#billymitchell

Al Grey with Billy Mitchell – Night Song

Friday 11th December 2020

Hello again everyone! Hope you've all had a good weekend. I apologise this post is late, I feel over the weekend the news about Barbara Windsor's death got me more than I had expected and I just didn't feel up to writing anything, also working 2 jobs as well can get in the way of writing this blog. But I'm now going to focus on getting this blog up to date. Hopefully come Thursday this week, I will all up to date with the blog and EastEnders. Thank you all for your on-going support and patience.

So let's jump into the episode - oh my it was another jam packed one wasn't it! Firstly, I just want mention Bobby and what such a brilliant actor Clay Milner Russell is! The beginning of the episode I found really intriguing. Bobby stood in the police station, waiting to be questioned, he is absolutely convinced that he's to blame for his Father's attack. At first you seem to think it really was him - he confesses by basically saying that it's his fault that his Dad got attacked. However as Jack continues to question him, it becomes aware that Bobby truly isn't the one to blame for the attack on his Dad. I don't know whether it has something to do with his mental health or OCD or religion, but he truly believes that because he didn't count the correct amount of numbers, he's to blame for his Dad's attack. I can't applaud Clay Milner Russell enough, having to come into a new role (even though he's been in the soap for a while now) without having any previous acting jobs, and to have been given such a gripping storyline - it's pretty impressive I have to say! I think it's easy to say that Bobby can be cleared a suspect, as it's come to clear to us a viewers and to Jack, being a police officer, Bobby is mentally unwell and maybe needs to be assessed, why does he think he's to blame? Just because he's gotten into a ritual of counting and he firmly believes that if he counts to a certain number, everything will be okay. It must be his OCD making him believe it? I hope he'll eventually get the help he needs as it's quite clear he needs it.

The second thing I want to mention is Rainie!! She's finally returned to the Square after disappearing for about 48 hours (or maybe more)! Her poor husband has been going out his mind with worry, leaving her countless phone calls and text messages, you can understand his relief when he's finally reunited with her. However it's not long before a police officer approaches them and inform them they're needed at the station for questioning. Firstly, Rainie appears to have no idea what has happened on the Square in her absence, she appears to be shocked after hearing the news about Ian. Only the interesting thing is, later on in the episode, she's on her own walking to the Cafe, when Callum spots her and hurries to have a word with her. When they're sat together and Callum is asking her all sorts of questions, it becomes clear that she's knows more than what she's letting on. She informs her Brother-In-Law that she told the police that during the night Ian was attacked, she was in fact at home with her husband watching Deal Or No Deal - (Is that even still on TV?!). But when Callum asks her further questions she responds with "No Comment!" - as if she doesn't want to give out any more information, or maybe to hide the fact that she does know something? Later on in the episode, Rainie appears to have cleaned herself up and had a wash as Stuart returns home from the police station. Rainie starts to beg forgiveness from her husband after leaving him in the lurch the way she did, and also not responding to his messages, I think we can all tell that she simply hasn't been with her Mum's - had she been sleeping rough? Or maybe gone to a hostel of some kind? Her face is in complete worry and concern as she panics her husband might've thrown her under the bus. Stuart softly questions her statement to the police, about them being home together, she nods tearfully. He then drops the bomb that he in fact gave the police the exact same statement - he was at home with his wife watching Deal Or No Deal! They both jump for joy in unison as they believe that they're alibi's are clear and that they've helped each other.

This episode seems to be all about alibi's doesn't it? Another person who's fretting about their alibi is Max. After pleading Linda to tell the police that they were together on the night in question, he seems to be having second thoughts? He visits her at the laundrette and she informs him that she told Jack that Max with with her. However, Max reveals the one thing that we didn't know earlier, that they didn't spend the whole night together, just part of it. So in all fairness, what did he do for the rest of the night? Where did go? Who did he see? As much as he seems grateful to Linda for giving him the alibi, later he informs his brother Jack, not to listen to a word she has said. It's quite interesting that he's chosen not to accept her alibi, as Jack states, the whole entire Square will be pointing at him and questioning him! Max admits that he can live with being looked at and gossiped about. Part of me is thinking is he doing this for Linda?! Is he doing it for her sake as he doesn't want to be the reason for her and Mick to call an end to their marriage?! It is an interesting one - why would Max not snatch up the alibi whilst he can? Or is he really a proud man and is certain that he has nothing to hide - so why would he need one? I don't know, I am simply guessing at this point. I'm just simply giving out my thoughts on what Max could be thinking.

Meanwhile, whilst all this is going on in the Square, sweet Honey has come up with an idea to hold a community Christmas dinner for those who have very little on Christmas Day. After what happened with her son, Will, shoplifting for his poor friend, she feels that maybe this should be the time when everyone rallies round together and help the community. She pulls in Jay and Isaac to help and even Billy agrees to help by asking Max if they could use the restaurant as a venue. I think this is a lovely idea and it seems only perfect for Honey to be the one behind it, as Jay explains she can cook and she seems to be the only one who cares. If this community Christmas Dinner takes place, it'll be very interesting to see on Christmas Day, that's for sure. Either way I'm looking forward to seeing it come together and have Honey be right in the centre of it, as she well deserves to be after what she's recently been through! Could this Christmas Dinner in fact be the start of her blossoming romance with Jay? (Yes! I'm still convinced it's going to happen - sooner or later!)

Looks like there are still people who are still needing an alibi, specifically Tina and Ben. Even though Tina admitted to hitting Ian, the main thing is is that their encounter happened at the Beale household and not the Vic. After being questioned, it was revealed that Tina went straight home after her punch up with Ian and the only person who will be able to vouch for her for would be a pizza delivery boy who delivered pizza to the wrong house. Since then, Tina has been trying to track down the pizza boy but to no avail. She spots Jack on the Square and asks him about Ian's condition, which we then find out is that he survived his operation, much to her relief. However it's then that Jack states that Ian isn't out of the woods yet, plus the main fact is, if Tina can't find the pizza boy for give her the alibi she so desperately needs, she will remain a suspect. Whereas Ben's story hasn't been mentioned yet - as far as we're concerned, no one knows when Ben was when Ian got attacked, the only thing that's known for sure, is that Ben did leave the pub that night - but did anyone see him? Will anyone really be able to give him an alibi? Callum perhaps? If it comes to it that Ben doesn't have an alibi, will Callum fight for his boyfriend and possibly give him a false one? Who knows? Things still yet remain to be seen when it comes to Ben, what do you think?!

