She makes a very valid point that they are both on the same side here, they both want to be there for Mick, even though they both want to rip Katy's throat out for what she's done to him, but they have to do what's best for Mick and do things at his pace - otherwise it'll make the whole situation 10 times worse for him. Linda suggests that she goes round to their apartment and speaks to her son. It's this scene in particular which got me really emotional. Poor Shirley is in absolute bits, tears flooding down her face as she talks to her son about not being there for him and how she blames herself. She informs Mick that she didn't tell the police why she hit Katy, for his sake! She goes on to talk about not being able to be there for him whilst he was in care, she blames herself - not for putting him into care but also of what Katy has done to him. As a mother, she feels she should've known, she should've protected him. She is deeply apologetic towards her son. Mick doesn't say a word and listens very carefully to his Mother's words - it seems as this has been the words he's been needing to her, slowly and gently he leans forward to his Mum, informing her that all of this is not her fault, the only person to blame is Katy. He says those 3 small words that Shirley has been longing to hear for a very long time "I love you!" - Shirley's sobs seem to ease as finally the relationship between her and her son is rekindled. This scene almost made me cry - I also have to applaud Linda Henry for her performance as Shirley, another fantastic actress which EastEnders are extremely lucky to have! I have to be honest, Shirley is one of my favourite characters, I've loved her since she first appeared on the soap, she has so much fire about her and I love her so much!! EastEnders wouldn't be the same without her! Taking her own advice, that she wants to be there for her family, she wants to look out for her family more than ever now, she goes back to the Atkins household where Gray is waiting for her. She informs him that she's going to start looking for Tina, something isn't right and she needs to find her baby sister - the look on Gray's face is an absolute picture! Panic! Something tells me it's not going to be too long until his secrets slowly start to reveal themselves. What is he going to do now? How on Earth is he going to be able to stop Shirley from searching for her sister? What other low lengths will he go to?!

The final thing I want to mention is Max! After leaving Mick and Shirley alone to have their talk, Linda finds herself in the Vic. Max finds her sitting alone and approaches her, questioning the local gossip about Shirley beating up a lady, someone who's known to Mick. Linda attempts to ignore his questioning, informing him that it's none of his business and has nothing to do with him. Max seems really put off by this, he can't seem to understand why all of sudden, after their fling, Linda is back to being the doting wife. He asks her to please tell him, just to give him some kind of understanding as to why she's suddenly dropped him like a tone of bricks! He informs her that she doesn't have to stay with Mick out of duty, but Linda stops him before he can say anymore and informs him that it's not duty that she's staying with Mick, it's because of love. She still loves her husband very dearly. Bu Max refuses to give up and states that he can't understand that "One minute you're mine, the next -!" This really doesn't sit well with Linda and abruptly stops him once again, stating that she was NEVER his and that he was the biggest mistake she ever made, leaving the Vic and Max alone with the hurtful truth that she regrets their fling, even more so now.

Overall a very brilliant episode, powerful, emotional, inspirational! Everything you wanted really! I can't wait to see what happens next. Will Frankie be okay? Will she eventually be able to have a conversation with Mick? Who knows? I hope in time that Mick will be able to approach his daughter and they'll be able to come to terms with everything - together. What the heck is going on between Suki and Peter? Do you guys find that weird and disturbing as much as I do?! Plus, how is Shirley going to find Tina and will Gray attempt to stop her?! Oooo so many questions which I can't find out the answers to! I hope you've all enjoyed reading, I really enjoyed writing this post! Please feel free to leave me a comment, I'll always respond! Enjoy the rest of your day folks! Love you all xXx

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"You Might Aswell Just Come Out!"

Thursday 10th September

Good evening again everyone! Hope your day has been a good one - whether you've been relaxing at home or whether you've been out and working, hope it's been a good day for you all! We are back again with another episode tonight, we know Tuesday's episode ended with Chantelle dropping the bombshell on Kheerat that she is planning on leaving Gray the very next day!! Clearly something is going to stop Chantelle in her tracks, but what?!

Let's delve right into it! The episode starts with Ian waking up in the Vic, Sharon has only gone and made him a full English Breakfast!! The absolute works! I can still sense the flicker of guilt from him - he doesn't really deserve the Vic or the appreciation that Sharon is giving him. She thanks him for looking after both her and her baby boy, saying how she feels like a princess each time he's ran out to get groceries for her! He's there giving her a smile, even though it looks a bit forced! It's as if everything with Dotty has been forgotten about, Sharon hasn't even begun to even suspect for once that Dotty could be telling the truth. It's only going to hit her harder when she realises.

Across the Square, it looks as if Gray is finally heading back to work. Chantelle is stood behind the counter looking nervous and scared to even talk or move. It's the day she's planning on leaving her husband for good! Before he leaves he asks her whether she has her phone, he demands her to keep it with her, oh you know, just in case! She asks him softly on what time he'll return, she tells him she'll have dinner ready. Is this so she can time it right for her to get away before he gets back? So if what I'm thinking is right - she has until 1 o'clock to get away! As he leaves the house she grabs her phone and makes a call, it sounds as if she's making an enquiry about an apartment or house of some kind that she can stay in? During the phone conversation she looks down at her ring, is she going to pawn her jewellery just so she'll be able to afford it?!

In the Market, Mick bumps into Tina - I'm sure they probably haven't seen each other since lock-down. I'm unsure where Mick and Linda are staying right now but it sounds as if they're all settled in their new home. Linda is doing well to stay sober also, the only downside is that Mick is struggling to find a job, with him being Landlord of the Queen Vic for a good few years, it's probably been hard for him to find something he's qualified for - as he explains to Tina, he's had 4 interviews but not got the job in any of them because he's overqualified! Luckily, Tina decides to give him a permanent position at The Albert. I don't know about you guys but it feels so weird seeing both Mick and Linda looking for jobs in the Square now, they've been a part of the Queen Vic for so long, it's weird not seeing them behind that bar! It's true they're already popular within their neighbourhood and community, I'm sure they'll have plenty of people rallying round them if they needed any help.

In the Mitchell household, Ben still has his little package in his pocket ready to give to Callum. Oh bless! He's all excited and ready to go the seaside to listen to the seagulls with his partner, only Callum refuses to go. I feel sorry for Ben at this moment in time, as he has no idea what Callum has found. He's been struggling to come to terms with the fact that he could potentially lose all his hearing, until yesterday when he had the implant and it was the first time in weeks that he heard Callum's voice! He explains to his boyfriend that that was one of the biggest days of his life and he's disappointed that Callum doesn't seem to care. Only we know, that Callum knows that Ben has been lying to him. It's kinda sad to watch because all Ben is wanting to hear, is Callum tell him that he loves him. Of course Callum wouldn't deny that he doesn't love Ben, but knowing that he's plainly lying to his face is just getting him more and more angry. Why won't Ben tell him the truth? To save him the upset possibly? To not come between him and his job? Who knows? But when Callum decides to bring Danny Hardcastle up, once again Ben lies to his boyfriend and says he's not seen him since that incident at Ruby's. Callum scoffs in disbelief that once again his boyfriend has lied to him, he leaves the conversation before anything else can be said.

The next time we see Chantelle it looks as if she's leaving the pawn shop, Karen approaches her excitedly saying how much she has missed her and the kids. Did any one else notice that Chantelle was fidgeting with her sleeves? Like she was trying to cover up her hands so her Mum wouldn't see that she's not wearing her ring?! Chantelle tries to dash as she uses the excuse she needs to take the children to the dentist. As Karen begins to leave, Chantelle then calls to her Mum that she'll bring the kids round to see her, as she's missed them so much. Plus with Chantelle's plan on leaving, she'll know she'll never forgive herself if her Mum and Dad didn't get the chance to say goodbye to their grandchildren. Only will this cause her to run late and corrupt her plan to get away?!

Ha! Sorry I just need to applaud Dotty for messing with Ian's head! She is brilliant! She actually made him believe that Sharon loves him! Did you see that little smile appear on his face after she walked away?! He actually believed her! Sharon has always said from the beginning that she and Ian are just close friends. Ian has only been "her rock" the past few months out of guilt. She fell apart after Dennis died, he took her in and looked after her and her baby son, and also as a massive gesture - bought her the Queen Vic! And since lock-down he has been living with her and Albie, as Dotty says - in the hopes of things actually getting more romantic and intimate between them. I think it's no secret that Ian has always held a bit of torch for Sharon, they've been close friends for years but I think deep down he has always truly loved her. As for Sharon, she's never seen Ian as anything else other than a close friend, she's never had any romantic feeling towards him - ever! So why the hell should she start now?! I love that Dotty has used this information to her advantage, Ian is only going to make another fool of himself!

Meanwhile, at the Taylor's, Chantelle is visiting her parents. As she sits down and listens to Karen talking about much she is missing Chatham and Riley, also Keegan and Tiffany now they've moved out, Chantelle is looking round and looking at all the family photos. I think she feels this will be the last time in a while that she'll get to see her Mum and Dad, so she's taking everything in. She turns to her Mum and tells her how much she loves her, and how much she loves her family and her parents. I'm sure deep down inside it is killing her knowing she'll be fleeing in a few hours. I just hope she would tell her parents exactly what was happening and why she has to leave. Just for a split moment when Mitch was going to hand her some money, I thought she might've said something then ... she slightly hesitated, did anyone else notice?  She decides to decline her Dad's offer of the money and says to him that Keegan would need it more, she takes one last look at her parents and softly says goodbye to them, not a thought in their mind aware of what she's about to do!

Ooooh look! Frankie's back! It's nice to see her making more of an appearance on the Square! It looks as if Kathy has given her a job at The Albert! Ooops - only to find that Tina has also hired Mick! #Awkward! ... In the recent new trailer that was released, it showed Frankie taking pictures of little Ollie. Does she have some kind of connection to the Carter's? Why would she be taking pictures of Ollie?! I'm looking forward to seeing more of Frankie and what could be her story-line involving the Carter's. I know Frankie was meant to have a story-line with Ben, I kinda have a feeling we haven't seen that yet? Only she was introduced to him by Callum, are we going to see something more from that side of things? Is Frankie going to show Ben the deaf community and how it all works, even though he's slowly getting his hearing back, it would enlighten Ben I think. Poor Mick, he decides to let Frankie have the job at The Albert, but as he leaves you can see the look of disappointment on his face, another job he's potentially lost? Will he be able to find something?

Back at Vic, Linda is having a lovely catch up with her best friend, Sharon. To be honest, it's lovely to see these two having a nice catch up and a chat the way they are. Obviously the roles have reversed with now Sharon behind the bar and Linda sat as a punter - but I watch them and I can't help but think it's so real how they've done it. With the whole social-distancing aspect in place, Sharon is behind the bar and Linda is sat at her table ... I think that whole scene was brilliant and it just felt very realistic. I loved how Ian was eavesdropping on their conversation, Sharon complimenting him on how amazing he's been to her though-out lock-down. He is going to high jump to conclusions! I love how they both laugh at the thought of both herself and Ian being an item, little does the poor man know how humiliated he's going to be!

