#rubyallen

Monday 7th September 2020

Good evening everyone and what an exciting night it is!!! EastEnders is back on our screens tonight!  It's been a good few months since the soap has been on our screens. Tonight it's finally back, even though the time has been reduced from 30 minutes to 20 minutes, it doesn't matter! Our favourite characters will be back and the story-lines will be able to continue, so many answers will be given and so many secrets revealed!

But before we delve into the excitement of tonight's episode, i'm sure the majority of you have been made aware of the news regarding the beautiful Chantelle Atkins. For those of you who might've missed it somehow, EastEnders have announced that poor Chantelle will pass away due to domestic violence at the hands of her husband, Gray.

Since Chantelle and Gray appeared on the Square, they portrayed the perfect family! Two successful people working brilliant jobs, with two beautiful children and on the outside, it looked as if they lived a very happy life! But little do the Walford residents know that behind closed doors, poor Chantelle has been the target of domestic abuse from her husband. Taking beatings and beatings and suffering in silence. None of her close friends or family are aware of what is happening in their family home when no one else is around. Gray appears to have nasty temper on him, and he takes it out on his wife. EastEnders have announced the passing of Chantelle before the soap reappears on our screens due to the fact that the next few episodes will be quite harrowing, as viewers will see Chantelle attempt to escape and leave her husband. Jessica Plummer's last appearance as Chantelle will be on the 18th September. I believe both Jessica Plummer and Toby-Alexander Smith's performance as Chantelle and Gray have been phenomenal! It's a very sensitive issue to portray, but in all seriousness ... this does happen to people every single day, and unfortunately - due to the lock-down, some people are suffering in silence, being victims of domestic abuse and being attacked at their home day after day. I, for one will be devastated to see Chantelle be killed off, but I do feel it's a very important issue and it's fantastic of EastEnders to be raising awareness of such vicious acts of cruelty. What the big questions I want to ask now are, what will happen in the aftermath? Will Gray be found out? How will the Taylor family react to the passing of Chantelle? Will Gray go to deep lengths to hide the truth from his family and neighbours? I'm sure many fans were always hoping that Chantelle would find a way to speak up and ask for help or eventually escape Gray, but sadly in Chantelle's case, it will never be that way. I applaud the cast and story writers who took part in this story-line, it's a big subject and it's needs to be spoken about openly, more and more, and if anyone who views this story-line, who is currently in Chantelle's situation, hopefully they'll get the courage to speak out and/or seek help to escape. --- Now, shall we focus on tonight's episode? I don't know about you lot but I've been really looking forward to the day EastEnders came back on air! And it certainly came back with a bang!! Ahhh it felt so good to hear that theme tune again!! Brilliant!!

Awww and what a brilliant opening, Ian looking all smug and proud, putting the Queen Vic bust back on the counter. Quick question ... where the hell did he get that from?! I'm assuming it's something that could've been replaced, but me - being naive, honestly thought that the old Queen Vic bust which sank during the anniversary episodes, was one of a kind! Clearly - obviously not! Oh gosh ... look at all those photos of Ian and Sharon being landlords of the Vic! Makes a nice realistic touch, don't you guys think? Clearly, Ian has been making himself at home at the Vic during lock-down! Oooh it does look as if Ian and Dotty still have daggers for each other, Dotty's case has come up after Ian grassed her up to the police about selling some form of drugs at the club and they both appear to be going to court together. Dotty is NOT going to keep quiet for long, she will soon tell Sharon all about the secrets Ian has been hiding form her regarding her son, Dennis. Dotty must've been finding it so hard to watch Ian and Sharon together in the Vic, the secret must be eating her up to the core! 

Is it just me, or is Chantelle looking very fragile? She's very shaky, nervous ... it looks as if while she's been in lock-down, she's had nothing but abuse from Gray. It looks as if she's looking to divorce her husband and get away as soon as she can! Watching this, knowing what is going to happen in a couple of episodes time, I'm already feeling worried and scared for her. She's made things perfectly clear that she wants to the divorce to be quick and easy. Gray will still be able to see his children and they'll be living near by. This is something that does worry me, will Gray find out about her wanting a divorce and lash out? She's been told that a divorce could be incredibly expensive. Is she going to be able to afford what she needs to be able to go ahead? I know I am asking all sorts of questions, but with this being the first episode back, there are so many things that could happen with each and every story! Plus it feels like it's been so long since we've seen these characters, it feels so good to have them back again! Will Chantelle be able to open up to Kheerat before it's too late! Suki has already informed him that Gray was the one who put him up to Trading Standards, could there be some kind of conversation to come between Chantelle and Kheerat where he'll confront her about Gray's behaviour, and could she finally be able to tell him how Gray actually treats her?! You can see the fear in Chantelle's eyes as she enters her house and Gray comes to approach her from the stairs, already questioning her where she has been. When he reached into her bag I was worried he was going to pull out some form of paperwork regarding a divorce, but instead he's putting a tracker on her phone, to keep an eye on her. Chantelle clearly isn't happy about this, but sadly, there's nothing she can say. Gray is controlling and is wanting to keep an eye on her every move, he's frustrated as he has been put on furlough from his job, so he has also been stuck in the house while his children have gone back to school and Chantelle working also. How is Chantelle going to be able to escape Gray now he's put a tracker on her phone? Gosh, I just want to hold her and tell her she can escape from this! She later approaches Kheerat, telling him he's the only one she can trust and asks him for the money for her divorce, even though she can't tell him what it's for. But of course she feels guilty for asking after finding out her husband was the one who called up Trading Standards on Kheerat's company. I really do think Chantelle will tell him something, if not everything, but something before she sadly passes away. Kheerat will do everything he can to get justice for Chantelle! 