Does anyone else think Sharon is acting very shifty?! Since agreeing to marry Ian, I am so convinced that she has something to do with Ian's attack - or maybe she knows more than what she's letting on. the thing that really stood out for me was when she and Kathy were talking to Ian just before he was due to go in for surgery. She happened to mention something along the lines of "I'm waiting for my wedding ring!" - what a thing to say just as someone is about to go into theatre! The thing that pops into my head as soon as she says that, is that as soon as she gets the ring on her finger, she'll basically own half of what Ian has - I'm guessing. I am still SO convinced that she's learned the truth about Ian's involvement in Dennis's death, that she is definitely out for revenge. If killing him hadn't worked, she will go to the next best thing and take him for everything that he's got! Even later on the in episode, Kathy questions whether Sharon will have their marriage annulled, as everyone knows she doesn't love him the way he loves her. However, interestingly, Sharon admits to Kathy that after seeing Ian pleading to her to marry him, she explains that it's become clear how much they need each other, and especially him during this tough time he's having. For her it's not a case of she won't annul the marriage, but she can't. In all seriousness - what's the difference?! Or am I just missing something? Don't you guys agree though? Why on Earth would she marry her best friend after just a few weeks prior to rejecting him?! She must be out for revenge or something?!

Right so, the Panesar's are also looking shifty! On the Square, it looks as if a van has some interesting with regards to Ian's attack. Kheerat is walking along the street as he watches with great suspense at the police investigating the vehicle. However it's only later on when Jack visits the shop to question both Suki and Kheerat about their whereabouts on the night in question, Suki reveals that she was at Ruby's club. Which, I guess is try - as we saw she was sat at the bar, but how long was she there for? Could she and Kheerat have cooked up the plan to attack Ian together?! However, when Jack takes an interest in Kheerat's whereabouts, Kheerat reveals that he wasn't even on the Square at the time of the attack and just happened to be out of time in a meeting. But then, to his surprise, Jack questions the vehicle in which he drove to the business meeting and whether there was some kind of accident. He then drops the bombshell that the van has been taken for testing as there had traces of blood found on the vehicle. Instantly you can see Suki and Kheerat have a panicked look in their faces, as Jack leaves the scene, Suki seems to lay into her son about being careful, however Kheerat informs his Mother not worry as he will sort it. Later on in the episode, we see a hooded figure enter some type of building after entering it in some kind of alley way. As Kheerat enters his office we see a hooded figure sat in a chair waiting for him, he mentions to the unknown figure that the police are sniffing round and asking them dodgy questions. Suddenly the figure removes his hood and we see that it's actually Peter!!! He asks why the police would go the Minute Mart, but as their conversation continues it looks as if Peter and Kheerat are more involved together as they are in the attack than we first believed. They agree to give each other alibis!

So what the heck does this mean?! The only thing I can think of is that both Peter and Kheerat had it out for Ian and they both went to the Vic for the same reason, but maybe things got out of hand and one witnessed the other attacking Ian? I'm unsure. I don't think they would've planned anything together, I do think they crossed paths purely by accident and because of their mistakes of getting caught, they basically have no choice but to give each other an alibi. So - who do I think attacked Ian?! Sharon, Peter and Max are on the top of my list. However I could be wrong, as we still yet to hear/see Ben's encounter of the evening. My opinion could change over the coming episodes, I do not however, think it was either Bobby or Tina - I feel I can positively rule them out! I'm feeling a little unsure when it comes to Stuart and Rainie, I'd like to think it's not either of them, but like I said - who knows? My views could change.

On This Date: December 17, 1925 – Billy Mitchell’s Court Martial ends with a Guilty Verdict.

William Lendrum “Billy” Mitchell was from one of Milwaukee’s richest and most powerful families. The grandson of Alexander Mitchell, founder of what became the Milwaukee Road, and the son of Senator John Mitchell, Billy opted for a military career. During the First World War, he became one of the Army’s foremost experts on air combat and worked to develop what would eventually become the United States Air Force.

Mitchell continued to advocate for air power after the war, often to the point of clashing with military leadership. In September 1925, after the helium-filled Navy Airship Shenandoah crashed in a storm in Ohio, killing 14 crewmen, Mitchell said that the incompetence demonstrated by Army and Navy leaders was “almost treasonable.” Two months later, Mitchell was court martialed for conduct detrimental to the military. After a seven week trial, Mitchell was convicted and suspended from active duty for five years. Two months in his sentence, Mitchell resigned his position.

Mitchell died in 1936. In 1942, by then regarded as the “Father of the Air Force,” he was posthumously elevated to the rank of two-star General. His court martial drama was later made the subject of a major motion picture, 1955’s The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell, with Gary Cooper starring as Mitchell.

Mitchell painted these watercolors commemorating his trial. They are among the more than 40 original Mitchell paintings in the George Hardie Papers (UWM Manuscript Collection 65).

Christmas Week Review

(Episodes Commencing Tuesday 22nd December 2020 - Saturday 26th December 2020!)

Hello everyone! I'm sure it's been a hot minute since I last posed, I hope you all had a brilliant week and a brilliant Christmas! This blog post is going to be a little different, there's quite a bit I've missed recently due to working over the Christmas period and also seeing family. So instead of posting a post about an individual episode, I'm going cover the whole Christmas run up and reveal in this one post! I hope it'll give me the opportunity to catch up with you and enjoy our discussions revolving around recent events.

So firstly, I'm going to start with Honey's Community Christmas Dinner! After all her hard work of bringing everyone together and putting on a fabulous Christmas dinner for the community, disaster strikes when the fridge stops working, causing all the food to be all ruined! Only of course, Jay is there to save the day, it's clear he's been swooning over her for months now and what better way to win her over than to gather together some last minute prepared food and to add the icing on the top, announce to their neighbours how much of a wonderful woman she is! During the festivities everyone is dancing in the street, whilst other locals including Denise, Jack, Bernadette and Patrick eat and drink and be merry. Also I just want to mention how hilarious Kim was, arriving drunk and throwing up through out the day and eventually getting up for a boogie with the rest of the locals. The day ended on a high when Jay and Honey were left in the kitchen cleaning everything up, only things got a bit hot when Billy caught them kissing! (We all knew it was going to happen eventually!) Elsewhere, Tina had been released on bail after being charged with Ian's attempted murder, however when a brick is thrown through the Queen Vic window, warning Ian that things are not yet over, Ian comes to believe that Tina is not behind his attack, as Gray and Shirley both vouch for Tina being at home at the time when the brick was thrown! Also, Max proposes the idea to Linda of doing a runner and leaving together for New Zealand, he claims that he fully believed Linda attacked Ian and reveals that he got rid of the murder weapon, thinking he was doing it to save Linda! Only when Linda announces that she's not responsible for Ian's attack, he worries that if the police find out about the Lucy Beale Award, he could be sent down for a crime he didn't do!! He's convinced that Linda loves him as much as he loves her, he tries to persuade her, mentioning that Mick doesn't show her any form of love or intimacy anymore!