Does anyone else seem to understand what Vinny and Ruby are up to? I kinda didn't understand that moment, to my understanding Ruby doesn't have insurance for the club? Am I right in thinking that? So Vinny is going to help her in some way - saying she's needs cash or something? I am so confused with this one! Vinny is seen loitering, waiting - for what looks like - Ruby to come out the club, she previously told him the club would be empty with cash in the safe! Is going to try and get that money for something or someone?

Awww and Chantelle looks as if she's ready to flee, she waiting for children, calling for them to hurry. Kheerat approaches her and pleads for her to tell him where she's going. Little does Chantelle that from across the road, Gray is watching her from his car. Watching as Kheerat and Chantelle have their little quick discussion, the look on Chantelle's face is utter fear as Gray makes himself known, Kheerat backs away and Gray reminds her that he didn't want Kheerat talking to her. I really feel for Chantelle right now, she almost got away. She was almost out of his grasp, as they walk into the house - Kheerat watches from a distance, catching Chantelle's eyes and Gray's. I am so sure that Kheerat's going to suss Gray out, he's going to find out exactly what's been happening! The BIG question is - will it be too late before he does?!

Back at The Albert, Ben finally catches up with Callum. He joins him at the table and apologises. He seems to think that Callum is upset because of Danny, but to what extent and why. It's only when Callum reveals that he'd figured out that he'd been lied to for months! He questions him why and what it means for their relationship. Ben claims it's literally because he's joined the police force and nothing else, but then again - it shouldn't matter what Callum's job was, he still should've told him the truth. He claims he was trying to protect him, protect him from what though? Protect his job? Protect his safety? The seriousness of the situation really hits home for Ben when he realises that he's been seen on CCTV! What does this mean for Ben and the Mitchell's? How is Callum going to be able to ignore it?

The following scene, Chantelle is back in her bathroom trying to find a hiding place for the money. She decides to put it in a make-up bag and hide it in the toilet, Gray shouts out for her as she makes herself look busy in the bathroom. Of course the first thing Gray notices, he engagement ring is missing! Oh shit! How is she going to be able to explain that one?! Perhaps say it's gone down the drain something?

Oh gosh this is really cringe-worthy isn't it! Ian trying to find the words to say to Sharon how he feels about her. How many women has he claimed to love on this soap?! Sharon seems to think there's something wrong with Albie, but he decides to jump right in the deep end and pour his heart out to her. Oh and I can see how awkward this is making Sharon feel, an awkward smile on her face, a nervous giggle, twiddling her fingers ... he tells her he loves her and even claims to know that she feels exactly the same way about him ... only when she explains to him that she doesn't, you can see his face drop in dismay. He's clearly realised he's made a huge mistake and has made himself look a fool. What's going to happen now between them? I don't think they'd be able to live together now things have been made to feel awkward between them. Will Ian move out and back in with his Mum while Sharon stays at The Vic?! Will Ian realise that it was Dotty who was playing with his mind?

Okay, so the last scene of tonight's episode, Vinny is seen sneaking out of Ruby's club, carrying a hefty looking bag ... Martin clicks on as to where he came from and begins to give chase. Has Vinny nicked all the money that was in the club's safe?!  Vinny heads to the back entrance of the Minute Mart, Martin slowly closing in ... he calls for him and slowly enters the shop, looking in all the nooks and cranny's. Only Vinny appears from behind and bashes him over the head with a fire extinguisher. Martin is left lying unconscious! What the hell has he done?! and why did he attack Martin in such a way?! Why does Vinny need the money? Was he getting the money for Kheerat as a favour?! Will Martin be okay?!

Once again folks, i'm deeply sorry for this post being posted late! Unfortunately it may take me a few days to write up about tomorrow's episode as i'm going to be away from my laptop/computer for about 3/4 days. But I promise I will be up to date as soon as I can. I hope you all have a fantastic weekend! Thank you all so much for taking your time to read my blog, I know the posts can be long but I just want you to know I appreciate it immensely! Thanks again folks! xXx

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"I'm Leaving Tomorrow!"

Tuesday 8th September 2020

Good evening everyone! Hope you're all enjoying your week so far! I once again apologise for this post being late, I just want to let you guys know that I am not slacking in any kind of way, I want to assure you all that I am just as excited about EastEnders as much as you guys are and I'm really looking forward to what the soap has in store for us. I know in recent weeks/months that I have been late with posts etc etc, I just want to explain to you guys that this blog, for me, is truly a hobby ... I work two jobs as well try to have a social life, I do this during my evenings whenever I'm not working and I will always make sure I am up to date with episodes! I just wanted to clear the air about that just in case some of you might have been thinking.

Anyway, we all know on Monday the soap came back with a huge bang! Now is the only time I've had to catch up on last night's episode, so lets jump straight into it!

So last night ended with Dotty telling Sharon the truth about how her son died and exposing Ian and his lies, and of course it starts right where we left off .... surely Ian isn't going to get away with it? Clearly Sharon is shocked to be hearing what Dotty is saying, Max is over on the other side of Vic listening in, and even he pipes up and claims that Ian was the one who saved Dennis, as he was there! But Dotty is eager to make Sharon believe her, she claims that she has no reason to lie, why would she? And oh of course Ian would bring up the fact that she was in court for possession of drugs because Ian reported her, but even so, that would have nothing to do with it! That really wouldn't make sense! And yet Sharon falls for it!!!!  She calls her an evil little bitch and smashes a glass in front of her ... did you guys clock that horrible smug grin on Ian's face?! Poor Dotty then gets thrown out the Queen Vic, everyone looking at her! Does anyone else feel for Dotty right now? She's been hiding this secret for months, being terrorised by Ian and blackmailed to make sure she keeps Ian's horrible secret, and as soon as she tells the truth, no one believes her! Sharon threatens her with the glass bottle, and warns her to never approach her or her family ever again!

As she does so, Bobby can be seen looking from a distance, it's been known that he has had a crush on Dotty for some time, whether he still does, i'm unsure ... but seeing her making unbelievable claims about his Dad, it disappoints him. I'm sure he wondering, "Why is she lying?" ... but I'm sure at some point, something will be found ... Dotty called out that she had a recording of Dennis from the boat, but it got deleted, could that still be found somewhere? Could someone else potentially have a copy? Ian tells Sharon to ignore Dotty, she's just a messed up kid in his words. Sharon decides to leave the situation to get some head space, leaving Ian to wonder what she could be thinking about. 

Aww now we see Chantelle meeting up with Kheerat, he's managed to get her the money she asked for. He asks whether her whether Gray can't help with the situation she may be in, but Chantelle can't bare to tell the truth. She explains the money is for her and her children and nothing else. The more this goes on and the more she confides in Kheerat, I do believe eventually she will say something about the abuse she's been suffering before she passes, unless something happens and Kheerat will find out the truth. But will he be too late? This is truly a sad story-line to watch, but of course it's very important to portray and tell the story! Chantelle decides to confide in Kheerat and reveals that she's divorcing her husband, this is clear surprise to him as it's shown in his eyes and the look on his face, he looks as if so many questions are rushing through his head. "Why would she be divorcing him?!" ... he promises to get her the money she needs to divorce him, she thanks him with a sigh of relief. But the look in Kheerat's eyes made me feel like he just wanted to hold her, wrap her up in cotton wool and take her away from what she's been suffering. It's as if he's Chantelle's true knight in shining armour. 

Awww and meanwhile, Ben is in the hospital along with his Dad and Lola, ready for his appointment to have his implant. He's looking longingly waiting for Callum to show up, Lola asks what would be the first thing he'd want to hear if the implant works, perhaps Lexi singing one of her songs? It's devastating that unbeknown to Ben, Callum is at work - having seen him appear on CCTV and revealing him taking part in the job with Danny Hardcastle, I do feel as much as Callum wants to be there for his boyfriend, he needs to hide the fact that it's his partner in the CCTV. I feel there could be some upsetting Ballum scenes ahead. At his house, Gray is working on his laptop, suddenly a advertisement pops up! "Are you looking for a divorce lawyer?" ... it's incredible how realistic that is! I'm sure all of you would agree that there have been times you've typed something in search bar on the internet, and a few hours later you'll be back online and there'll be an advertisement for something you've previously searched! Instantly Gray views the history on the laptop and it reveals everything has been deleted. Is he aware of what Chantelle might be up to? If so, I'm dreading what's going to happen next for Chantelle! 

Back on the Square, Dotty is seen with her head in her hands, looking defeated. Bobby makes his way up to her, demanding to know what she was playing at. He tells her neither he nor anyone else believes what she's saying is true. She asks him that it doesn't even cross his mind that there might be some slight truth in what she is saying, again ... why would she lie? I mean, it's clear she and Ian have never gotten on in the first place, Ian basically sees her as Nick Cotton's daughter, which means with him as a father, she could be very much like him! Bobby then reveals to Dotty that Ian wants himself and Sharon to be more than friends, Dotty's face smirks into a huge grin, is she going to be able use that information to her advantage?! Dotty claims that Bobby thinks that she is just like her father, like everyone else seems to think to, and with the way things are going for her, she might as well prove them right! 

Next clip, Chantelle comes home from work, Gray is clearly waiting for her. He hears her footprints enter the house, he asks her how work was, she replies with "Fine" ... the next comment he makes is "I would've thought more than fine!" She makes her way into the living room, Gray watching her as she walks in ... she tries to lure him off the scent and says she's been with a client. The next thing which came out of Gray's mouth made my mouth drop ... "Is that what that's slutty top for?" ... He is clearly enraged, knowing that she's been looking for a divorce lawyer. But to call her slutty?! Sorry, but that is bang out of order! Is he making out that perhaps she's having an affair, which is why she may be looking for a divorce?! But then HE announces that he's actually seeking an divorce! Saying it's best for them to get HER out of everyone's lives! This clearly comes as a shock to Chantelle, to be honest, in all seriousness ... what actually has she done?! Chantelle has done NOTHING, she's the one who has been the victim of Gray's outbursts for years and years, and yet he's divorcing her?! I'd kind of wished Chantelle had told him sooner that she was divorcing him, but of course - in her situation, she had to it secretly. This is going to be such a blow for Chantelle, he's even letting on that she wont even be able to see her children. How the hell is she going to be able to turn this around?!

The next time we see Chantelle, she is in the bath, Gray's words clearly playing on her mind. Footsteps can be heard of Gray coming up the stairs and approaching the bathroom, she looks in fear to the door as the footsteps get closer. The door of bathroom unlocks and Gray appears, he again repeats himself and says he wants her out. She pleads with him to talk it through, saying the children can't be without their mother! He claims he can provide for them himself and keep them with him, she pleads for him to make their marriage work. He lets out a sigh and tells her to prove it! Prove what exactly?! She's curled up in ball in the bath as he slowly approaches her, with not even any form of emotion in his face. He leans onto the side of the bath and tells her "If you love your kids, prove it. Do this and we can call all this off!" ... At this moment in time, I'm thinking - what does he mean? "Do this?" ... Chantelle is begging him saying "Please not this!" ... does she have some kind of fear of water? Or is something darker about to happen? 