Oh Ballum!!!! Gosh I almost forgot about Ballum!!! Ha! Ben's hair has surely grown ... of course so had millions of other men's hair during lock-down! I love how happy they both appear to be able to see each other. Oh, is Ben going to ask Callum to move in?! IS THAT GOING TO BE A THING?! Haha is anyone feeling really proud of Callum? Is he now an official police officer? When he stopped that thief and stated "I'm a police officer! You're nicked!" I just felt a little sense of pride! God bless his little soul! Oh and look at him in his police gear!!! He looks SO good!!!!! I can't get over how manly he's become, I know that's a bit pathetic to say ... but we've seen him become a real man, come to terms with his sexuality and now he's followed his dreams and become a Police Officer, with the support of his boyfriend. Callum is eager to get his job done so he can go to the hospital with Ben, needless to say his colleagues aren't aware that he's gay, but in all honesty ... it's none of their business really. But I do have a feeling that eventually it will come to their attention, and as soon as they realise who Callum's partner is, his job could be at risk, even before it's started! Ooooh noooo, Callum is going to figure out what Ben did, while he is sat looking through the CCTV footage that he's been given, Ben slowly appears onto the screen. This would've been when he and Phil went after Danny and his money during this job that was meant to happen. How is Callum going to approach this with Ben? Am I right in thinking that Ben lied to him and told him he had nothing to do with it, but of course, the CCTV tells otherwise. 

Ahhh okay, so Linda has revealed that Sharon has renamed her son "Albie" ... Honestly, I think I preferred Kayden, but each to their own! Awww both Mick and Linda are adjusting to their life out of the Queen Vic. It looks as if Mick has some kind of interview or something the way he has dressed smartly with his waistcoat. Linda has been working in the cafe as a cleaner from the looks of it, while Mick has been home-schooling Ollie. It's going to be so weird not seeing them behind the Queen Vic bar, but I'm sure we'll get used to them being out in the community in a much different way. 

Sharon seems really happy where she is, she is back in her home to be honest! She grew up in the pub, it's only right that she brings up her child where she spent her childhood. It's only when she sees the Queen Vic pub, she stops in her tracks and goes silent. Has Ian made the right decision in ordering a second Queen Vic bust? Or is it something that is going to haunt Sharon, knowing it sank where her son lost his life? It's questionable. 

Oh I am so happy to see Kat back!!! Is it going to be revealed why she left? We know Jessie Wallace was suspended, but what was the reason for Kat to depart the Square? Is this going to made known? Oh and soon as she spots Ruby and Martin together, she's doing what Kat does best and sticking up for her family! Are Ruby and Martin now an item? Have they decided to become official while during lockdown together? It's been revealed that Martin has had the time of his life living with Ruby, but also she has kept secret from him that she has been having money problems due to the club being closed. When Stacey returns, she is going to be such a shock when she learns about Ruby and Martin, I already am kind of feeling sorry for her. 

When Ian and Dotty are back from the court, Ian is just slightly poking at Dotty more and more, saying that she should thank him for changing his statement, or even buy him a drink. You can see it's slowly eating her upside, how much she's desperate for him to have his comeuppance. She's made it clear now that she's not going to prison, what is to stop her from telling Sharon the truth now? What other threats could he throw at her? It's only when Sharon approaches in dismay asking whether any of Dennis's things had been returned from the police that Ian goes all scares. Ahh so, the Queen Vic bust is actually the original, from what I understand, it was recovered from the accident and sent back to the Vic where it belongs! (And there's me thinking it was a brand new one!) Later when Dotty is sat on Albert's bench, Bobby approaches her saying that she must be thankful for his Dad to help her out of the situation. But she makes a slight dig at Ian, saying that her father, Nick Cotton, was more like Mother Theresa compared to him! Which, Bobby can't seem to understand, he can't understand why Dotty enjoys slagging him off, but she makes a fair point that Nick never coward behind someone else and he always accepted who he was and took everyone else how they were. It's then she claims that she just like her father and is proud for what she stands for and believes in. She makes her way into the Vic just as Ian and Sharon are clearing the air about things being returned to the Vic, this is when the climax comes, what viewers have been waiting for for months! Ian getting his comeuppance and Sharon finding out the truth about how her boy died. Dotty goes on to say that people deserve to know the truth about how their loved ones die, Ian trying to worm his way out of the conversation, maybe trying to change the conversation and say it's not right to upset Sharon ... then she comes out with it, "He's the reason Dennis died! He locked him in the cabin on the boat and that's why he drowned!" 