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After witnessing Honey and Jay locking lips, Billy is clearly devastated, he feels betrayed that the boy he brought up as his own and his ex-wife have been intimate behind his back. He's completely and utterly heartbroken that they could've done this to him! They catch up with him and promise that their kiss never meant anything! Even though by the looks in their faces, deep down you can tell they both have feelings towards one another. They give their word to Billy that it was a terrible mistake and it'll never happen again, to which he responds that if it ever does, both Jay and Honey will be dead to him! I do doubt though however that Jay and Honey will struggle to be away from each other. In other parts of Walford, things are looking bad for Tina, after her conversation with Shirley, she's shocked when he sister offers her some money and proposes that she does a runner, this leaves Tina feeling shocked, admitting that if she ran it'll make her look guilty. But Shirley is convinced with the amount of evidence building against her, she may have no other option but to run, as she's scared for her sister. Devastated that her sister doesn't believe her, later Tina turns to her brother, Mick. Surprisingly, Mick apologises to his sister for speaking to her in such an awful way previously, he suggests that she doesn't run and that she faces it head on, and he promises to be by her side when she does. Can I just mention what an absolutely amazing scene that was between Mick and Linda! After Max being found in his flat, Mick reveals that he's already aware about his wife's infidelity. Only when Linda arrives, she begs Max to leave whilst she tries to talk to her husband. This scene was absolutely brilliant, amazing performances by Danny Dyer and Kellie Bright! After trying to explain to her husband about her actions, she pleads to him to fight for her, she is literally crying and pleading to him to show her that he cares for her, even in just the smallest way! But when Mick says that if Max makes her happy, he won't stand in her way, she can't seem to believe the words she's hearing and slaps her husband around the face, just to get a response, even taking it a step further by threatening to have an alcoholic drink! When she desperately asks him "Why won't you fight for me?!" - he simply replies with "I have no fight left!" - This is absolutely devastating for the couple, for a split moment when Mick got up from his seat, I thought he was going to let rip, fling a chair over the room or something - but there was simply nothing! After realising that her marriage isn't going to be fought for, Linda heads back to Max, when he reveals he has actually fallen in love with her, she admits that she still loves her husband but it looks as if their marriage could well and truly be over. Elsewhere, Ian tries his absolute best to apologise to his sons, his intention is to apologise to everyone he's wronged in an attempt for all the death threats to stop, starting with Peter and Bobby. After he makes an emotional, pleading speech to his sons, they invite him to attend the community event later in the evening, Ian is more than pleased and thankful to have been able to rekindle his relationship with his sons. During the event, everyone is gathered at the Square, watching a slideshow of neighbours and friends they've lost over the previous years, whilst a beautiful choir sings Silent Night. Images of our favourite characters including Peggy, Abi, Chantelle, Pauline, Pat, Dot and Ethel are shown to the community, everyone is reminiscing and sharing happy tears as they share memories of loved ones, even Phil and Karen attend as their loved one's images pop up. Only everyone is in pure shock, none more than Ian, when an image of him appears saying "R.I.P Ian Beale!" Honey states that no one put that image in the slideshow, suddenly Ian becomes aware of everyone around him and realises that the person who attacked him is close. I loved this moment when as the choir carried on singing, every single suspect, slowly looked over to Ian to see his reaction - Bobby, Ben, Kheerat, Suki, Peter, Phil - it is absolutely mesmerising, fantastic editing and camera work! Absolutely loved it!

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And then we come to the banger, THE BIG ONE! The Christmas Day episode!! Wow, wow, wow! Another jam packed one right?! There are 3 or 4 main things I want to cover in this one! First one being the big return of Lucas Johnson and his daughter Chelsea!!! This has been such a long time coming and what an epic return it was!!! I do feel sorry for Denise however, as obviously her plans for a traditional Christmas did not go to plan. Even though she took Raymond to his church, she was left absolutely stunned and shook with fear as Lucas appeared (once again) as a supposed changed man!! But what shocked her Christmas Day even more was learning that her daughter, Chelsea, had been seeing him, spending time with him and had been doing so for a few months behind her Mother's back. This deeply saddened Denise, and it understandably made the whole family on edge as they heard the news about Lucas returning! Even Patrick took it upon himself to confront the murderer. We can absolutely see instantly that Lucas hasn't changed his ways, clasping his fist whilst being confronted by Patrick, and then also approaching Ruby as she walks along the Square, alone! I know it's way too early to say, but has Lucas already spotted his next victim?! 

The next thing I want to mention is the Slater's - it looks as if it's a happy Christmas for the Slater family, even though Kat has her concerns that it could be Kush's last Christmas, they take full pleasure in enjoying presents, food and drinks! Even though Martin and Ruby plan to spend their first Christmas at home as a newly-married couple, they get dragged into spending their day with the Slater's. Before Ruby arrives at the household, Martin has already given out his presents and it turns out the one he gave to Stacey is a beautiful sparkling watch, as she's overwhelmed by the gift, we can see absolutely clearly that that gift wasn't in fact intended for her, however it's only later on after having drinks in the Vic with the family, poor Stacey gets completely the wrong end of the stick and kisses her ex-husband, informing him that she still feels the same way about him and they could work things out, only for him to sadly drop the bombshell that he accidentally mixed up the presents and in fact the watch was meant for Ruby and the keyring Ruby opened was for Stacey. However, the one thing that none of the Slaters are aware of, is that privately after buying herself a gorgeous new dress, Jean devastatingly finds a new lump. Does this mean that her cancer could've come back? What an absolutely heart-breaking thing to find out on Christmas! 

Following the devastating blow between Mick and Linda on Christmas Eve, Mick decides that they shouldn't pretend anymore and have Ollie separately on Christmas Day. This clearly upsets Linda as Mick walks away with his son. Much to Shirley's surprise, Tina has invited Mick and his son over to Gray's for Christmas dinner, Shirley is absolutely over the moon when she sees her son and Grandson appear on the doorstep. When everyone is sat around at the table, Tina and Shirley voice their thanks to Gray as he carves the Christmas turkey. Tina happily passes a gift to Mick which is revealed to be a picture of him, Katy and Tina as kids - this seems to really spook Mick but he thanks his baby sister all the same, however Shirley can see that her son isn't looking right, she urges for them to inform her what's the problem. Only instead of informing her about Katy, Mick informs her about Linda having an affair with Max. Furious, Shirley takes it upon herself to confront her daughter-in-law and is stunned when Mick follows announcing that she doesn't mean anything to him anymore. These words look as if they really hurt Linda, to her, it seems that her marriage has completely come to an end, she turns to Max and mentions that she could consider going away with him to New Zealand. 

