#lilyslater

Friday 16th October 2020

Hello again everyone! Hope you're have a great day so far! I once again realise I am so far behind but I'm going to try my best to catch up as soon as I can! I'll be reviewing Friday's episode in this post. I'm not going to waste any of your time, let's get right into it!

The previous episode ended with Shirley talking Gray down from setting his house alight with him and the children inside. The episode starts the morning after, Shirley has spent the night on the sofa in Gray's living room. Gray walks in and nudges her awake, he is completely thankful for what she did last night. But Shirley isn't convinced, she knows that if she hadn't come round, he would've set the house on fire. She knows that it wasn't just a moment of weakness, as he says. She knows it was all planned, she understands that he's grieving, but to go to the extent of killing himself and his children, it's plain to see that the grieving Dad isn't coping. Shirley then decides to do something which will hopefully wake him up a bit, she gets her phone and and begins dialling - Gray looks a bit concerned as to what she's about to do. She then reveals that she is going to call the police or the social services, anyone who will take the children away to stop Gray from harming them. Gray pleads Shirley not to make the call, but she gives him an ultimatum, the kids go and live with Karen and Mitch while he gets himself together, or she'll call the social services, it's his choice!

At the Mitchell household, Lola walks in on Phil. It's clear to see that they haven't spoken to one another since Lola revealed everything to Denise about Phil visiting Raymond. Phil gives Lola the cold shoulder as she tries to explain her actions. She even mentions to him that if she had caught Denise doing the same thing, she would've acted in the same way, not just to Phil. Suddenly they're interrupted by a knock at the door, without saying a word, Ellie storms in and gives daggers to Phil. I know it's quite silly to say, but I'm looking forward to seeing their confrontation! Is Phil going to be given a warning to keep his distance? Will he have a battle on his hands?

Meanwhile at the Beale household, it looks as if Kathy has joined a dating app. As Bobby walks in on her and Peter giggling about the whole thing, Kathy reveals that everyone she has seen looks as if they belong in a care home. Bobby warns his Gran to be careful while she's looking through the app, as no one will be as they appear online. Who knows what kind of people she'll come across? Kathy then reveals that she's going to delete the app anyway as she's not had much look, Peter then takes it upon himself to change a bit of her profile. Without her knowing, he changes her age from 70 to 45! Firstly can I just how AMAZING Kathy looks for 70! I had no idea she was that age ... I honestly thought she was a little younger!! How is she going to react when she realises Peter has changed her age?!

Back at the Mitchell's Ellie is making perfectly clear to Phil that he needs to stay away. Phil apologises for lying, but he also admits that it was the only thing he could think of as an excuse for seeing Raymond. She tells him that he has had his chance to see Raymond under false pretences, he now needs to leave them alone considering they have a lot of things to go through "Especially now!" ... when she says those last two words, something doesn't sit right with Phil. What could she mean by that?! As she hurries off, Phil is quick to follow her, asking her what she meant by "Especially now!" ... Phil follows Ellie onto the Square demanding to know what she's talking about, suddenly Denise hears all the racket being made on the Square and she confronts the both of them, it's then that Ellie reveals that Raymond needs a procedure to get some bones pinned and that he's going to be on a waiting list. But before she can say anymore, Jack and Denise jump in to stop Phil finding out anymore information, and Ellie somehow disappears out of the scene.

At the Prince Albert, Shirley is finally catching up with Mick, Linda and Tina. Mick is less than pleased to see his Mother, as Linda makes small talk, informing her that Jean had mentioned that she didn't return home last night. Mick is silent as Shirley explains that she won't be going back to the Slater household due to Stacey being back with the children, it looks as if the Carter family don't really know what to say and it's only when Shirley shouts at them that Linda assures her that she can move in with herself and Mick. He seems less than impressed as he storms out of the club, is Mick blaming his Mum for putting him into care? Probably blaming her for his abuse? As it wouldn't have happened if he was put into care in the first place. Shirley seems upset that her son is avoiding her, she says to Linda "I thought thing we're going to be different this morning. Forgiven. Forgotten?!" Tina clearly has no idea what is going on within her family and its only when she asks that she finds out from Linda that Shirley seems to think Mick's mood has something to do with Frankie's Mum, Katy.

Back at home, Jack is trying to console his girlfriend and explain that once Raymond is discharged from the hospital, Phil will go back to his normal ways and focus on his dodgy deals and motors at the Arches. But Denise doesn't seem to think so, she's convinced that now Phil knows about his son, he's going to do everything in his power to make sure he's involved in the child's life. But Jack seems to reassure her that if Phil ever tries anything, he'll be the one to put a stop to it. As this conversation is taking place, Phil eventually catches up with Ellie, he insists that if Raymond needs any help, if he needs a procedure, he will pay for it! However, without him realising, Lola is watching from a distance. Is Phil going to be making a huge mistake?!