Next minute, we see Ian let himself into the Vic, he sees a light is on upstairs and he makes his way up, hoping to see that Sharon has returned. He finds her in the kitchen, they both share a look and Ian starts to make excuses for Dotty. Instantly Sharon interrupts him and says "What aren't you telling me?!" ... Sharon and Ian have friends for a very long time, you'd think she'd know if he had been hiding something from her. But once again he worms his way out of the big lie/secret, and instead informs Sharon that Dennis was posting abuse about Bobby instead. He explains that she was giving birth to Kayden while it was all going on and he thought he'd be able to handle it. But as a good point, Sharon says that that was then, so why has he kept quiet since then and not told her? It looks as if as soon as Ian is about to explain why, she answers for him ... He didn't want her to feel bad about him? Because she was going through enough already? ... Ian's eyes and ears are in absolute disbelief! Something else he's letting her believe, that he's being such a good friend to her ... when it actual fact, it's been lie after lie! She then thanks him!!!!! Oh my gosh!!! I am watching this with my face in my hands ... can Ian not stoop any lower?! How long is he going to worm his way out of this? The more he lies, the more worse it's going to be once the truth finally comes out! He even says "You've got nothing to thank me for!" ... hmmm - is that the guilt sinking in?! 

Suddenly, the scene goes back to Chantelle and Gray ... Chantelle can be seen lying underwater, with Gray watching over her. Gray is clearly timing her as she holds her breath underwater. She lets out a scream underwater and Gray raises his arm in a signal for her to come up. She is clearly gasping for breath. How long has she been having to hold her breath? He's pretty much nearly drowning her without actually physically touching her. Controlling how long she stays under water for. As she's gasping for breath and coughing, he shrugs it off and says "Wasn't so bad, was it?" Then as if nothing has happened, he tells her to get changed and go and pick up their children. I am absolutely baffled by this! Not only is Gray physically abusing his wife, but he's also playing mind games and controlling her. It's typical domestic abuse! 

Back at the hospital, Callum finally arrives to be with Ben for his appointment. Ben is seen with wires connected behind his ears, Phil watching and waiting, sat next to him. Callum bursts through the door, apologetic to his boyfriend, he asks them if he had missed anything. Phil says to him that he should've been there an hour ago, Callum explains that something came up at work - the next thing is really interesting - Phil asks him whether it was more important than being at the hospital with his boyfriend, Callum then pipes up to Phil and says "You tell me!" - there is clearly some tension between Callum and Phil, I can sense an atmosphere between them. Now Callum knows about the job they took part in, will he blame Phil for getting Ben involved? Which is way he seems so snappy at Phil! Suddenly Ben whispers "I heard you!" ... He turns to Callum and smiles and repeats himself "I heard you!" He laughs excitedly that the implant worked, could this mean that Ben's hearing could be returning?! Callum is thrilled for his boyfriend but can't help but feel let down that he had been lied to for weeks/months.

Oh!!!!! So that's how Ian got the money to spend on the Vic!!! He used the money from Max's share of the restaurant to buy the Vic!! It all makes perfect sense now! And of course, Max has absolutely no idea - that's someone else that's going to be annoyed with Ian when his lies and schemes come to light. Not only is Sharon going to be angry with him, but so will Max ... I have a feeling something is going to go very wrong for Ian and very soon. It's been revealed that Adam Woodyatt would be taking a long break from the soap, something to do with a story-line - is Ian going to flee before everything comes to light? Or are things going to be revealed and will he then make a run for it? Whichever way it goes, I don't think things will be the same for Ian, ever again. 

The last scene of the episode tonight, Chantelle is looking frail as she's walking the children home. She's scared, Kheerat calls over to her explaining that it's going to take him longer for him to get the money, if not days, a couple of weeks. She softly says that she doesn't have a couple of weeks, she then drops the bombshell and says that she is leaving tomorrow! You can see in her eyes she is desperate to get away from Gray as soon as she can! I do fear that somehow Gray will end up finding out - or she'll end up getting hold up and not being able to go through with her plans. It's also devastating too that right now she hasn't even confided in her Mum or Dad, we've seen nothing from Karen or Mitch - if only Chantelle could find the strength to tell her family and not suffer in silence! I do believe the next few episodes are going to be really hard to watch, as harrowing as it's going to be, I'm sure EastEnders will do a brilliant job in bringing it to the screen. It's a very important story-line and i'm positive both Jessica Plummer and Toby-Alexander Smith will do it justice! I hope you've all enjoyed my blog tonight, I once again apologise for posting so late. I'll be back again soon following the next episode. Enjoy the rest of your night folks! xXx

[doof-doofblog]

"What Do I Get?" ...  "Me!"

Friday 11th September 2020

Good evening everyone! So sorry for the late post, I was away from my laptop over the weekend and I've only had now to catch up with Friday's episode! I've decided that tomorrow I will do two posts, one following up tonight's episode and obviously the second one following Tuesday's episode! I want to make sure my blog is up date as much as possible. I hope you all enjoyed your weekend.

Let's look back at the episode in hand, you will remember that Thursday's episode ended with Vinny attacking Martin in the Minute Mart after he was caught fleeing from Ruby's club. The episode started exactly where the last one finished off, Martin is lying on the floor unconscious, poor Vinny is worried and panicking about what he has just done, he calls his brother Jags for help! How is Vinny going to get himself out of this?!

Back at the Vic, Ian has just poured his heart out to Sharon, revealing that he has fallen in love with her, and he's adamant that she feels the same way about him. To his devastation, she admits that she loves him as a dear friend and as someone she trusts, but not in the way he is thinking. Poor Ian so confused, I'm sure he's feeling completely taken aback, especially after the lies Dotty filled his head with. Ian states to Sharon that she gave him all sorts of looks and signs and signals that that was how she felt about him, but I think it comes to the realisation that he accidentally misread them. Sharon assures him that nothing needs to change and they can still carry on how things are, but to Ian's dismay, he feels as though everything has changed between them now - how can he carry on living with her knowing she doesn't feel the same way about him?!

At the Atkins household, we last saw Gray approach Chantelle about her wedding ring. He is unaware that she pawned it so she could get some money to get away. She's come up with the story to tell him that the stone in the ring had come lose, so she's going to have it fixed. He is constantly questioning her, asking her why she hadn't told him in the first place, he lunges at her a smacks the table in a rage. Softly, out of fear, she says she'll have the ring back in a few days and she also questions him back - Asking him whether he thinks she took it off because she's fallen out of love with him? Only his snide comment back is "Can you blame me?!" ... As they're trying to talk things through, their daughter Mia walks into the room, nearly giving away Chantelle's escape plan. Chantelle tries to swerve Gray off the suspicion and says she'll take the children out for the afternoon while he does his work at home. Gray then goes into Chantelle's bag, takes out her purse and car keys and gives her only a £10 note to spend and says "The should be more than enough!" - he walks away with her purse and car keys, leaving her with no choice but to come back home!

Back at the Minute Mart, Vinny is waiting for his brother, only for his Mother, Suki, to walk in. She sees Martin lying on the floor and begins to ask questions. She tells him that he needs to flee and act as if he wasn't there and doesn't know a thing. Jags follows behind her, she tells him they all need to get their story straight and instructs Jags to wipe the CCTV. Whatever the plan Vinny and Ruby had, Ruby doesn't want to go ahead with it anymore, she's seen phoning Vinny claiming it was a mistake! Could they both be in big trouble for what they were going to do?! Is Martin going to realise who it was he chased and ended up being attacked by? What I also want to know is, what does Suki have anything to do with the situation? Why is she getting involved? I've said it before and I'll say it again - i'm convinced there's much more to the Panesar family that we haven't seen yet. I'm really intrigued to see if we'll find out anymore about their past and why they came to Walford!

Callum is still clearly feeling disappointed in Ben for lying to him. Ben is pleading for Callum to help him and his Dad and asks him to try and get the CCTV footage of him wiped. Callum scoffs and can't believe what his boyfriend is asking of him, Callum has worked hard to get where he is in the Police, how could his partner ask him to jeopardise his career? Callum states to Ben that all he cares about is himself and his Dad, he always seems to come second best. What relationship are they going to have when it's all based on lies?! Callum leaves leaving Ben looking guilty, worried and panicked. Is this another bump in the road that Ballum will be able to overcome?

Back over at The Vic, Dotty decides to make an appearance, even though she's not welcomed with smiles. Sharon immediately tells her to leave but Dotty can't help but make fun of Ian. Acting with pride and sarcasm, asking him if he really believed that Sharon actually loved him. Ian just bows his head in embarrassment, for a split second there is silence as the locals listen in and react to what they've just heard. Max, who is sat on the other side of the room, tells Ian to just ignore her as Dotty leaves with a smug grin on her face. I think it's then that Ian realises he's been made a fool of and been lead to believe something which isn't true. Everyone is sticking up for him, Sharon and Max are all saying that Dotty is just talking rubbish - even though part of me is thinking that Max isn't going to be best buddies with Ian when he realises that Ian bought the Vic with his share of the restaurant. Later on upstairs, Ian is packing his things away, Sharon is trying to persuade him that nothing has to change and that he can stay, but Ian is having none of it - he blames her for leading him on, being too intimate and being with each other over lock-down. Sharon apologises deeply for giving her friend the wrong impression but she can't seem to realise that she's done anything wrong - which to be fair, she hasn't - I'm sure she thought Ian was there for her just out of support and for genuinely being a good friend. Ian then confesses "I bought you a pub!" - that was another reason he bought it for her, because he loved her! It's only then Sharon realises that his feelings for her really do run deep!

Meanwhile, Ruby has been trying to get hold of Martin, she noticed Vinny from across the Square and he shoots off. Ruby then looks down the Square to see an ambulance, as she gets closer, she realises it's Martin lying in the back of it. She rushes to be at his side. Suki tells her not to worry and that she was the one who called the ambulance. As Ruby looks on worryingly, Ash approaches her Mum and asks her what has happened. Suki then instructs her quietly, as she looks over Ash's shoulder in the distance to the Police, to say that Vinny was with her all day if anyone asks her any questions. Ash looks confused but then as she looks behind her to see the police, she understands she needs to do as her Mum tells her.