Later on in the evening, after having altercations with Gray through-out the day, Tina decides to make it up to him and clear the dinner table and put all the cutlery away in the dishwasher, however in the most creepiest way, Gray informs her that she's put the cutlery in the wrong way, that the knives should in fact go blade-up! He watches her and it almost looks as if he's imagining doing to her what he did to Chantelle! I do fear for Tina, could she find out his secret and be his next victim? 

And Oh my god!!! The big one, the big reveal we've been waiting for! Early on in the episode, we can see that Ian is still completely on edge of countless death threats, he looks out of the Queen Vic window and sees his brother, Ben, playing with his daughter Lexi. Ben notices and makes a gun motion with his fingers towards his brother. Instantly this plays on Ian's mind and eventually he confronts him in the middle of the Square, when suddenly the police turn up and it looks as if they're hear to collect Ben, however much to everyone's surprise, they're actually there for Peter after it's revealed his DNA was found. To Ian's surprise he asks his son "Why?" to which he responds with "I enjoyed watching you squirm!". Earlier in the episode Sharon announces to her new husband that she's going to visit Denny's grave, during their drive up to the cemetery, Ian is talking about nothing but himself and how Peter could betray him. She doesn't look a bit interested in her husband's rant and in forms him to go back to the pub. Ian does as he's told and whilst Sharon stands by her boy's gravestone, she makes a call to Phil. At first we have no idea why she's calling him, but eventually it all comes clear - when he eventually makes it to the cemetery, she informs him that she wants Ian dead today!!! WHAT DID I SAY FROM THE BEGINNING?! I KNEW SHARON WAS BEHIND IAN'S ATTACK!!! It turns out that for months they've been waiting on hearing Dennis's voicemail and it looks as if the blonde vixen is out for revenge and justice for her son! A flashback shows us that it was actually Phil who attacked Ian that night but before he could finish the job, he was interrupted by Peter spray-painting on the doors and made his escape. It looks as if Ben missed his Dad by seconds as he walks over Ian's motionless body and voices that he had it coming! It looks as if Phil and Sharon had been planning this for months possibly, however when she informs Phil to go back and finish the job today, when Phil gets to the pub he finds Ben standing over Ian with a baseball bat and he comes to realise that he can't go through with it. If Ian's blood gets on his hands, it'll come back to his family - annoying as Ian is, he can't kill a member of his family, especially when it's his son's brother. When Sharon comes home to see that Ian is still alive, she confronts Phil and is devastated when he announces that he wants out of their plan to kill Ian, he voices that she's grieving and needs professional help to come to terms with her grief. But instead, Sharon calls him a coward and informs him she'll do it herself. As everyone goes home and everyone is with their families, Sharon is seen in the Queen Vic kitchen, crushing small pills, she melts them with a blowtorch, places them into a Christmas Pudding and serves them to Ian! After all the suspects that were listed, I had a VERY big feeling that Sharon would be the one behind Ian's attack! As much as I'd love to know how she got hold of the voicemail from Denny, I am certainly looking forward to seeing when Ian realises it's his new wife who's trying to kill him! Another fantastic Christmas episode!

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Finally coming to the final episode of this week, Boxing Day! Oh my goodness, this one had me on the edge of my seat and shaking!!! I'm sure you're all aware of what's got me shaking to the core!! That will be the thing I focus on last! Firstly, I'm going to focus on Sharon and Ian. After the previous day, Phil and Sharon bump into each other outside of the Vic, neither of them say a word to each other as they both have a silent knowledge of what's going on, it looks as if Phil is questioning her with his eyes, only his question is answered when Ian appears from the top bedroom window, shouting down to his wife. With the comfort of knowing that Sharon hasn't gone through with her plan, Phil walks way. Only little does he know that she's actually poisoning him! Later on in the episode, Sharon convinces Ian to show his face and step outside, even though he is reluctant to do so, and it just so happens that the first people he sees are his Mum and his son, Peter. Peter reveals to him that he's been released by police with no charges, leaving everyone completely by surprise. So that puts Peter out of the frame! 

Meanwhile, after Denise's huge shock at seeing Lucas the previous day, she and Kim take Raymond to the park for a kick about for a bit of space. Innocently, Ruby approaches the little boy and compliments his Christmas jumper, but it seems as if recent events have spooked Denise, as she calls the little boy to stay close to her. As she walks away with the little boy, it looks as if Ruby is feeling an emotion that she's never felt before. Later on when she and Martin meet up at the Vic, he apologies for the way they spent their first Christmas. However, something even more interesting is on Ruby's mind, she questions her husband whether he has the feeling that something in his life is missing, but when he simply can't think of anything and announces he has everything he wants, she drops the bombshell that she wants them to have a child of their own.

