#sharonwatts

[doof-doofblog]

"Another Time, Yeah?"

Tuesday 15th June 2021

(Part One & Part Two)

Hello again everyone, as promised I'm back with another post - 3 blog posts from me this week, that's more than I did last week!! But anyway I'm going to review everything from Tuesday's episodes in this post.  

So without further ado, I'm going to begin with mentioning Ruby. The day after her second miscarriage, Martin is surprised to learn that once again she has every intention of going to work and forgetting about the events that have occurred. Martin tries his best to convince his wife to rest for the rest of the day but as Ruby tries to explain her reasons for wanting to go to work, she notices the screen on Martin's laptop, it shows that he's been looking up options for IVF.

Understandably, Martin is trying to help in any way he can to make sure he and his wife have they family they've been longing for. However Ruby makes the valid point that it's not the getting pregnant that's the problem, it's being able to stay pregnant. Martin tries to explain that if they really want to have a family they can consider other options available, but Ruby then drops the bombshell that after everything she's gone through she really can't bring herself to go through any more trauma and loss. She informs Martin that instead of trying to fight to have a family, she's going to embrace the family she already has.

However, later Ruby is seen alone, visiting the memorial that she and Martin created for their lost baby, she gently adds another stone to commemorate the second baby she has lost. As the camera spins we see that just across the patch of grass, Jean is sat on her own but as she turns around and notices Ruby, she joins her. Jean realises exactly what's happening and speaks softly to her. Informing Jean about the decision to not try for another baby and to accept the family she has, Jean makes a very touching statement - "You know what I see? I don't see a woman who's given up, I see a woman who's grieving, and I believe there's still a lot of fight in you!" - as beautiful as those words are, it completely hits Ruby to the core and she softly begins to cry, such a moving moment.

--

The next thing I'm going to mention is Tiffany and Keegan. It's the day of their photoshoot and Tiffany is completely excited about the press and media attention. Wanting to get her name out there also, she informs Keegan that she's come up with a name for their joint business - Something along the lines of "ButcherBakerBeauty-Baps?" ... (I'm sure they'll come up with a better name eventually!) Suddenly when Tiffany sees herself in the mirror she's horrified to see that the day of their photoshoot she been graced with a spot on her chin, frantically she begins to flap, claiming that she needs to look good for their photoshoot - I have to be honest the main thought that was entering my mind at this point was "The photoshoot isn't even meant to be hers so why is she making such a fuss?" - without meaning to be mean, but I don't know I guess it just didn't sit right with me, she shouldn't be focusing on her and should be supporting her husband instead.

As Tiffany calls her friend in desperate need of some assistance, it seems that her friend manages to get someone round to do Tiffany's make-up. However when Tiffany compliments the stylist's skin, the lady informs her that she does cheat by using injections such as Botox and fillers. Realising that injecting herself with something could change her appearance to the way she wants, Tiffany urges the beautician to use the injections on her for her photoshoot - even though the beautician warns her it can be very pricey! Again, I have to be honest - as soon as I realised that Tiffany was going to ask for injections my mind just went racing - how much do you want to bet that Tiffany is going to become addicted to beauty injections?! It could be a possible new storyline for her which could end with serious consequences?

Even though she is thrilled with the end results, Tiffany is shocked to see the price she has to pay for the treatment and asks whether she can pay half now and pay the rest within in the next couple of days. Later as Keegan and Tiffany are enjoying the photoshoot - the photographer is keen on focusing on Keegan and asking him questions about his business. But when Keegan tries to turn their attention to Tiffany so she can promote her business/brand - you can see that the photographer is the least bit interested.

The next day, as everyone is gushing about the article in the newspaper about Keegan, Tiffany buys herself a newspaper hoping to see a whole page spread of herself and her husband in the newspaper. But she is visibly devastated when she realises that she hasn't even been mentioned and the whole article is about Keegan and his business. She later voices her annoyance and devastation to her friend Chloe, claiming that she has spent a fortune on injections for nothing! But worse still, how is her husband going to react when he finds out she's spending money on things she doesn't need!

Chloe then suggests that in a way to make as much money as she can so Keegan won't suspect anything is for her to flog diet pills. She claims she doesn't know how they work and has never used them but manages to sell them and get decent enough money for doing so. For a split moment I had hoped that Tiffany would know better than to sell some dodgy diet pills, but it looks as though she is very tempted. Later when she meets up with Bernie, she confides in her friend about the money she has spent on fillers to make herself look good for the photoshoot.

Of course Bernie is sympathetic towards her friends, but then suddenly Tiffany starts rummaging in her bag for something and empties out the contents of her bag, quickly Bernie notices the tubs of diet pills she's in possession of and asks where she got them from and whether they work, it's then that Bernie drops the bombshell that she needs to lose weight quickly, and Tiffany is a bit surprised by her choice of words, asking why "Quickly". It's then that finally Bernie feel able to tell someone about her plans and informs Tiffany that she's agreed to be Rainie and Stuart's surrogate, much to her best friend's shock. Tiffany warns Bernie to be careful where Rainie and Stuart are concerned because when she offered to be their surrogate she recalled that they didn't leave her alone. But Bernie is adamant that she needs the money for her family and claims that her Mum believes that she'll be getting a bonus from the call centre. Eventually she practically begs Tiff to allow her to use the diet pills, she claims she can be her guinea pig in a way and will pay her once she's made her money from the surrogacy. Tiffany looks really reluctant to do so but makes Bernie promise that she'll read the instructions before taking them.

Honestly, I fear this is going to be a massive downward spiral for the both of them. Tiffany getting hooked on beauty injections and then Bernadette getting addicted to diet pills and both making themselves ill. What do you guys think?! I'm really intrigued to hear your thoughts on this one!

--

Elsewhere on the Square, Shirley is still reeling about the news of Linda's pregnancy, she still can't understand why she wasn't told much earlier on when she arrived back in Walford. She admits to Nancy and Frankie that she feels as though her family are shutting her out. I have to say though I loved the banter between the three of them in this scene. Nancy tries to swerve the conversation from her parents sex life to Shirley's own love life and happens to point out that she hasn't been with anyone since Buster!!!

Oh my goodness, do you guys remember Buster??? It was proven that he was in fact Mick's biological Dad, which makes him Nancy and Frankie's Grandad. Hearing that Frankie has a Grandad seemed to excite the girl, but she and Nancy still continue to make fun of Shirley - claiming that for her next birthday they're going to buy her a pair of slippers and a throw as they claim it's time for her to hang up her knee-high leather boots. I do love the jip that Shirley snaps back at them, it makes the whole scene much more comical and the dynamic between them all is just brilliant!

It's then they Frankie points to Terry sat on his own and urges Shirley to ask him for a drink, at first Shirley shows no interest but after being goaded by her Granddaughters, she eventually gets the courage to approach Terry and (in not so many words) informs him that he will be buying her a drink. The one thing that completely confused me though was that Terry called himself by the name "Rocky" as he introduced himself to Shirley, can anyone explain to me why? His name is Terry right? I don't understand where the "Rocky" came from? - Unless it's similar to Callum's name - Callum "Halfway" Highway?!

Meanwhile, as Terry agrees to have a quick drink with Shirley, Sonia is at home prepping a lovely roast dinner meal for herself and her Dad to celebrate and early Father's Day. But back in the pub, as Shirley and Terry begin to chat and get to know each other, Nancy and Frankie keep showering them with drinks. As the sisters notice that they appear to be getting on, Nancy places down another drink in front of them claiming it's on the house, while Frankie sneakily changes the time on the clock.

Terry is adamant he can only stay until 1pm as he has a lunch date with Sonia, but as he looks at clock to see he still has plenty of time, he continues to drink. Unfortunately though, both Frankie and Nancy reveal to each other that instead of giving them single vodka drinks, they've been serving them triple vodka's all shift. Eventually as things get a bit loud, Nancy and Frankie realise their mistake. Shirley and Terry are both drunkenly singing along to "Come On, Eileen!" and then eventually "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)".

I have to admit, even though it was hilarious watching drunk Shirley singing along to the music and having a laugh with Terry, you do feel sorry for Sonia as you realise that Terry has accidentally stood her up for her meal. Arriving at the Vic and seeing the drunken state her Dad is in, she demands Terry to leave Walford and to never come back. Over the next day or so, Terry is desperate to make it up to his daughter and he appears to think that the only way he can do it is to roll out the red carpet in her house for her and make her a meal of her own and instead of calling it "Father's Day" makes it a "Daughter's Day".

As Sonia agrees to give him one final chance, they make it up by taking a selfie together. But when Terry leaves his phone on the table and Sonia takes a look at the picture, she begins to scroll through his phone and sees that there are other photos of houses on his phone. What could these mean? Is he planning on moving to Albert Square for good? OR is he in some kind of business where some of the local properties are going to be knocked down? Who knows?!

--

The next thing I have to mention is Kat and Phil. Kat is completely excited to learn that things are on the move where her business with Phil is concerned. Phil has confirmed that he has bought the laundrette for their business opportunity and they're just waiting for the paperwork to go through. Only her happiness doesn't seem to last for long as when she enters the café and is confronted by Sharon, it seems that Sharon warns her that anything that Phil is involved in is never legit. Although Sharon's relationship with Phil was completely different compared to Kat's relationship with him, it seems that Sharon's words fill Kat's head with doubt. Eventually she takes it upon herself to confront Phil, claiming she wants to see the paperwork to make sure everything they're doing is legit. She claims that she has already been prison once and doesn't want to end up there again, she needs to be completely certain that going into business with Phil is the right thing to do. I think people are too easy to judge Phil, they should give him a break, he informs Kat that he shouldn't listen to a word that Sharon's said and to trust him, he wants to focus on their future and having something in place for both of their children, but more importantly if she is wanting this as much as he does, then she needs to learn to trust him. I still think that if all goes well for these two, Kat and Phil could potentially be the new power couple on the Square! What do you think?!

--

Lastly, Callum is still appearing to struggle with the trauma of what happened with his partner. The one person he's been able to confide in is Whitney. After anxiously waiting to hear news about his partner's condition, he was completely relieved when Ash informs him that Fitzy's operation was a success and he should make a full recovery.

As he excitedly informs Whitney about the good news, Whitney reminds him that he should tell Ben now, considering that Fitzy is going to be okay. Callum kind of shuts that comment down and asks Whitney whether she'll accompany him to the hospital to see his partner. However, without their knowledge, Ben sees them from across the Square getting into a cab together, I have to say Ben & Callum's married life hasn't really started off well has it? They've come back from their honeymoon, Phil is still reluctant to talk to either Callum or Ben as he stills holds a grudge against Callum for going behind his back, and Callum has had to deal with the trauma of witnessing his partner being stabbed on the job.

But even though Callum maybe wants to tell Ben about his, Ben did at the start find it hard to accept Callum in the police and had the cheek to ask him to quit, but realising that he loves Callum for who he is and not is job, changes his mind and just requests that Callum never speaks about work to him. So of course, with that in mind, Callum must feel that he has no one else to talk to about recent events, which is why he has leaned on Whitney over the past couple of days. But when Ben sees them getting into that car together, you can tell he's beginning to speculate what they could be up to.

Unfortunately, after returning from seeing Fitzy in the hospital, it looks like it hasn't really helped Callum cope with it, he begins to fret and lash out claiming it was his fault that he's in hospital with wires all attached to him. Almost hurting himself on the garden gate, Whitney acknowledges that she has seen Callum this way before, and it's all down to his PTSD - (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) - we know that he went through it when he was in the army, but now it appears to be resurfacing. The one thing that crossed my mind was, is Ben aware about Callum's PTSD? Has that always been a thing that Ben has known about, I'm a bit unsure?