Meanwhile, in the Vic, Martin is catching up with Kush with Lily in tow. Lily is sat at the table playing a game on a mobile phone, at first we're not sure what she's playing and who's phone she's playing on. Martin and Kush are discussing recent events involving the Slater's and Martin and Ruby. Martin asks his best friend why he didn't make an appearance, but Kush assures his friend that he's not playing sides. I guess it's really none of his business who Martin wants to be with, I guess you could say it's just easier for him to play it safe and not be on anyone's side - that way he can still be friends with Martin and still see his son, Arthur. Suddenly Lily pipes up and claims that the phone she's using is rubbish, it's only when Martin takes the phone from her that he sees what she's been playing - Poker on Kush's phone! Martin asks whether or not it's a real game, only we know that in recent weeks that Kush has been playing poker on his phone more and more, it was the way he managed to get the money to pay Suki rent. Kush reassures his friend that it is just an app game, but then when Martin reveals that he's lucky, because Lily had just lost him £5,000! Kush's eyes look in dismay, is he going to be in big trouble now?

Upstairs of the Vic, Sharon is alone cleaning up as we hear footsteps approaching, Bobby has come to see her. Something tells me we're about to see another storyline for Bobby. Recently he's been reminding everyone to keep clean and wash their hands. Is the cause of Covid-19 about to kick off some kind of OCD? Will he find the need the clean absolutely everywhere until he feels in himself that it's safe to carry on with things? He approaches Sharon and offers to clean everything for her for the whole afternoon while she looks after Albie. It's then that Sharon apologises to him for the way Dennis spoke about him, but Bobby is an absolute sweetheart and tells her that whatever Dennis did, it's all in the past and it's been forgotten, Dennis probably didn't mean what he said about him anyway. Sharon thanks the young teenager and leaves him to crack on with his cleaning.

Back at the Atkins household, it looks as if Shirley is waiting for Gray to return. This scene was another brilliant, interesting scene between Linda Henry and Toby-Alexander Smith. Gray is shocked to see Shirley sat in his kitchen, he asks her how she got in and she reveals a set of keys from her pocket. This conversation between them both seems to really hit the nail on the head. Shirley felt like she had to step in and help Gray, she explains to him that she understands how he's feeling because at this moment in time, Mick isn't happy with her. Gray seems interested and asks why. The only thing she says is that this particular scar is taking longer to heal. I think it's then that Gray realises what she's trying to say, if he had gone through with torching the family home, that would've been a scar for his children which probably would never heal for them. It looks as if (maybe) Shirley and Gray have a bit in common, they understand what each other are going through because they have both been made to feel that they can't cope and that they went down the route of making silly decisions and making stupid mistakes! Gray then suggests to Shirley that she needs to say sorry to Mick, no matter how many times it will take, she needs to keep trying! They clearly have a mutual understanding of each other and I like that, it seems like the most two unlikely people, but it really has worked!

Back at the Slater household, Kush is back on his phone. Something is telling me that perhaps he's trying to win back the £5,000 that Lily lost him! Oooo is Lily going to be such a little madam?! She walks in on Kush playing his game and she knows that it was a real game. She informs him that Kat would be unhappy if she knew about him gaming, she even mentions that Kat was angry at Alfie when she caught him coming out of the bookies. Kush tells the little girl never to play on his phone again, but it looks as if she's got one up on him. She throws a magazine onto the kitchen table and informs him that she's wanting a tablet. Is she threatening him? If he doesn't get her the tablet, will she tell Kat and Stacey what he's been up to? Uh-oh! Kush is stuck in the corner now! I know we've not seen much of her recently, but what do you guys think of the new little actress playing Lily? I think I did prefer the previous little girl as she was incredibly cute, but maybe they're going to be taking a different path with Lily - will she become a troublesome child? Who knows?

Meanwhile, it looks as if Phil has made a bank transaction over the phone of £5,000. He's convinced that he's doing the right thing and making the right decision. He catches up with Lola and informs her that everything with Ellie seems to be okay now. He announces that he's on his way to the hospital to go and see Raymond again, Lola seems surprised but Phil seems to inform her that now Ellie is aware of who he is, he doesn't need to pretend or hide anymore. With that he happily leaves to see his son. As they both arrive at the hospital, they find that Raymond's bed is empty. Phil quickly asks the doctor whether he's been moved to another unit and inquires about the treatment Raymond needs. It's only then that the doctor reveals the shocking information that Raymond has been discharged, he's home and he doesn't need anymore treatment! Phil's eyes are wide with shock! It's been a very long time since anyone has pulled the wall over his eyes like that! He knows he's been made a mug of and he's just given Ellie £5,000 for Raymond's supposed treatment! How the heck is he going to find a way out of this one? Will he track her down and get his money back?!