So the last and big section I need to talk about involves Gray and all members of the Carter family! The first thing I'll mention is the brief scene between Linda and Mick, as it comes to dawn on them that their marriage is coming to an end, Linda reveals to her husband that they should discuss new arrangements when it comes to Ollie, when each of them get to see him etc. Deep down you can see it's visibly hurting both of them that it's come to this, but what else are they supposed to do? Mick won't talk and Linda truly believes that her husband has lost complete interest and doesn't want her anymore. As Linda leaves with Ollie, Mick feels like he needs someone, of course his first person to contact is Katy. When she eventually returns to the Square, once again she starts to manipulate Mick, trying to convince him that moving away would be the best thing for him, pointing out that his marriage to Linda is over, what is keeping him in Walford? The fact that he does actually still love his wife and his family and his little boy!! Meanwhile whilst all this is happening with Mick, Gray is reeling after Tina let it slip in front of his children that Chantelle was planning on leaving him. This has left him out for revenge on Tina! Even Mitch has started questioning whether what Tina has said is true, which is clearly going to rattle Gray's cage, he points the blame straight onto Tina for his children not wanting to see him, to which she repeatedly apologises for. However, he seems to think that she has completely crossed the line. When he bumps into the Detective who's working the case of the attack on Ian, he reveals that Peter has been released without charge and also the witness they gave wasn't reliable and that Tina's case probably won't make it to court. Gray goes back and completely twists his words and informs Tina that she has to leave the Square today as the evidence against her is building and building! To their absolute shock, both Shirley and Tina begin to panic, Mick hears the commotion and questions what's happening, as Gray reveals that the police could be coming for Tina at any moment and she needs to leave quick, he proposes that he leaves the Square with her. Taking Katy's advice, he seems to realise that this could be his way out of Walford! Shirley is in absolute tears as she comes to the realisation that both her sister and her son could be leaving so suddenly. As Mick hurries home to grab his belongings, Tina informs Gray that she'll forever be thankful to him and will find a way to repay him, as he begins to make plans in booking a plane flight for them. Before Tina goes to grab her belongings, Shirley stops to give her a late Christmas present - which I have a huge feeling could be VERY important - a golden chain with her name on, Tina is weepy as she thanks her sister and tells her she'll miss her. As Shirley bids her sister farewell, I have a devastating, horrible feeling that this may be the last time Shirley will see Tina alive?! Later on as Tina rushes to grab her last few items from the shop, she bumps into the Detective and states that the witness they have for her is a liar, however he drops the bombshell about her witness being unreliable and that Gray should've told her, it becomes clear to Tina that Gray has been lying to her. As she arrives back at the house, Gray is finishing packing her things, it appears to be just the two of them in the house. Everything comes crystal clear to Tina that Gray wants her out of his house and out of Walford - I thought this was such an epic, gripping scene! I was fearing for Tina the entire time!! She confronts him about his lies and even comes to the realisation that the way he's treated her is exactly the way he treated Chantelle. Gray is absolutely stunned to realise that she is on to him and she has come to know the truth about how his wife died, she threatens him that she's been watching him and she knows exactly the type of person he his! But as soon as she mentions Chantelle, about the way he treated her and abused her, you can see Gray getting angrier and angrier, denying all allegations that Tina is throwing at him! I did feel that Tina was so brave to stand up to him, but I am fearing that this could be the last time we see Tina alive? She says those very important words - "You killed her! You murdered your wife!" and you can see it clear as day that Gray knows he's going to have to get rid of her before she reveals his secret.

Tuesday 29th September 2020

Good evening everyone! Hope you've all had a good day, before we dive into tonight's episode, I have a few spoiler pictures to share with you.

Hopefully these pictures won't give too much away, but obviously you can see for yourselves. Gray doesn't look like he's going to be able to cope during Chantelle's funeral. Do you think he'll eventually tell the truth about how Chantelle died? It's only a matter of time, plus it's also been revealed that Kheerat will not be welcome at the funeral, will he keep the peace and walk away or will he demand to be there?!

In other spoiler pictures, does Frankie come clean to Mick? Is she really Mick's secret daughter? How and why has she come to find him? What does she want with the Carter family?! If she is truly his daughter, how will Linda react and will they both want to create a Father and Daughter relationship?!

Of course there are many questions that need answering, but I'm sure we'll find out the truth in the upcoming episodes! I'm really looking forward to seeing how they unravel! Now lets focus on tonight's episode, it began with Callum in the police stations, from what we can make out, he's listening to a voice message from Phil, asking him to already asking him to do a police check on some individuals he could be potentially doing some dodgy business with, of course he's listening to the voice message with his boss standing with him. From what I can make out, his boss needs something harder to be able to put Phil behind bars, Callum is unsure how he's going to be able to do it - he admits it's going to be hard! I feel like the Detective is just telling Callum what we wants to hear, manipulating him a bit, telling him he understands how hard it is to be the first one on the scene of a huge car crash and also complimenting him saying how much of a good copper he is! Callum explains to his boss that he record every conversation when he's with Phil, it's then his boss passes over to him a small recording device and asks him to place it in the Arches. Callum instants refuses, but once again his boss worms his way into his head and says that if he really wants to keep Ben safe, he'll do what he's asked. 

Meanwhile, Stuart is getting ready for his wedding day, it's the happiest the he's ever been. He and Jay are discussing how lucky his is and whether Rainie will be changing her name when Lola appears, explaining that Rainie is having some kind of nightmare with her wedding dress. As far as I can make out, it was some kind of wedding dress from a Christmas box, Wilma Flinstone? Obviously Stuart finds the situation amusing, but when Lola insists that she's serious about the whole thing, Stuart makes himself scarce so Rainie can go and get a proper dress for her wedding day. 

As he leaves the scene, Denise can be seen cleaning the salon, Sheree approaches her and she thanks her for standing up to Phil Mitchell and defending Isaac. Denise doesn't know what to say, I guess she doesn't want to take any form of "Thanks" - obviously, unbeknown to Sheree, things we getting on top of Denise and she it looks as if Phil was the one she needed to lash out at, especially considering the fact that he's the father of Raymond. The conversation changes slightly and they end up talking about Mitch and Chantelle, Sheree states that she can't even begin to imagine what it must be like to lose a child, as Denise takes in every word she says, she also mentions that she wouldn't know what she'd do if she was to lose Isaac - Denise suddenly asks Sheree to cover for her, has her words started ringing in Denise's ears? Is she going to focus on what she can do for Raymond?!

Meanwhile, at the restaurant Max is sat on his own looking at his laptop when Bobby comes up behind him, he clocks on to what he's looking at on his computer screen and realises it's his website he's created for The Lucy Beale Foundation. Bobby is in shock when Max reveals how impressed he is with his work and says that he'd like to support him. Bobby says it's not necessary for him, considering what's been happening between him and his Dad. Max apologises to the teenager for how he acted the other day. He also just happens to mention that he's that impressed by Bobby's website that he's called a journalist to come and speak to him about the charity, Bobby instantly seems surprised, he admits he doesn't want to go public with the information just yet, but Max is insistent - what he's portraying is good and it needs to be shown that he's trying to make a difference, and if he's passionate about then so will everyone else! 

Dressed in his Best Man attire, Callum looks like he's about to break into the Arches, he successfully makes his way in by unlocking the padlock. My only thought process is, where did he get the key from? Did Phil give it to him? Ben perhaps? I can't recall who or where he got the key from? I mean, of course you'd think Ben would trust him to have given him access to the Arches, but has is instead just also nicked it from someone/somewhere? Once he's in, he quickly scours the room trying to find a decent hiding place for his recorder, from what I see, he decides to leave it in the far corner of the Arches. As he's doing this, his brother is getting enjoying his celebrations with the locals, a hearse is seen outside the Vic with flowers made into the letters S and R! Stuart lets himself inside the car and begins to play "In The Air Tonight" by Phil Collins. The next part of the scene I loved, Ben and Stuart bonding as they enjoy the music, as Jay is trying to get a hold of Callum, Rainie is ready for her big day, and can I just say - she looks absolutely stunning in her wedding dress! Lola is following along behind her holding her train, when she asks where Stuart is, Jay reveals he's hovering around the hearse, suddenly Rainie's face drops - Stuart has only gone and locked himself in a car with dodgy electrics!!