However, it seems that Whitney is eager for Callum to inform his husband now more so than ever that what's been happening. But when Callum arrives home and Ben asks him how his day at work was, Callum lies to him once again claiming he's had a really busy day and just wants to have a shower alone. Now Ben knows that Callum is lying about being in work, so obviously he's going to be wondering what else he's lying about or not telling him. As Callum makes his way into the shower, Ben grabs his opportunity to search his rucksack and it seems he's completely stunned to find an engagement ring - of course he's going to be completely clueless and wondering why his husband has an engagement ring, but we know that before Fitzy was rushed to hospital, Fitzy gave it to Callum to give to his girlfriend.

I think Callum really needs to talk to Ben soon before he jumps to conclusions and lashes out, accusing Callum of something he's completely innocent of. Overall a good few episodes I have to say, I've really enjoyed being able to type up a couple of blogs this week, I was getting myself a little stressed out that I was so far behind and hadn't posted in a while, but again I want to thank you all for continuing to follow me and show your interest in my blog, it really means the world. Please feel free to send me any thoughts or opinions you may have on the current storylines. Enjoy the rest of your week and I'll be back very soon! Love you all xXx

[ffahey]

julia i just wanted to say that your edits are so so so gorgeous. i'm obsessed

awww josi, thank you so so much. this means the world! love u, darling. 

[nanonnnn]

Rules: Bold statements that apply to you, italicise your aspirations, then tag nine people.

I was tagged by dear Cerys ( @bxllums ) <3<3<3

Air

I have small hands / I love the night sky / I watch animals and birds when I pass by them / I drink herbal tea / I wake to see dawn / the smell of dust is comforting / I’m valued for being wise / I prefer books to music / I meditate / I find joy in learning new truths from the world around me

Fire

I don’t have straight hair / I like to wear ripped jeans and overalls / I play an organised sport / I love dogs / I am not afraid of adventure / I love to talk to strangers / I always try new foods / I enjoy road trips/ summer is my favourite season / my radio is always playing

Water

I wear bracelets on my wrists / I love the bustle of the city / I have more than one set of piercings / I read poetry / I love the sound of a thunderstorm / I want to travel the world / I sleep past midday most days / I love simple lit diners and fluorescent signs / I re-watch kids shows out of nostalgia / I see emotions in colours not words

Earth

I wear glasses or contacts / I enjoy doing the laundry / I am vegetarian or vegan / I have an excellent sense of time / my humour is very cheerful / I am a valued advisor to my friends / I believe in true love / I love the chill of mountain air / I’m always listening to music / I am highly trusted by the people in my life

Aether

I go without makeup in my daily life / I make my own artwork / I keep on track of my tasks and time / I always know true north / I see beauty in everything / I can always smell flowers / I smile at everyone I pass by / I always fear history repeating itself / I have recovered from a mental disorder / I can love unconditionally

I am tagging @jackbatchelor3 @bowdenszero @totallyradioactive15 @sharonwatts @benmitxhell and of course anyone else that wants to do this can just credit me <3

[janinebutcher]

What is your main blog?

my main is @sharonwatts

[casbear7]

Tweeted

Sometimes The Best Thing That You Can Do Is... 10MillionMiler #quote #inspiration #motivation via #SharonWatts http://pic.twitter.com/qKLDlqwh24

— Zukul CriostoirBtach (@lovecelticwoman) March 8, 2017

[1n5pirati0n]

30 Day Couples Challenge

Day 2 - Very First Ship

This one was hard to figure out but I knew it had to be a couple from a British Soap because growing up that was mainly what my mum had on the telly (being British and all). It was a toss up between Robert and Katie from Emmerdale and these two. So in the end I went with Dennis Rickman and Sharon Watts from Eastenders. These two are one of the best couples the show has ever had and I still think it was a huge mistake to SPOILER kill off Dennis. 

[onlyparadisememories-blog]

Happy Birthday Baby

[doof-doofblog]

"If You Don't Get A Move On You're Going To Miss It!"

Monday 10th May 2021

Hello again folks! I'm back again with another post. I just want to recap on Thursday's and Friday's episode and applaud the phenomenal performance from Lorraine Stanley! Her portrayal of Karen Taylor has been absolutely stunning and powerful over the last few weeks during Bailey's disappearance and during the aftermath of her losing her job at the laundrette. I do also want to mention how the community and neighbours rallied round her to support their friend and neighbour in their time of need. I found completely touching and was overwhelmingly powerful.

But regarding this week, it's the week the majority of us have all been waiting for since Ben and Callum got engaged! This is the week of the highly anticipated Ballum wedding! Now the big question is, will Ben meet Callum at the alter after he's learnt the truth about him being a grass! (From what the new trailer is to go by, Ben does actually decide to marry Callum) - but oh my goodness, it looks like we're in for some super dramatic scenes this week! For those of you who haven't seen the trailer yet, where have you been? Gray is once manipulating Whitney in to believing that the Mitchell's (particularly Ben) are to blame for Kush's death.

But as Whitney’s grief gets the better of her, she takes it into her own hands to deal with the Mitchell's once and for all, taking a pair of keys, getting into a car and heading straight for them. As this is happening, Phil happens to have learnt the truth about Callum grassing up his family and is eager to have a confrontation with Callum himself, but as Kat tries her best to stop Phil from making a huge mistake - Phil, Callum, Ben and Kat all get caught in the headlights of Whitney's car - who will she hit? And will they be okay?! - I know a few are speculating that it could be Callum or Ben who gets hit, or even Whitney herself getting hurt, but honestly - my biggest fear is Phil getting hurt. Don't get me wrong I love all these characters to appear to be in the frame, but I would be immensely heartbroken if it was Phil to get hurt and possibly be killed off? Hopefully none of them will get killed off - but what are your predictions? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this one!

--

So looking at Monday's episode and of course it's all about Ballum!!! But before we focus on the main event I'm going to mention Bailey. Sadly she is still sleeping rough after running away from home. The only company she has is her dog Banjo (who can I just say is the most adorable dog that EastEnders has had for a very long time!) It appears that the only bit of food she has available is a packet of biscuits and of course being a hungry puppo, Banjo longingly stares at Bailey for the biscuit she's about to eat. Bailey willingly gives Banjo the biscuit, but as she begins to gather her things together and move along, a bunch of youths rob her only bag of belongings. Being the hero, Banjo quickly chases after them as Bailey following along behind.

However, meanwhile on the Square as Keegan and Bernie continue to search for Bailey and begin to discuss their concerns about where they're going to find her. Bernie tries to keep positive, informing her brother that Bailey will be found and eventually their luck will change. Of course Keegan is doubtful, but of course we know that Bernadette has offered to be Stuart & Rainie's surrogate, so eventually she will come into some money for the family, but it'll be interesting once her family find out. I'm intrigued on how Keegan is going to react - considering that it was his wife who originally agreed to be their surrogate, now it's his sister!

As Bernie takes her leave, the next thing we see is little Banjo running towards the Square, however the poor little doggo is covered in blood. Keegan understandably relieved to see Banjo, but as soon as he sees the blood coming from the family pet, he begins to question where Bailey is. As Bailey continues her search for her beloved dog, she stumbles across an elderly man named Reg claiming to be a friend of her parents, Mitch and Dinah. Could Bailey perhaps be in danger or is this gentleman genuinely who he says he is?!

--

Elsewhere on the Square, Linda appears to be concerned for Nancy's whereabouts. She reveals that Nancy didn't come the previous evening, even though Mick seems more calmer about the situation, he tries to reassure Linda that Nancy had probably just stayed at a friend's house and would most likely be home by lunchtime, however unbeknown to them, poor Nancy had actually kipped in the gym overnight. It seems that things have gotten that bad between Nancy and her Mum, she could no longer bare to stay in the Vic overnight. As Sharon finds her as she opens up the gym, Nancy promises it's not going to be a long-term thing.

I guess Sharon kind of sympathises with Nancy as she too has felt the raff of Linda, but of course Sharon could be possibly using Nancy to get back into Linda's good books? She offers Nancy to use her shower back at her place and willingly gives her the keys to her apartment. Unfortunately, this is where Nancy once again passes ways with Zack and his awful flirtation. Sorry, but it is a bit cringe-worthy! Zack smooth talks his way with Nancy, claiming that once she's done in the shower he'll treat her to some breakfast!

I have to say I love Nancy's lack of enthusiasm, well I guess you could call it sarcasm also! Honestly though, how would you feel if Zack and Nancy were to become a new couple? I'm not sure how I'd feel about it, as much as I love Nancy, I haven't really made my mind up yet on Zack, I think we need to see a bit of him before I can make a decision. Anyway, they both end up in Ruby's club and Zack is once again flirtatious and eager to get a second date with Nancy, even though she even states that this is anything but a date! As she mentions how she's currently stuck in a ruckus with her Mum, she frets about not even being able to brush her teeth properly as she hasn't got a tooth brush, plus she wants to avoid going home to fetch her one and be confronted by her Mum yet again.

I think in an attempt to win Nancy round he promises that somehow, someway he will make all her problems disappear, but she scoffs at his claim and heads towards to the bar to grab some snacks. But while she's not looking Zack sneaks off and eventually finds himself in the Vic, nosing through all the Carter's belongings, is he simply just trying to find Nancy's toothbrush for her, or perhaps something else? Unfortunately his search doesn't last very long as he's walloped over the head with a frying pan by Linda! Almost like a scene from the Disney movie Tangled!

--

Right focusing on the main story at hand, as Callum and Stuart prepare themselves for the wedding, Callum voices his concern as to whether Ben will truly show up to their wedding. Stuart also voices his concern as to whether his brother should actually go, he can't bare to picture his young brother being left stood up at the alter. But the interesting thing is on the other side of the Square, as Kathy and Phil are discussing the wedding and the fact that Ben would be making a huge mistake if he didn't turn up, Ben is sat on the stairs in the hallway listening to their every word.

Kathy is all dressed up in her wonderful wedding outfit and of course little Lexi looks beautiful in her bridesmaid dress, rehearsing her steps for the wedding ceremony. Phil informs Kathy that Ben is adamant that the wedding is off, but Kathy urges the Father of their son to talk Ben round and make him see sense! Eventually as everyone gathers in the Vic waiting for Ben to show his face, Phil appears all dressed up his suit and breaks the news that Ben has gone missing, he's simply left his suit on his bed and disappeared, much to the family's shock.

While all this chaos appears to be happening in the middle of the Square, poor Callum and Stuart have made it to the register's office and are waiting anxiously for Ben's arrival! As they hear someone bursting through the doors, they look with hope and desperation, but it appears to be Jay. But as much as Callum is happy to see him, Jay gives him the devastating news that Ben has gone AWOL and no one can find him anywhere. Eager to make sure that his brother marries the man he loves, Stuart takes it upon himself to go back to the Square and find Ben and bring him to Callum.

Although it appears that Phil has managed to find Ben before he can. Phil eventually finds his son in the Arches working away on a car, almost as if he's trying to avoid the day itself and carry on as normal. Phil tries once again to reassure his son that marrying Callum would be the best thing he's ever done, even admitting that it took him a long time to come round - this moment really touched me - but also claiming that if Ben was to marry Callum today, it would Phil the proudest he has ever been of his son. I have to say those words really moved me, and to be honest I think it moved Ben - almost to the point where it nearly broke him and he almost revealed what Callum had done.

Ben gets so overcome with emotion, tears are slowly falling from his eyes. He almost breaks as he informs his Dad that Callum had betrayed him, all of them! Phil looks to his son with confusion in his eyes. What does he mean, all of them? But Ben stops in his tracks and makes up the excuse that Callum actually cheated on him. Although it seems as though Phil doesn't believe this explanation, he takes it on the chin and leaves Ben to it. However, once he's back on the Square he comes face-to-face with Stuart ... now this is where everything goes completely wrong! Of course Stuart has no idea what's been happening on the Square, he's just concerned about his little brother waiting at the alter for the man he loves.

