#honeymitchell

Friday 12th March 2021

Hello again everyone! Hope you're all feeling ready for the weekend! We've finally come to the end of another week on the Square! So much drama has happened this week, and to be honest, I've been loving it! Some storylines I like better than others, but even so, it's been a very emotional, dramatic week that's for sure!

Following Friday's episode the first thing I'm going to mention is Honey, Billy and Jay. After Honey's fall during the previous episode, both Billy and Jay continue to argue on how to look after her, I found it very comical when they were in the Cafe and they were arguing the toss about what Honey should and shouldn't have, considering they had both bought her hot water bottles. Poor Honey is fretting that the police had called the social workers after the misunderstanding that happened with Janet. Even though they both try to reassure her that everything will be fine, Honey can't help but put the blame on both of them, in all fairness, if they hadn't have been arguing this whole misunderstanding about Janet may never have happened. As they all commute to the pub after the meeting with the social worker, Jay tries to inform Honey that the person they had the meeting with seems really kind and friendly. It's easy to see that Janet has a loving family around her, it's just unfortunate that her Dad and her Mum's new boyfriend can't seem to get along.

Even at the pub it was comical, arguing like an old married couple on who was going to order the drinks, none of them wanted to!! It's silly, pathetic but very relatable which makes it comedy gold! Both of them need their hands banging together, although I guess it is fair to say that the only thing that would make the situation easier is if Billy was to learn to accept Jay and Honey's relationship. However, when they're continuously arguing, Honey receives a call from Suki, unfortunately it turns out that Suki is unable to give Honey sick-pay, and with her being off work for a while until she recovers, there may be chance that she could lose her job. At this point, it looks as if Jay and Billy realise the extent of Honey's injury, they realise that she's not going to be able to look after the kids on her own and they might end up struggling for money, it's then that Jay proposes the idea of both himself and Billy sharing Honey's shift. It would work out well for everyone, Suki wouldn't have to get cover for the shop, plus Honey would get to keep her job. But when Billy voices his concerns about looking after the kids, doing the school runs and working their other jobs, Jay suggests that he moves back in and they cope as a family. Reluctantly, he agrees, but maybe this could be the huge first step they need to rekindle their friendship? Will it be a success? With they all be able to cope under the same roof, or will it be another nightmare?!

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So the second thing I want to briefly mention is Bailey and the Taylor family. I probably should've mentioned this in the last post, but it's so nice to see Bailey back in the frame. The youngster has been feeling really low lately as Mother's Day is coming up, so as an idea to cheer her up, Isaac suggests t take part in, I'm assuming what is a science/space competition. As she's a very smart little girl who loves this all astronomical, it would be the perfect opportunity to lift her spirits. As she informs Karen and Mitch about the event, they rally round to help her build a model of space, including all the planets and stars. 

In this episode we see a very moving moment between Mitch and his young daughter, as Bailey is still voicing her upset about missing her Mum. Mitch comforts his daughter by informing that she has stars looking down on her everywhere, not just her Mum, but Chantelle aswell! Devastatingly the happiness doesn't seem to last long for the young girl and her family as Bernadette appears on the street, almost in tears informing them that their beloved dog, Bronson, isn't all too well at all. As everyone gathers inside, it's heart-breaking to see the family pet lying on his side in the living room, I have to be honest though, the part which really got me was the sounds of the dog crying/whimpering. As a dog owner and lover, I can fully understand the devastating loss of losing a dog, it's one of the most heart-breaking things you ever go through. Dogs just live in the moment, they live in the now and all they want is a happy life full of treats, toys, playtime and hugs and kisses, they are truly a gift to the world, they really are. I'm not sure whether many of you have dogs, but I'm sure it's like any pet, losing one is truly devastating for the whole family. You feel like a piece of you is missing! That moment where Karen, Bernie and Bailey shed a tear for their dog ... that really got to me! 

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The next thing I have to mention of course is Stacey and the Fowler's. In this episode I felt for Jean also, it hasn't been long since Stacey returned to the Square, during her time away Jean was left to fight a lot of battles on her own, losing Daniel and fighting breast cancer - that's a thing, didn't she find another lump and decide not to tell the rest of the family? What happened to that story? Maybe things will once again escalate for Jean when Stacey leaves again? But it's clear Jean is worrying about her daughter going back to prison, she's just got her family back, her daughter and all her Grandchildren, Kat is away frolicking with Phil, so it's understandable that Jean is so wary?! Is she actually worrying about being on her own and having to battle through cancer again on her own?! I do have a feeling that this is going to happen, Lacey Turner is leaving her role temporarily as she goes on Maternity Leave, so what is going to happen in her absence? 

Later, once again, Stacey is having another interview with the police, informing them that she and Ruby have been friends for years but things have turned sour since she married her ex-husband. (Well, I think it was technically when Stacey was stealing money from Ruby) but either way, everything has escalated to this horrendous accusation that she pushed Ruby down the stairs and caused her to lose her baby. Of course we all know that that isn't the case, but being the sneaking so-and-so that she is, Ruby found more CCTV footage at a decent angle, clearly showing that Stacey never touched her, and deleted the footage! Meaning that the only CCTV footage the police have recovered is from another angled camera, where unfortunately it does look as if Stacey swiped her arm at Ruby, causing her to fall. (Even though it's been called a "Push", I wouldn't necessarily call it that!). In this interview, Stacey is ever so confident that her version of events will prove she's innocent, but as the police show her the footage they've recovered, the reality of her situation sinks in as she realises that from the footage, it does look like Ruby is telling the truth .... which I have to say, is completely unfair!! 

After asking for a lawyer, the next time we see Stacey is when she returns to the Square and confronting both Martin and Ruby! She can't seem to understand why Ruby would be lying about something so devastating! She puts on a front, informing that the evidence that Ruby has against her won't even stand! Is Ruby jealous of Stacey? Does she simply want her out of the frame just so she can make sure she won't steal her husband?! Who knows what the real reason is for backstabbing her friend? But devastatingly, when Stacey arrives back at home, she knows that she can't hide the truth from her Mum, she reveals to a trembling Jean that she has in fact been charged for assault and her solicitor thinks she could end up going back to prison. I guess it's fair to stay that Stacey's temporary exit storyline is in place and will be happening very soon? 