Back at the Carter's, Tina finds Shirley alone and asks where Mick might've got to, but slowly Mick approaches her from behind. Poor Tina, she obviously thinks she's done the right thing to help Mick with his feelings. She reveals she's only gone and found Katy online and she's debating whether to give her a call or not. Does this mean that Katy could be arriving to the Square pretty soon? Mick looks incredibly uncomfortable as Tina shows him the picture of their old friend. He doesn't say a word as he looks as the picture and quickly makes his escape. Shirley follows her son shouting after him, she can see that he's feeling awkward right now. Poor Tina has no idea what is going on in Mick's head, she's left baffled as they both walk away. The last scene of this episode, out on the Square, Shirley catches up with her son. She takes Gray's advice and begins to tell him how sorry she is for putting him into care, for it being Katy raising him instead of her. She's pleading for forgiveness from her son, but something is telling me that it's not what Shirley did that is upsetting Mick, it's coming to terms with him being abused. For a split moment, it looks as if he's going to tell his Mum exactly what is going on in his head, exactly what he's found out and what he's come to the realisation to. However, his words turn very quickly - as he seems to think about his own children and thinks to himself how someone can do that to a child? - Do what exactly? - Sexually abuse them? Put them into care? The whole speech he makes is as if he's speaking about his sexual abuse, but then maybe he does blame his Mother for putting him into care? Then perhaps his abuse wouldn't have happened in the first place! He announces that now she knows how much he is ashamed of her! He walks away and leaves his poor Mum in floods of tears!

Tuesday 22nd September 2020

Hello everyone! Hope you've all had a good week, I do realise I am late (again!) I can only apologise for my lateness! Tonight I'll be posting about Tuesday's episode and tomorrow I shall do two posts following Thursday's and Friday's episode! Let's waste no time and get right into it!

As you all know, Monday's episode ended with Stacey making an iconic return to the square, and as we can see, it starts just right we left off! Firstly I've got to say how amazing it is to have Lacey Turner back! Stacey is such an iconic to the show and she makes every scene she's in just amazing!! I love how Stacey is acting so nice and polite to Ruby as she returns, even though Ruby is fuming after finding out that her best mate has been stealing money from her! Ruby instantly lashes the insults at her .... only we hear a voice from behind Stacey, and there stands Lily!!!!! Sorry but, how grown up does she look?! She is definitely her Mum's daughter! The spit image!! Such a little superstar, as much as I loved the younger Lily, I can see this little madam causing a stir on the Square, perhaps getting into her own little bits of trouble?! As Stacey finishes her little pow-wow with Ruby, she turns away to see Jean looking at her from a distance, poor Jean, it's been a while since we've seen her! How has she been able to cope during lockdown?! I'm interested to see what she's got to stay to Stacey!

Ahhh yes, Ben is still being questioned by police. Ahhh and of course the Mitchell family lawyer is there to help! To be honest, I've always liked Ritchie, she's always done her best to support the Mitchell's! She also makes a VERY good point, if they really think their evidence is so solid, what are they waiting for? I'm kind of guessing it has something to do with the Detective waiting on Callum to give up Phil?! As he stated to Ben, he's just waiting for that one phone call where someone can collaborate his story?! Or something among those lines?! As Callum is coming out of his apartment, little Lexi approaches him asking whether he's had news on her Dad. Can I just say, all the little actors and actresses in this soap are such superstars! Little Lexi is such a gorgeous little girl, as is Amy, Bailey, Ollie - they are all so young and such brilliant little actors, I love them all! But of course Lexi is going to be worried about her Dad, the poor girl hasn't been able to see them the past few days, since he was arrested. As Callum explains to Jay that it's look that Ben could be charged for his involvement in the robbery, Jay is right when he says "It's gonna kill him, isn't it?!" ... it'll kill Ben and everyone else in the family. Phil, Lola, Lexi, Callum, Jay, Kathy - it'll affect everyone!

Meanwhile, in the café, Stacey is waiting for Martin! I still can't get over how glamorous she looks! Her hair and make-up and outfit just looks perfect! I think from the very beginning since she's been on the Square, Stacey has been my favourite character! She just absolutely MAKES the soap for me, along with Phil Mitchell! Martin enters the café and, to me, it looks as if he is shocked to see his ex-wife looking so beautiful! Considering, as Stacey points out, he hasn't seen her for a whole year! The main thing Martin is wanting though, is being able to see his daughters. Stacey basically tells him that he can see his daughters, if he makes sure Ruby doesn't go to the police about Stacey nicking her money. Martin makes it perfectly clear he doesn't care what she's done, as the situation regarding that is between her and Ruby. He then makes a statement saying to her that she has no idea what he did for his family! Which - as many of you will remember, he got himself caught up in Ben's business, having to collect rent from struggling families, to then to Ben's outrageous plan to murder Keanu! Stacey has no idea about what Martin has done in recent months, but he had to lie to her to protect her - I think to this day, Stacey still believes that he cheated on her with Sonia, which of course, we know was untrue. Will Stacey ever find out the truth about what Martin got up to during the months she was absent?!