As they cross paths, Stuart pleads Phil to inform her where Ben has got to, but Phil seems eager to defend his son after the explanation he's been given, as soon as Phil mentions that he welcomed Callum into the family, Stuart completely gets the wrong end of the stick and reveals everything. Claiming that Callum never wanted to go undercover, claiming that all he did it for was for Ben, putting his career on the line for Ben, even if it meant going behind Phil's back and reporting everything to the police. But you can see from the look in Phil's face that this is all news to him and this is the first he's hearing about Callum's betrayal. Once Stuart realises his mistake he warns that if Phil ever lays a finger on Callum he will come back and kill him!

Returning to the Arches, Ben is once again alone with his thoughts, is he questioning himself whether he should marry Callum? But it seems like another visit from a little lady changes his mind. Lexi finds him in the Arches and comments that it's the same place she finds him every time when Ben decides to take some time on his own. Now this moment I absolutely loved, Lexi questions her Father about love, What does it mean? What's it all about? She claims that she doesn't believe in love, considering that her Mum has had 3 different boyfriends since she's been home and her Grandparents have been married "300 times!". Her exaggerations make Ben giggle, but he tries to reassure his daughter that she should believe in love, because it's the one thing in life that you can't describe the feeling of. It can hurt but it's also wonderful too to be in love. He claims that being with that one person who trusts you and believes in you is the best feeling in the world and with them by your side, you face the world together, forever. As he explains all this to his daughter, she then asks the very important question, "Then why aren't you marrying Callum?"

Listening to his own words and realising that it's been his daughter who's made him see sense, Ben rushes to the wedding reception. As the guests almost sit themselves up and get ready to leave as they believe Ben isn't showing up, Stuart arrives back at the wedding reception eager to inform his brother about what's happened on the Square between him and Phil. But before Stuart can begin to explain himself, both Lexi and Ben burst through the door just in time for the ceremony, to Callum's absolute happiness and relief.  

Only unbeknown to them, back at home, Phil is seen listening to a voice message from Kathy, informing him that the wedding appears to be back on. Ben has arrived at the wedding reception and she urges him to get there before he misses his son getting married. As the voice message ends, Phil notices a picture of Callum on the shelf, all dressed up smartly in his police uniform. Reeling from the news he's learnt from Stuart, he smashes Callum's picture to pieces. What is Phil going to do now?

--

I know there's been a major event happen in this evening's episode of EastEnders, but unfortunately I am one episode behind, so I will review tonight's episode tomorrow instead. I know what's happened but I'm not to comment until tomorrow. Either way, I'm looking forward to witnessing what happens next. Thank you again for reading, I hope you've all enjoyed my post! I'll be back again tomorrow with everything regarding the Ballum wedding and much more! Enjoy the rest of your evening folks! Love you all xXx

[doof-doofblog]

"He's My Brother?!"

Tuesday 16th March 2021

Part One

Hello again everyone, hope you're all doing well! I wanted to share some personal news with you, I received my first Covid-19 vaccine yesterday, we're slowly on the path on getting things back to some form of normality! Who knows, maybe soon EastEnders might be able to go back to its original 30 minutes, even though I'm enjoying it and don't care how long the episodes are, it'll just feel normal, right? Anyway, I've seen a few spoilers regarding these two episodes, I'm really intrigued to write about these episodes. Tuesday aired two episodes of EastEnders so I'll be doing two posts to review each one.

Monday's episode ended on such a cliff-hanger, it's only right that I start this blog with mentioning Lucas and Chelsea first. The episode opened right there Monday left off, Chelsea and Lucas are at the airport preparing to go to Ibiza with suitcases full of drugs. Chelsea's suitcase is currently being checked, she's stood in absolute panic about what the security guard is going to find. Only when he reveals a bottle being over the correct amount she's allowed to take, I got really confused! I was completely and utterly convinced that Lucas had given Chelsea the drugs as a way of teaching her a lesson, and not in a bad way but in a cruel-to-be-kind kind of way. But as soon as Lucas begins to walk through with his suitcase, Chelsea hears commotion from behind and Lucas is surrounded by armed guards. The interesting thing is, Lucas doesn't hesitate, calmly and willingly, he drops the suitcase, opens it up to reveal the amount of drugs stored inside it, Chelsea watches on in dismay as her Father basically gives up on the whole job. Lucas looked over at his daughter, but the look on his face, I couldn't quite tell what he was doing? Was he doing this to save his daughter?

Frantically, Chelsea later arrives home, informing her Mum that Lucas has been arrested and he plain and simply gave up the drugs as if he'd planned it. Denise is visibly shook to hear but she's more relieved to know that Chelsea is safe and no harm has come to her, as far as she's concerned, Lucas can look after himself, whereas Chelsea needs her family around her. However, Chelsea seems to think that Lucas has given up the job on purpose, and now because the job hasn't gone through, Chelsea and the rest of the family could be in danger.

Returning to the airport, Lucas has been taken to side room, there he is begging the officer to allow him one phone call. At first the officer seems to think he's part of a drug gang and is wanting a call to let his comrades know about his arrest, however when Lucas mentions that it's to do with his family and that they could be in danger, it looks as if the police officer suspects he could be telling the truth and allows the phone call. As Denise and Chelsea are at home, Jack is there trying to keep them calm and discuss what actions could be taken due to Lucas's arrest, but of course his main concern is to keep Denise and Chelsea safe, if Caleb finds out the job hasn't been done, he knows that the Fox family could be in huge danger, he instructs them to not go on their phones and don't answer any calls or answer the door to anyone but himself. It's then that he receives a phone call from Lucas, pleading to for his help. What on Earth could Lucas be asking of Jack? Will Lucas be okay? (Of course some of you may have already seen the second episode, but as I haven't, I'm going to be speculating, please no spoilers, thank you!)

--

The next thing I want to mention is Bailey and Bernadette. The sisters are still deeply saddened by Bronson's passing, but as they sit in the park with Mitch, they continue to discuss Bronson's personality and his favourite foods. Always the best way to remember a happy doggo! Unfortunately, as the family reminisce about their beloved pup, Mitch has devastating when he hears a job opportunity had fell through, which he was hoping would keep him going until the winter. Are the Taylor family falling on hard times? Are they really struggling for money so much right now?

Bailey however tries to reassure her Dad, informing him that he has to keep positive as something will come up eventually, but she also drops the bombshell that he wouldn't have to pray for Astronomy Camp for her as she didn't win her competition, both Bernie and Mitch voice their disappointment for Bailey as she begins to feel sorry for herself.  But suddenly a little surprise makes the young girl begin to smile, a little dog approaches her as she holds food in her hand, it appears to not be wearing a collar and no one is around to claim the dog, must be a stray. Happily Bailey interacts with dog and smiles to her Dad that it's a sign from Bronson.

Seeing the little pup bring a smile back onto his daughter's face, he later approaches Karen about the possibility of keeping the new found dog. I also just want to mention how adorable the new dog is, I know not many dog last for long on the Square, but it would be nice for them to fill the void of Bronson. I don't think EastEnders have ever had a better dog since Wellard. They need a pet who's going to become memorable, and with one as adorable as this new pup, it could really work. Karen unfortunately is against the idea of getting a new dog, mainly because they can't afford it. But something tells me that maybe she's just not ready to get over Bronson, maybe? I feel if you've been able to afford a dog before, there's no reason why you can't get another one after? Right?! Mitch really wants to cheer his daughter up, I'm hoping Mitch will go and find the new dog, adopt him and bring him in to their family.

--

The next thing I have to mention is Ash and Suki, after finding her daughter at home alone with Peter, Suki takes it upon herself to confront Ash about the fact that she's been suspended from work, of course she has no idea why, but we all know it's because of Peter begging her to give him pain medication whilst off duty. As the ladies begin to argue, Ash tries to reassure her Mum that everything will be fine when she attends the hearing, she'll be able to explain and she'll get her job back. But Suki begins to fret, considering how much she cares for her family, and more so their reputation, I reckon?

Peter takes it upon himself to interrupt, informing Suki that Ash wouldn't have been suspended if it wasn't for him, this makes Suki realise that it's all Peter's fault, but the devastating blow is that her daughter could potentially lose her job because of a boy! Later on, as things begin to cool off, Suki is alone at the family business as Ash visits her, without Peter in tow. She begs her Mum to not worry and let things slide as she and Peter have a plan of way of getting her job back, but Suki seems to really struggle as the realisation sinks in, she voices that the reason she's so upset is that was she so proud of her daughter for getting so far with her career, for the job role she took on in life, how she has become successful in life, and now she fears that because of Peter, everything could be taken away from her! For me, I found it interesting to see this side of Suki, we know she loves the idea of power and success, but to actually hear that she's proud of one of her children, seems that maybe she really just wants the best for her family.

--

Okay, now the main event! After hearing the news that Gavin has passed away, Kathy and Sharon are discussing whether to attend the memorial. Of course, Sharon isn't interested in sharing memories of her biological Father, needless to say she doesn't have any fond memories of him, Gavin did have a bad reputation after all. Kathy however, considering as she was married to him once - I'm assuming, we know for sure she loved him and/or dated him, is considering going, whether Sharon joins her or not. As far as Sharon is concerned he can "Rot in hell!"

However, after a few wise words from Callum about Dad's in general, regardless whether they were pigs or not, it's always best to be the bigger person, Sharon then decides to tag along with Kathy and attend the memorial. As the arrive Kathy realises that she recognises a few faces, where of course Sharon knows nobody. Sally, Gavin's sister approaches them and thanks Kathy for coming, regardless of the awful things Gavin did, she makes the valid point that she did love him once.

As they look around the room, there is one bloke in particular who seems to be downing a lot more alcohol than others, he seems to be banging to people and knocking into the bar, eventually this man decides to make a speech, but it's not one of the speeches you'd expect. But however, to Sharon's interest, he seems to be saying things which she would actually agree with. Gavin was the scum of all scumbags. This speech however doesn't sit well with other family members and the young man dashes over chairs and tables to escape the angry mob!

As Kathy and Sharon make their exit, they watch as everyone gathers in the parking lot. However Sharon seems to have somehow managed to get her hands on Gavin's urn, without a second thought she simply dumps it into a litter bin, much to Kathy's shock. Looking for the drunken, suspicious man who rudely corrupted the memorial, both Kathy and Sharon seem to notice that their car has been left un-open. Realising that the young man could be hiding in their car, they make a subtle entrance and sit in the front seats. This scene looked like something out of a comedy, the young man appears between them in the backseat, shushing them not to give away his hiding place. Unfortunately, for the young man, the angry mob begin taking their anger out on his sports car - I did find this pretty comical as Kathy and Sharon both describing the damage being made to his car as he hides on the backseat. After the angry mob seem to finish off the last of their damage and head back into the building, Kathy asks the young man his connection with Gavin, how did he know him? Why was he at the memorial? Were they business partners or something?

But then as he walks away, he drops the big bombshell, introducing himself as Zack and that Gavin was in fact his Dad! As he walks away to his damaged car, both Kathy and Sharon look at each other in their shock as they come to realise Sharon has a brother she never knew existed!

Now I just want to say, most of us recall what happened when Sharon found out about another long-lost brother, however, I have to make the valid point that Dennis was in fact an adoptive brother. Den Watts was her adoptive father, so technically Sharon and Dennis were never really blood related, which I guess is why their romance can be looked to one side, however, Zack would be Sharon's Half-Brother! People might think history will be repeating itself if Zack was to become Sharon's new love interest, but I'd hope that EastEnders wouldn't go down the route of incest. It would be interesting though to see how Sharon will come to terms with knowing about her secret brother, will she want to build a relationship with him? Will he want to know her? Could they bond knowing that they've both had such a horrid man for a Father? Who knows?

I'm really looking forward to seeing the second episode following this one, I will be posting about it tomorrow, but in the mean time please no spoilers for me. I'll look forward to blogging about it tomorrow! Thank you again for reading! Love you all xXx  

[doof-doofblog]

"I Promised ... I Promised!"

