(Tuesday 3^rd – Friday 6^th November 2020)

After Kheerat persuaded his mother to let the Slaters stay, albeit at a much higher rent, Kat and Kush’s relationship was left hanging by a thread.  In desperate need to raise funds, Kat happened upon a new scam to commit a robbery but even Phil rejected her request to join in.  He did offer to let her clean his house though.

While Tiffany scored a job as a beautician at the undertakers, Keegan accidentally ran Rainie over on his moped.  At the hospital, Rainie was distraught to learn that she wasn’t pregnant but having a phantom pregnancy.  She attempted to run away from her husband but he persuaded her to stay, offering nothing but love and support.  Bonkers that Stuart came into this show as an absolute monster.

Lola and Jay were preparing to move in together despite the fact that she looked like she would rather move into a jail cell than live with her boyfriend.  After spending some time with eligible bachelor, Isaac, he called her out on her reluctance to move in with Jay, forcing her to confront how she really felt.  She finally admitted everything.  And I mean everything.  She even confessed to sleeping with Peter!  Ouch.

Mick finally caught up with Frankie who wanted nothing to do with him now she knows that she is the result of her mother abusing him.  He was distraught when she referred to her mother as a paedophile.  Shirley became suspicious of Mick’s fidelity when a random man barged into The Albert, warning Mick to leave Frankie alone. 

Mick denied an affair and attempted to explain his apathy towards Shirley for abandoning him, something it had been easy to assume has been sorted out as they do normally get along.  But obviously there is a lot of deep rooted pain that we were only just beginning to scratch the surface.  He told her in great detail how he struggled in care and that it was Frankie’s Mum, Katy who was there for him, looked out for him and helped him survive.  It was Katy who made him feel special.  He didn’t tell her about the abuse, which he doesn’t seem to understand himself yet.  And he didn’t tell her about Frankie.

One interesting part of his dialogue is that he told her about trying to contact Katy multiple times, right up until Lee went to secondary school.  So… twelveish?  Around the age he was when Katy abused him?

Mick was furious when Shirley, unaware of what had truly happened between him and Katy and feeling desperately guilty for letting him down as a child, contacted Katy and invited her to the Square.  He accused her of not listening to him and was shocked at the end of Friday’s episode to find himself face to face with his abuser.  For me, this is possibly the most brilliant casting ever.  Katy is going to be so awful and so complex.  And yet she’s played by such a beautiful, lovely actress who I’ve adored since the late nineties.  It’s unsettling.  Very unsettling.

Eastenders airs on BBC1 on Mondays @ 8:05pm, Tuesdays & Thursdays @ 7:35pm & Fridays @ 8:30pm