In the Vic, Ian is still being off with Sharon! As Kathy brilliantly puts it, he's punishing her for not having the same feelings towards him, which is really not her fault! He needs to grow a pair, be a man about it, accept it and move on! The way Ian looked back at Sharon after she walked off, I'm hoping Kathy has finally talked some sense into him! He and Sharon have been best friends for years and years, it'll be awful to throw a good friendship away over something like that! Maybe Ian will start to back off a bit?!

Ahhh Denise! Gosh it feels like ages since we've seen Denise!!! She must be feeling absolutely devastated about Chantelle passing away?! She explains to Jack as she gets off the phone, that she was speaking to Sheree! Patrick is living with his son Anthony?! And from what we can make from her phone call, Patrick came down with Coronavirus? He seems to be getting better slowly! As Denise is having her conversation with Jack, Amy is in the background playing on her phone, what is this little girl up to? Denise suggests going round and making some food for Patrick, Amy pipes up and instantly asks if she can go with and quickly rushes to get changed. Both Jack and Denise seem surprised by her request but it looks a if Denise is pleased for her to tag along. But what does Amy really want? What is she trying to get out of? Or why is she wanting to go with Denise?!

Kheerat is still grieving for Chantelle, we see him alone, still coming to terms with her loss. Mitch walks in, thinking he's there to collect some on Chantelle's work things. But Kheerat brings his attention to a bin liner, Mitch looks inside and finds Chantelle's memory box. He looks inside and instantly he's wanting to know how and why Kheerat has it. Kheerat explains to him that Chantelle trusted him in getting it for her the previous night, Mitch comes to realise it was become of Kheerat that Gray got the notification of the house alarm. Kheerat explain to Mitch that Chantelle wasn't happy and that she was ready leave to Gray, Mitch remains quiet as he explains what he knows, he then asks him "Why you?" and then it drops - "You were going with her?!" - just as that moment, before Kheerat can respond to him, Suki walks into the room, realising what she might have walked in on, she instantly acts sympathetic towards Mitch, saying she's sorry for his loss and claiming how much they all loved Chantelle. Mitch decides then to leave the room and as he leaves we can Kheerat reeling about how much he knows he needs to tell Mitch, there's still plenty more information they need to know!

At the Slater household, Martin is finally spending time with his daughters. Hope has also grown up so much too! I might be wrong, but how long has it been since Stacey left with her daughters? Nearly a year? Over a year? A round the year mark? In that space of time, I can't believe how much their daughters have grown! Even little Arthur is growing up! Kat is in the living room explaining to Jean and Shirley all about the situation between Ruby and Stacey. As Martin is bonding with his daughter, Stacey is coming down the stairs, she sneaks towards the kitchen door and listens in on their conversation. She smiles softly as little Hope talks to her Daddy, it's then Martin whispers "I've missed you, so much!" - Stacey looks so guilty and upset as she realises how much her ex-husband dotes on his children.

Back at the cafe, Sharon appears to be looking for someone, or something? Linda sees her in a state and Sharon begins to let off a bit of steam to her best mate. She explains how much Ian is getting on her nerves when it comes to him running the Vic, still treating her like she's the bad guy because she didn't feel the same way about him.  Linda gives her friend some brilliant advice, it doesn't matter who's name is on the lease, she insists the Vic belongs to Sharon. She advises her friend that if she was to make the first move and threaten to leave first before Ian chucks her, he will be begging for her to stay behind the bar. Only, will Sharon act upon her advice and will it work?!

Meanwhile, in the Mitchell's, Jay and Phil are discussing the possibility of Ben getting charged for his crimes. Phil brings up the fact that he could be looking at 8 years in prison for armed robbery if he's convicted. Jay begins to panic, for Lexi's sake, as he's been trying to tell the poor girl that everything is going to be okay and her Dad will be fine. Phil instructs him to keep telling her that until they know for certain that everything isn't. Suddenly, Ben makes his way into the room, happy as Larry! Both Jay and Phil are shocked to see him there, Ben makes himself at home, helping himself to a cup of tea! Phil instantly wants an explanation from his son, what is he doing there? Why have the police let him go? Ben makes a jokingly comment saying that the police might not have believed Danny's statement - then he brings up the possibly that Callum might have found a way of getting rid of the CCTV! Phil is clearly surprised about this information - is that true? Has Callum really got rid of the CCTV? Or has he actually gone ahead and decided to give Phil to the police, like they wanted?! Phil warns Ben that he's best trusting him in future, to which Ben responds "I trust you both!" - Hmm but something feels very wrong here. Has Callum betrayed Ben here and given up his Dad to the police? Just so Lexi can be with her Dad?! It's very interesting this one!