Double Episode Post

Thursday 1st April 2021 - Friday 2nd April 2021

Hello everyone! Hope you've all had a brilliant Easter Weekend! Today is going to be another double episode post in an attempt to catch up! I know there's a lot to discuss, but first I want to give a shout out to @estimebongu98 for sending me some brilliant EastEnders related questions to answer over the weekend, can't thank you enough for reaching out and asking me some opinions on your favourite storyline! If anyone else feels happy enough to send me a message then please feel free!

Anyway back to the matter in hand, the first thing I want to mention is Iqra and Mila. Kim appears to be doing everything she can to get her new business aspect into the public eye. She is completely convinced that she's managed to get couples together, such as Peter & Ash and Iqra & Mila. After getting a photographer to the Prince Albert to take photos of her and hear her story, Kim calls Iqra over, claiming that she's needed urgently. Poor Iqra is clueless about Kim's actual actions. Iqra is understandably confused and a little irritated by Kim's actions when she arrives - technically Iqra and Mila aren't even a couple as of yet and Kim is claiming that she's brought them together!

After some persuasion, Iqra agrees to do an interview for Kim's business, and even happens to volunteer Mila so they end up doing it together, at first Mila isn't too keen but then agrees. What harm could it do it really? Well, as Iqra gets herself dolled up for the interview it seems that they'll also be getting their pictures taken also, getting in front of the camera, Kim instructs Iqra to do all these sorts of poses, but to no avail. As Mila enters, Iqra is visibly happy to see her appear, they both acknowledge how pretty the other one looks. But suddenly as the photographer takes pictures of them without their knowledge, Mila seems pretty adamant that he deletes the picture! Her attitude almost completely changes, much to Iqra's surprise! The photographer unfortunately refuses to delete it, claiming that the natural pictures are the best, but poor Mila almost demands him to get rid of the picture. This really intrigued me though, there's obviously a reason for her not wanting pictures taken, why does it bother her so much?! What is her story?!

Later, Iqra seems to think that it's her fault that Mila left so quickly! However Kim seems to put her at ease, if she's so eager to get to know Mila more and understand why she left, then she needs to reach out to her and call her. Kim insists that she can sense they have feelings for each other, and if there's any truth in it, she encourages Iqra to act on her feelings. Eventually Iqra catches up with Mila and to be fair, she's pretty straight with her from the beginning, she admits that she likes her but also claims that she's fearful of being in the same situation as she was with Ash, asking herself whether she had done anything wrong and informs Mila that she can't go back to being like that. It's then that Mila admits that Iqra has done nothing wrong and she actually happens to like her too - now this is where Mila finally opens up and we learn a lot more about her - she admits that Mila isn't in fact her real name. She explains that she first realised she was gay when she was a teenager but when she told her family about having feelings for a girl, they laughed in her face and ended up throwing her out - simply because her family didn't "believe" in it! It's sad to realise that Mila has basically disowned by her family simply because of her sexual orientation. Of course Iqra is deeply sympathetic and apologises for dragging her into the interview, but Mila claims it's not her fault - how could she have known?! But with Iqra appreciating Mila being open and honest with her, could this seriously be a new relationship on the cards for the two ladies?!

--

The next thing I have to mention is Bobby! After a horrendous first date a little while back, Bobby is determined to get himself back out there, unfortunately it is under a completely different name, considering he changed his name on his dating app, in fear of people finding out who he really is and finding out about his past. I love how dressed up he's gotten for the occasion, and it looks as if both Kathy and Kim try to give him some advice - which I have to say was a brilliant scene!

Going completely off track they begin to discuss men's flaws, just as Bobby is sitting there between them listening to everything they tell him. You just have to laugh and say "Poor Bobby!" as his Nan and neighbour discuss the different things that men do to women. Just to make him feel that little more awkward, Kathy urges him that if he's just meeting his date for sex then make sure she doesn't end up getting pregnant. Poor Bobby is traumatised and claims he hasn't even met the poor girl yet! In a way, I guess it was Kathy's version of the "Birds And The Bees" story for Bobby!

However, taking his Nan's advice, feeling a little insecure, Bobby visits the Minute Mart and purchases a packet of condoms - much to Suki's amusement, which of course leaves him feeling just a little bit more insecure as he rushes out of the shop. All I have to say about the matter is, why do men find it embarrassing for purchasing condoms? Buying condoms and sanitary products should not be embarrassing, they are a part of every day life and it should be normalised for people to buy the items without feeling any kind of awkwardness or embarrassment. Please tell me you guys agree?!  

Eventually, Bobby makes it to his date and things appear to be going well. Only the first thing that grabbed my attention was that Dana admitted that she has no sense of taste or smell and that her Dad believed she may have caught Covid-19, but she never took a test to make sure. After all that Bobby has been through trying to make sure himself and his family are safe from the virus, would it be mad for me to suggest that Bobby could end up catching the virus from Dana?! I'm sure you'll remember he was almost religiously washing his hands and cleaning surfaces. What if after all that caution, he catches Coronavirus from his date?!

Also it appears that Dana is calling Bobby by the name "Rob" - of course this is the name he changed his profile to. Is this going to be some kind of alter ego for Bobby? Only because I happened to notice how confident he looked during his date, he didn't seem nervous as the previous one and he didn't stumble over his words. Could this give Bobby some kind of comfort blanket in a way? If he can't be Bobby for his date's, he could be "Rob" instead? It's an interesting thought - maybe I am getting a little carried away, but I think with his past it would make complete sense. What do you think?! It's fair to say that "Rob" has a successful date as reveals she likes him and would like to see him again!

--

The next thing I have to mention is Frankie and Mick! After the events of the previous day, she voices her concerns to Linda, claiming that it was a bad idea for her to move into the Vic. However, Linda insists that Mick needs her a lot more than they realise, she claims that once Mick has been to court and spoken out about his abuse, he'll be proud to call Frankie his daughter! Meanwhile Mick appears to have his meeting with his support worker and it's here that he's informed that 4 other men have come forward reporting that they are also victims of Katy.

Understandably, Mick is completely thrown back by this, he is completely stunned and overwhelmed by the news, especially after admitting that he's trying to make things work with Frankie, considering she's his daughter. It needs to be pointed out that it's not Frankie's fault what her Mother did, she is also a victim just like Mick. Why should Mick have to hide her identity, I mean I understand he doesn't feel ready for people and his neighbours to know about his abuse, but why should Frankie have to suffer?! He clearly wants to have a relationship with her, but he does appear to be finding it hard.

As he gets home he informs both Frankie and Linda about what he's learnt, devastatingly his concerns get the better of him and he admits he doesn't think he can stand up in court. Does Frankie maybe feel like she is in some way to blame? Is she the reason why he won't stand up in court? She eventually finds herself at McKlunky's and Stuart spots her from the other side of the room. In an attempt of giving her a peace offering, he places some chicken in front of her, Frankie is clearly spooked - especially after the way he treated her last time he approached her. But Stuart is calm, collected and kind and informs her that for a brief moment, the way she looked reminded him of how Mick looked as a kid. This seems to really move Frankie and she begins to listen to Stuart. He informs her that Mick is going through this court case simply for her, even though he's struggling. He tells her that she kind of needs to meet him in the middle and try and support him, do something in return for him to help him cope with the court case, gently placing a brown paper bag in front of her, he claims a nice sugary treat would help Mick.

It looks as if Stuart's words play on Frankie's mind, she returns home with the sugary treat from Stuart, placing it on a lovely tray with a cup of tea and portrays it in front of Mick. Of course it's a really sweet gesture - no pun intended - but what touches Mick more than anything is when Frankie reveals she'll go to the police and willingly give them a sample of her DNA, to prove that she is Mick's daughter, to also prove that he has been sexually abused by Katy, which would help his case! As much I am hoping this will help, I do fear that maybe the DNA test won't come back as the result we're all hoping for?! What do you guys think?!

--

The next subject on the cards is Sharon! So, we know she's eager to pursue a new business opportunity for the sake of her son, Albie. She wants something that she will be able to provide for him in the future. Now I know I previously asked the question regarding the building she's found once belonged to Ronnie?! (Considering the name on the front of the building!) - but I noticed that Sharon claims it's an unused gym, can anyone remind me when Ronnie ever ran a gym in Walford?! I simply have no recollection of that!

Anyway, she once again approaches Peter, suggesting that she wants to run a gym with him by her side. She would be the main manager and he could be the head coach or personal trainer for their clients. At first, Peter claims that he's a "Freelance" personal trainer and he's happy how things are for now. But as soon Sharon mentions that it must be nice to have a partner who's a doctor and pays all the bills, Peter seems to agree. Even for him, this could be a brilliant career opportunity?!

However, I have to admit this next section got me really confused. Ben and Kheerat appear to lingering as they're discussing where to melt the gold bars that Vinny got his hands on. Kheerat suggests it needs to be somewhere subtle, like the Arches, but Ben is insistent that Arches cannot be the place. From across the Square, he notices Sharon putting in an offer for the abandoned building, I guess it's fair to say that Ben isn't Sharon's biggest fan - but what is she wanting to buy a gym got anything to do with him?! Maybe it's just me but I don't understand why he's interfering, and what's even worse - it appears he's dragging Kheerat into it too!

Kheerat appears to be the friendly neighbour, almost fishing for information and what's she's up to, Sharon explains that she's moving on with life after a horrendous year but just after she's put in an offer for the building, an unknown source happens to make a bigger offer, it looks as if her new business aspect is crumbling to pieces before it's already begun, but interestingly Kheerat suggests she adds on another £500 to her offer which overrules the other offer being considered. Is Ben the one who made the offer, just to get more money out of Sharon? Do the Panesar's actually hold the lease of the building and is that why Kheerat and Ben want the building as a place to melt the gold?! I have no idea, but something just doesn't add up for me, something really suspicious is going on and I can't quite work out what yet!

--

Finally the final day of Stacey's freedom has come - the day that all the Slater family have been dreading. After Lily's fall down the stairs, obviously everyone seems to be concerned for the youngster as she appears unconscious at the bottom of the stairs, but when the paramedics suggest that taking her to the hospital might give them some idea as to what's happened, Lily jumps into action claiming that she's actually okay! As everyone realises that Lily is fine, her parents decide to take her to one side to try and understand why she threw herself down the stairs.

Both Martin and Stacey listen as the youngster claims that she was trying to save her family, save her Mum from going to prison and it was also an attempt to stop the arguing so everyone would get along, if she was to get badly injured, they would have to put aside their differences for her sake. Both Martin and Stacey are shocked to hear the lengths their daughter would go through just to keep her family together. Almost as a cry for help, she pleads her Dad to do something to help stop her Mum going to prison!

Trying to do the best for his children, Martin tries to have a word with Ruby to try and make her understand she needs to change her plea, but once again Ruby lies!!!! She even lies about lying - claiming that she already tried to speak to the police about changing her statement but she was too late. She's still lying about Stacey pushing her and causing the loss of their child and plus she's also lying about contacting the police - ooo Ruby truly is the Queen of Lies isn't she?! I really don't understand why, but as Stacey puts it perfectly, Ruby is terrified about that fact that Martin still actually loves her and will do anything to keep him, even if it means sending her to prison for something she hasn't. As much as this breaks Stacey, she admits the only reason she's pleading guilty is that she'll only receive 6 months in prison and the sooner she's done her sentence, the sooner she'll be out for her kids. Stacey's words seem to hit home to Martin, does he still love Stacey?! I truly think there's a part of him that always will - she is the Mother of his children at the end of the day!

As Stacey enjoys the last few hours with her children, watching them play about in the gardens, she informs her Mum about all their routines, what not to feed them and what appointments they have coming up in the week. Everything seems to become all to real for Jean, she stares at her daughter longing and informs her how amazing she is, being so brave for her children. Jean gives Stacey her word and promises to look after her children until she's back. As time goes on, it gets later and later and eventually Stacey's time with her children runs out, saying her last goodbyes, drawing hearts on her children's hands to show that they're all a team, Stacey says one last goodbye to Lily and her Mum. As both Martin and Ruby watch from across the Square, Stacey walks away in tears and heads for prison.