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The final thing I have to mention of course is Lucas and Chelsea. The one moment that did surprise me funnily enough is when Lucas had a meeting with Caleb, obviously under the false name of "Jordan", it looks as if he's having an interview to join in his line of work? Maybe? That's what I took from the scene. At first I thought that maybe he would be maybe joining Caleb to get his own back on his daughter, who knows, the way she's been treating him lately, I'd say she'd deserve it? Do any of you guys think Lucas is a changed man? I love how the soap keeps us guessing, is he? Isn't he? But from what I've seen so far, I'm starting to believe he's trying his damn hardest to live a better life, but of course there could be a huge twist that puts a spanner in the works?! Only as Lucas goes to leave, Caleb makes it known that he knows exactly who he is and calls him by his real name, which of course catches Lucas off guard. This particular moment I found very interesting, it actually made us understand in way why Chelsea is the way she is. Caleb claims that Chelsea enjoys the job, she actually enjoys the money, what it gets her and even more grotesque, the sex. Understandably, this angers Lucas, almost wanting to haul a chair at the man he's working for! But I think he realises that maybe Chelsea has become her own person, but she's chosen to take a different turn in life that he had wanted for her? 

Returning to the Square after his confrontation with Caleb, once again, Lucas is confronted by his daughter shouting the odds at him, after finding out from Caleb what he had done. Fretting that Lucas is making things difficult for her, she shouts that she doesn't need saving! The only reason Lucas is doing this job, is to protect his daughter. He clearly doesn't want her going down the same path as he did, he proposes that he'll only do this drug job for her if she would do something for him in return. At first, I was trying to wrack my brains thinking what on Earth he would want her to do for him? But eventually, it looks as if that he's actually asked her to join him in church. It's here that he completely opens up to his daughter, claiming that he was too late to save his son, Jordan, but maybe, if Chelsea continues to go down the wrong path, he might not be too late to save her. As Lucas begins to pray, it looks as if his words play on her mind and Chelsea then decides to join in the prayer with her Dad, to Lucas's surprise.

Double Episode Catch-Up

Monday 8th March - Tuesday 9th March 2021

Hello everyone! Hope your week is going well so far, once again this is going to be a double episode post. Hopefully by the end of the week I'll be completely caught up to date, I realise there is a lot to get through so I'll jump straight into it.

So the first thing I want to briefly mention is the gorgeous Janet! The young girl is helping her Dad on his stall, I love how energetic and happy she is about helping her Dad. Billy teaching her how to approach their customers was so adorable. No matter what you think of Billy, the one thing he has always been is a supportive Dad of his kids, always making sure he's there for them. As Honey praises her daughter for assisting her Dad, she questions whether Billy would be free to catch up in the week, of course we all know that she's dating Jay now, but poor Billy once again is happy to spend time with his ex-wife, in the hopes of her wanting to rekindle their romance as much as he does. As they begin to make plans for their meet up, a random stranger named "Amelia" approaches Honey from behind, mentioning that she's from a talent scout and claiming that she's found someone who she's really interested in, of course with Honey's past of being model she believes Amelia is asking about her, but interestingly she corrects Honey and points to young Janet, to her parents surprise. Now of course Billy and Honey have always been protective of Janet, but do I remember rightly when I say that Honey took Will to America or somewhere to pursue modelling? Surely it would be really nice for Janet to have her opportunity in the spotlight if she so wishes.

At first Honey isn't too sure whether to let her daughter be exposed to that type of business and work, but during their meeting, Billy reassures her that their daughter is at a decent age now where she can make her own decisions and regardless of her disability, she deserves the best opportunities in life as other kids. With her children's Father being so supportive of their daughter, Honey agrees and allows Janet to go for this opportunity of a life time! But, unfortunately, as soon as Billy recalls about them having a meeting, Honey informs him that she's hoping he would sit down with Jay just for an hour to resolve their differences. Billy is once again crushed and informs his ex-wife that he simply can't just move on from recent events, he treated Jay as his own son, as far as he's concerned, he's betrayed him in the worse possible way that he can't see in ever forgiving. I'm seriously hoping we get to see this storyline play out for Janet, it would be beautiful to see her become a success, but then again, could it be also be a scam where people judge her because of her disability? That would be absolutely heart-breaking and devastating to see, but either way I'm intrigued to see where this story goes for Janet, it's lovely to see her in the spotlight!

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Okay so they second thing I'm going to mention is Ash and Peter. As much as I'm loving Kim right now and her new business prospects, I don't know what it is, but I really don't like Peter and Ash together. I don't know whether it's just me or other people feel the same way, I just don't like it, I can't really explain why. I don't like Peter, I think the way he's treated his brother since his return has been disgusting, especially considering the scene where he was basically slagging him off to Ash, poor Bobby heard every word. All Bobby has ever wanted was to make his big brother proud and to be able to build a bond with him. Hearing him state that he's "Strange" and possibly has "Ex girlfriends buried in the garden!" is so cruel! So you can fully understand Bobby's hurt as Ash realises as he's heard every word. Okay, just because I don't like Peter, doesn't mean I don't like Ash. I actually liked the way Ash sat Bobby down and reassured him that one day he will get a girlfriend who will love him for who he his. I also don't like the way Peter thinks he's God's gift to women, he needs to a good slap round the head I reckon and be put in his place! Please tell me I'm not the only one who feels this way?!

After the success of getting Lola and Isaac together, it looks as if Kim has eyes on Peter and Ash as her next clients. As Peter and Ash return home from a day out at a waterpark, Peter is visibly soaked through, with enormous amount of flirtation going on, Peter decides once again to strip, completely unaware the Suki is still in the house. To be honest, Suki catching him stripping made me laugh out loud! "HA!" Obviously he was left feeling completely embarrassed and awkward, serves him right to think he can win any woman he wants! He quickly makes a sharp exit! Later on, Kim finds Ash at the Prince Albert and they begin to discuss the possibility of them becoming a couple, Ash confides in Kim that she can't understand why Peter fled in such a hurry, other than being caught by her Mum. Kim seems to suggest that perhaps Peter is just shy, but we all know that isn't true. However, in the meantime, Peter finds his way back to the Panesar's place of work to confront Suki. He seems pretty desperate to get together with Ash, but most of you will remember that Peter and Suki did have a one night stand not too long ago, his visit is to simply ask her if she'll keep quiet about their encounter. To be honest, is it crazy to say that I'm liking Suki more than Peter right now? She informs her one night stand that the thing that is most important to her is her children's happiness, so why would she stand in the way of that? (Erm, can I just mention Jags?! Thank you!) She confirms to Peter that she will keep quiet.