Back at the Arches, Callum is perfectly hiding his recorder, sticking it underneath a type of ledge of some sort. Once doing this, he begins searching all the documents on the table, taking photographs of each one. Part of me is saying that he's going to be caught at any minute, what I didn't expect was for Danny Hardcastle to make his way in! Instantly, he's suspicious - he questions Callum what he's doing looking at all the paperwork, but then to him, it all makes sense - Ben Mitchell dating a copper and suddenly he's being arrested for the robbery, Callum instantly plays dumb and acts like he has no idea what Danny is talking about. Just then, Phil walks in! Something tells me he's here to perhaps save and stick up for Callum, what is going to happen now he's become face-to-face with Danny again?!

I just want to say how much I loved the next scene! Rainie is going ape at Stuart for getting in the wrong car, of all bloody days! Stuart reassures her that not matter what, they will be getting married. This little hiccup will not ruin their day! It's then he turns and asks Ben to get the car started, Callum is nowhere to be seen so he's now asking Ben to help with Best Man duties! For a split second my heart was in my mouth when Ben realised he had to go the Arches, what would he do if he knew his boyfriend, his Dad and arch enemy were in there?! Wait! I know the answer, he'd go bursting in demanding to know what was going on! Then, when Ben realises he hasn't got the keys, he asks Jay to go instead, they swap roles - Ben calls the wedding venue to change the time of the wedding and Jay goes to the Car Lot to get some jump-leads!

In the Arches, Callum is still - kind of - trapped with Danny and Phil. Danny insists he's only wanting to say adios, after he's had a discussion with him about his arrest. It's then that Danny turns the conversation about Callum, explaining to Phil how he caught him going through his paperwork! This scene had me worrying for Callum. Danny was on him like a dog on heat!!!! Every word he was saying, we knew, was right!!! But of course, Phil isn't going to believe Danny, he'll take the word of his son's boyfriend. Callum attempts to talk his way out of being caught out, explaining that he used Ben's keys to get in as he picked them up by accident. When Danny uses the words to Phil "He's playing you!" I am just praying that Phil will realise what Callum is doing ... Okay, please be honest with me folks, how are you guys feeling about Callum's current situation? Do you think he's doing the right thing? Do you understand why he's doing it? I have such a split feeling about this, I don't like what he's doing to the Mitchell's - to Ben and Phil, he's betraying their trust - and yet I can kind of understand why - to protect his boyfriend. It's such a horrible situation and I really don't like it! It's only going to end badly!! When Callum claims that Danny is lying about everything, Phil does the one thing he's been needing to do - asks Callum to prove he's on their side!! 

While Ben is calling his boyfriend, asking where on earth he has got to. Everything is kicking off at the Arches, my mouth drops during this scene! Danny is egging Callum on and on and on! Claiming to Phil that mainly because of his career choice, Callum is using the Mitchell to his advantage, claiming everything they tell him will get back to the police. It's then that Danny turns nasty, saying when his back is turned he'll get his hands on Ben. Callum is getting angrier and angrier at the minute, how dare he threaten Ben again after what he put him through? After causing him to lose his hearing and almost never being able to hear again! Callum lashes out - grabs a sturdy pole and whacks Danny to the floor, Phil watches on as Callum continues to beat Danny over and over again - I'm sure this would be taken as a sign that Callum is proving himself to Phil?! 

Wow!!! How long has it been since we've seen Billy?! He joins Mitch the Queen Vic, Mitch makes it quite clear that he's not wanting to have another argument. But Billy insists that's not why he's come to see him. - Random question - Are Billy and Karen still together? I'm assuming they are?! - Mitch has been sleeping at the salon after accusing Gray of being involved in Chantelle's death. Karen, understandably doesn't believe a word that is coming out of he ex's mouth! She's warned him to stay away until he's rid of his unbelievable theories! Billy assures Mitch that he doesn't have to stay away, especially considering Bailey will be returning and she'll need somewhere to stay. He asks Mitch whether he could apologise and forget ever mentioning Gray, but the poor man admits it'll be too hard to do! Billy tries his absolute best to get through the grieving father, Karen is the only one who knows how it feels, they both need each other right now - now more than ever! 

Back with Denise, we see her visiting the hospital again, she watches as Ellie is being told that Raymond is progressing really well. Denise approaches Ellie, revealing she's brought pyjamas for the youngster. Ellie warns her that if she really doesn't want to help then she'd best stay away, but Denise reassures her that she is truly eager to help in any way she can. She explains to her that she wasn't close to the young boy's parents, she probably didn't speak to them as much as she'd like, but she truly does want to help her young son. Ellie allows Denise to sit with the boy. 

At the Taylor household, we can see, as Billy described to Mitch, that Karen is going through pictures of Chantelle, deciding on which picture to use for her funeral. We can hear her softly sobbing as she looks through the pictures, to me - it looks as if she's looking for a specific one? She looks to the heavens with tears in her eyes, we hear footsteps approaching and Mitch walks in, seeing Karen on the floor he crouches beside her, they don't say a word, Karen acknowledges him and her sobs get harder and harder. Billy was right, they need each other right now. They have lost a child they both loved dearly, only they can understand how the other one is feeling. 

At the salon, Jack is seen looking for Denise, Sheree reveals to him that she has gone out and she has been holding the fort for her - for 4 hours!! Jack is clearly beginning to get suspicious of his girlfriend, where is she going and why is she being so secretive? Meanwhile at the hospital, Denise is watching over Raymond. She starts to speak softly to him as he sleeps, apologising for giving him up as a baby, explaining how much she wanted him to have a family who wanted/loved him. Suddenly the little boy wakes - "Mummy!" - Denise is shook, the boy is asking for his Mummy! Part of me thought she was going to start crying softly and perhaps even embrace the young child? She leans in slowly - only to be stopped by Ellie! Do you guys think Ellie is suspicious of Denise also?! Something is telling me she's going to figure out who Denise really is! She explains the child was asking for his Mummy and that she wasn't sure what to do, she quickly exists before things get any more awkward for her. 