The following day, poor Jean is struggling to cope with all the young ones running about, trying to make them food which they are refusing to eat because it hasn't been prepared right. Lily keeps herself occupied by making a version of Ruby out of toast. I guess you could say that Lily sees Ruby as the "Wicked Step-Mum!", which you can perfectly understand! As Lily continues to keep herself to herself, later on in the day Jean notices her with a packet of biscuits and questions what she's doing with them, Lily then admits that she wanted to cheer her Nan up by making her an "Afternoon Tea", recalling that Stacey had one planned for her ages ago but she couldn't attend because she was ill, so she wanted to do one in the house for her instead.

Poor Jean is completely overwhelmed by her Grand-Daughter's kindness, excitedly she runs out to get sandwiches and cakes for the occasion, happily stating that they all make a really good team. As Jean hurries out, from under the kitchen table, Lily pulls out a huge luggage bag filled with clothes and discreetly packs the packet of biscuits. My first initial thought was "Oh god, Lily is going to run away!" - but of course Lily is much more smarter than that. Of course this idea of an Afternoon Tea was just to get her Nan out of the house while she put her plan into place.

After returning home from lunch, Martin and Ruby and shocked to find his 3 children standing outside their front door with a huge suitcase. Lily's acting suspiciously upset, informing her Dad that she misses her Mum and her Nan is getting stressed with everything and she pleaded if she could stay with her Daddy. At first Ruby tries to be polite, informing the children that they can come a visit anytime, considering that they are just across the road, but Martin realises he can't leave his children out on the street and invites them all in to stay. As little Hope and Arthur rush in with excitement, Lily's attitude completely changes towards Ruby, informing her that she didn't expect that reaction! Ruby is completely stunned by the girl's attitude, but I have to say I felt completely sorry for Jean as she came home, hands filled with party food and balloons to entertain the children, sadly she notices the note left on the kitchen table for her, at first she thinks it's all a joke, but when she realises the house is completely empty, she looks completely and utterly lost, I just wanted to hold her and give her the biggest hug I could and tell her everything is okay!

But I do also have to say - YES!!!!! GO LILY!!!! It looks as if Lily is going to make Ruby's life a nightmare for putting her Mum in prison, and honestly, I think Ruby knows it! But what is she going to do about it? She's not going to be able to convince Martin that Lily is trying to ruin her life, I doubt he'd even believe her, he'll end up using the excuse that Lily is simply missing her Mum and is lashing out. I am super excited to see what happens next. Thank you all for reading, I apologise this post being so late, but thank you all for your patience! Please feel free to leave me any messages or comments, I'll always reply! Thanks again everyone! Love you all xXx

[doof-doofblog]

"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

[doof-doofblog]

"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

[doof-doofblog]

"How Do You Sleep At Night?!"

Thursday 8th April 2021

Hello again folks! We're back with another episode in my attempt to catch up, of course there was not an episode on Friday evening due to the passing of His Royal Highness Prince Philip - but that does mean that Monday was given two episodes! (Feeling slightly stressed with the amount of episodes I need to catch up on!) Plus being back at the day job and trying to save for a house is proving a bit stressful - but I want to let you all know I am committed to sticking to this blog, I've been at it for over a year so why should I stop now?!

I'll try my very best to catch up through out the week, but my post may have to be posted late in the evening, just a heads up incase you guys think I'm not posting! Anyway, let's get right to it and focus on the matter at hand, I'm going to begin first with mentioning Bailey, it turns out that Bailey has actually won the competition she applied for with the school, but she hasn't had the heart to inform her family about the win, knowing they won't be able afford the cost of her going to her expedition.

Unfortunately, as Bailey and her Dad are out taking little Banjo out for a walk, Isaac happens to congratulate Bailey on her win, much to Mitch's surprise. As Mitch begins to question his daughter, she admits that the hotel would cost them £200 and £30 for the coach trip. Mitch tries his absolute best to persuade his daughter not to worry and informs her that he will find the money some how for her go to on her trip. But as Mitch walks away leaving Bailey alone with little Banjo, she happens to notice the flyer advertising Banjo as lost dog "Ziggy"!

As devastating as it is for her, Bailey knows that she has do to the right thing and give Banjo back to his rightful owner. She get's Bernie to help her contact the owner and they arrange to meet up in the park. Only Bernie makes up a story about finding him behind some bins - I don't know about you guys but the dog didn't seem happy to see it's owner, you'd think it would recognise it's owner by sense of smell?! Personally, I believe the dog is actually more happy living with the Taylor's, even the girl could tell that the dog had been looked after. It's then that Bailey admits that they've been looking after the dog for a couple of weeks but had no idea that he was a lost dog. As the girl takes her dog and walks away, without a second glance at Bernie, for a split second the dog looks back at Bailey and Bernie, and I don't know why but for some reason, I am hoping the dog will be reunited with the Taylor family again, I'd like to think that we haven't seen the last of this adorable pup!

--

The second thing I have to focus on is Sharon and the arrival of her long lost half-brother, Zack! It look as if after his very much unwelcoming arrival to the Square, Zack slept in his car overnight outside of Sharon's apartment, regardless of Sharon making it perfectly clear to him that she didn't want him around and instructed him to go home! As Zack gets out of his car he pleads for his sister just hear him out, he claims he's not here for anything and wants anything from her, he just simply wants to talk.

However, when Jay approaches acknowledging the look of Zack's car, Zack almost insults Jay, warning him not to touch his car. As much as innocent as the situation was, I think his insult to Jay was a bit uncalled for, and it also gives an insight to his character, even Sharon makes a comment to him about interreacting with the locals. But in an attempt to make it up to her, he suggests taking her for breakfast so they can at least sit down and get to know each other.

Things seem to go well it seems at first, they begin to discuss Gavin and how each of them spent their childhood, it seems that they have some kind bond when it comes to discussions about their biological Dad, even though Sharon was adopted, her memories of Gavin aren't necessarily nice ones, but neither are Zack's and unfortunately, Gavin did bring him up! It appears that they are actually getting along. But as Kheerat walks in, Sharon begins to apologise to him for missing their date, but even then Zack's attitude towards the locals still doesn't impress Sharon, especially when he claims to Kheerat that Sharon can do better than him. But whilst Sharon still tries to arrange a second date with Kheerat, Zack discreetly nicks a pair of keys from Sharon's handbag!!! Doesn't appear to be the doting new brother does he?!

Later as Sharon is alone sorting out things for the gym, Jean approaches her with a bunch of flowers as a way of an apology for causing damage to her gym equipment, but luckily Sharon gives her the good news that she was in fact insured for all the damages. As Jean breathes a sigh of relief she compliments how things are slowly coming together, but when she happens to mention Sharon getting along with brother and mentioning that she saw Zack entering her flat, Sharon is instantly on the march to find out what her brother is up to!

Clearly, Zack is looking for something, he pretty much turns her apartment upside down and he searches high and low for something. Also I have to mention how I never realised that Sharon is now staying in the apartment that Mick and Linda were briefly staying in before they returned to the Vic! It's almost like they've simply swapped properties! Eventually Sharon finds her brother searching deep in her wardrobes, calling out to him and claiming that she knows exactly what he's after. It turns out that Gavin left Sharon a box, but the funny thing is, he left Zack the key to open it - so maybe he wanted his two children to meet one day?! As they both agree that whatever lays inside the box they'll go halves on, with hope they open the old metal black box. Unfortunately all that it holds inside is papers and memories such as old birthday cards, Zack is clearly angered - was he hoping for something else? Was there something more he was hoping to get his hands on?!

As they come to terms with the fact there was nothing of value in the box, Zack begins to reminisce about his Dad, recalling about a time when he made him fairy cakes but his Dad showed no sense of pride and informed his son not to embarrass him again, Sharon begins to feel a sense of compassion for her brother. I guess it's fair to say they've never had it easy when it's come to their parents - biological or adoptive. She opens up to Zack, informing her about her son Dennis and admits that maybe it would be nice to have a brother around? It looks as if there's some mutual ground between them, could this be the start of a powerful sibling relationship?!

--

Meanwhile, it looks as if Kush is having deep concerns about Ruby bringing up his son, Arthur. Poor Arthur has been dragged from pillar to post, losing his Mum, moving out of his Nan's to live with his second Dad and Stepmum. As little Arthur kicks a football about on his own, Kush admits to Whitney that little Arthur has spoken about shouting accruing whilst he's been staying with Ruby and Martin. Of course Kush trusts Martin with his son, but his biggest concern is Ruby.

In an attempt to build bridges and maybe find out a bit more, Kush takes it upon himself to visit Ruby alone. I think he spoke to Ruby in a very adult and mature way, he didn't go in all guns blazing and acknowledged that it must be hard with having 3 children suddenly to look after, especially considering the loss they have both been through, it's expected that sometimes parenting can get the better of you. Parenting isn't easy, that's for sure. He does however voice his concerns for Arthur and whether he wants him to be around raised voices.

But as much as Kush is being polite and reasonable, Ruby seems to think that he's attacking her, personally, and if Martin was present he wouldn't be voicing his concerns to Ruby. But the fact is that Kush knows exactly what Ruby is capable of and states that he can fill Martin in if he was pushed far enough, but Ruby calls his bluff - knowing full well that he wouldn't, simply because of his son! Ooooo I know it's coming, but I can't wait for Ruby to get her comeuppance! What do you guys think?!

--

Lastly, Kat and Phil are still sneaking about, it looks as if Kat had actually spent the night at the Mitchell household. Even though she's cautious of being seen, Phil informs her that Ben and Callum are aware of their romance and are happy for them to be seeing each other. Kat seems surprised by this news, it seems that she is deeply concerned about what people would say if they were to find out. I think it's perfectly clear that both Phil and Kat aren't quite ready to go public yet.

But, if they were to go public, what would they be going public as? A couple?! Friends With Benefits? Who knows? As far as Kat is concerned, they haven't had "The chat" - and everyone knows what she means by that! Whether their fling is something casual or whether it's leading to something more serious? I mean, at first it probably was just a bit of fun, but it's seems to be escalating as time goes on. Does Kat maybe want more from Phil than just fun and a romp? Are there feelings slowly growing for each of them?!

Later on, as Kat is doing her shopping in the Minute Mart, she happens to overhear Phil on the phone booking a couple's holiday away, from the sound of it, it sounds very romantic, a sea view cabin in a glorious destination! Poor Kat, she instantly assumes that Phil is booking them an exotic get away and instantly grabs a bottle of sun lotion! As the day progresses, Kat eventually finds Phil alone in the Arches and shows off the sun lotion that she's bought, asking him to wipe some on her back. At first, Phil seems to think she's joking, but as it comes clear that Kat believes they're going on holiday together, Phil puts her straight claiming that the holiday he has booked is actually a honeymoon for Ben and Callum.

Poor Kat instantly feels completely humiliated. Is she wanting to actually enter a proper relationship with Phil or is she getting the feeling that this fling is going nowhere? Everyone knows that Phil isn't the romantic type, but of course he was doing a nice gesture his son on his fiancé. I guess it's fair to say that Phil and Kat don't want their relationship to become public, but they still want to be together - whether that means intimately, emotionally - it could mean everything. Phil actually admits that he actually does like Kat and in a attempt to make it up to her, he suggests they go for meal, just the two of them.

Kat smiles, admitting that he's not exactly Shakespeare, but she's happy to finally be going somewhere with Phil other than the bedroom. Later on in the evening as Kat and Phil go their separate ways, Kat opens her front door to find a bunch of flowers left on her wall, reading the tag on the flowers she realises they're from Phil, maybe there is a romantic side to him after all?! Only, as Whitney witnesses Kat laughing on the phone to an unknown male, gushing over the bunch of flowers, she approaches her claiming that while Kat appears to be enjoying herself, Kush's life is on the line, he's facing prison simply because of Kat! She can't seem to understand why Kat seems to have forgotten about Kush's sacrifice to save his family.  