At home, Ben is waiting for Callum to return. As he walks in, it's clear they are both reeling from the information that they've both been made aware of. Ben is the one who breaks the ice and instantly apologises to his boyfriend for lying and for putting him in a terrible situation. He admits he's messed everything up, Callum is silent and listens carefully as Ben makes his apology. Ben begins to explain the whole situation regarding his Dad and Danny, even mentioning the moment when Danny had a gun and that was when he lost his hearing. He compliments Callum and basically thanks him for being so loving and caring towards him when he was going through the most difficult time in his life, and that because of that he couldn't bring himself to tell him what had happened and upset him. He states that he doesn't want to lose his partner because of it. Callum instantly tells him that that is not going to happen, it's then that Ben sighs and says to him "I do not deserve you!", this is such a beautiful Ballum moment, Callum smiles slightly and agrees that finally that that is something they can both agree on. Ben sighs and then goes to the draw and pulls out the box containing the house key, instantly Callum is shocked and begins to ask whether it could be something else, Ben explains that he was going to do it the day before, before anything happened but obviously he couldn't ... he opens the box - "Move in with me, Cal!" ... for a split moment, it looks as if Callum is about to smile a huge smile - but then he says "How do I know you've not just done that now? Thinking that it would fix everything!" - Ben is left devastated, his lips curl and he places the box on the kitchen table, softly saying "Stupid idea!" and walks out! Callum is left staring at the box. At his point, I do feel sorry for Ben, he's trying to do everything he can to make it up to his partner, but he just doesn't seem to be having any of it.

Outside on the Square, Chantelle is looking defeated. Her daughter Mia asks her whether or not they'll be going on their adventure. Chantelle sadly shakes her head and tells her daughter that it wont be today, she also asks her not to mention it to their Daddy either. Mia smiles and says "I'm good at keeping secrets!" - Mitch then joins Chantelle and the children in the garden and says that he's booked them a holiday for the following day, and even though he understands that Gray may not be able to get the time off work, he would love it if Chantelle and the kids would go with him. Chantelle's face lights up - could this be the opportunity she needs to finally get away? It would be the perfect excuse to get away from Gray and it will also be the best opportunity she could get to make her escape plan work! She agrees and tells her children that they'll still be going on their adventure!

Okay - just putting it out there!!! Does anyone think something is going to happen between Tina and Frankie?! I can just see it happening. Tina isn't fond of Frankie to begin with, saying to Peter that her disability isn't going to help when it comes to serving drinks to a bar full of people. Frankie then proves her point to Tina and deals with a situation with some customers. She gets them to leave the bar and smiles at Tina - "Happy?" - Tina is then seen looking closely at Frankie. Is she going to slowly start getting feelings for the girl, and with Frankie somehow going to be getting closer to the Carter family, will she perhaps take advantage of Tina's feelings and lead her on, just to get closer to Mick, Ollie and the family?! Who knows?!

Back at the Mitchell house, Ben walks in a room where Callum is on his own, just thinking to himself. He says to Ben that he hates everything that is going on. He hates not being able to trust his own boyfriend. Once again, Ben tries his best to apologise - trying to explain that he didn't think, he was trying to protect his lover but also the fact that he was worried that Callum would put his career before him. Callum again tells his boyfriend that he loves him, they both share a smile at each other and Callum begins to get back to matter at hand. He informs Ben that CID will have the CCTV footage back in a few days time and he can try and delay it. The only way that they can move Ben away from the scent and the one thing that will stop Ben from going on the run, is if they decide to set Danny up and get him to go to the police without him knowing. Callum looks in shock, but perhaps it could be the only way of getting Ben and Phil out of trouble?!

The Panesar family are reeling over recent events and what Vinny has done. Ash is angry at her family for getting her involved and making her lie to the Police. Suki is basically telling them all to agree to the same story. Kheerat is trying to keep the peace saying that everything will be fine if they all say the same thing. Ash is angry and leaves the room. Suki instructs Vinny to change his clothes, it's only when she also leaves the room that Jags approaches his brother and asks him whether he's sick of things happening and that everything they do - there's always a victim. He reveals that he and Habiba had been seeing each other, but after he took her to one of his jobs to collect rent, she dumped him. I think that Jags is slowly starting to realise that the way he's been living his life, is not normal. I think it's clear that the Panesar family have been involved in horrendous things and it looks as if Jags is wanting to change his ways. He couldn't believe he could have someone as beautiful as Habiba, and now she's dumped him, he can see that the family do is wrong. He pulls out a poker chip and says that Kheerat can now have it, it used to bring him luck but he no longer wants it and maybe Kheerat needs more of the luck if he's going to be staying with the family  He says to his brother that he is going to change his ways and he's going to do everything he can to win Habiba back.

The last scene of the episode, Chantelle is whispering on her phone. At first we're not too sure who it is she's speaking to, until she makes her way down the stairs of her front door and Kheerat approaches her. She says to him that he's not supposed to be there, but he confesses he can't help but worry about her and making sure she's okay. He claims that he and Chantelle both know that there is something between them, Chantelle doesn't deny it, but she begs him to go before Gray sees. He pulls out the poker chip Jags gave him and tells her that he wants her to have it, and that any time she wants to cash it in, to give it back to him. She looks a little confused to begin with, she asks "What do I get?" ... Kheerat then leans in and smiles, "Me!" and places it in her palm. Chantelle encloses it with fist and fingers and as he walks away, she's left with a soft smile on her face. Will Chantelle find a way to confide in him before it's too late? Will Gray find the poker chip? Will the poker chip be found at the scene when Chantelle sadly passes away?

I feel the poker chip is going to be something important, either it'll go missing, Gray will find it, Kheerat will find it and some how, some way - it will come to light about Chantelle's abuse at the hands of her husband. I do believe eventually Kheerat will find out and he'll do anything to get justice for her. What do you guys think? I apologise once again for this post being so late, but I promise there will be two blog posts tomorrow! Thanks again for reading, it truly means the world. Thank you everyone xXx

[doof-doofblog]

"Get Over Yourself!"

Monday 22nd February 2021

Hello again everyone! Hope you all had a brilliant weekend! How are we feeling after Max's departure? It's going to be super weird now without him in the soap, what do you guys think? Have we gotten over the sadness of his exit or are we excited to see what the soap will be like without him? Let me know how you're feelings are about it!

Anyway, focusing on Monday's episode I'm going to begin first with Peter! After his stunt on the Square and almost knocking himself out, he appears to still be resting, waiting to hear from Ash. However, Kathy seems to think that instead of trying to get with a girl who's completely out of his league, he should focus on making a connection more with his brother. She mentions how much Bobby looks up to him and wants to be close to him. Peter at first seems really reluctant, but maybe Kathy's words soon ring true. As they're left alone, Peter suggestions to his younger brother that they should have a bro's night out! Bless Bobby, he of course completely agrees and you can see the look on his face how excited he is to be spending some time with his brother. Later on in the evening as the brothers are getting ready for their night out, Peter has a surprise visit from Ash, informing him that her career could basically be in the toilet as they don't seem to believe that Peter took the medication himself, so Ash is seeking to get drunk and forget about her worries, however I personally feel that that is no way to deal with the situation. She pretty much begs Peter to join her in her drinking plans, for a small, very brief moment, I thought that Peter would've done the nicest and decent thing and decline her invitation and spend the night with his brother, but of course he goes with her instead, leaving Bobby to spend the night with their Gran. I really feel for Bobby during this moment, as all he really wants is to gain some kind of close bond with his brother, but every time he gets his hopes up that things are getting better, Peter really hits him where it hurts and brushes everything under the carpet as if he doesn't matter. I hope that eventually Peter will come to realise how much he needs his younger brother.

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The second thing I need to mention is Ruby, she appears to be moving on from her ordeal with Stacey and Kush pretty steady-mindedly. Being the professional workaholic as she is, she's at her club keeping an eye on her staff and their customers. It's then that Dotty approaches her boss with an idea for the business. She knows that Ruby has a strong mind for making money, but her idea, I believe isn't the best one she's had. She recalls on the previous evening when Tiffany was being eyed up by a group of men, it claims that it has given her a good idea - in simple words, hire Tiffany as a show girl which would attract more customers and that way they'd make more money. However, Ruby makes the valid point that it could be classed as prostitution, but Dotty is convinced that Tiffany would be willing to do it as both she and Keegan are desperate for money. At first, Ruby says that she'll give the idea a think. But after a brief visit from Stacey, she changes her mind completely. Even though Stacey is convinced that Ruby has lied about other things, she decides to be the bigger person and apologise to her ex-best friend. Even though she claims that she wants to move on from their feud for Martin's sake. Maybe Ruby has come to realise that she needs to change her ways for her husband and her unborn baby's, maybe what Stacey said is true. Maybe she wants to better herself and do the right thing? As Stacey leaves she approaches Dotty and refuses to go ahead with the idea. Could this be the turning point in Ruby's life? Is she really going to start and try and do the right thing? What do you guys think?

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Next we need mention Kim and Isaac! At the beginning of the episode, Kim is sat in the Cafe as Isaac walks in and joins her. Kim happens the mention that she didn't hear him come home from a night out the previous evening, to which Isaac confirms that he stayed out all night and never did return home. Of course, being as fabulous and funny as Kim in, she begins to tease him that he might've stayed at a woman's house and questions when they'll be meeting his new mystery woman. However, Isaac is insistent that he's not interested in meeting anyone new, but this is where things seem to get interesting. Kim places a £20 bet that she'll be able to find him a date, with the money being a Scottish note. The first person she approaches is Whitney, but we all know that she and Kush are holding some kind of light or spark for each other, did you guys notice the little subtle flirtatious look between the two of them when Kim left?! The next person Kim finds on her travels is Lola, after finding out that Isaac the person Kim is trying to set her up with, she agrees to go on the date.

Later on at Ruby's club, Lola is sat waiting as Isaac arrives to see who his blind date will be, and I guess it's fair to say that he was overly happily to see Lola sat waiting for him. Things start off well, Lola and Isaac are laughing and enjoying each other's company, Isaac is telling her stories about his students. At first things to be looking really well for the young hot new couple, but as soon as Lola offers to buy a round of drinks, she places the same £20 note that Kim had earlier on the table, it looks as if Isaac puts two and two together and clocks on to the fact that Kim had paid Lola to go out on a date with him. Visibly hurt by this act, poor Lola has no idea what she's supposed to have done wrong, Isaac leaves the club and heads back home, confronting Kim about her actions. This is where he gets told the truth, the fact that he has made a huge mistake, Lola was actually happy and willing to go on a date with him, she only got the money from Kim because she was paid for doing her nails! Understandably, poor Isaac feels humiliated and possibly a bit guilty for running out on Lola, he hurries and sees her walking through the streets. Did anyone else notice that Sheree wasn't too keen on Isaac going out and dating? Even watching him by the front door as he caught up with Lola. Isaac admits that he actually does have feelings for Lola and eventually they agree to go on another date. I think I might've mentioned this before, but it's been revealed that Isaac is meant to be hiding something? Possibly a health secret? What could be wrong with him? Could it be why Sheree is so wary about him dating?!

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The final thing I have mention is also Phil and Kat! I still have no idea what to make of this new pairing, it's interesting as a simple fling, but I can't picture Kat being the next Mrs Mitchell! Can you?! Anyway, even though Kat and Phil seem to be enjoying their brief hook ups, it looks that maybe Phil is feeling a little bit guilty? Knowing full well that Sharon still holds a spark for her ex-husband. Sharon is still hoping that eventually she and Phil might get their romance back on track, especially considering the fact that he seems to be really looking out for her, regarding leaving the Vic.