Returning to the club, Kim and Ash are still discussing the possibility of Ash and Peter becoming a proper couple, suddenly Peter appears after his confrontation with Suki and apologises to Ash for running out so quickly. He proposes going out for another date, which she softly responds by planting a kiss on Peter, not being aware that Iqra is watching everything unfold from across the room. As Kim is excited to see another match she's brought together, she notices Iqra and her upset and decides to console her. I guess you could say it's fair to say that Ash has moved on pretty quickly, but for Iqra - not so much. Kim takes it upon herself to once again try and match Iqra with someone else to cheer her up, but Iqra simply states that she's not interested in another relationship right now, but a face we haven't seen for a while - Mila, arrives for her shift at the bar and once again, there is small spark building between the two girls. What do you think, would you like to see Iqra get together with Mila? I personally think they'd make a lovely couple, and I'm really hoping Iqra will take that jump and move on from Ash to build a relationship with Mila.

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Okay, so I have a very important question: What is going on with Chelsea?! Does anyone else understand what's going on with her? I get that she's got herself in so deep with this Caleb and she's fretting about going to the police or her life being jeopardy, but the way she's acting is just completely out of character, they've not just changed the image of Chelsea, but her personality too. I guess it's fair to say that character has been through a lot since she left the Square. After trying to blackmail Jack and coax him into sleeping with her, Jack does the decent thing and tells Denise everything. Understandably, Denise is incredibly hurt by her daughter's advances towards her partner, but Chelsea shows no shame, trying to explain to her Mum that she wouldn't have slept with him and was only trying to blackmail him to make sure Jack would keep quite and not tell the police about their situation.

But when Lucas hears about his daughter's behaviour from Denise, he tries to confront Chelsea, trying to get to the bottom of why she's acting out of the ordinary. As Lucas tries to understand his daughter and try and help her to keep positive, she does get a little emotional, claiming she's completely ashamed of her actions and was only trying to sort out the problem her parents had caused, BUT the second Lucas leaves her to be on her own, she dries her tears away and continues the drink her drink as if she doesn't care about what she's tried to do. It looks as if as far as she's concerned, she's looking out for number one, not any members of her family who could be caught in the firing line. Later on, on the Square, Lucas then witnesses Chelsea chasing after Jack, demanding to know whether he's going to go to the police or not after what he's learned, but when Jack warns her to stay away she turns in the most horrendous way, claiming that if she went through with wanting to sleep with him, he wouldn't have been able to say "No" to her! As Lucas witnesses everything, he's disgusted with his daughter. Chelsea really doesn't care anymore, all she's really bothered about is getting this job sorted as soon as possible, without any interference from her family or the police. I mean, if she was scared for her life then maybe, yes, I could understand her lashing out, but something tells me there is more going on. Has spending her time with Caleb taken it's toll on her?

Also, I know it was only a very small part of the episode, but I have to mention the first meeting between Lucas and Karen! I absolutely love Karen's first glimpse of Lucas, clearly she's besotted with him! But of course, she has no idea about his history on the Square, for all she knows, he's a brand new neighbour. I love how she was forward about seeing him again after doing his dry cleaning for him free of charge. Only the first red flag to fly was Lucas introducing himself with the wrong name, naming himself after his deceased son, "Jordan"! As much as I love Karen, she needs to be super careful, but of course - how is she going to be when she knows nothing of his past? None of her family do either to be fair, let's hope someone will be able to give her an insight into who she's dating before it's too late! But if Lucas is a changed man as he says he is, why would he give her a false name? Maybe to hide his true identity because he'd feel ashamed if she was to find out the truth? Who knows?

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Right, so the last thing I have to mention is Stacey, Ruby and Martin. Ruby continues to grieve for her lost baby, of course it's the most devastating and heart-breaking thing any parent has to go through, every day where she doesn't have a child is going to be a struggle, but she informs her husband that she simply just wants to move on. Martin happens to mention that he has to pick up his daughter Hope from nursery, but interestingly Ruby offers to pick up his daughter. Now I have to mention how such a sweet little girl Hope is, she is so adorable, but it's quite sad to see how Ruby is such a natural with her, it's quite sad that she's missed the opportunity of doing the same things with her own child. Am I hearing things right or did little Hope accidentally call Ruby, "Mummy"?! If so, then that must've caught her completely off guard, of course little Hope hasn't realised the extent of her calling Ruby, Mummy, she's just a small innocent kid who has no idea what Ruby has gone through.

The moment which really moved me though, was when Martin showed his wife the memorial he had created for their lost child. Informing to meet him at the Arches, Ruby goes feeling a little bit anxious and/or suspicious on why her husband wanted her to meet him there. But then he shows her a beautiful memorial set out with stones, flowers, beautiful plants for them to visit to remember their lost baby. Showing her that she can write little messages on the stones, he writes his own message, claiming that their child would've been a football fan and support a specific football team. Ruby is completely touched by Martin's beautiful gesture and hard work, she voices that she felt she had a strong feeling that their child was a girl and writes down on a stone the name she had in mind for their baby daughter, "Lulu!" - which, to be fair, is a gorgeous name! I really felt this scene really touched me and reflected perfectly on how parents cope after losing a baby.

However, as the day carries on and the couple return home, Ruby notices Stacey with her children on the Square and it seems as if something has bean eating her up inside for so long, she can no longer stand and watch while Stacey is on the Square with her children. Asking whether Martin would do anything to support her in her time of grief, he reassures her that he would. But then they take a visit to Stacey, even though she's thankful to Ruby for picking up her daughter, Martin informs her that she'll probably have to get the children away pretty early in the morning, revealing the blow that she'll be getting a visit from the police. Of course Stacey is completely stunned to hear that it was actually Martin who had called the police on her, as she actually hadn't done anything wrong.