Quite an interesting episode, once again, a lot of different things happening at once, but I'm really excited to see what happens next! I'm going to try and catch up as much as I can this week, but I want to thank you all for being incredibly patient with me! It really means the world! Thank you for your on-going support and I'll be back again very soon! Enjoy the rest of your day! Love you all xXx

[doof-doofblog]

"I Want Her Out - Now!"

Monday 5th April 2021

Good Afternoon everyone! Hope you've all had an enjoyable week so far! I apologise for being so late, I've been dealing with a few personal things before I go back to work next week! Anyway before we jump into the episode, I need to mention the gorgeous new promo picture that has been released, I am sure you've all seen it by now! But honestly I think's beautiful and yet really haunting! Both Whitney and Kush look like the brand new happily engaged couple, while in the shadows lurks a jealous Gray! Is Gray going to cause heartbreak for Whitney? Is his jealousy and anger going to get the better of him that he actually ends up murdering Kush?! What do you make of the new promo picture?! I'd love to hear your thoughts!

We also know that the new trailer for next week has dropped! I have to say it looks pretty exciting, finally the return of Nancy and Kush appears in court. Could Gray possibly sabotage Kush's court case in an attempt to get rid of him for longer than expected?! There are all sorts of directions the outcome could go for Kush's exit. I'd love to know what you guys think! 

Anyway, back to Monday's episode, I'm going to begin with Sheree, Lola and Isaac. It looks as if things are going well for the new couple, Lola and Isaac! Lola seems to have accepted and come to terms with Isaac's diagnosis, however Sheree still seems to act as if she thinks Lola is no good for her son. That's the vibe I'm getting anyway. She watches from the wings as Isaac gushes over Lola and offers to rush a grab her a pasty for her breakfast, as he rushes out to get his new girlfriend something delicious, Sheree once again approaches Lola. I think she's almost trying to scare the poor girl, informing her that she doesn't want her son to have a relapse and the only thing that caused it the last time was when he had his heart broken. Lola tries her absolute best to convince Sheree that she's not going to break Isaac's heart, but Sheree informs her that if she can't see herself being with Isaac for the long haul then it's best if she was to leave him sooner rather than later. I did feel sorry for Lola during this moment, it's as if Sheree has something against her, even though the poor girl has never done anything wrong? I get she's a very protective Mother and wants what's best for her son, but scaring his current girlfriend away isn't really going to help the situation. 

After doing a runner to get some time to herself, Isaac finds Lola in the cafe. There she voices her concerns about what Sheree had told her, Isaac is stunned to hear that once again his Mum has been interfering with his love-life! In an attempt to console his new girlfriend, he reassures her that he is in full control of his illness and he states that he will decide what affects him and what doesn't, claiming that Lola would never be at the centre of an issue with his illness. Although I have to say while watching this scene and they're all smiles, why did I get the feeling it's a bad omen and something bad is going to happen regarding Isaac's illness? Doesn't it seem a bit inevitable?! 

--

Okay so the next small thing I need to focus on is Iqra and Mila, much to Iqra's shock, Kim informs her that the article revolving around Kim's new business has gone live, but unfortunately the picture of Iqra and Mila that was asked to not be in the article, has made it online. This of course sets Iqra into a panic of course remembering what Mila told her about her family. 

Later on, we can see that Iqra happens to be working and Mila arrives to see her, poor Mila looks as if she has no knowledge about the article and picture going up online. Trying to be as polite as possible, she softly breaks the news to Mila. Understandably, Mila is less than happy with the news she's been given, but Iqra tries her best to reassure her that she's gotten in touch with the publishing company and they've removed the image from the article, however it didn't happen straight away and the image was still online for a couple of hours, the big question is, did the image come down from the article in time before anyone in Mila's family saw it?! Something tells me that perhaps not ...! 

--

So the next thing I have to mention is Sharon, she's managed to get her hands on her new business empire. One thing I have to note is the reveal of the old gym! As we saw how old it looked and the abandoned state it was in, I funnily enough recognise it! I can't recall the year but I do recall a very long time ago that Ronnie and Jack owned an underground gym, with a boxing ring?! I vaguely remember seeing that! Please tell me whether anyone else remembers?! Feeling proud of new empire, she calls in both Jean and Mo to clean the place up so she can get to work on getting the gym back in business. Unfortunately for Sharon, Jean lashes out at her - for reasons we can completely understand I'll discuss shortly. But Jean basically lashes out at the business woman, claiming that people like her get everything they want while other people have to suffer and struggle with their every day lives. Jean point black refuses to clean the room, also considering that it smells of sweat men and dirty underpants! (Ew!) 

--

I guess this is where I bring Jean into it. Poor Jean is having to deal with the loss of her daughter going to prison for something she hasn't done, her Grandchildren now living across the Square with their Dad and "Evil" Stepmum, plus she's having to deal with her cancer all on her own, I guess it's understandably why Jean lashed out at Sharon in the first place!

But before Jean even felt this feeling of anger and upset boil up inside her, Mo convinced her to take her anger out on the punching back in the old gym before they start the cleaning. Mo throws her a pair of punching gloves and goads her to give it a good bash! I have to admit, this particular moment where Jean is pounding the punching bag, roaring like Tarzan, I found it incredibly cute and quite funny, god bless her, as she seems to get into it she's interrupted by a phone call. 

As the words begin to spread around the family, we begin to learn that Jean and Mo have learned the devastating news that Stacey has been sentenced to a year in prison, and not just the 6 months that they were expecting. Clearly Jean is visibly devastated, she begins to question Mo what could happen in that time, most importantly, "What if I'm not here?" - of course referring to her cancer diagnosis, but it's just unfortunate that no one in the family knows about her cancer, other than Ruby!! 

This news of being away from her daughter for longer than expected is what drives Jean to lash out at Sharon, why is it that people like Sharon get to be successful and yet everything in Jean's life appears to be falling apart?! I just to say though, I've said it before and I'm going to say it again, I can't applaud Gillian Wright loud enough for her fantastic performance as Jean Slater! I have absolutely loved her character from the very beginning, I would be absolutely devastated if EastEnders where to kill her off! ESPECIALLY if they were to kill her off before Stacey's return - that would be just bloody heart-breaking! Will Jean possibly change her mind about having treatment that in the hope of her getting better she could be well by the time Stacey returns? Who knows?! As Jean and Mo walk out of the gym, leaving Sharon to find other people do to the cleaning for her, they both head for home to find a delivery van parked right up against the entrance of their house. Ironically the delivery happens to be for Sharon, happening to be all her new gym equipment. Even though Mo informs the delivery driver about her mistake, Jean is once again overcome with frustration and anger.

Trying to get a point across to the delivery driver that she simply can't get into he house, the delivery driver simply doesn't do anything to help, she simply doesn't care and is just doing her job be delivering goods, regardless of where she parks her van. As things seem to escalate, Jean notices that the van has been left unlocked. Taking matters into her own hands, Jean quickly jumps inside the van and starts the engine, this is where the events taking place seem to grab everyone's attention. Both the delivery driver and Mo instruct Jean to get out of the vehicle, otherwise she'll be joining Stacey in prison! (Even though this appears to be something Jean actually wants!) 

As the locals begin to see what's happening, Sharon also happens to watch from across the Square the shenanigans taking place, but it's only when Mo informs her that Jean is driving away with her goods that she jumps into action. In an attempt to stop Jean from doing something she regrets the begin to chase after the vehicle, but Jean speeds off abruptly, causing all the gym equipment to fall out of the back of the van. I know the next episode has already aired and you guys may have already seen what happens next, but I just hope that Jean will be okay, will she realise her mistake?! 

--

Lastly, after moving in with her Dad and "Evil" stepmum, Lily is doing everything she can to make Ruby's life a living hell, waking up the whole household with karaoke at 7 in the morning! (Also Mamma Mia is an epic tune to do karaoke too!). Although Lily has dragged her young siblings into causing chaos to annoy their Stepmum, Ruby walks in demanding that they stop their rowdy behaviour and switches the music, however as soon as Martin comes in after hearing the commotion, he understands the excitement his children must be feeling for living with him again and ignores his wife's frustration and turns the music back on, much to Lily's delight!  

As the day goes on and the word spreads about Stacey having to spend a whole year in prison, Lily's mood is understandably sunken that it was earlier. As Ruby tries to console her Stepdaughter, she claims she wants to try and cheer her up by taking her into town and spoiling her on a new outfit. At first Lily seems tempted but she soon realises that because of her, her own Mum is going spending a lot longer amount of time away from her and informs Ruby that she will pay for what she's done! 

Meanwhile, as Martin catches up with Kush in the Vic and they both come to terms with the news of Stacey's sentence, Kush begins to question how they're going to look after the kids and questions whether Arthur would like to live with him and Whitney for a while before Kush has to go to trial. Of course at this moment in time, Kush has no idea that the children have moved in with Martin and Ruby, and when Martin fills him in, I think it's fair to say that Kush is less than impressed. Mainly because of Ruby, of course he believes his son Arthur would be safe in Martin's hands, but when he questions whether Ruby is up for it, it's plain to see that he doesn't trust Ruby with his son. Especially when she was the one who manipulated him in leaving the Square with Arthur and bribed him with her money! Oooo the more this story goes on, the more I hope that Martin will soon learn about Ruby's lies! She has to be found out at some point, right?! 

Later, Ruby finds Lily and little Hope causing more mayhem in her house, it looks as if this time Lily has gone into Ruby's wardrobe and decided to play "Dress Up" with her clothes! As Ruby dismisses Hope, she approaches demanding an explanation, but Lily reveals that they were bored, but they had more fun once the scissors came out! To her absolute horror and dismay, Ruby finds that placed across her living room table, a white gown has been ripped and torn into shreds! 

Ruby lashes out and Lily, calling her a "Cow", as Martin returns from his catch up with Kush he walks in to the commotion and asks what's going on, it's then that Ruby informs him that Lily has destroyed her dead's Mum's wedding dress and without a word from Martin, she claims she no longer wants Lily living with them and demands she leave the house immediately! I have to say from Lily's reaction of shock, I think she didn't seem to know it was her Mum's wedding dress perhaps she thought it was something else? Or - big possible twist - is Ruby playing Lily at her own game and it isn't her Mother's wedding dress at all?! 

Again, I know more episodes have been aired an I don't know the outcome, so please no spoilers, but I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next. I apologise once again for this post being so late but I hope I'll be able to catch up very soon, it's most likely that my next post will be a double episode post again! I'm away from my computer this weekend and I'm back in work on Monday, so I'll try and do my next post Monday evening! Thank you all again for your support, it really does mean the world! I'll look forward to hearing any questions you may have for me! Thank you for reading, enjoy your weekend! Love you all xXx

[doof-doofblog]

"You Can't Even Say It, Can You?!"

Double Episode Post

Monday 29th March 2021 - Tuesday 30th March 2021

Hello again everyone! Hope you're week is going well so far! I apologise for being so late, but this post is going to cover this week's Monday and Tuesday episodes, that way I will be completely up to date! Unfortunately I do have plans for the rest of the week so I probably won't be posting again until next Monday, where of course I'll post double episode posts just to make sure I've caught up with you all! I just want to say thank you for your patience and support, it really does mean the world!

Anyway, let's jump straight into it, so much drama happening right now! The first thing I have to mention first is Whitney, Kush and Gray! After the way Gray had spoken to them the night before, but Whitney and Kush appear to be discussing Gray's behaviour. Kush completely believes that Gray was out of order for talking to Whitney the way he did, especially considering she's been at his every beckon call looking after his kids over the last few months! But Whitney seems to stick up for her friend, claiming that he's been through a tough time and it's understandable why he'd be stressed out. I'm glad that Kush is slowly noticing Gray's flaws, only ever so slightly though!