Even though Phil, Sharon and Kat are one thing ... Who the hell is the new character that's appeared on the Square?! I couldn't catch his name, one minute I thought it was "Stan"? or "Stas?" As far as I could make out, Kheerat was proposing a job offer for him and offering more than what the Mitchell's were paying him. Eventually it came to light that this new character had been working for the Mitchells for a good few years. But now this is where things get interesting, whilst this new character was visiting Kheerat, Mo witnessed how dodgy everything between their meeting seemed and happened to mention it to Kat. Kat just happens to witness the new fella walking into the Arches after Mo points him out, now whether she's trying to do Phil a favour or trying to do the right thing, she sends a message to Phil, pointing out to him that the fella he's doing business with is also doing business with the Panesar's! It's then that Phil confronts his employee and mentions that he can offer more than what the Panesar's are offering him.

Later on in the evening, it looks as if both Kheerat and Suki are waiting to hear news from their new partner, but Kheerat is stunned when he learns that in fact instead of going with him, he's decided to remain with the Mitchells and begin the prospect of a new business deal. It's then that Phil walks into the Vic wanting to celebrate their new business prospect, and the barmaid Tracey offers him a drink on the house from Sharon. Kat witnesses all this interaction and overhears Sharon's offer. As she watches Phil from across the bar, she leaves the Vic. Is everything getting a bit too much for her? Phil notices her leave and follows to catch up with her, as he does so he thanks her for the tip off of his new employee/business partner. In an attempt to show his thanks he offers her a big handful of cash, explaining that it's her share. But Kat completely shrugs him and walks away, taking a deep breath. Is she actually falling for Phil? Is this more that just a fling for her?

Quite an interesting episode I have to say, full of suspicion and drama! I'm really looking forward to seeing which direction each story takes, especially the on-going fling between Kat and Phil! I apologise for this post being a bit late, this weekend has been a bit of an emotional one for me so I'm still pretty slow. But I will be back tomorrow following tonight's episode! Thank you all for reading, please feel free to leave me a comment or message me about the current storylines! I'd love to hear your thoughts! Thank you again everyone! You're all awesome! Love you all xXx

[doof-doofblog]

"Happy House Hunting!"

Tuesday 27th October 2020

Good evening folks! I realise this is my second post of the night, I wanted to make sure I was completely up to date. It took me a while to find tonight's episode as it didn't appear on BBC iPlayer in the correct order, it appeared as the first episode when the soap returned onscreen, bizarre?! But anyway lets delve right in.

The episode starts tonight with Bobby scrubbing and washing his heads, counting to five as he does so. Something tells me this is only going to get worse for Bobby. He suddenly stops as Peter walks in, this would be the second time now that Peter has walked in on Bobby thoroughly scrubbing his hands. The one thing though that grabs my attention is how he responds to his brother, Bobby informs him about how the Lucy Beale foundation is coming along and informs him about Max and Sharon being trustees for it and Peter just seems to have a sarcastic grin on his face, like he can't believe what he's hearing. When Bobby openly speaks about their sister and how he thinks what he's doing would probably make her happy, Peter responds in the most negative, harsh way "I guess we'll never know!" - sure just putting the dig into his brother that he murdered her. I feel so sorry for Bobby, he is trying his goddamn best to put things right and make amends for what he did, and still Peter looks down on him. Don't you guys think so?

Meanwhile, Kush is on the phone to what I'm guessing is the bank, asking whether his overdraft is correct. Suddenly, Kat bursts into the room looking for Tommy's school bag, but as she's searching, she informs Kush that Tommy needs some new shoes and wondered if she could borrow some money to buy him some. However, it looks as if Kush might be coming into some money issues, as he informs her that he spent the rest of his money on the rent. But when he sees Tommy sitting on the top of the stairs looking glum, stating the fact that he has holes in his shoes, he promises to buy the young boy a pair of shoes, today! It's then he reaches for his tablet, is he really going to chance it at gambling?! I'm not too sure this is a good idea, Kush!!! Gambling is never the right way to sort money problems!

Meanwhile, in the Vic Ian and Sharon are back working together happily. Sharon happens to mention that Bobby spoke to her, Ian instantly seems interested in what his son had to say. The blonde vixen mentions that he was sympathetic towards her when she received Dennis's belongings back and the fact that he seems to be doing really well with the charity for Lucy. As soon as Sharon is about to drop the bombshell that she and Max have been made trustees, Peter storms in, realising what he's walking in on and decides to take it upon himself to give his Dad the news. Ian seems pretty hurt to hear that Bobby never asked him, but Sharon reassures her friend and explains it might've been due to him being under stress amongst other things. The next thing that Peter says really confuses me, is he making a dig at his Dad, his brother, or Max? Something about someone committing a crime? I don't quite get who his beef is with! Or am I just looking at something that isn't there?!

At the Mitchell household, Jay and Lola are discussing their sleeping arrangements once living together. As they continue their conversation, Phil walks in and takes a desperate look at his phone. It's clear he's wanting or waiting to get in touch with Denise to hear how his son is getting on. Jay asks him to simply drop her a text, just to check in. But Phil is a proud man and he promised Denise he wouldn't, but really - how long will be able to keep that promise? Meanwhile, at the Cafe, Denise is trying her absolute best to bond with her son, buying him a milkshake for breakfast and trying to make a conversation with the shy boy. Sheree finds her and asks whether the young boy knows who she really is. Denise feels it's not quite ready to let him know just yet, the poor boy needs to settle in first before she tells him such huge news. No matter how long it will take, Sheree promises that the family are right behind her and have her full support.

At the club, Peter is staring at the flyer of his brother's charity. I really don't understand Peter's feeling in all this. Is he jealous? Angry? Dotty approaches him and states the fact that Bobby was the one who killed Lucy and that Peter has actually lost a part of him. She was his twin after all. She gives the gruesome, horrible note that if it was up to her, she would rip Bobby's head off and then the fundraiser would go towards sticking his head back on. Does Peter maybe agree with her? Does he think that his little brother shouldn't be doing this charity in his sister's name? I don't know, what do you guys think? Meanwhile on the Square, Kush is really struggling to push sales on his stall ... ah so that's what he was doing with the tablet! He approaches Stuart and agrees to sell the tablet to him for £100! Even though his first offer was £150, he couldn't really so no to £100 as he obviously needs the money. As Stuart goes to withdraw the cash, Suki shouts at him from across the Square that he rent is going up. Kush looks a little shocked, probably to the fact that he hasn't got the money to pay the rent, but Suki is so sarcastic when she compliments how good it is to see his business looking so busy. Will Kush be able to pay the rent?! Ooooo I wish I could wipe that smug grin off Suki's face you know - although I have to say, she is a brilliant female villain. EastEnders hasn't had one like her since Janine, what do you think?!

At the restaurant, Peter is apologising to his younger brother about the way he spoke to him earlier. Bobby is instant that he didn't mean to offend his brother in any way. It looks as if Peter is slowly coming to terms with what Bobby is trying to do for their sister. But something also tells me that maybe is he just fishing for information. He tells Bobby that he's interested and he wants to help, as soon as Bobby mentions anything about the charity and that he needs help with a spreadsheet, Peter is quick to interrupt his brother and mention the rituals he's noticed his brother has been doing. He informs his brother that if it's something that helps him cope, helps him feel safe then it's fine and he should carry on doing it, I don't know whether he's trying to be the supportive brother, but he promises he'll be there if Bobby ever needs to talk and that it'll just remain between them both. Suddenly, Ian walks in and realises he's walked in on something, he asks what they were talking about and Bobby quickly replies with "Nothing" and swiftly leaves the room.

Back in the Cafe, Honey finds Jay looking for a place to live in London. She mentions how such a perfect couple he and Lola are and she hopes they'll be able to find something. She also mentions that she's preparing herself for a date, as soon as the word "Date" is mentioned, Kathy's ears prick up. Honey politely asks her how her date went ... and I'm sorry but I love her response, so blunt and to the point - "A disaster!" ...  Honey's face turns to concern and fear, Jay notifies to Kathy to change her tune, it's then she admits that Iain turned out to be a really nice guy, hoping that Honey's date will turn out just the same. As Honey smiles, Kathy reaches for her phone and we see her scroll down to Iain's name ... will she take a chance on asking him out on another date?

Suddenly, the next thing we see is Isaac's face! He appears to be sleeping on Arthur's bench. He wakes with a sudden jolt to see Phil standing over him. Phil is making pleasant conversation, asking about Raymond. Isaac isn't listening to the man as he's holding a grudge against him about telling his boss that he deals drugs. Phil apologises for his misunderstanding and holds out a stash of money. He admits he doesn't want to pester Denise all the time about an update on his son, but if Isaac could give him and update now and again, he'd be very grateful - even buy him a drink! Isaac doesn't take the money from him, so Phil leaves is placed neatly beside him on the bench. Will Isaac take him up on his offer?!

Meanwhile, back in the Vic, Kush appears to be playing poker on his phone. Martin enters to see his friend with his head locked onto the screen. He is first stunned to hear about Stacey being mugged, I actually wasn't even aware that Kush knew. However, as much as Martin is trying to make conversation with his best friend, Kush cannot take his eyes away from his phone screen. I think this is moment where Martin is a little bit concerned for his friend, he even mentions that during lockdown is was a bit of fun, but now Kush doesn't even have a smile on his face anymore. Kush tries to inform his friend that it's just a bit of fun, even makes a dig at Ruby saying that not everyone has millionaire wives to hold on to. Martin takes that as an insult, considering the fact that he's never used any of Ruby's money, and also the fact that Stacey stole some of her money in the first place. Before he leaves Kush to it, he reassures his friend that if he ever needs a mate, he knows where he is.

The next scene we see is Honey coming out of her apartment, Billy sees her from across the Square and beings to make polite conversation about where she's going. When she reveals to him that she's going on a date, he tries to act so polite and funny about it. Trying to make little light-hearted jokes about her date not being dentist. Unfortunately, Honey doesn't see the funny side of his jokes and makes her way to meet her date. Billy wishes her luck as she walks on, but once Jay makes an appearance, he's eager to know everything about the man Honey is seeing. Jay insists that it is their first date and that they only met when they delivered a food parcel. I still think Billy holds a torch for Honey, I think he always will do, she is the mother of his children at the end of the day, but Billy confides in Jay that he just doesn't want to see her get hurt again.

Back at the Beale household, Peter looks as if he's roaming on the dating app on his phone as his Dad walks in. It looks as if Ian wants to have a bit of serious conversation with his son. Peter looks at his Dad as he asks why he wasn't asked to be a trustee for the Lucy Beale Foundation. As I said, he seems happy with Sharon, but can't understand why Max has been asked. It looks as if he nearly puts his foot it in it though, he confronts his son whether he has told Bobby about him re-mortgaging the Café, to which Peter confirms he hasn't told anyone anything. Then he makes the statement "It's not a crime if it's in the family!" - I think those words really ring in Peter's ears, he knows his Dad is lying, I think he's just waiting for the perfect moment to confront him. He reassures his Dad that if him re-mortgaging the Café isn't true, then he has nothing to worry about. As Ian leaves the room, Peter is looking really suspicious of his father.