Back on the Square, where the fun is still going on with Stuart being locked in the car, Jay is trying to jumpstart the car, after a certain amount of attempts, it's clear that the battery of the car is dead. Rainie groans in frustration, of course her groom would get trapped in a car on their wedding day! Suddenly, Ben appears with another fellow in tow! He explains to the couple that he is willing to marry them then are there, otherwise they'd have to reschedule for another day - I just want to mention how much I loved that one-liner by Stuart - "Who's the bowtie?!" - Rainie explains to him the situation and they both agree! It's clear they both love each other, what does it matter where they get married?! As long as they'll have each other, that's all that matters. Finally Callum shows up to his brother's wedding, asking what he's missed, Ben gives him quite a serious look as if to say "Where the hell have you been?!" Ben makes it clear to his boyfriend that he's been trying to get hold of him. 

Oh yes! I almost forgot about that - so much as has gone on in this episode tonight! As Max and Bobby leave the restaurant, they both appear to be thanking a journalist for interviewing Bobby and that they'll look forward to reading their article. Of course, Ian is wondering towards them and overhears what they're talking about, "What article?" he asks. Bobby informs his Dad how much of a help Max has been and that hopefully now they'll start to get donations for his sister's charity. As Bobby thanks Max once again, Ian warns him not to play games with his family. Max tells Ian that he's fond of Bobby, even though he's done wrong in the past, he's trying to turn his life around and do something positive, he states a very clever point - why would he want to play games? The only thing he's wanting is his money back and he warns Ian that the clock is ticking! 

Back at the Taylor household, Mitch and Karen are reminiscing about their daughter. It's quite a sad scene really, Karen has so many memories of Chantelle's childhood, while Mitch realises he should've been there a lot more for her. He starts to torture himself with thoughts of Chantelle calling for him as she was fighting for her life, Karen tells him not to think of such horrible haunting things! As Karen softly cries, she reminds him on what a beautiful girl they created and how much she will live on through her children. As they both share in their grief, they both lean in for a kiss - when suddenly Gray walks in on them! I don't know about you guys but I can certainly feel the tension between Gray and Mitch as they both look at one another - as much as Mitch wants to be there for Karen, he can't shake his doubts about Gray.

On the Square, Rainie and Stuart are finally getting married, it may not be as they imagined, but they are finally tying the knot! With Ben, Callum, Jay and Lola and all the locals gathered around the car. They are finally announced as husband and wife. It's a beautiful scene as everyone applauds the happy couple! Ben instructs everyone to head into the Vic for drinks and food! Callum watches as his boyfriend walks on ahead, he knows he's going to have to come up with an explanation. As everyone makes their way inside, Rainie decides to stay with Stuart (as he's still trapped in the car) - she then asks whether he wants to know about her surprise! It's then she announces to her new husband that she's pregnant! Honestly, I feel so happy for Rainie and Stuart, they're probably the main couple who deserve all the happiness in the world, after everything they've both been through in the past, they deserve to have a happy married life and to have a child. Why do I fear though that Rainie's pregnancy could be a difficult one?! Happiness only lasts so long in soaps! 

Callum finally re-joins Ben, of course Ben has been wondering where the hell his boyfriend has been! Callum lies once again to his boyfriend that he just got caught up at work, which is why he was running so late for his brother's wedding. Ben clocks onto the blood stain on Callum's shirt, what he says then rings truth, his police business is starting to look like Mitchell business! I guarantee, the first thing that is going to come across Ben's mind is, what has his Dad got his boyfriend into?! 

Please tell me folks, what do you think of this current storyline with Callum?! I'm really interested to know your thoughts! I hope you enjoyed this post, I apologise for it being up so late, but I hope you'll enjoy reading through it as much as I've enjoyed writing it! I'll be back on Thursday following Thursday's episode! Also I just want to give out a huge thank you to @artsy-highway​ for the shout-out earlier, if you haven’t already please give them a follow, another fellow EastEnders and Ballum fan who writes brilliant fan-fiction! Get on it! <3 

Tuesday 27th October 2020

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Friday 9th October 2020

Hello again everyone! Hope you're all keeping okay. Finally I'll be getting all up to date and writing about Friday's episode today. I'm not going to keep you all hanging, let's jump straight to it! After the events on what happened the previous day, Whitney is stood in the Courtroom alone, after how Gray acted in court, she can't seem to get it out of her mind. As Sonia joins her, she worries that Gray could be having some kind of mental breakdown. Sonia instructs her not to think about Gray, today is about her and it's her time to have her say! But has the damage already been done?!

At home, Gray is sat on the stairs, clinging to their stair banister, as Keegan is banging on his front door, telling him that the family need to see him to make sure he's okay. He did a disappearing act at his wife's funeral, surely the Taylor family are going to realise that something isn't right with Gray. He is struggling more now than before. At the Minute Mart, Billy is doing everything he can to try and cheer Karen up, he suggests taking her away from the Square just for the day, but Karen is insistent she needs to be around for Mack and Mia. She is clearly still grieving for her daughter but I think most importantly, she's feeling the need to perhaps talk to Gray, she wants an explanation as to why he missed his wife's funeral! As she leaves the shop, Honey praises Billy for trying to do the right thing. She realises it was him who got Mitch and Karen talking again. This little moment between Honey and Billy was really pretty cute, they're a bit like Kat and Alfie aren't they? I truly believe that Honey and Billy belong together! Don't you guys agree? I do kind of sense there is something still there between the two.

At the Carter household, Mick is looking over paperwork for his day in court. Linda joins him and asks if he's okay. Do any of you guys feel that their marriage is currently on the rocks right now? They're not talking to one another, they're keeping secrets from each other and the way they're speaking to each other isn't really very nice. I think it's been a while since Mick called Linda '"L"? It's also been a long time since either of them of showed the other any affection. Mick informs his wife that he's contemplating telling the truth about what he saw the night Leo died. But Linda is quick to tell him not to! She worries that if he does he'll be sent down for perverting the course of justice! She tells him he doesn't have a choice other than sticking to what he said in his statement, Mick then drops the line "So you're the only one who gets to tell the truth?" - is he making a dig at his wife for coming clean about the kiss she had with Max?! But little does he know that she's also not informing him about the big sip of alcohol she had the other night!

Meanwhile at the Taylor household, Karen is still grief stricken as she unloads her grocery shopping, both Mitch and Keegan are there as she rants about Gray not being there for Chantelle, she can't understand why he would leave her on the day of her own funeral. Mitch tries to reassure his ex that no matter what happens he will always be there to support her. But Karen can't take it anymore, after she almost kissed Mitch she's been feeling worse. As soon as Mitch tries to comfort her, she snaps! She tells him that even though they both love Chantelle, that's as far as things will go between them. She informs him that she is with Billy now and she loves him and the only way she'll be able to move forward is if he moves out. Mitch is clearly saddened by this as it's clear he was wanting things to be move forward with Karen, he was hoping of possibly rekindling their relationship?