Later on, Whitney goes to visit Gray but interestingly before she arrives we see Gray pull out some kind of piece of jewellery from his blazer pocket, at first I wasn't too sure what this was for, was it Chantelle's? Was it the piece of jewellery that had gone missing? Or was it for something else completely?! As Whitney finally arrives, Gray happens to mention that he has a work Gala event to go go, but he doesn't appear to be in the mood, considering he used to go with Chantelle every year. Oooooo Gray is really good manipulator isn't he?! It's blatantly obvious that he's dropping hints, informing Whitney that he doesn't want to go, so of course Whitney offers to attend the event with him and be his plus one, and of course Gray is ever so thankful and appreciative of her for suggesting such a thing, but what else makes it more creepy - when Whitney mentions she has nothing to wear for the event so Gray give her one of Chantelle's dresses to wear!

As Whitney is at home getting changed, Kush walks in to find her wearing the dress. Needless to say she does look stunning in it, but as Whitney admits it's actually Gray's deceased wife's dress she's wearing, makes her feel incredibly uncomfortable! I mean it's no secret that Gray has fallen for Whitney, but is it some kind of twisted ploy to replace Chantelle?! Who knows?! Kush is absolutely baffled when he learns about the dress and states that Gray must be going insane! What normal person would do such a thing?! But regardless of the slight concern, Whitney still tries her best to stick up for Gray, claiming that he's still a grieving man and dealing with a lot of stress. Kush seems to understand that his girlfriend is just doing Gray a favour, which of course she is - little do they know that it means something more for Gray.

Ooooh so the piece of jewellery that Gray had earlier he had actually bought for Whitney?! Was this all part of his plan? Or was it only going to be an apology gift for the way he spoke to her the previous night?! Gosh, my mind is asking all sorts of questions! Don't you guys find it incredibly creepy?! It's like Gray almost has this slight obsession with Whitney and knowing that she's dating Kush, seems to really grate on him! It's almost as if he can't have her, no one can! Eventually Gray and Whitney make their way to the Gala event, and it seems as if everyone's eyes are turned towards Whitney, but not so much in a good way. Not even a year after his wife's death - technically, it's only been just over 6 months - people are concerned that Gray has moved on ever so quickly from his deceased wife, plus the fact that Whitney was once his client makes it even more weird!

One of the main highlights for me was during the event, it was clear to see that Whitney was getting bored of out her skull! As she spots Gray speaking with colleagues, she approaches him claiming that she's been doing the "Signal" for a good while, but Gray pathetically apologises claiming that he thought she'd just had an itchy nose! It's clear that she isn't enjoying herself and has concerns about people staring at her! But the most brilliant part of that scene was the look on Whitney's face after realising what she had just eaten after being offered a canape' - snail!!!!! That was a hilarious and a very relatable moment, brilliant acting from Shona McGarty! She's truly brilliant!  

After a small chat with Gray and a quick goodbye, Whitney finally leaves the event - much to her relief, but to her surprise, Kush is sat outside the club waiting for her. As they share a portion of chips together on the side of the road, it's funny to see how comfortable they are together as Whitney lets out a burp! It's a funny moment which they both laugh at, even though I never saw this connection before, it's clear to see that they feel truly comfortable with each other, it's a relationship that I never thought I'd actually enjoy, but yes Kush and Whitney have always been good friends, but being in a relationship - it just works! As they continue to laugh at Whitney's actions, Kush makes an interesting response that they're like an old married couple - now this is what I didn't see coming - Whitney does the most amazing, honourable thing and gets down on one knee and proposes to Kush. He is totally stunned by her question, but accepts her proposal and they both hug with pure excitement and happiness! I truly felt that this was a beautiful moment, I know it's not traditional for the lady to pop the question, but it is the 21st century, why shouldn't women propose to their loved ones, I'd love to see it more often!

Of course, Gray has no knowledge about Whitney and Kush's engagement, but the interesting thing is when he returns from the Gala, he removes his wedding ring from his finger! Like, why?! Is he really over Chantelle already?! It's not until the following day when Whitney arrives at his place to take care of the kids that Gray eventually finds out. Whitney begins to explain that she was going to text him when she got home, which kind of puts a small smile on Gray's face, making him think she was going to thank him for a lovely evening or something, but it turns out she was just going to tell him about her and Kush's engagement! As Gray learns the news, you can see he has to put on a front, claiming that he's thrilled for both of them, but deep down - we know he's not as thrilled as he makes out, deep down, he's seething! As everyone gathers at Ruby's club to toast the happy couple, Gray arrives late but once again he can't help but be completely manipulative! As he steps to the bar, Kush approaches him saying that argument from the other day has been forgotten about, but Gray seems to be really sly, claiming that he's luckily to have Whitney - stating that she'd be willing to wait for him to get out of prison and they may be able to walk up the isle in about 4 or 5 years time! Ooooo, he's so conniving isn't he? What do we think will happen for Whitney and Kush, will they be able to get married before he goes to prison? Or is something even more devastating going to happen?!

--

The second thing I have to mention is Sharon! Now she's moved out of the Vic, I have been wondering where she's been staying, it turns out that she has moved in next door to the Slaters! To be fair, I was wondering where she had gone, whether she had moved in with someone, but turns out that she's managed to get herself her own place. Unfortunately having the Slater's as her neighbours is the price she's had to pay! She happens to mention to Callum that she's desperate to have a new start for her son, Albie! Realising that she's had to depend on Phil for a few things in her life, she take the opportunity to approach him about becoming a part of his money laundering business, regardless of giving her son somewhere to live, she needs to have some kind of business opportunity for her son, to provide for him, but also for something for her son to be proud of.

As much as Phil is willing to help his old friend out, Ben can't seem to understand how his Dad is still clinging to straws where Sharon is concerned. I guess I can understand Ben's concern, he clearly doesn't want his Dad to be made a fool of again. He makes the valid point that Sharon would never had ended up in this mess if she hadn't have slept with Keanu in the first place. In an attempt for once and for all keep Sharon away from his Dad, Ben takes it upon himself to confront her, but Sharon - being the vixen that she is, gives just as good as she gets, claiming that no one would even bat an eye-lid at Ben if he didn't share the same surname as his Dad! But interestingly, Ben gives her some food for thought, which leads to Sharon changing her mind about being involved with Phil's business. She approaches and Phil and claims she wants something that Albie can be proud of, she's had to confide in Phil for too long now and she needs to do things her way, for her son - which I think is perfectly reasonable and understandable!

The next day, she's look through the paper for all sorts of business opportunities, but as does so, she happens to over hear Peter and Kheerat talking about fitness! Could this be something that Sharon could look into? As Peter arrives home, looking worse for wear - I genuinely can't tell whether he's been for a run or whether he's been out getting pissed again - however, Sharon approaches him with an idea of getting into fitness. But Peter, being the immature male that his is, scoffs at the idea of Sharon wanting to get involved in fitness. She stands her ground though and claims that she doesn't want him to train her, but somehow grow a business in fitness, to which Peter sarcastically responds by questioning that she's wants to become a Personal Trainer?! Realising she's not getting anywhere with Peter, she seems to visit an old venue of the Square, something which I always thought got turned into "Ruby's". We see Sharon look at her phone and contact Jack, purposing that she has a business opportunity for him, but we can see that she's stood beside a business of building of some kind named "Ronnie!" - was this Ronnie's club or something before she passed away?! I can't remember what this piece was, if anyone can remind me, I'd love to find out! What could Sharon's next business be?!

--

The next thing on my list is the Slater's - mainly Lily for a change this time! Can I just say how brilliant it is to see the young actors and actresses being in the centre of a story for a change? After learning that her Mum is going to be going to prison, Lily can't seem to understand why her Nan isn't doing anything to help. Poor Jean has so much on her plate right now, she's having to deal with her terminal cancer and the fact that her daughter is going to prison. Interestingly, she happens to mention that this day happens to be Stacey's final day of freedom! Does this mean she'll be going to prison or going to trial very soon?!

Meanwhile, in another part of the Square, Billy and Honey are waiting to hear news about Janet's audition, eventually both Lily and Will happen to meet up on the Square, together they share stories about their families being at each other's throats. Lily confiding in Will about her Mum going to prison, the fact she called Ruby her "Wicked Step-Mum" was brilliant! But Will also informs her that his family isn't as different, as he's having to cope with his Mum and Dad bickering over his Mum's new relationship with Jay - it seems these two youngsters have more things in common than I realised. They both have dysfunctional families! To cheer his friend up, Will invites Lily to the celebratory party that's been planned for Janet.

As Lily and Will observe the events and discussions taking place in front of them, Lily questions whether Billy and Jay are rowing or actually being civil with each other, but the next thing that Will says seems to play on Lily's mind. He mentions that since Honey had her fall, both Jay and Billy have been nice to each other, mainly because they've had no choice. As Janet arrives for her surprise party it's revealed that she's been given the job for the ad campaign. As Lily returns home, Will's words play on her mind. She finds herself at the top of the stairs, she can overhear her Mum and Jean discussing what's going to happen over the next few days. Suddenly we hear a horrendous scream, Lily is seen lying almost unconscious at the bottom of the stairs. The poor girl has thrown herself from the stairs in an attempt to stop her family from arguing. Will she be okay?!

--

The final thing I need to mention is Mick and Frankie! After trying to get to know his daughter a lot better, he's come to learn that Frankie hasn't got her driver's licence yet. Determined to teach his daughter to drive, he takes Frankie out in the car, unfortunately things don't go to plan when the car seems to pack in! As much as Frankie tells her Dad not to worry, Mick begins to feel distraught, considering the fact the he hasn't been there for her as a child, he's eager to be there for her now she's come into his life. Eventually they manage to get the car starting again, however they're met with another issue when a car-park attendant places a ticket on the windscreen of the car.

As much as Mick tries to co-operate with the attendant, things only seem to escalate when he's accused of being a repeat offender. Mick admits he's taught his other children to drive in the exact same way, but the car-park attendant seems to really insult him by claiming he's broken the law numerous amounts of times. As Mick appears to lose his patience, he rips the ticket off the windscreen and throw it back at the attendant, poor Frankie is silent as she watches the events happening in front of her, luckily she thinks on her feet, gets into the car, starts the engine and reverses quickly for her Dad to jump in! In Mick's shock at her driving skills, he lunges into the car and they speed off before the car-park attendant can do anything else.

As they get home they determined to try again, but I have to say I love Frankie's humour! Claiming that she'd make a brilliant get away driver, she hilariously puts on a pair of tights over her head to play the role! After another successful driving lesson, it looks as if the car seems to have another issue, as Mick continues to see to the car, his phone begins to ring. Frankie finds it, claiming it's a bloke called "Tom" - however Mick informs her to ignore the call, instantly Frankie is suspicious and begins to question her Dad, however Mick seems to make a comment which doesn't sit well with Frankie, claiming she's "Beginning to sound like her Mother!". Frankie is deeply hurt by this comment and walks away, making Mick realise he's said the completely wrong thing!

In a desperate attempt to make it up to her, he follows and claims that the bloke he ignored the phone call from was someone he was meant to speak to revolving around his sexual abuse as a child. Frankie completely understands and Mick states that because she's his daughter, she will be a Carter! As they return to the Vic, Frankie appears to be confronted by old school bullies who seem to have tracked her down after hearing the news about her Mum. Mick however seems to seething after hearing everything they're saying, but Frankie is proves that she is more than capable of looking out for herself, putting the bullies right in their place, which leaves a huge smile on Mick's face, she truly is his daughter! Only as they try again when she's behind the bar, Mick takes his chance to step in, however when he informs them to stop hassling Frankie her referrers to her as his "Staff" and not his daughter! This clearly upsets Frankie as she comes realise that even though she's longing to become a part of his family and become a real "Carter" - Mick finds it really hard to call her his "Daughter!" - even though he's said it directly to her, he can't seem to admit it to other people!