Meanwhile, in the Square, Denise is returning from the park with Raymond. As Sheree welcomes them home, Isaac makes himself known, carrying two huge pizza's. Denise is chuffed to see Isaac being so kind and generous to little Raymond, but as soon as Isaac reveals that the pizzas were paid for by Phil's money, Denise is furious and instructs him to go and shove it through his door. However. Isaac informs her that he gave him £200 and that he wants information on Raymond on how he's doing. But he admits he's not going to tell Phil anything and if he wants to splash the cash, then they should let him. But somehow, I don't think Phil is going to be happy when he finds out what his money has been spent on. I understand that Denise is now bringing Raymond up, but Phil - being his Dad, has rights and he should also be able to know information about his own child.

At the club, Kush finds Martin behind the bar, Martin can tell that his friend is in need of help. He generously gives him a drink on the house. Kush begins to confide in his friend on how his money issues are, explaining that the children are in need of things and Alfie never pays anything towards his children. The rent was being paid by Daniel's money which has now all gone, it looks as if things are really struggling for them financially. But Martin is more interested in his friend's gambling addiction. Even though Kush is adamant that he's not addicted to it, Martin mentions that every time he sees him now he's playing. Kush then promises he'll cut back on it, but tries to convince Martin that it's not a big deal. Martin promises to mention his money troubles to his wife in an attempt to help, but Kush sees this as an insult and informs him that he's not a charity case. But when Martin leaves the bar and leaves the till wide open, Kush looks and sees how much cash is inside, it looks like he has hit a new low as he takes his chances and steals the money from the tills, unbeknown to him, being spotted by Dotty through the opposite door window.

Back at the Beale household, Kathy is blaming Peter for her date ending in disaster, if Iain hadn't found out her real age, everything probably would've gone well. Kathy happens to mention to Peter that she attempted to give Iain a second chance after hearing about Honey going on a date. But the way Iain has spoken to hear has made her feel even worse. Calling her all sorts of names and dropping OAP bombs and all sorts. Peter tries to console his Nan, saying that he wasn't worth it if he's going to speaking about her in such disrespectful ways. It's then that Kathy sees the light and begins to stick up for herself. But all of a sudden, in the middle of their discussion about this Iain, Ian walks in and instantly thinks that they're talking about him. He completely jumps to conclusions and drops himself right in it as he shouts at Peter for mentioning him re-mortgaging the Café. Kathy and Peter are both shocked at his outburst and Peter realises that his Dad has been lying to him and he's finally been caught out after completely misunderstanding what they were originally talking about!

Returning to the club, Martin is pleading to his wife to help the Slaters out with their money issues. Even if she doesn't care about Stacey or who is even asking, she informs her husband she can't produce money out of nowhere. She tries to tell her husband that once Kush is ready to talk about his issues, he'll know where to find him. As Martin leaves the room, Dotty is quick to inform Ruby about what she's just witnessed Kush doing. The final scene of the episode tonight is a brilliant one - Kathy is throwing Ian out of the house after finding out he forged her signature on the forms to re-mortgage the Café. Peter is devastated to realise that his father lied to his face. Bobby walks in to find out his Dad is being thrown out, but none of them are listening to his pleas, trying to tell them that he was going to pay it all back - eventually. What is Ian going to do now? Maybe move into the Vic with Sharon temporarily? However, we do know Ian will be leaving for a couple of weeks which will see the start of a new storyline for him, could this be the start? Who knows?!

I hope you've enjoyed reading as much as I have enjoyed writing! I'll be back as soon as I can, I do have a busy week ahead but I'll try my absolute best to keep up to date. Enjoy the rest of your week folks! xXx

[doof-doofblog]

"It Might Be Too Late By Then!"

Friday 5th February 2021

Hello again everyone! I hope you've had a good weekend and are keeping safe! I have a little bit of news to share with you, I'm sure you've all heard this news by now, but with this being an EastEnders blog, I feel I cannot not ignore the news which was announced over the weekend. It's been announced that after a staggering 20 years on the Square, Laila Morse is going to be leaving her role as Mo Slater (Big Mo). I am a little gutted, but it has been known that Mo has come and gone from Walford quite regularly, plus the fact that it's been stated that her role will be left open for her to return in the future - I guess there could always be the hope that she will return one day. Her departure is set to air in the Spring. Will guys miss Big Mo? Will you be hoping she'll return to the soap one day? Its fair to say that she's been one of the main comedic performances on the soap, she's a brilliant character, always up to mischief but her heart has always been in the right place when it comes to looking after her family. I'll be sad to see her go, but I will pray that she will return one day.

Focusing on the soap, Thursday's episode ended on such a cliff hanger, I'm excited to write about Friday's episode. The first thing I'm going to focus on is Ruby. It's clear that she's lying about her pregnancy, but it looks as if she's had enough of Kush living with herself and her husband. Once again she attempts to get intimate with Martin, only for Kush to waltz in and completely ruin her chances of actually getting pregnant. The one thing I have to mention though, that little song that both Kush and Martin sung together about getting a chippy - everyone needs to sing like that when they get a takeaway!! I bloody loved it, a bit of comical bromance that we need! "Fish, chips and mushy peas! - Salt, vinegar? - Yes please!" - simple but very catchy! Haha! I loved it, the highlight of the episode for me! But where Ruby is concerned, it's clear she's wanting Kush out of the house so she can get some very much needed intimacy with Martin. Whilst at the club, Dotty informs her that she's desperate for more shifts as Whitney is pestering her about the bills, instantly it looks as if the cogs are spinning in Ruby's mind as she comes up with a plan, almost manipulating the situation, she suggests that Dotty and Whitney look for someone else to move in to help with paying the bills, to which she just happens to mention that Kush is looking for a place. As much as Dotty is grateful to her boss for helping, Kush is less than impressed, when later he confronts her acknowledging the fact that Ruby has never wanted Kush living with them in the first place, even though he only did to cover Ruby's back - as she was the one who manipulated him again into leaving the Square with Arthur. I think it's fair to say that Ruby is a brilliant manipulator, as once again she uses the lie of her being pregnant and how Martin deserves to be able to enjoy his new child to coax Kush into thinking that she's right and he should move out. I really don't think it's going to be too long until her secrets are revealed, what do you guys think?! 

The second thing I need to talk about is Billy. Oh Billy, Billy, Billy! Is anyone else feeling sorry for the guy? I kind of am, but also feeling that the choices he's making really isn't going to help, it's just going to spiral out of control. After getting jealous of Jay buying his children trainers, Billy seems desperate to make some quick cash, so he can also provide for his children and treat them as much as Jay is. However, he seems to have turned to Vinny, informing him that he's interested in doing some dodgy deals. In this particular episode, we see both Billy and Vinny meeting up and they both make an exchange, drugs for money. Billy reassures Vinny that he knows exactly what he's doing. Later on Billy is seen waiting in the park, only what happened next seemed to really shock me! I don't know about you guys but I was expecting a big tough guy or someone who's vulnerable and desperate to make a quick fix to approach Billy out of the blue - but instead we see a group of young looking teenagers approach. I have to say, I panicked for a minute, thinking would Billy really stoop that low to give young teenagers drugs? I was so shocked, they looked so young! Thankfully, Billy did the right thing, portrayed himself as an under-cover cop and stated that he ever saw them again, he'd nick them! At that moment, I felt like maybe he knew he wouldn't be able to go through with the drug-dealing, especially if it means the clients would be as young as those teenagers! He bins the drugs and eventually approaches Jay, even though he does not offer an olive-branch, he simply states that he wants to continue working on the stall. Which is pretty bold of him I think. However, something inside me is thinking, is Billy going to get in huge trouble now for throwing away drugs? Is his actions going to cause him some kind of consequences and is he going to be in debt to Vinny now, or Vinny's "Mate"? Who knows?

The next thing I need to talk about has to be Gray!!!! How on Earth is still being able to hide his secret that he might've actually in fact killed Tina?! I think it's fair to say that during this episode, he's clearly been backed into a corner and he's having to think on his feet. He's been confronted by Phil, Sharon, Mick and Linda and being asked some very awkward questions about Tina - Where did she go? What did she say? When did he last see or speak to her? He's obviously trying to cover his tracks as best he can. Eventually he seems to be able to convince everyone in the room that he simply has no idea where Tina has gone, only that she left her at an airport. However he does seem to mention Spain and Italy, and Mick is instantly suspicious as he claims she doesn't know anyone in those countries, so why would she go there?! It looks almost as if Gray is struggling to keep his story together. However, later on in the episode, as he's informing Whitney about his quick meeting with Phil, young Mack finds a plane ticket which just so happens to be in Tina's name. Whitney confronts Gray with the document, once again Gray's face is a picture, in fairness it's another piece of evidence which could be used against him if Tina was to ever be found. He comes up with a ludicrous story that Tina actually doesn't want to be found!! Claiming that he can't tell that specifically to Mick and Linda as it would break their hearts, and that Tina felt so lost and unwanted that she felt it was in her best interest to leave and not tell anyone where she was going, even trying to make Whitney understand, stating that she too has also been in that situation, after what she went through with Leo. I have to say, even this is a bogus explanation, he tells it very well to which Whitney is convinced he's telling the truth, speculating that Tina must've felt safe putting her trust in Gray. Later, when Gray is alone in his household, he takes it upon himself to burn the plane ticket, obviously in an attempt to hide his involvement in Tina's disappearance! Ooooo if only people on the Square knew what Gray was capable of!! If only they'd knew about Chantelle, none of this to Tina would be happening. I said this before, but I am SO excited for when Gray gets his comeuppance and his secrets will be discovered, it's going to be so explosive, I can feel it! 