At the Slaters, Kat and Jean are literally scrounging their house to find some money to pay Suki. Stacey says she'll be able to flog all her designer gear online and pay the rent that way, but Jean informs her that she's given the majority of it back to Ruby, seeing as it was bought with her money. Stacey is furious with her Mother for going behind her back, just as voices are about to be raised, Kush walks in. Jean informs him that if they don't come up with rent soon, they will all be living on the streets, Kush reassures her and tells her not to worry. It's then he pulls out from behind his back a massive wad of cash. Kat and Stacey are visibly happy to see him with the amount of money he's holding, but Jean looks just a little suspicious. Where did he get that amount of money from?! Is Kush hiding something?

Back at court, Whitney is finally having her say! The judge asks the question whether her relationship with Leo was a serious one, he also states the fact that she has had many men in her life. Whitney does as Sonia says and stands up for herself ... Can I just say how brilliant she was at this part?! I love how cocky she was saying that the main reason she was there is because Leo pulled a knife out on her, but if they want to know about her past relationships she'll be happy to tell them. She goes on to inform them about both Lee and Callum and she confirms that she is still friends with them to this day, regardless of their relationships falling apart. She makes the perfect point that if she is guilty of anything is for her taste in men!

Meanwhile, Habiba is still eager to get Jags out of prison. She walks up to the station with a huge protest board, reading "Free The Jaguar". As she arrives, we can already see that Jags is sat in a police car, ready to be sent away after confessing to the crime. Habiba rushes to her boyfriends aid and pleads to him to tell the truth, she asks him to look her in the eyes if he did attack Martin, obviously he can't do that, he looks down towards his feet. She pleads to the police officer to let her have one last word with her boyfriend before he's taken away. She rushes back to the window and tells him that he has to tell the truth, otherwise, how are they going to be able to get married? Jags looks through the window in confusion, it's then she pulls out a ring and purposes to her boyfriend. But he knows he can't, he doesn't respond and Habiba is left heartbroken as the car drives away.

Finally, Mick has arrived in court is about to have his say to defend Whitney! It's clear that Mick is feeling very nervous already - realising that he's having to lie in court. This scene was also a brilliant one, I don't really know how to explain it but I think it was just so clever! As Mick is being asked very difficult questions about his relationship with Whitney and about what happened the night Leo died, Mick is quite clearly shaken, his breath his raspy. To me, it looks as if he's about to have another panic attack. Everything Mick is hearing goes all fuzzy, the room goes blurry and he can barely breathe. He tries to loosen his tie, suddenly he collapses to the floor and Whitney and Sonia are left in shock!

Iqra finally catches up with her sister, after her failed attempt to get Jags to admit the truth. Habiba is looking saddened as she asks her whether she knows anyone who would like an engagement ring, as Jags didn't appear to want it. Iqra is surprised to hear that her sister popped the question. Ash happens to overhear the conversation and she gives her apologies to Habiba. She then tells both the girls that she's convinced that the only reason Jags won't say he's innocent is because he's got himself involved with some really heavy serious criminals. But then, I think Ash slips up a little - she reassures her that that isn't the case, as she says this both Iqra and Habiba look at her, and it clicks to Habiba that Ash knows something! She demands Ash to tell them what she knows, but she's quick to defend her family. Habiba is angry as she leaves the room and Iqra explains to her girlfriend that her sister is just upset and that she believes her. Ash breathes a sigh of relief. I think the Panesar family are going to be really careful what they say around Habiba now ... or should Habiba be the one who needs to be careful? If Suki finds out that Habiba is trying to find the truth, she'll surely act to make sure she doesn't uncover it!

At the Vic, Whitney and Sonia are informing Sharon about what happened to Mick at Court. Suddenly, Linda enters asking Whitney where Mick has go to, she also asks her how he got on in Court. Whitney informs Linda that Mick didn't say anything - but as she's about to explain as to why - Linda interrupts her, saying how Mick had been stressed and worried about going to Court and everything. Suddenly, Sharon drops her foot in it and asks whether Mick is out of hospital, Linda looks confused and looks to both Whitney and Sonia. Sonia then informs her that he collapsed with a panic attack whilst on the stand, the fact that the judge gave him a tough time and questioned him about his previous fling with Whitney. Linda dashes off to find her husband. Whitney then pulls out her phone to make a phone, whoever it is she's speaking to, she informs them it's urgent. As she leaves the Vic, Suki and Vinny can be seen sat having a drink together, Suki watches in disgust as Whitney leaves the pub and makes the nasty comment that she should be the one in prison. Suddenly, Kush makes himself known, he throws the rent money on the table in front of them saying he'll give the rest to them later, as he turns away we can see him playing poker on his phone. Is this going to be a new storyline for Kush now? In recent episodes we've heard the odd mention of him and Martin playing online poker and honestly - I didn't think much of it at first, but now it seems to be becoming a big part of Kush's life. Is that how he managed to get the rent money for Suki? Is Kush going to become a gambling addict? If so, I think it would be a very interesting story, plus to someone who's so level-headed. Kush is a character who cares about his family very much, I don't think he's ever put a foot wrong - other than perhaps sleeping with his best friend's wife - but I don't think we've seen a gambling addiction for a very long time. I think it would be a brilliant storyline, however a very distressing one - what do you guys think?

Back at home, Linda is on the phone to the hospital, frantic to find out information about her husband. But then Mick finally makes himself home, Linda is clearly relieved to see him. This conversation is another interesting one, he looks like he's in a world of his own as he speaks to his wife. He informs her that he was going to tell them truth before he had his panic attack. Linda informs him that she's been told about what happened in Court, what they questioned him about. It's then Mick starts to say that it was all his fault, it shouldn't have happened, he should've stopped it! Part of me is thinking that he's talking about Frankie. Is Frankie what's on his mind right now? Linda obviously seems to think that he's talking about Whitney, she assures him that he's been forgiven and everything in the past doesn't matter to them now. But is that really the case? It's still going to be a huge shock when Linda finds out about Frankie! I don't know about you guys, but I'm really looking forward to that secret coming out!

The final scene of the episode, Whitney and Sonia have met up with her solicitor? I'm guessing it's her solicitor anyway? Whitney has called them together wanting to know what her chances are, but it looks as if her mind has already been made up. She knows that she's not going to get away with it, even by the look of the jury, she knows she's going to be sent to prison. Sonia tells her to stay strong, stay positive and fight, but has Whitney had enough? Does she know it'll be pointless as she believes she'll be going to prison anyway? She takes a deep breath and reveals to Sonia that she's going to plead guilty to the murder of Leo!