At Ruby's - Ruby is getting all her bank statements and all her information together, she's ready to go to the police and drop Stacey right in it! Martin finds her and before she can leave, he pretty much begs her not to go to the police. He explains that he hasn't seen his children for a whole year, he's only managed to spend 20 minutes with Hope. He was hoping to spend some time with Lily, but she sadly didn't want to talk to him. He begs to his girlfriend not to go to the police, not for Stacey, but for his children and for him. It's true that the kids have been through so much the past year, they need both their parents. They might not be together, but time with them is precious.

The next scene we see Denise making food for Sheree and Patrick, it looks as if Isaac has been staying at their house while Patrick is at Anthony's? Sheree appears to be asking for Mitch, she goes to the salon in search for him. As Denise and Sheree are having this conversation, I can make out in the background that Isaac and Amy are having another conversation, it sounds as if Amy is wanting to follow Isaac on social media. At first, it all seems a bit jokey as Isaac laughs and says she can't follow him, but it's when Amy says "Why not?" that things get a little more serious. Isaac is her teacher right? As the conversation goes on, Denise gets closer and listens in, Isaac makes the comment that Amy could be a bit too young to use social media, it's then Amy states that in some countries, some children younger than her get married. It's then that Denise decides to intervene, she instructs Amy to go and wash her hands so she can help prepare food. As Amy groans and leaves the room, Denise clicks to what is going on in the child's head, she informs Isaac that Amy has a huge crush on him! It all makes sense now why she wanted to join her - plus can I just say how grown up Amy looks too! The spit image of her Mum, Roxy! (RIP) - Denise questions Isaac whether he's not the slightest bit worried, but he explains that being a high school teacher, it seems to happen all the time - it'll be a phase and she'll grow out of it. Denise tells him to the best thing and keep his distance, but something tells me this little crush that Amy has will escalate and perhaps get a little out of control? Will a crush become something more of an obsession?!

Back a the Vic, Sharon appears to finally have picked up the courage to confront Ian. Ian tries to start the conversation, he looks as if he's beginning to apologise, but Sharon stops him in his tracks. She wants to her words out before he can. It looks as if she's taken Linda's advice, she starts to say that she'll always remember and be thankful to him for supporting her through her tough times over the past few months, but she goes on to say that with the way things have been between them recently, perhaps its for the best if she was to find someone else to live with her baby boy, for a minute he looks devastated - he says to her that he bought the Vic for her so she could have a home, and as much as she is grateful for that, Sharon points out that he has been treating her the past few weeks, she can't stay unless they can work things out - suddenly Ian is acting the BIG I AM - deciding to agree with what she's saying. It's looking as if Linda's advice has backfired on poor Sharon. He informs his ex-friend that he'll expect her to be gone the following day! Poor Sharon is in absolute disbelief! What is she going to do now? Where is she going live?!

Back at the Slater household, Stacey is finally coming face-to-face with her Mum, after being away for so long. Jean is still visibly upset with her daughter. Stacey begs for her to talk to her and if she'll let her stay they can work things out. Jean says she'll never turn away her grandchildren, but as long as Stacey is there, she'll only tolerate her for the children's sake. It's horrible seeing Jean so upset, but you can understand why, Stacey wasn't there for her Mum when she needed her the most - during her cancer treatment, when Daniel passed away, when she got poisoned for taking too much of her medication (unbeknown to her as you'll remember) - it's only been Kat, Kush and Shirley looking out for her, when really Stacey should've been there. I think it also upset her the fact that Stacey never actually got in touch, poor Jean didn't know where she was for a very long time. Jean informs Stacey that Ruby has come to see her, Stacey leaves the room as Jean's eyes fill with tears. Stacey joins Ruby in the living room, Ruby informs her that there's a piece of paper on the counter for her and on it is basically everything that she has stole from her. Stacey is reluctant at first, claiming that Ruby can't prove anything, but then Ruby says she's trying to do the right thing, as long as Stacey does the right thing, if Stacey pays back to her everything she owes, not for her, but for Martin's sake, then she wont call the police.