As she takes in the news, the next day as expected the police come knocking for her, as she's wanted for questioning about an assault. But of course we all know she never actually touched Ruby during their row, Ruby did in fact slip, the fall was completely an accident. While at the station, Stacey informs the police about everything that happened on that day, yes the did argue but Stacey never touched her, as she tried to walk away from the confrontation, Ruby followed her up the stairs, tripping on the stairs as she did. The only thing that could back up Stacey's story is if the police manage to get their hands on the CCTV. Eventually let her go, but on her way back to the Square, Stacey once again bumps into Ruby and Martin claiming the police are going to be searching the club for CCTV of the staircase of the club which should prove her innocence. However, Ruby seems to think that there is no CCTV as it's been dodgy for months, but then Martin happens to mention that he got it fixed without her knowledge and it's been working fine the past few weeks, this sends Ruby into a blind panic, she knows full well that Stacey didn't touch her and knows that if the police were to find the CCTV, she'd be proved as a liar!

Returning home, she pleads for Martin to go and fetch her a hot chocolate with all the works from the Cafe, and trying to be the caring and doting husband, Martin does as she requests. Only once he's left the house, she quickly rushes to the club to search for the CCTV footage. Clear as day one camera shows that Stacey did not touch her and the fall was completely an accident on Ruby's part, she had simply tripped as she hurried up the stairs. However, as the police knock on the office door, Ruby quickly deletes the footage!!!! Ooooo she really is wanting revenge on Stacey isn't she? For what though? For stealing her money all that time ago? Or is she simply just jealous? Ruby eventually allows the police to come in and check the CCTV, to their shock they find another clip from the staircase, from a completely different angle than the clip that Ruby deleted. Unfortunately, from the angle of this specific clip, it looks as if Stacey had swiped her arm, causing Ruby to lose her balance and fall backwards down the stairs, which is incredibly unfair to Stacey as we all know she's completely innocent! As the police show Ruby this footage, Ruby is left feeling completely smug!!

Friday 29th January 2021

Hello again everyone! I'm sure the majority of us are floating on clouds after Ballum finally got engaged! It really was a beautiful episode, wasn't it? I'm really intrigued to see what's going to follow in this episode. Will it show Phil and Kathy's reaction? I'm kind of hoping so! But obviously, there's more than just Ballum's engagement going on! Let's jump straight into it!

Firstly, I am quite surprise to notice that Ben and Callum aren't even in this episode! But the one person who is close to them who is in this episode is Lola! Of course she found out about Honey and Jay's secret romance before they could come clean to Billy. It's quite sad as in this episode, after learning the truth about Honey and Jay, Billy is sat on his own in the café, it looks as if he's still struggling to come to terms with what he's learnt. Lola finds him and asks him to sign a card for Ben and Callum. He claims that he's simply not in the mood, which I guess is fair enough. Unfortunately, Jay slowly follows behind, Lola doesn't seem to respond but Billy can't seem to hold in his anger. As much as Jay tries to apologise, Billy simply has none of it and takes it upon himself inform Lola about what's been happening, unbeknown to him that she already knows. As Billy informs her and pretty much the rest of the cafe about Jay and Honey's infidelity, Lola tries to plead to her "Pops" not to. Eventually it comes pretty clear to Billy that his Granddaughter already knew, this is another huge blow for Billy and he walks out, completely and utterly broken. Later on when Billy is back on his stall, not really having the best of times, Lola approaches him to try and build bridges for her dishonesty, but its looks as if Billy feels like everyone is against him, everyone has lied and turned their backs on him. Jay overhears the commotion and for a second time tries to approach Billy in an attempt to apologise or explain, but of course Billy isn't interested in anything he has to say. I understand that Billy is angry and devastated but to be fair, what he said to Jay was completely out of order I feel, what do you guys think? Accusing Jay of being with his Granddaughter, now his ex-wife - making the disgusting statement that he'll be after Janet next after his record. (Most of you will remember that Jay was given a criminal record for sleeping with a girl who was not the age she claimed to be, unfortunately ending up with him being on the sex offenders list!). As Jay tries to defend himself, he's responded with a huge punch from Billy, to which both Lola and Honey witnessed. Leaving Jay in a heap on the floor, Billy walks away. Do we think that because of this betrayal, it's going to cause Billy to go on a really dark downward spiral? I personally think it's been a very long time since Billy has been given a really gripping storyline, maybe this will be the moment that will give Perry Fenwick a chance to shine!

Meanwhile in other parts of the Square, Mick is trying to fix a toy for Ollie, a toy he's been promising to fix for a quite a while apparently. As Linda joins him, she states how proud she is of her husband for going to the police. However, it looks as if Mick is worried about how it's made him feel as a man. He claims that all he wants to be is a good Dad and a good husband, and everything that he's been going through has made him feel like he's just a victim. It looks as if he's fearing that that image of him will now never go away once everyone has heard about his abuse. However, later on as Mick and little Ollie are sat together in the apartment, little Ollie notifies his Dad that he's just seen a huge rat scurrying across the floor. I did find this scene incredibly cute and funny, especially when Mick informed Linda that they have a "Tom and Jerry situation!" As Ollie and Linda stand upon the furniture, Mick leaps into action and finds a way to catch the rat/mouse. I don't know why but something tells me that Linda was behind it, or it could've been a very small coincidence, but Linda still compliments her husband that he'll always be their hero, no matter what! Knowing this seems to give Mick a huge confidence boost! Do you think he'll start to slowly get his life back on track?!