Monday 12th October 2020

Good evening folks! I hope you've had a brilliant weekend. We're are back with another week of EastEnders and I am so intrigued as to what is going to happen this week. I'm just going jump straight in with it ... so the episode starts this evening with Whitney on the phone to Bianca. Bianca must've heard what happened while she was in court, Whitney is visibly tearful as she tries to explain to her what has happened and how she's going to deal with it. Is Bianca also trying to convince her to plead Not Guilty? As Whitney is walking through the Square, Sonia is following along behind her, adamant she needs plead Not Guilty, but Whitney has had enough. She claims to her that Leo is dead because of her, I guess Whitney just believes she needs to do what's right, regardless whether he made her life a misery or not. Do you guys really think she'll go down for Leo's murder? Or is there going to be some miraculous change of heart/mind of the jury and they could find her Not Guilty? Who knows?!

Meanwhile, Mick is still feeling the blame for what happened in Court. It's understandable that his head all over the place right now, trying to cope with the fact that he's found a daughter he never knew he had! He still hasn't told Linda about Frankie, how much longer is he going to keep her a secret? We all know secrets never last long in this soap and it's always explosive when secrets are revealed! He's just going to make things worse for himself and for Linda if he leaves it much longer! What do you guys think? Linda can see there's something clearly wrong with her husband, she tries to comfort him and assure him that what happened in court was not his fault, his panic attack couldn't be helped. But will Mick really see it that way?

Ahhh okay, so Phil is still going to do whatever he can to make sure that Raymond will be in his life. I kind of love the fact that he's making a cheese sandwich, I don't really know why ... I just think it's brilliant! Phil Mitchell making a cheese butty! Ha! Anyway, while he's preparing food in the kitchen, Ben is having a word with his Dad whether it really is a good idea to keep seeing Raymond, as he makes the valid point - "You can't go back on adoption!" Plus things are only going to explode once Ellie finds out who Phil really is. I know I've probably said it before, but this story is one that I'm really looking forward to - whether something will come out of it remains to be seen. But even the possibility of Ben seeing his younger brother, I think that scene - if it ever happens - is going to be beautiful!

Meanwhile, in the café, Gray is seen still looking very miserable, is he still thinking about what happened the day before? Is he perhaps hiding from Karen and Mitch? Karen still hasn't caught up with him for missing his wife's funeral, but I'm sure as soon as she claps eyes on him, she'll be having words! In the background Sonia and Linda are discussing how important it is to keep hold of things that mean the most to you, as one day it could all be taken away. As Linda leaves the room, Sonia approaches Gray and basically pleads to him to speak to Whitney, to try and convince her to change her mind, but Gray feels he's caused too much damage to her trial already, so he declines, much to her disappointment.  

At the Prince Albert, Frankie is talking to Tina about other possible theme nights and promotions that they could put on at the bar, she states to Tina that not everyone who go to gay bars are gay, Tina makes a really funny remark to Frankie, after making a move on her and feeling embarrassed because she rejected her. Frankie's reaction is almost apologetic, she obviously feels bad for giving Tina the wrong impression. Suddenly, Linda makes her way in and asks Tina to have a talk with Mick, as she's asking Tina this favour, Frankie appears to listen in to the conversation. She overhears Linda explain that her husband isn't sleeping, not eating properly, isn't opening to up to her - she feels like he's hiding something. Frankie realises that it's because of her, we can see the look in her face! Is Frankie going to be able to somehow convince her Dad to tell the truth to his wife?!

Back at the Mitchell household, while Ben is waiting for Lexi, he's explaining to his boyfriend that he's really worried about Phil being hurt again. He worries that if Phil is going to keep seeing Raymond, it could all backfire for him. He makes the important point that the one person he's forgotten about is Denise, how is Denise going to feel if/when she finds out Phil has repeatedly been to see their son. Callum makes the suggestion that perhaps Phil seeing Raymond may be a good thing, the silver lining is that he's not focusing on any dodgy deals or dodgy work right now. Whilst Ben and Callum are having this discussion, little Lexi has hear to the door on the other side, listening in to their conversation. While this chat is taking place, Denise and Jack are walking through the Square, Denise appears to be just a little bit on edge as Jack makes the remark that she's been drinking a bottle of wine every night since being reunited with Raymond. As Denise shrugs off Jack's remark, they bump into Phil as he leaves Minute Mart, they share a quick look and he walks away. Denise admits to Jack that she doesn't trust him, I have a feeling that somehow Denise is going to stop Phil from seeing their son. This is what I mean when I say this story could go so many ways, there are so many routes the story could go down and I am so intrigued and excited to see what happens.