Back at the Mitchell's, Ben is really happy to be back at home, he's on the phone to his boyfriend, really excited to be home. We hear Callum on the other end of the phone saying how amazing it is that his boyfriend is finally back at home with his family. Ben says he has him to thank for it, as Ben is relaxing at home during this phone call, we can that Callum appears to be at the police station. His face is looking kind of happy but kind of devastated at the same time ... has he done what I think he's done?! Ben informs him that his Dad will be out that night and he decides to invite his boyfriend round, Callum agrees. As they end the phone call, Callum looks down at his phone, not looking as pleased as you'd think you'd be if your partner was let out of prison. It's then we hear a voice from above him "You made the right decision Callum!" .... *GASP* ... No!!!! Callum!!! Why? This is a devastating situation right now!!! Callum has basically given Phil to the police, just so Ben could be free? I have a horrible feeling about this - Ben is going to find out and it'll all kick off, Ben will see it as a huge betrayal! Phil will never trust Callum again, will Ben ever trust him again?! Ooooh - I kinda feel annoyed at Callum for doing it but also feel sorry for him as he probably feels he was pushed into a corner and that he didn't really have a choice, has he been cruel to be kind?! Oh no!!!! I dread to think what's going to happen to Ballum and to Phil after this!!! I don't understand why the police think that Phil is a bad man? Okay he's had his demons in the past, perhaps a robbery or two? Set fire to a few buildings (ie:- car lot and the Vic) But he's never physically killed anyone! Phil is not a murderer! Phil Mitchell has a history of being the hard man, the gangster - the one man no should ever cross, but it's a true fact that Phil Mitchell has never killed anyone!

As Phil is giving the money to Ritchie for getting Ben out, he reveals that thanks to her work and Callum, Ben is out. Ritchie looks a little confused, Phil explains to her that Ben thinks it was Callum who got rid of the CCTV. Ritchie can't imagine how as Callum's position is just a junior copper. She explains to Phil that the only reason they probably would release Ben is if they were to get something bigger. She then drops the bombshell to Phil that the police could be potentially after him. Does this mean that Phil is going to go on the run? She's warned him to watch his back! Phil instantly looks as if he knows who could be behind it, has Callum grassed him up to the police?! I do have a horrible feeling about the outcome of this. I said it earlier - my two favourite characters of the soap are Stacey and Phil, they MAKE the soap for me. Walford wouldn't be the same without them! I do hope Phil will get away somehow, there always seem to be way that Phil will escape from the police, they sometimes do catch up with him, but he always somehow seems to get away. What do you guys think will happen? What's going to be in store for Ballum and Phil in the up-coming episodes! I'd love to know your thoughts!

Tuesday 20th October 2020

Hello again folks! Hope you're having a good day so far! I really enjoyed writing about Monday's episode, I'm really hoping Tuesday's will be just as good. My plan was going to attempt two blog posts today but  I've decided it will be a lot easier for me to do one post a night. Seeing as I'm not working on Saturday, I can write up about Friday's episode then and follow tonight's episode tomorrow. That will leave me with next week not being behind, I hope I've not annoyed any of you with this, and I apologise in advance if I have. But I just want to do the best I can with this blog and I just want let to you guys know that I am still committed to do this 100% ... life just seems to get in the way sometimes. Anyway, let's jump right into Tuesday's episode and see what's going on in Walford!

The episode starts with Phil still reeling from the recent news he's learned about Ellie. Ben is adamant that his Dad shouldn't be going in with all guns blazing, he even asks his Dad if he wants him to go along. But Phil instructs his son to get things in the house ready for a 3 year old, as not matter what, he'll be bringing Raymond home! But something tells me, it's not going to be as simple as that! Is going to be walking into a war or a trap? We already know the Ellie was to blame for Raymond's parents passing away, what is she going to do next?

At the Beale household, Ian finds Peter and informs him that he has transferred some money into his account, not just his allowance but a little extra. Is he literally buying his son's silence?! I'd like to think Peter is smarter than that, maybe in time he'll come to realise that his Dad is lying to them all. As Ian leaves, Kathy can be seen doing her make-up, getting herself ready for her date with Iain. She confides in her Grandson that she's feeling nervous, more to the fact that the fella doesn't even know her real age. Peter tells his Gran not to worry and that the date will go smoothly. Just as Peter happens to mention the word "Date" - Bobby appears and is shocked to hear that his Gran is going out to meet some stranger, but I think the main issue is that he's upset she's going outside during a pandemic and after taking precautions during lockdown, she should be careful as she's vulnerable. Something tells me that this has something to do with Bobby's OCD storyline, recently he's been constantly reminding everybody to wash their hands and be careful, I might be jumping the gun here, but are EastEnders going to make Coronavirus a storyline? Meaning, is Kathy going to catch it while going on her date and become really unwell, or will Bobby end up getting it after being incredibly careful. Who knows? I could be completely wrong, but it would be an interesting outcome, don't you guys think?!