The next thing I have to mention is Whitney and Gray! Oooooo I think it's been said for a long time that Whitney and Gray would become a couple, it's perfectly obvious that feelings are beginning to build between them! It's revealed to us that the night Whitney decided to stay for tea with Gray and his children, actually ended up with her and Gray sharing two bottles of wine and her crashing out on the sofa! Gray offers Whitney to stay for breakfast, but it's pretty clear he's gone all out to impress her - buying all sorts of gorgeous pastries for breakfast. Even though Whitney is touched by his offer, it's only when Mack sees her and asks whether she's saying, that she actually agrees. As they both go about their day, Shirley notifies Gray that he found Whitney's earring and acknowledges that something is going on between them, however Gray insists that they're just good friends and Whitney is simply a childminder, nothing more. But something tells me that Shirley isn't convinced, she questions the possibility that perhaps it's a bit too soon for him to be moving on and he's still grieving for Chantelle. This next section completely surprised me, Gray makes his way into the living room and pulls out a type of scrapbook, as he looks through it, there are tons of pictures of him, Chantelle and the children. Does this perhaps bring Gray back down to Earth? He takes it upon himself to pick up some flowers to take to the cemetery, only popping to grab himself a coffee on the way. But what takes a massive turn is when he sees on old colleague, passing on their condolences. This seems to grab Gray's attention pretty quickly, questioning how they knew Chantelle, but when it comes clear that Chantelle had approached him in an attempt to get away from her husband, Gray's attitude takes a massive U-turn, returning home and completely destroying the scrapbook, chucking all the pictures away in the bin. However he doesn't quite get rid of the flowers. Later on, Whitney calls over in response to Gray's urgent message - however as things are looking more calmer than she expected, Gray offers her another glass of wine. At first she seems really reluctant, but suddenly feels obliged when Gray has a drink himself. Eyeing up the flowers on the table, Whitney questions Gray whether he was thinking of going to the cemetery, but interestingly, he notifies her that flowers are actually in fact for her. Suddenly he drops the bombshell that she should move in, this completely takes Whitney by surprise. Gray's words continue as he announces that they have something special and states that they can both sense it. At first, Whitney seems to shrug it off and claims that he's still grieving, but as soon as she mentions Chantelle's name, Gray tells her to "Sssshhh!" almost as if he doesn't want to hear her name!  - Is Whitney really going to start a relationship with Gray? Will she agree and move in with him? What do you guys think? Will Whitney end up being the one who sees Gray for who he really is? What will the Square think of their new relationship?

Finally, Lucas has moved back officially onto the Square. After discussions with Denise and Jack, Jack has agreed to give Lucas one of his flats. The only reason being is so Denise can keep an eye on her daughter and make sure she's safe. As soon as Lucas and Chelsea arrive on the Square, Chelsea offers to treat her Dad to some food, however Lucas's eyes a very suspicious as she pulls out a huge wad of cash as she pays the taxi driver. The first thought that comes to our minds is "Where the hell did she get that money?!" - What the heck is Chelsea up to? For some reason, I do think this episode shed a bit more light on what Chelsea was involved in. As Lucas and Chelsea wait for Jack to show up to show them Lucas's new apartment, we can see a hooded figure sat in a car, watching them from a distance. Was this the person who was behind the attack on Lucas? Eventually the hooded figure seems to plant a package quite a distance away by the market, Chelsea clicks on to the package and informs her Dad that she's going to grab them some coffee's. However as soon as Chelsea leaves, Lucas watches his daughter pick up the package that has been left. My first thought is "Is she dealing drugs?" - it would make perfect sense! The money? The secrecy? The packages? What else could it be? Later on when Jack returns from showing Lucas the apartment, Lucas spots the hooded figure and hurries to approach him in the car, acting completely calm and collected, he informs him that he knows Chelsea, dropping hints that he's been made aware of only some of the "Plans" which are going ahead. Interestingly, the bloke takes Lucas's words for it and informs him that Chelsea has been given passports and money, once they get to their destination they're meant to be bringing as much gear as they can carry, back. This makes me think, is Chelsea involved in drug smuggling?! Later when Lucas catches up with his daughter, she asks whether she liked the apartment that Jack showed him. Of course he seems a little distracted, but then she drops the bombshell that to give her Dad something to look forward to, she's planned a holiday for him and her to go to Ibiza! Of course we can see that Lucas puts on a front, informing his daughter that he's thrilled at the idea, but deep down, he knows that it's not a holiday he'll be going on.

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.

Friday 18th December 2020

Hello again everyone! Hope your day is going well so far. Today I'm back with another blog, I feel there may be a hell of a lot to catch up on, but I will get there eventually! I want to thank you all being patient with me, it's crazy how life gets in the way sometimes. Anyway, let's get started with the review of Friday night's episode.

Another brilliant episode I have to say, and again, quite a lot to focus on! Firstly I'm going to start with the fun and happy part of the episode, which was Kim offering to help Honey find a "Bad Santa" for their Community Christmas Meal. From the sounds of it, everyone was willing to help out provide food for the occasion, but when Kim was kind dragged into it by her sister, she decided to take it upon herself to find a suitable Santa. Poor Honey, she didn't have the heart to decline her offer, so to keep Kim and everyone happy she went along with it.

Meanwhile as people are debating whether to audition for the part, Rainie suggests to her husband that it may be something to keep them occupied for the time being, especially since they're on edge and constantly looking behind their shoulders now they know DI Thompson is actually alive. Eventually, Rainie convinces Stuart to audition for the part as Santa! I loved the audition sequence, I personally thought Stuart was a great Santa (That is if he didn't choke on the glitter that Rainie threw all over him!) - I would've gone for him, personally! But Mitch and Billy also took part, poor Billy didn't even get a chance to do anything!! Whereas Mitch was a kind of a smooth talking, slick kind of Santa. But when Isaac decided to pop in, Kim almost give him a choice to audition, and to her and Karen's delight he obliged with a Santa strip tease, (Although I don't think Honey was impressed!) Much to their disappointment, Isaac rejects to being Santa, leaving Denise to persuade Kim to give the role to Mitch!