I really hope that Mick will overcome this fear of admitting who Frankie really is, if he's has any hope of building a relationship with her, that is the first thing he's going to have to do! I know I've said it once and I'm going to say it again, I really can't wait for Nancy to return, I'm really excited to the see the sister dynamic between Nancy and Frankie, it's going to be brilliant! What do you think of the soap so far? If there are thoughts and opinions you'd like to share, please feel free to leave me a comment or message, I'll always take the time to respond! Thank you all for your on-going support! Love you all xXx

[doof-doofblog]

"Say "Hello" To Caleb, Grass!"

Tuesday 16th March 2021

Part Two

Hello again everyone! I'm back with the second episode of Tuesday evening, I have to admit I am super excited about this second episode, there was so much that happened in Part 1 that I am super excited to see what happens next. But before I dive into it, EastEnders have announced a new character is going to be arriving to Albert Square. Gwen Taylor will be joining the soap in the role of Violet Highway, Callum and Stuart's Grandma! It's been revealed that she'll be arriving later in the Spring. Something is telling me with Callum and Ben's recent engagement, is Ben interested in meeting the rest of Callum's family? Surely he's going to want to more than just Stuart at his wedding? I hope this will be the start of Callum and Stuart's family arriving to the Square. What do you guys think? Are you excited about EastEnders' new arrival. Does she know about Callum's sexuality? Is she going to be the beloved Grandma that we're hoping for, or maybe some kind of evil Granny? Please let me know what you're thoughts on this reveal!

Now focusing on the second episode of Tuesday evening, there's a hell of a lot more drama going on! The first thing I'm going to mention is Ash, it appears to be the day of her hearing. Understandably, the poor the girl is feeling nervous as her career hangs in the balance. As she sits in her pyjamas contemplating the day ahead, her brother Kheerat tries to lighten her up by suggesting that if things go to pot during her hearing, she can always come and work at the family business. However, the is something that Ash clearly doesn't want to do, she's her own person and has can look out for herself, she doesn't need to be given a job by her brother when she can simply find one for herself, although it was just a kind gesture. Plus she hasn't trained her whole life to be a nurse to then start making calls about pest control, right? Suki tries to persuade her daughter that she needs to do all she can at the day's hearing to make sure she keeps her job! 

Once again Peter feels like he needs to step in and help Ash at the hearing, he tries to lighten the mood by joking that they wouldn't let Ash lose her job because of her smile. As much as he's trying to be nice, Ash (and both I) feel like there's no time to be making jokes, I don't think he truly realises the extent of his actions have caused her. If he was to just wait and let a normal nurse on duty tend to him instead of pleading for Ash's help, this wouldn't have happened. But also I guess you could say that Ash should've stuck to her guns and not given him the pain relief whilst not on duty. As Ash agrees to let him accompany her to her hearing, it seem that that would be her huge mistake. Later as she comes home, she seems completely and utterly devastated and she reveals to her Mum that Peter made out that they were a couple, and as soon as he said that, nothing she said for herself was taken seriously in the hearing, meaning Peter could have potentially ruined her changes of getting her job back. As much as I hate to say it, I hope this makes Ash realise that Peter isn't the one for her. She can do SO MUCH BETTER than him! Even though Peter tries his best to apologise, even insulting Suki claiming that at least he's tried to do something to help whereas she has just stood and watched from the side-lines. Does this mean that Ash will lose her job for sure now? Or will Suki take it upon herself to somehow help get her daughter's job back?

-- The next thing I have to mention is Mitch and this adorable new doggo! After seeing it out again on the Square after Rainie shoos it away, he informs her that he's wanting to try and catch it to make Bailey happy, considering she's been so down as of recent, with it being Mother's Day and then losing Bronson, he wants to see his daughter smile again, and it seems the little pup is the one to do that. 

I have to say I do love Rainie, I love how she just volunteers Stuart on his behalf to help Mitch capture the dog. Of course Stuart has no idea what he's been roped into, as far he knows, he's being "Ace Ventura" for the day! I also just want to briefly mention how brilliant and comical the scene between Mitch and Stuart was as they were trying to catch the dog! As they slowly try to corner it, the dog has other plans and scurries from side of the park to the other, causing mayhem for both of them! I absolutely howled at the moment when Stuart suggested to Mitch that he buys his daughter a rabbit instead! It was brilliant comedy gold of grown middle aged men trying to outrun a young fast pup! 

Eventually the dog becomes distracted by some left over fast-food that's been thrown on the floor. Mitch grabs the opportunity to catch him, without any disruption he successfully catches the pooch! As he takes the pup home, little Bailey is over the moon to see a potential new family member, she becomes absolutely besotted with the dog in her life and names him Banjo (CUTE!) , however as soon as Karen appears the dog scurries away and Karen voices her concern to Mitch that they simply cannot afford another canine. Is it just me or did Karen say that family dog was Bronson? Meaning that they can't replace him? Again, being a dog lover and a dog owner myself, just because Bronson has passed away doesn't mean that shouldn't get another dog, they've given one day a life a happiness, why can't they give that to another dog? Bronson will never be replaced, he'll always be a part of the family. I can't understand Karen's negative response towards it, I'm hoping eventually she will come round and they'll be able to keep the new dog. What do you think? 

--

Meanwhile, inside the Vic, after finding out that she has a long-lost brother out there, Sharon is alone in the Vic slowly packing her things away for moving out. It's here that Kathy decides to pay her a visit after they both found out the identity of the man they met at Gavin's memorial. The fact that Sharon has half-brother she's never heard of or met seems to be main focus of Kathy's mind right now. However, Sharon informs Kathy that at this moment in time, she's not really interested in tracking him down or reaching out to him, for all she knows he probably has no knowledge of her also, so why would she want to  jump the gun approach him? She makes it perfectly clear that she doesn't need any more men in her life, Albie is all she needs and no one else. 

Kathy seems a little disheartened by her decision, but deep down feels that maybe if she was to help get her Zack's number, it would be there for her if she was to change her mind. What harm could it do? As Kathy calls up Sally without Sharon's knowledge, elsewhere Kim is still trying to convince Sharon to have a leaving do for when she moves out of the Vic. As they have a brief discussion in the Vic, Sharon opens up revealing that there are still times she feels very lonely, she lost her son, her husband, her best friend - there really is no one else she can talk to except for Albie, and he's a baby! That's a point, do you guys think that Sharon and Linda will ever be able to rekindle their friendship? We know that Mick and Linda will be back behind the bar any time soon, so will Linda be able to forgive her friend and will they be able to build bridges? Who knows? With plenty of wise words from Kim, and a bit of goading as she's informing everything will be sponsored by her new business "The Foxcatcher!", Sharon agrees to hold a leaving party at the Vic. Just then, at her surprise, Kathy appears with a small piece of paper with a phone number, informing her that she's managed to get hold of Zack's number if she ever thought on contacting him. Do you think Sharon will reach out to her half-brother? Will he be interested in building a relationship with her?! 

--

Finally, the main event of the episode, after the shock of Lucas's actions at the airport, the Fox family are eager to hear any updates that the police might have on Lucas and/or Caleb. However, it looks as if the mysterious phone call between Lucas and Jack from the previous episode has been revealed. Lucas gave Jack some information on where he could potentially find Caleb. As this episode begins, Jack is waiting to hear some news about a potential drug raid that the police have gone to, unfortunately to his disappointment, Caleb wasn't at the scene of where the drug raid took place. Did he escape or was he simply not there? Either way, Caleb remains out on the streets and wanted man. Jack of course is eager to catch him as he knows he's a threat to the Fox family and he knows he needs to keep them safe. 

Knowing that he has to face the music, Jack makes a visit to Lucas informing him that somehow Caleb got away. Of course Lucas is just as disappointed as Jack is, claiming that he pretty much handed him over on a plate, but unfortunately it didn't work out that way. It's here that Lucas claims that he actually had trust in Jack to keep his family safe whilst he was behind bars, it doesn't help however that Jack has been made suspended so his hands are pretty much tied. Meanwhile at home, Denise is fretting that her family are no longer safe, she voices her worries to Chelsea that she promised Phil that Raymond would be safe living with her and her family, but since Chelsea has returned, she has put all her family in danger, she also voices her concern that her relationship could be falling apart, due to Chelsea making a move on Jack. I actually did feel sorry for Denise at this point, I do hope that eventually Chelsea will see the error she's made of meeting Caleb. Interestingly, suddenly Chelsea gets a message from Caleb, but for what?!

Unbeknown to them, Caleb appears to be walking around the Square with his hood up as not to be recognised, he is a wanted man after all! As he approaches the salon, it's clear that he's looking for Chelsea, but before he can act upon entering or breaking in, Mitch catches him unaware and walks off in the other direction. Knowing that he's sent a message to Chelsea informing her to meet him somewhere, you can't help but think "Will she?, "Won't she?" - perhaps it may have been best for her to just ignore the message? But eventually she ends up meeting him in a secluded spot, as she confronts him she warns him that she's not scared of him anymore, suddenly Caleb attacks her by punching her in the stomach, for a moment I feared Chelsea was going to be in big trouble, but what happened next really took me by surprise! Out of nowhere, police rush onto the scene, surrounding Caleb, pushing him to the floor, handcuffing him with Jack making the arrest. It becomes known that when Caleb informed Chelsea to meet him, she actually decided to inform the police so they could finally catch him and arrest him, clever girl! The only concern on Chelsea's mind now though is that her Dad is going to be stuck in prison with Caleb and potentially some of his mates, could Lucas's life be in danger whilst he's in prison?!

Jack once again takes it upon himself to tell Lucas the good news about Caleb's arrest, informing him that his family will now be safe now Caleb has been captured. But he also voices his concern about Lucas's safety, proposing that he could pull some strings and get him moved to another prison, but interestingly Lucas informs Jack that he doesn't feel threatened by Caleb. He sounds reassuring as he states that he'll be fine knowing his family are safe. The one thing he does ask of him though, is to look after Denise. This conversation between the two really touched me in a way, Lucas admits his regret of not treating Denise right when they were together, he recalls how he made her life a misery. He informs Jack that Denise truly does love him and that he'd be happy to give them this blessing if they were to continue being together. With this, they both seem to have a mutual understanding and respect for one another as Jack leaves and tells Lucas to look after himself. Maybe Lucas's words began to repeat themselves in Jack's head? As he arrives back to the Square, he opens up to Denise admitting that he can't carry on the way they have been, almost making Denise believe that he's about to call things off with her again, but he makes the romantic move of actually proposing to her! I don't know about you, but I am super happy for the couple, they've been through so much together and they both deserve some happiness! 

The final scene of the episode however was deeply harrowing, didn't you guys think? Lucas is sat alone in his cell, privately praying. Suddenly he's interrupted by two inmates, one with a phone that seems to be recording. They inform to say "Hello" to Caleb, but as Lucas slowly puts away his bible and looks up to the prisoners, we get that sinking feeling that something horrendous is about to happen. I have to point out that the only thing we see is shadows, but the sound of violence. Has Lucas actually been attacked and left for dead?! I know there has been some speculation that Lucas is going to be killed off whilst in prison, BUT - I have to voice my own opinion, we didn't specifically see Lucas get harmed, we saw shadows and heard punches being thrown at someone, but with Lucas's history, I think he know that he is capable to look after himself. Even though he has worked hard to lead a better life, who's not to say that he won't be able to defend himself and potentially kill someone whilst in prison? I believe that Lucas will survive, after everything that's happened and such a huge character development, it would be devastating to see him killed off. Don't you think? 

Once again a brilliant episode, with a huge cliff-hanger! I'm looking forward to seeing what will happen next! Thank you all for reading, please feel free to send me any comments or messages about EastEnders and I'll be happy to respond! I'll be back very soon! Love you all xXx