Meanwhile, in the Vic Stacey and Kat are cleaning whilst Lily sits and watches as she's playing on her tablet. This was a very interesting conversation between Stacey and Kat. Kat just happens to mention that she saw Ruby with a designer handbag that Martin has supposedly bought her for her birthday. Stacey seems a little upset by this news and she appears jealous as she mentions that the best presents that Martin ever bought her were a CD and paint! It's the next part which Lily seems to listen really closely too, she's obviously aware that her Mum is feeling sad about Martin and Ruby being together, but to let off some steam, Stacey will shout and probably say things that she doesn't mean, it's then she mentions Ruby having "Daddy issues" and she's had them ever since her Dad saved the wrong daughter in a house fire. Lily picks up on what her Mother has said, what is she going to do with this new information?!

At the Cafe, Habiba is eager to get Ash and Iqra on side to go to court with her to support Jags. Ash reveals that Suki and Kheerat are going and everyone thought it was best if no else went. Habiba is saddened to hear that Ash isn't doing anything to save her brother. Everyone knows that Jags is innocent, but no one is willing to tell the truth. Iqra offers to go with her sister for support, Habiba accepts and they both leave to head off to court.

In the Arches, Phil is looking that he's waiting for someone, checking his watch and the clock on the wall. Suddenly, Ellie walks in, personally, I feel there's going to be some kind of row going on, but Phil plays the sympathy/guilty card. Explaining that he knows everything regarding the car crash that Raymond's parents were in. He tries to convince her that Raymond would be better off with him and his family, he'll be safer - seeing as Ellie has put her Grandson's life in danger and what's going to stop her from doing it again?! Ellie then plays dirty, she scoffs at Phil's words, informing him that she has also done her homework and found out everything about Ben, Louise and even Dennis. Phil looks a little bit defeated that he's been caught out, but then Ellie changes her tune, she admits that she can see how much Raymond means to him, and she even goes on to say that she'll let Phil have him. Phil, however, does look a bit suspicious, what's the catch?! Oh - only £150,000! Ellie announces she'll let him have Raymond for 150 grand!!! How the hell is Phil going to find that kind of money?!

Meanwhile at the restaurant, Kathy is preparing herself for her date, she takes a deep breath and turns the corner to find a - dare I say - dashing gentleman waiting at a table. He spots her and he seems really happy to see her, clearly a little nervous but ever more happy to see her turn up. As Kathy takes a seat you can see she is also nervous, mainly due to the fact that the poor man isn't aware of her real age. He makes a point about going on dates and ending up being catfished, meaning that the person who turns up doesn't turn out to be who they make out they are online. Kathy can only give a small smile, she must be feeling a little guilty, perhaps feeling that she's leading the poor guy on. Something tells me she might come clean by the end of her date, but who knows? Will it be a success?!

At the Prince Albert, Ash and Peter - surprisingly two other characters I never thought we'd see share a scene. But from what I can make out, they both have a little bit in common, Ash is wallowing her thoughts and fears about her brother going to prison for something he didn't do. Peter is also battling demons about his own Dad, wondering whether to trust him or not. They're both dealing with deep family issues right now, and it looks as if as they continue their conversation, they have some mutual understanding of each other and what the other is going through. I could be looking into something that isn't there, but do I sense a bit of flirtation as Peter offers to buy her a drink? I mean, sure, anyone can offer someone a drink without it be flirtatious, but I don't know - something told me that maybe there might've been something there. But who knows, Ash I believe is happy with Iqra, so who knows what could happen? This is EastEnders after all!

Back at the restaurant, it looks as if Kathy's date with Iain is going brilliantly! They're both giggling and enjoying each other's company. But it looks as if Iain is asking Kathy really awkward questions, questions which are having to make her lie about her family, such as Peter being her son instead of Grandson. Is she going to keep up the pretence that she's younger than what she actually is?! I mean, I said it last night, Kathy is looking fabulous at 70 and she shouldn't be afraid to be proud of her age! I think Kathy is a stunning looking woman, gorgeous hair with a beautiful dress sense, with a gorgeous smile - what's not to like? Who cares if she's 70? I hope eventually Kathy will admit the truth and hopefully Iain won't find the age-gap a big deal! Kathy deserves some happiness! Later on as they leave the restaurant together, Kathy invites Iain to the Prince Albert, things are looking great when suddenly Kathy takes a nasty tumble as she twists her ankle and falls to the floor. Ash, Peter and Bobby rush to Kathy's aid insisting that she needs to go the hospital to get herself looked at. Iain is a bit blaséabout it, saying she "Just tripped" - something you do never say when a woman falls over! In my opinion, if a woman ever falls over, people should do the decent thing and make sure she's okay - no matter what her age may be! As Peter and Ash plead Kathy to go the hospital, it's then that Peter slips up and calls her "Gran" - much to Iain's surprise, it's then that Kathy admits her real age and admits she's feeling incredibly foolish. I feel sad for Kathy at this point, everything was going so well before her nasty fall - I hope Iain will maybe look past it, but who knows? Did any of you also notice that when Bobby saw his Nan fall, he started counting, clearly to cope and calm his breathing after what he's just witnessed.