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The second thing I'd like to focus on is Ben and the Panesar's! Since finding out that Suki has CCTV of himself leaving the Queen Vic around the time Ian was attacked, Ben has been very on edge. Even approaching his Dad for help, but it seems Phil couldn't help his son like he was hoping. Ben voices his concerns to Callum and worries that he could be sent to prison again, before Christmas! We know that Ben has sworn not to be Ian's attacker, and I actually do believe him, however the reason why he was at the pub remains to be seen. I am really looking forward to seeing Ben's story of that night revealed! He tells his boyfriend that he can't be sent back to prison and then it seems that he manages to have an idea. He rushes away and eventually he come face to face with Suki and Kheerat. He plays with them at first, saying how awful it would be for someone to be sent to prison for something they didn't do, to then having people he knows on the inside take care of something for him. Interestingly, he drops on the table a file of paperwork it looks like, he leaves the room leaving the Panesar's wondering what he was talking about. It's only when Kheerat looks at the file, that he realises that Ben is actually threatening to attack his brother, Jags, whilst in prison! The file reveals photos of his young brother, Suki all takes a look and it becomes clear to her that the Mitchell's are not ones to be messed with! She quickly grabs hold on the memory stick storing the CCTV footage of Ben and locks it in the safe, Kheerat watching her as she does so! You can see the look on Kheerat's face that he doesn't like the dirty game that his Mother is playing, he fears that she's going to be starting a war between themselves and the Mitchells!

Deep down, I do kind of feel that Kheerat fears his Mother, fears her in the sense that he doesn't want to get on the wrong side of her, she's already shopped one child to the police, what else is she capable of doing?! Also before even Ben enters the room, Suki mentions something along the lines of Kheerat not following orders, the police and Mitchell's wouldn't be bothering them if Kheerat had followed her orders, the big question I want to ask is - What were her orders?! What did she want her son to do?! Interestingly, Kheerat then decides to against his Mother and takes the memory stick from the safe, later on we see him waiting in the park for someone. Ben appears and approaches him and he's instructed to sit with him, Kheerat is adamant to Ben that he's nothing like his Mother, he simply passes him the memory stick with the CCTV on it. However, Ben questions his motives, why would he willingly just give it to him? It seems though that Kheerat wants Jags to be safe, in an attempt to save his brother, he gives up the memory stick, even promising to delete all other footage of Ben which might be stored in the laptop. Once Ben is satisfied, he walks away, putting the memory stick in his pocket. However Kheerat looks as if he's looking a lot more on his laptop and finds something even more interesting, he reaches for his phone and makes a call, informing the person on the other end of the line that they need to meet urgently.

The final moment we see Kheerat, he's sat in the Cafe waiting for someone's arrival. Peter walks in and approaches him, whispering to each other to not make much notice of people surrounding them. It's then that Kheerat turns the laptop around to show Peter what he's found, the only thing we know is that whatever Peter has seen, it must have something to do with him, because he said "He deserved it!" - what has Kheerat got over Peter? What is Peter referring to? Could it be something to do with Ian's attack?!  

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The final thing I want to talk about is Mick, Linda, Katy and Max. Early on in the episode, Max visits Linda working in the laundrette, instantly he's acting flirtatious, complimenting how beautiful she looks in her work gear. She laughs at his failed flirtatious attempt, but then he informs her that he'll have the whole place to himself that night and wondered whether she'd like pop over during the evening. We know that they clearly have an attraction for one another - however, for Linda, I think it's the feeling of being wanted and being loved, as Mick has showed her no affection in recent weeks or months! - Max informs her that it would be nice to spend the whole evening together, she doesn't respond and watches him leave.

Whilst this is happening, Mick is at home when Katy visits once again, she questions how he's coping and apologises for the way she spoke about his son the previous day. Mick is thankful and accepts her apology, however I do feel that she's still playing with his mind, trying to control him maybe or even twist his thoughts. It's not long until Linda arrives home from and suddenly it's gives us all the big shock that she has finally come face-to-face with Katy, the woman who she has heard so much about in recent weeks! Part of me kind of hopes that over time, if she crosses paths with Katy again, she may be able to see the dark side of Katy and will figure out exactly what's going on with her husband. As they all gather together, Linda and Katy speak of how happy they are to finally meet one another, interestingly, Mick takes it upon himself to shower his wife with praise about being a good Mother and how the family would fall apart if it was without her. You can see that this is what Linda has been missing and how much those words mean to her, more importantly that they're coming from her husband. As she leaves to tidy Ollie's bedroom, Mick continues to compliment his wife, informing Katy that she's his world and how he'd be lost without her, however we can see that in the hallway Linda manages to overhear her husband's words, which leave a little smile on her face.

However, later on, after Katy has left and Mick and Linda are left on their own, Linda takes it upon herself to impress her husband by dressing up in a gorgeous, glamorous, off the shoulder dress. As she enters we can see that Mick is stunned by her beauty, she approaches her husband and thanks him for his kind words. At first Mick is speechless at his wife's appearance and gently they both lean in for a kiss - something which they both haven't done for such a long time, only as they lean in for a second longing kiss, Linda reaches for the waistline of her husband's jeans, desperately wanting to feel intimate with her husband, but he pulls away very suddenly. Linda panics as he pulls away, worrying that it's something she's done wrong, she becomes increasingly devastated by his rejection that she questions whether he still fancies her anymore, but all Mick can muster is "Stay away from me!" - obviously, these words hurt Linda to the very core. She really can't understand her husband right now, one minute he's complimenting her and being very loving and caring towards her, the next he's pushing her away!

As things progress, Mick is seen looking very teary as he stares into space, Linda has taken it upon herself to pack a bag and spend the night away from Mick, as she leaves they both look very teary and devastated that it's come to this. I do think though that deep down, Mick knows exactly where his wife is going, at that kills him inside, but also I think he realises that it's his fault that she's been driven away into another man's arms. Is this also something that he's struggling with? The fact that maybe he's to blame for his marriage failing?! If he would just talk to her, then who knows, things might be different?

Eventually Linda finds herself at Max's, of course! Max is surprised to see her on his doorstep, but as he invites her in, she starts to doubt herself and claims that she shouldn't be there. However Max convinces her to stay, informing her that there's no one else in the house. Again, he compliments her saying how beautiful and sexy she is and only she knows what she really wants and needs right now. Linda looks as if she can't hide her temptation anymore, she walks forward and instantly Max and Linda begin kissing one another. I personally, don't think Linda loves Max, of course she probably likes him as a friend, but the only reason she's doing this is simply because Mick has pushed her away and Max has showed her more affection than her husband has in recent weeks or months! After getting passionate, Max reaches for Linda's hand and leads her up the stairs.