The final thing I need to talk about obviously, is the fact that Denise has gone missing! As Jack and Chelsea come to the realisation that Lucas has potentially kidnapped Denise for a second time, Jack is frantic in trying to find her. Unfortunately, as he's too close to the individual who has gone missing and also to the alleged perpetrator, the police can't allow him to get onto the case of searching for Denise. Jack is desperate to get involved, eager to make calls and make sure the police are doing all they can to find her. Chelsea is visibly shaken, it's understandable that she's feeling she's to blame, Jack is absolutely furious and actually does blame her for bringing Lucas back to the Square. If Chelsea hadn't returned with Lucas, this probably would've have happened to Denise. Eager to try and reach out to her Dad, Chelsea calls Lucas, pleading to bring her Mum home. But this is where things get really interesting, lurking in the shadows as he slowly approaches the Square and notices the police outside his apartment, Lucas lurks behind the wall as he watches the scene in front of him. Does he look confused? Scared? I'm not so sure, it's difficult to tell how he's possibly feeling, he takes his phone out and listens to Chelsea's voicemail. Suddenly as he begins to walk away, both Jack and Callum spot him, which leads to an exciting foot chase! Jack is desperate to get some answers, as he catches up with Lucas he grabs him and leads him to the Arches when he and Callum can ask him questions privately. Jack is adamant that Lucas is behind Denise's disappearance, but interestingly Lucas claims he has no idea what he's talking about. He claims that they did have an argument but before anything horrendous could happen, he left the apartment to cool himself down and get some air. He still claims that he's a changed man and is trying to stay off the dark path he once lived. As I'm watching this scene, as much as Lucas is denying having anything to do with Denise going missing, my mind begins to wonder - It's still not easy to tell whether Lucas is a changed man or not, he could be telling the truth? Does he really have no idea where Denise has gone? Could he have ran from Jack and Callum just out of fear? Could he have really left the apartment and left Denise alone in the room? Is there someone else who's actually after Lucas and has taken Denise hostage to get back at him? There are all so many different theories. I feel, because EastEnders have already done the storyline where Lucas kidnapped Denise, it would be kind of pointless, and maybe weird to do that again?! As Jack and Callum are arguing amongst themselves on how to question him, Lucas makes a sneaky escape, much to Jack's frustration. 

The final scene we saw of this episode, Denise is sat on her own in a cold dark room, almost looks like an old office which has been cleared out. Suddenly the door opens ever so slightly and all we can see is a hooded figure looking inside at her. Poor Denise looks at them in absolute fear. Who is this figure? Another theory I'm thinking of - could Lucas have lied about his son passing away, could this be Jordan? Is he also out for revenge on his Father?! Or has Lucas absolutely duped everyone and could he be up to his old tricks? I find this very interesting and very exciting! I'm looking forward to watching more and having Denise's captures revealed. What do you think folks? Overall a brilliant episode, manipulation, excitement and drama! Brilliant! Thank you all for reading, I apologise for this post being a bit late! I'll be back again tomorrow following Monday's episode. Thank you again everyone, enjoy the rest of your day! Love you all xXx

[doof-doofblog]

"It Was You!"

Monday 1st February 2021

Hello again everyone! Hope you've all had a brilliant weekend! Before we get into the subject of today's episode, I have some exciting news I have to share with you all. EastEnders announced over the weekend that there is to be a new character appearing on the Square! James Farrar has joined the cast of EastEnders to play the new role of Zack Hudson. What brings him to Walford remains to be seen, but the exciting news that EastEnders have shared is that there is going to be plenty of drama in store, but in typical soap style, there's always trouble waiting just round the corner. The character of Zack Hudson is to make his first appearance in March! Are you excited about the new addition to the cast/soap? I'm really excited to see what brings him to Albert Square and who of our loveable characters he'll come to be involved with! Exciting times for EastEnders that's for sure! Are you excited to see his arrival in Walford?!

Now following the episode, I'm going to start with focusing on Billy, Jay and Honey first. Billy is still struggling to come to terms with the fact that Jay and Honey are now involved romantically. I think it's fair to say that since Billy had a one night stand with Tina, it seems he has regretted it ever since. I think it's a bit like a Kat and Alfie situation, I do think Honey will always be Billy's true love. What do you guys think? He's bound to feel a little betrayed, but Jay more so than Honey I think as obviously he was the one who brought Jay up, to a certain extent, when his Dad passed away. But seeing him sulking, you just want to shake him and tell him to snap out of it! Poor Honey tries to keep the peace, explaining to him that she and Jay want to tell the children together when the time feels right. But when Billy states the fact that she is old enough to be Jay's Mum, Honey retaliates and delivers a brilliant comeback, also stating that she is in fact old enough to be Billy's daughter! Proving that simply age is just a number! Feeling a little sorry for himself, Billy eventually takes it upon himself to visit his cousin, Phil, to see if he can offer him a job. I sometimes feel that regardless of the predicament or situation Billy may be in, he always turns to his cousin for advice or for some help. In this case, it seems he no longer wants to work on his stall with Jay, so hopefully Phil can offer him a way out. But much to his disappointment, Phil reveals he has nothing for him, but doesn't hesitate to mention that he has nothing much going for him, after revealing to us that Billy is actually 60/61 years of age!! (I would never had guessed that! He looks nowhere near 60 in my opinion!) He also points out the very valid point that he and Honey haven't been married for a very long time, so why shouldn't she and Jay give it go? Jay deserves a bit of happiness just as much as Honey does! However, after his confrontation with Phil, Billy spends time with his children, Will and Janet in the Cafe. Only when they start mentioning that Jay was helping them with a game, Billy looks as if he can't hold it in any longer, and with no regard to Honey's wishes about informing the children when she's ready, out of spite, he informs the children himself. At first the children seem a little bit disheartened, as during their meal time Will lashes out at his Mother and Jay for keeping their relationship a secret, however I have to mention that I love how both Jay and Honey dealt with the children. Explaining it calmly that they shouldn't have kept it a secret and they shouldn't have found out the way they did, even Jay apologises to young Will and Janet. Honey is clearly deeply angered by Billy's actions, what is Honey going to do now?! Will she possibly stop him from seeing the kids, who knows? Could that be what leads Billy onto a downward spiral? 

The second thing I want to mention is Gray and Whitney. After receiving a message from Gray, informing her that she can take the afternoon off from looking after the kids, something tells me that Whitney isn't feeling all that good about having her afternoon off. It's blatantly obvious that it's Gray's retaliating after she denied his advances. Something doesn't sit right with Whitney. Anyway, later on in the episode, Karen makes a visit to the Minute Mart, and the first thing I have mention about that is new look and refurbishment that shop has had! Personally, I think it looks really pretty, really modern! Of course I can't stand Suki, but I love it when soaps revamp well known businesses and properties, I think it makes it more realistic, interesting and of course keeping with the times. I hate to say it but I always hated the sharp green colour of the Minute Mart, of course it had been iconic and that way for years and years, but I feel it was outdated. I love the look of the new Minute Mart, what do you think?! Apart from it's new look, I have to say the new prices are extortionate! As Karen enters the shop and acknowledges the new style of the shop, she's shocked at the prices of the new stock Suki has ordered in store, £4.20 for nuggets, well specifically "Southern Fried Chicken Bites" - I felt this scene was a really enjoyable scene, very relatable! However, when Whitney enters the shop and notices Karen buying "Posh Nuggets" shall we call them, Karen reveals to her that Gray has asked her to look after the kids, making Whitney think even more that Gray is doing it just spite her! She decides to confront her employer, and of course he acts all sweet and innocent, claiming that something came up and he didn't want to mess her around. I fully believe he was just doing it to get back at her for rejecting him the previous day. I believe there is going to be a rumour however that perhaps Whitney and Kush are going to start having feelings towards each other? I'm unsure whether that's true, but I'm sure it's something that will not make Gray happy! What do you guys think?! 

The third thing I'd like to mention is regarding Chelsea and Lucas. Over the past couple of episodes, we've been let to believe that Chelsea hasn't really forgiven her Father as we initially thought. Although her big secret hasn't been yet revealed, it's still clear to tell that she's up to something to get revenge on her Dad. From what I gather, it looks as if Chelsea is involved with some kind of group or gang who smuggle drugs, how she got involved with them remains unknown, however she has slowly been trying to worm her Father in on her dirty work. Lucas has been noticing his daughter's suspicious behaviour, but when she proposed the idea of going away to Ibiza for a while, just the two of them, Lucas knows that something isn't right. In this episode, Chelsea is voicing how excited she is to be going on holiday with her Dad after such a long a time, she mentions that he deserves it after everything he's been through. Interestingly, Lucas asks his daughter to accompany him to church before they make their departure, but he's make sure that his visit is strictly urgent and it simply cannot wait! Chelsea seems to reluctant to go, but eventually agree to keep her Father happy. Once they arrive, Lucas begins to pray, Chelsea on the other hand appears very bored, almost as if she doesn't want to be there. Suddenly, whilst her Father is mid-prayer, her mobile phone starts to ring aloud, even thought Chelsea is extremely apologetic, straight away you can see the annoyance on Lucas's face. It's clear he's feeling disappointed in his daughter for having mobile phone on and on loud whilst visiting the church. As Lucas continues to pray, Chelsea makes a comment for her Dad to pray for the exit row whilst their on the plane, but Lucas refuses to see the funny side of her comment. This is where the anger first appears in Lucas since his return, he turns to his daughter and questions whether she's trying to be funny. Then, without a warning, he grabs his daughter's arm with the firm grip and drags her towards the stand of the church, pretty much forcing her to pray alongside him. The look in Chelsea's eyes for a slight moment is fear, for a small moment, she feared her Father. Eventually after Lucas finishes his prayer, he apologises to his daughter for acting abruptly, but then he interestingly drops the bombshell that, regardless of his daughter buying flights to Ibiza, he's unable to go as the conditions to his license stops him from going abroad, plus he doesn't even have his passport as he had to hand it in to the police. This information appears to really crush Chelsea, but she eventually comes to understand and states that they don't need t go on a holiday, as long as their together, nothing else matters. Something tells me that Chelsea is more annoyed that her plan isn't going to work, maybe she's going to have to find another way to get revenge on her Dad? What do you guys think?!  

Finally, we have to focus on Max and Sharon don't we?! During Ian's illness and attack, Max has managed to build up his suspicion on who could be behind his attack and why he was feeling so ill afterwards. He notices that from across the Square, Bobby is talking to the police. As he confronts the teenager, Bobby informs him that there is still no sign of Ian. It's almost as if he's completely vanished as there appears to be no activity on his mobile phone or his bank card. This seems to make Max even more suspicious to Ian's disappearance. Meanwhile, he notices Mick and Linda enjoying time with Ollie as they wonder through the gardens, as he approaches Linda she questions him whether he's close to finding out who really attacked Ian so they can clear Tina's name, interestingly Max informs her that he is working on it. Later on in the episode, Linda takes a visit to Sharon, as they discuss Ian's disappearance, Sharon claims that just because she's his wife, people are quick to assume that she knows more than she's letting on, but she promises her friend that she doesn't know any more than anyone else. Of course, Linda believes her friend, I mean, why wouldn't she? But then she drops the bombshell to her that Max is close to finding out the truth in the hope to clear Tina's name. This seems to catch Sharon's ears loud and clear, and later on she takes it upon herself to give Max a visit as she grabs the opportunity to deliver his vegetables for the restaurant. It's then that Max informs her that Ian went to the doctors and the he went with him for some tests before he disappeared, this seems to really shock Sharon. I think for a split second she thought he knew it was her who was behind his attack, however when she asks what his results showed, he can't seem to answer the question. I'm guessing as he simply doesn't know! But this seems to relax Sharon that maybe he doesn't know for sure, but when she questions him why he's so desperate to clear Tina's name, it becomes clear to her that he's simply only doing it for Linda. She toys with him, informing that no matter what he does to win Linda back, her heart will always belong to Mick. Much later, as everyone gathers in the Vic - Mick, Linda, Dotty, Vinny, Max - Kathy rushes in with a handful of "Missing" posters of Ian, desperate to hang them up to gain public attention and knowledge of her son's whereabouts. As she does so, even though Sharon tries to keep things civil, informing her that they all want to find Ian, Kathy once again is cold with Sharon claiming that she's simply after his money and the pub and doesn't care in the slightest of him being found or not! Everyone in the pub watches and listens to Kathy's outburst, Linda tries to defend her best mate, but then surprisingly Max speaks up "She wants him back! -" ... almost looking as if he's actually sticking up for her, Sharon thanks him for his kind words, but then what happens next shocks everyone to the core as Max continues to speak ... "Just so she can finish him off!" ... Everyone's faces drop at this allegation!! In front of everyone in the Vic, with Sharon stood behind the bar with a face of pure fear, Max finally confronts her, "It wasn't Tina who attacked Ian ... It was you!" 