At the club, Stacey is looking for Martin, but Ruby appears to be in the middle of something with a supplier, she's refusing to sign for items she didn't order. Stacey watches on as she's being hounded by the delivery driver, surprisingly she stands up for her ex-friend and basically tells the delivery guy to do one! Ruby seems surprised that she's stood up for her, in an attempt to rekindle their friendship, she asks her friend to stay for a drink. As Stacey and Ruby are drinking, it looks as if things aren't going to be as easy as saying "Sorry!" - they are both really strong feisty females and to be fair, they have both done wrong to each other in recent months. Stacey makes the valid point that any man in Stacey's life, Ruby also seems to get her hands on - Sean, Max, Martin, but then again Ruby comes back with another valid point, that she didn't pretend to be her! It's true that they are both best friends and they're the only friend's each of them has got right now, will they be able to look past everything that's happened and move on?

Meanwhile, in the Vic, Habiba is looking absolutely heartbroken, it looks as if Jags has been sentenced to four years in prison for his attack on Martin Fowler. Habiba is devastated that her boyfriend has gone down for something he didn't do, she announces to her sister how much she hates the Panesar family for watching and doing nothing to save Jags. It's then she informs Iqra that she no longer wants Ash living with them. Is Iqra going to be forced to make a huge decision, whether to ask her girlfriend to leave or whether to move out with her girlfriend and leave Habiba alone. Back at the club, Suki and Vinny are also discussing Jags, Vinny is still adamant that he should've taken Jag's place, but Suki shrugs it off and tells him to man up, prison will be the making of Jags - apparently.

As soon as Suki leaves the club, the camera spans across and we find Stacey and Ruby again. Stacey is quick to say that she needs to get off to find Lily. But suddenly, Lily walks in admitting that she's been in the club office the whole time, both Ruby and Stacey are shocked to find her. Stacey is quick to ger home but Lily - oooh she's become such a little madam hasn't she - She's can't understand why her Mum and Ruby are now socialising? She opens her mouth and puts her Mum right in it, revealing what Stacey had said about her previously to their meeting. Stacey is horrified with her daughter, Ruby is just as shocked. It's then that Ruby begins to play the evil stepmum, she promises Lily can have a takeaway with herself and Martin whenever she likes, much to Stacey's annoyance. Stacey gives Ruby a warning, she is nothing to Lily and never will be and she warns her to stay away! Something tells me it's going to be a long time until Ruby and Stacey are friends again, something is also telling me that somehow it'll affect the children. Also I'm thinking that Lily is going to become a very twisted little girl, causing so much trouble and causing havoc in her family, ruining relationships and perhaps spreading lies about everyone. What do you guys think of the new Lily?! It's going to be quite a while to get used to, Lily was such a lovely little girl and now she's turned into such a spoilt brat!

Back at Beale household, Bobby can be seen once again cleaning extravagantly. Wearing gloves and counting the amount of times he's wiping the picture frame. Peter comes in and calls out to him, informing that their Gran has been in agony since her fall. He walks in to find vases and picture frames placed on dining room table, Bobby is breathless as he violently wipes clean every inch of the vase, counting to five as he does so. I've never been one to understand OCD, but it must be hell to live with, but then again I guess I kind of have the understanding that the people feel the need to do things until they feel completely safe. Peter looked concerned for his brother, will he confide in his Dad or Nan about what he's witnessed?!

The final scene of this episode, Phil has gotten the money together to give to Ellie. He walks in the Arches to find Ellie waiting for him, without Raymond! Ben quickly follows his Dad to see what's going on. Phil throws the duffle bag with 80 grand inside, insisting that he needs more time to get the rest. Ellie seems very unimpressed but it's only when Ben begins to plead to his Dad to not give Ellie more money that she starts to squirm. Ben makes a very good point that she could bleed Phil dry for years at the promise of getting Raymond eventually. Part of me is hoping that Phil will listen to his son, as much as Phil is desperate to be reunited with his son, he can't afford to lose all his money. He can't risk giving the money to Ellie, to then have her do a runner and not keep her word. Phil agrees with Ben and informs Ellie that she's not going to receive another penny from him! If Phil wants Raymond, he's going to do things properly with solicitors and possibly even take Ellie to court - it looks as if we've got a custody battle on our hands!!! Ooooh I am so looking forward to seeing the outcome of this! What do you guys think? Will Phil eventually be able to welcome Raymond back into his life? Or is there going to be many dark twists and turns along the way?!