I do feel devastated that this happened to the lovely Carter couple, I honestly never thought anything would come between them. But Mick really needs to start talking and seeking help, or come to terms with everything he's learned and come to realise. It looks as if Mick's mental state and emotional outbursts are tearing the Carter family apart, of course it is all down to Katy and it's so irritating that no one is aware of that yet!! I just hope it won't be too late until they actually realise what's going on in Mick's head! I know this is horrible to say, but I hope the Carter's find out what's wrong with Mick before Tina leaves. THAT would be devastating I fear!

Thursday 15th October 2020

Good evening folks! I apologise for being so late with these recent episodes. I'm going to make sure I do a post every day this week just to make sure I'm up to date. Tomorrow I will try my very best to get two posts up and covering the recent episodes. Before we jump into Thursday's episode though, I want to share some news with you all that I am sure you have all been made aware of by now, but recently it's been announced that after 7 years on the Square, Luisa Bradshaw-White will be leaving her role as Tina Carter.

Her exit will be at the end of the year, but the big question is also how and why will Tina leave?! As far as I'm aware, it is unknown at the moment as to why she may be leaving and what will be her exit storyline, but I am looking forward to seeing it unfold as time goes on. Will you miss Tina? I do hope that the door will be left open for her to return one day in the future! In other news, I'm not too sure whether there is truth in this or not, but apparently Honey will be going on a date with a new character named Paul, however the date will take dark turn which will see the start of a new storyline for Honey. Could history be repeating itself? Or something much more darker about to take place in Honey's life?! What do you guys think it could be?

Anyway, let's make a start on Thursday's episode! We last saw Whitney waiting to hear whether she'd be going down for Leo's murder, the episode starts right where the last one finished off. Whitney is breathing deeply as she's waiting for her fate to be announced ... NOT GUILTY!!! What a bloody relief that must be!! Sonia is clearly looking overjoyed for her niece! Whitney is tearful as she's thanks Gray for supporting her and believing in her. It's interesting as the one person I'm really interested in in this scene right now is Gray, it's really interesting to see him reacting to Whitney when she speaks about telling the truth. It looks as if Gray is about to listen to his own advice, he looks over to the security guard and approaches but he's interrupted by his colleague congratulating him on winning the case. She insists to him that his job will be waiting for him whenever he feels ready to come back, but then he makes the surprising statement "I'm not coming back!" ... What is Gray planning on doing? 

At the club, Stacey has come up with the excuse that Kat was looking for bleach as the reason why she was hiding under the office table. Ruby clearly doesn't believe her as she hears glass bottles clanking in her bag. She then invites Stacey to their Wedding party, not that I think Stacey would want to be anywhere near it, but Ruby insists! Meanwhile, at the Cafe, Denise is finally meeting up with Ellie. I do feel a little bit of disappointment in Denise when she reveals to Ellie who Phil Mitchell is, but then again I kind of understand why she would act in such a way. But I do feel that Phil is family man more than anything, regardless of his reputation. Phil would fight for his family, literally! Is Denise making a big mistake? Ellie seems a little shocked to hear who Phil actually is, but she doesn't seem to say much as she leaves the Cafe, leaving Denise wondering whether she has done the right thing. 

Back on the Square, Whitney, Sonia and Gray all return from court, Whitney and Sonia are elated as they as Gray to join them in the Vic to celebrate! Gray is eager to get back to his children but Whitney is quick to compliment Gray on the way he spoke in court, saying it too guts for him to do what he did. But the realisation hits Gray and he simply responds to her "I haven't got any guts!" With that he walks away, Whitney and Sonia discuss amongst themselves how weird he has been acting recently, but Sonia is quick to defend him, saying that he's clearly still grieving, and grief works in sorts of ways for different people. Also can I just mention ... how has it been a month since Chantelle passed away? I'm sure that it only feels about only 2/3 weeks ago!! Crazy how time flies! 

Anyway, back in Ruby's, Stacey is clearly not being in the company of her ex-husband and ex-best mate! I love how they are throwing digs backwards and forwards to one another. Stacey makes the point to Ruby that her wedding to Martin was nicer as they had their family and friends around them, she even makes the point that Martin is a family man. Ruby is quick to say that family doesn't count ex-wives, to which Stacey doesn't react kindly to! What is it about Martin that Ruby wants? For some reason, I am convinced that Ruby has only married Martin to get back at Stacey. Has she been using him from the very beginning, who knows? But as soon as Stacey has had enough of Ruby's attitude and she's ready to swing for her, Martin interrupts them and informs Stacey that they need to discuss things privately. 

Meanwhile, at the Mitchell household, Phil and Ben are making themselves comfortable in the living room when all of a sudden, Denise marches her way into the house through the backdoor. She's come to warn Phil that she has informed Ellie about who he really is in connection to Raymond. Phil is clearly shocked to hear what she's saying and perhaps also realises that maybe his time is up. Later, Phil is eager to get a hold of Ellie - in some kind of desperation to get involved with Raymond. He demands he's going to go up to the hospital in an attempt to talk to her, but Ben makes the valid point that he'll only prove Denise right if he goes in all guns blaring. Phil is emotional as he speaks to his son about Raymond. The next thing he said really moved me - he states that he wasn't Dennis's Dad biologically, but he would've done anything for him regardless, and he informs Ben that he feels exactly the same way about Raymond, he gets tearful as he says to Ben "I lost him once and I can't lose him again!" ... I do feel for Phil at this moment in time, I feel that there could be 3 people going against each other to fight for Raymond. Team Denise, Team Ellie or Team Phil and honestly - right now, I'm Team Phil! What about you? 

Back at home, Gray has realised that his children have found their Mummy's broken mug. They sadly tell him that it was their Mum's favourite, he sighs and then says to his children that he needs to ask them something really important. What is he about to do? I don't think Gray is thinking straight, I mean, to be fair his head has been all over the place since he killed his wife, but what on earth is he about to do or say to his children?! 