Ooooo I have to say what a brilliant cliff-hanger to end on! I'm really excited to see what's going to happen next, will people believe Max? Or will Sharon be able to convince the locals that he's lying? I'm really eager to find out how people are going to react. I do believe that people like Kathy and Dotty will believe Max's story, but this is where people may start to choose sides. Sharon or Max?! What do you think? Thank you all so much for reading, I apologise for it being such a late post! Thank you all for your on-going support, please feel free to leave a comment or a message, I'd love to hear your thoughts! Thanks again everyone and enjoy the rest of your evening. I'll be back very soon! Love you all xXx  

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"Hello Phil - What Can I Get You?"

Tuesday 16th June 2020

Good evening everyone! Well, this is it, we've come to the last episode that is going to be aired before the soap leaves our screens temporarily. I have mixed emotions, a sense of sadness as it's going to be a while until we get to see our favourite story-lines comes to an end, but also i'm kinda looking forward to the new documentaries that are going to be shown. I'm also looking forward to seeing classic EastEnders episodes, I'm looking forward to reliving such iconic moments. How are you guys feeling? I'd love to hear your thoughts and feelings about the soap leaving our screens temporarily.

And Wow! What a final episode that was! What a cliffhanger to end on!! I really enjoyed tonight's episode, let talk about Ian and Dotty first shall we? So Ian has also managed to get Dotty suspended from her university. I feel like things aren't going well for Dotty at the moment, Ian seems to be taking everything away from her due to her blackmailing him. He first managed to persuade Peter to leave her on account of Bobby, and now he's managed to get her suspended from uni because of her dealing drugs and assaulting an officer. I'm not too sure what Dotty is going to do next. Ian really put her in her place during that conversation in the restaurant, she has no evidence to prove that he locked Dennis on the boat, and also he's right that no one would believe her over him, after what trouble she's been in recently and Ian acting the doting citizen, no one would believe a word against him. So, really ... Ian can act all smug as he likes! But I do feel that as this is EastEnders and secrets never stay hidden for long, it will only be a matter of time before Sharon finds out the truth, whether she finds out from Dotty or from other source remains a mystery. But I sure am looking forward to finding out what happens next when it comes to Dotty and Ian with their constant battle with each other.

I felt it was nice to see Tina and Iqra in tonight's episode, however something Iqra said has really got me questioning something. Is Tina really sleeping at her gay bar? Since Mick and Linda announced that they were selling the pub, Tina has been the main one who has been worrying about finding a place to live. Shirley has said many times that she has a place sorted, but what about Tina? Is she actually hiding the fact that she could potentially be homeless and is sleeping rough? Is she trying not to be burden for her family? I'm intrigued to see what happens, but something is giving me a feeling that all will be revealed about Tina and her living arrangements when the soap comes back on air. It looks as if there could be a really close friendship that could build between Tina and Iqra? Could their possibly be a romance on the cards? I know it's a big suspicion but I'm convinced something might happen between them in the future. What this space - that's all I'm going to say on the matter! Anyway, it also looks as if maybe Iqra and Keegan could start working for Tina and perhaps be her supplier? However, as much as Iqra was keen on the idea, Keegan not quite so much - or not even seeming interested at all! I really don't understand why Keegan is STILL looking so miserable! He should be focusing on moving forward with his life, he needs to get things back on track with Tiffany and starting again with his sandwich business, moping and moaning is just not doing him any favours. All his friends and family are without a doubt supporting him through his recent ordeal with the police, but everything has been turned in his favour and all charges have been dropped and yet he still can't move on with his life. I'm sure we've all been aware about what's happened in America in recent weeks and with the #BlackLivesMatter movement, something is telling me that when the soap comes back onto our screens, somehow #BLM will be mentioned in Keegan's story. I mean, it would make sense, right?

Can I also just mention that scene between Gray and Suki! I feel like they were both playing each other with their own games. Gray was making digs about their business being above board, also basically saying (in his own words) that he doesn't want Chantelle working there anymore. Of course he lied by saying he had had a raise, it was only to keep Chantelle away from Kheerat. Suki surely rubbed Gray up the wrong way I feel, saying that Kheerat will do anything to keep her at the business. But then when Suki left the room and Gray started taking pictures of some documents, were they like some kind of invoice? Or perhaps some kind of information about the business? I'm interested to see what happens when Chantelle finds out that Gray went behind her back and basically lost her her job.

Awwww, can I just say how much I love the relationship between Ben and Jay! They really are brothers, they've been brought up together and they'll always have each other's back! I absolutely love it! It was only a matter of time really before either Callum or Jay found out first about Ben's hearing. It just so happened that Ben collapsed when Jay came to see him. What could have caused that? Was it due to his flu or a headache or just everything as a whole - including his hearing? However, even though Jay was concerned it was only when Ben shouted at him to look at him while he was speaking that Jay eventually clicked. Ben shouted in such a way that it was a desperate cry for help. Jay knew then, he just knew that his condition has worsened. I feel a sense of relief that Ben finally said something to someone instead of suffering in silence (No pun intended). So the damage that Danny caused to Ben's hearing due to the gunshot was a burst eardrum, luckily that will heal, and hopefully Ben can still have his operation to help regain his hearing, to some degree. It's sad though that Ben wants to hide it from Callum, he is going to find out sooner or later, whether it be from Jay or Ben himself. He will click that something isn't 100% right with his boyfriend. Will he try and get the new character, Frankie on board to try and help his boyfriend communicate better with him? Will she also convince Ben to experience life with the deaf community to see how they carry on with life? I know we have to wait a while to see what will happen next, and I know I've said it a lot in recent posts, but I genuinely am so excited to see where all these story-lines will go.

Oh poor Billy! He had been taking so much stick from Mitch that he was just about to snap ... and he eventually did! After dig, after dig and after a losing match of air hockey, he was ready to stand up to Mitch once and for all. He would be willing to do anything to fight for his woman, even ending being hit in the nose. Once Karen had been made aware of what was happening between the men in her life, Billy gave her an ultimatum, if she really wants to be with Billy, she's going to have to get Mitch to leave their flat. Which to be fair, I full support! Why should Mitch still be living with Karen when they have no romantic feeling towards each other right now? Of course they have children together, but surely Mitch could get his own place with Bailey? And Billy could potentially move in with Karen, they'd still have a family unit but then everything and everyone would be happy, right? I mean, it might be hard on the kids but they'd adjust! The Taylor household is quite big at the moment anyway, how are they all managing to fit in that tiny flat? Karen, Bernie, Chatham, Riley, Mitch, Bailey, and Keegan - even though Keegan should be living with his wife right now, but whatever - and Billy has slowly starting moving his stuff in! I do hope that Karen will stand by Billy and agree that he's right and that Mitch should move out. What do you guys think? Is Billy being a bit harsh? I don't know, I think I support Billy on this one!

Mick had quite a lot of pressure on him during this episode didn't he? He was struggling whether to give the pub to Phil or try and keep his wife happy but not selling to Phil. Either way, he was kinda in the middle of it all, which ever way he chose - one person would end up disappointed. Of course Linda would be sticking by her best friend after the way Phil treated Sharon, kicking her out after she chose her son over him - I, personally, don't back anyone over this - I can understand Phil's point of view and I can understand Sharon's point of view, it's just a shame that a little child has come between them. Phil wanted to buy The Vic in the first place for Sharon, but after her changing her mind about wanting to bring up her son permanently with Phil, Phil couldn't bring himself to look at the child, let alone love him. He couldn't bring himself to love another man's baby, especially when he first believed the child was originally his. Linda did not want to sell the Vic to the man who basically chucked his wife out just because she chose her own baby over him. Mick seemed like he was being pulled from pillar to post, being demanded by Phil to sign the papers by the end of the day to then being demanded by Linda not to sell it to him. The only person he could turn to was Sharon, he needed help, he needed advice. But Sharon could only agree that Linda needed to leave the Vic and fast - otherwise there would always be a fear of her reaching for the bottle again.

I do want mention one thing though, when Phil reminisced about the time he burnt the Vic down, it brought a smile to my face, only because I remember what an epic episode that was! For those of you who don't remember, Phil was high on drugs and he was complaining to his mother, Peggy (God rest her soul!) that she loved the pub more than him, and the only way he would take it from her would be to burn it to the ground - and so he did, with him, his Mum and everyone else inside. It was such an epic moment in EastEnders, again once of the most fascinating and phenomenal moments from Steve McFadden.  

Anyway back on the subject - what an incredible ending that was! Phil turned up expecting Mick to sign the papers over to him for the Vic, only Linda was pleading for him not to. Mick then revealed that he had had a new offer from someone else, Phil literally thought he was joking as no one could've given him an offer that quick. Linda too was also confused and was eager to know who Mick had sold the pub to. Mick led them out the front and there standing behind the bar in all her glory, with Ian by her side looking as smug as ever, was Sharon! And she once again said those iconic words "Hello Phil! - What can I get you?!" Fans will remember that years earlier she said exactly the same words to Peggy when it was revealed that Sharon had taken the pub right from under Peggy's nose. She has played Phil at his own game! I do feel for Phil - that now he's lost his wife and the pub he so really wanted. I'm assuming that will mean that the game is up. Sharon has the Vic and Kayden and Phil ends up living at his home alone? I feel sorry for Phil, I did kinda want things to go his way, but in all honesty, who else truly belongs behind that bar? Who has had the longest history with the place? It would only seem right for Sharon to have it back, it was where she grew up and where she has had many many iconic Sharon moments. (Sharongate and the death of her father Dirty Den). I think it was a perfect ending for the soap to finish on.

I do feel a sense of sadness but did anyone else watch until the very end when the credits ended. The words that appeared on screen were "To Be Continued ..." That did make me feel a bit emotional but I'm looking forward to what juicy story-lines and revelations they'll be coming up with for us in the future. While the soap is off screen, I sure will be watching these upcoming documentaries and classic episodes of EastEnders. As for this blog, who knows what i'll post - I might write about the classic episodes they show or I might do my own throwbacks and perhaps write up about my favourite characters. We shall see. But it's goodbye for now and see you very soon! Thank you all! Look after yourselves and hopefully it wont be too long before our beloved soap returns! xXx