Meanwhile at the Vic. Shirley is congratulating Whitney, she calls over to her son to come and join them, but perhaps she didn't quite use the right wording. She tells Mick that regardless of what happened when Mick went to court, she's been found Not Guilty. Mick looks as if he's really annoyed with what is Mum has just implied! But Whitney reassures him that everything is fine. But Shirley knows something isn't right with her son, even when she asks Linda whether he's just having a bad day, Linda just shrugs it off and says "How should I know!" - almost as if she doesn't even care about her husband right now. Nahh I'm convinced Shirley is going to find out the truth as to why Mick is acting so suspiciously, and perhaps this may kick off another story for Shirley. Will she find out about Mick being abused and blame herself?! Mick is currently hiding two huge secrets from his family, 1 - Frankie being his daughter, and 2 - coming to the realisation that Frankie's Mum sexually abused him as a child! Linda eventually makes herself comfortable in the Vic and decides to join Whitney and Sonia - their topic of discussion is Gray. Linda just so happens to mention to them about how Gray lashed out at her for helping out and cleaning his home. Shirley is also listening in to the conversation and she seems to back Linda up by saying that Gray had no need to raise his voice to Linda in such a way, but then - (this is the interesting part) - Mick suddenly can't believe what his Mother is saying. Of all the time he's been married to Linda, Shirley has always struggled to get along with her, so why all of sudden is she sticking up for her?! Shirley and Linda both look shocked at Mick's outburst, but something tells me that deep down, Shirley knows that there's something wrong with her son, he wouldn't lash out at her for no reason. 

Meanwhile at the Atkins household, Gray has sat his children down and asked them to tell him what they love and miss most about their Mum. Little Mia says that she misses her Mummy's hair and Mack mentions that he misses her stories. It's then Gray turns the conversation a little bit darker, he informs the children that he misses her too. Suddenly he asks his children "Would you like to see Mummy?!" The children look a little bit confused - I'm unsure how to take this, is he thinking of killing his children just so they can see her again?! What the hell is going through his mind?!" 

Back at Ruby's, Martin and Stacey are finally talking, she's trying to understand why all of a sudden, after everything they have been through as a couple, why Martin would be interested in Ruby? Martin however is quick to blame Stacey, blaming her in the fact that she wasn't around when he needed her the most, but interestingly she asks if she had been, would things have been different? Martin simply informs her that it's too late for them, he's moved on and - and far as he knows - so has she! It's clear to see that Stacey is saddened to hear this, its obvious she still loves Martin, especially the fact that they have children together! What do you guys think, should Martin be with Stacey or Ruby?! Later, back at the Slater household, we see Kush alone on his laptop playing poker! - I'm sure this is going to be another big storyline for Kush, is he going to find himself being addicted to gambling? He's interrupted by Stacey returning from the club. He decides to leave her to it as Kat follows along behind her. Kat knows what's going in Stacey's head, she realises that Stacey loves Martin more than ever - after learning that he only lied to her to protect her. But maybe she also feels a little bit of guilt also, as she believed he had cheated on her, she went and did the same to him! It must be tearing her apart inside, seeing the man she loves be with someone else, least of all her best mate, because of her actions.

Back at the Atkins household, little Mia is coming down the stairs to see her Daddy. Gray informs her to go back to bed, but it's clear that Gray's words are playing on his daughter's mind. She asks her Dad if it's true that they can see their Mother again, especially the fact that Karen has told them that their Mum is an angel now, and you can't see angels. Gray then informs his daughter that if she goes back to bed and falls to sleep, when she wakes up in the morning, their Mum will be back. The little girl smiles at her Daddy and runs back up the stairs. As she disappears, Gray makes his way into the kitchen - slowly and silently, he approaches the kitchen draw and pulls out a lighter. Oh man! Is he thinking of burning the house down with all of them in it?! 

Back at Vic, something is clearly playing on Shirley's mind, she's staring into the abyss as Linda approaches her from behind. It's here they both share a touching conversation. Shirley is reeling from Mick's harsh words from earlier on, Linda is reassuring her Mother-In-Law that Mick didn't mean what he said. But Shirley knows, she's clicked on as to why he's been acting weirdly lately and why he's been lashing out. Shirley confides in Linda that since Frankie revealed that Katy Lewis was her Mum, it's brought all the horrible memories of when Mick was in care back to him, Shirley can't help but feel guilty for his outburst. She emotionally explains to Linda that she wasn't there for him when he was in care, but since she's been back in his life, she has made up for that. Linda promises that everything will be okay and by tomorrow everything would've been forgiven and forgotten. Shirley also explains that even if people do lash out, you shouldn't do it to people who are only trying to help, which is why she felt bad for Linda when she found out Gray had lashed out at her. 

The last scene of the episode is a very powerful one. I want to applaud Toby-Alexander Smith and Linda Henry for their performances in this scene. Gray is at home - he takes one last look at his pictures on the wall of his family, he switches on his gas and holds the lighter in his hand. It looks as if he's ready to end it all, everything! Along with his children! Suddenly, before he can flick the light switch of the lighter, he's interrupted by banging on the front door. Someone is shouting him from the other side. He quickly answers the door before the banging wakes up the children, suddenly Shirley barges her way through and into the living room. It looks as if she's come to confront him about the way he treated Linda, but suddenly she realises she can smell gas. Gray tries to convince her that he accidently left the gas hob on, but informs her that it is now off. But then Shirley clocks on to the lighter in his hand. She knows what he was about to do! It's here she is doing her absolute best to try and persuade the grieving man that this is not the way to resolve things. Gray is clearly at breaking point and he almost lashes out her too as he's informing her that it's none of her business. Shirley is pleading for him not to blow the house up, but even if he does he'll probably effect the whole neighbourhood also! She also informs him that it will not bring Chantelle back! Gray is almost in tears as he informs her that this is the only way, they simply cannot live without her! Shirley then realises that the children are upstairs, she tries another tactic saying that Chantelle wouldn't want him to do what he's about to do! As Shirley is trying to persuade him, he's holding the lighter upwards and as his thumb is resting on the flicker, his hand is shaking uncontrollably. Then she points to the wall "Look at them!" she informs him, Gray then looks to the side and sees the pictures of the wall of his deceased wife and his beautiful children, he sobs as he lets go of the lighter and he almost collapses on the counter.