Meanwhile at the Vic, Kat and Jean are doing their jobs and cleaning all the tables and bar area. I love how Jean is talking about that for Hope's birthday she was going to get Mo to dress up as the Queen. Brilliant! As she continues her conversation with Kat, the subject turns onto the topic of Stacey, and how she became to realise that Martin only lied to her to protect her. Jean reveals that Stacey is hoping for her and Martin to get back together once he returns from his holiday. But as Kat is listening to this, she's scrolling on her phone on what we only assume to be their social media pages, but then she stop and says "Oh my god!" - Something has happened between Martin and Ruby, but what?!

Back at the Café, Tina and Linda are discussing Mick. Tina is reassuring Linda that there is nothing wrong with her husband, she explains that this is what Mick does, if something is bothering him, he'll disappear to sort himself out and he'll return. She assures Linda that she hasn't done anything wrong, she everything will be fine come dinner time. While this conversation is happening, Frankie finds Mick in the park and decides to join him. We can see that Mick is in deep thought as she places a coffee mug in front of him. Frankie tries to console Mick, she promises that she never wanted to cause him any stress, she doesn't want to come in between his marriage. She understands if he doesn't want to tell Linda about her, she wouldn't even ask him to. Mick smiles at his daughter and offers to buy her a bacon sandwich (YUM!) ... but as he queue's up, he bumps into Max. He decides to apologise for his behaviour the other day, Max is more than understanding, they both come to a mutual understanding and accept each other's apology, Frankie is watching in the background as they chat. Suddenly their conversation changes and Max sympathises with Mick about what happened in court, bringing up his fling with Whitney, as the conversation continues Frankie is completely stunned. Mick returns to her and she starts kicking off on him, saying that he had some affair with a lady named "Wendy!" - that's a good point, does Frankie even know who Whitney is? Has she even met Whitney yet? Mick tries to explain to his daughter that she has completely misunderstood, but she walks off before he gets a chance to explain.

Meanwhile at the Slater household, Stacey is excited to see that Martin and Ruby have returned from their holiday. This could be the chance she needs to tell Martin exactly how she feels. As she rushes upstairs to get ready, Jean and Kat are trying to come up with a plan to try and stop her before she walks into the situation and ends up feeling humiliated. They clearly know something we don't ... Suddenly the front door slams shut and they realise Stacey has already left. Eventually she finally catches up with Martin, he's stood on his front door with his luggage case. Stacey pours her heart, saying she understands why he lied to her, but she wishes he'd have just told her the truth, it could've saved them so much arguing. As she's saying this, Martin looks as if he doesn't know what to say, "Talk about timing, Stace!" he says. She looks a little confused as Ruby makes an appearance, she states to Martin that he's got to carry her over the threshold .... WAIT! WHAT?! .... THEY'VE GOT MARRIED!!!!! WHO? WHAT? WHY?? .... I didn't even think Ruby and Martin were a serious thing! I did not even think they were going to last!!! Ooooo did you see the smug look on Ruby's face as Martin says to Stacey that they've got married!!! Do you want to know what I think, I think it's Ruby's way of getting her own back on Stacey ... like, "You stole my money, I'm going to steal your man!" ... What do you guys think? I feel so sorry for Stacey, I was kind of hoping that Martin and Stacey would rekindle their relationship and start again!

Back at the Prince Albert, Tina is fuming at Frankie for leaving the bar when she specifically asked her to cover. Before Frankie is even having a chance to apologise or explain herself, Tina is kicking off at the poor girl, asking whether she's some kind of stalker because she's found out about her taking photographs of the family. Eventually Frankie manages to get a word and states a name "Katy Lewis!" ... Tina's face turns to shock ... Frankie then begins to explain that Katy Lewis is her Mum, now this is the confusing part ... Tina's face turns from shock to pure joy! She seems so excited to hear that name. She reveals that she and the rest of the family as well as Frankie's Mum are old friends. Tina instructs that as soon as they finish up at the bar she wants to discuss with Frankie everything about her Mum, the look on Frankie's face is just pure confusion!

Back on the Square, Gray bumps into Whitney. This is first time they've seen each other since his breakdown in court. She reveals to him that the only way she's going to be able to go through with it is if she pleads Guilty. Gray instantly tells her not to! He struggles to say the next sentence as it's kind of referring to him also, he slowly states to Whitney that Chantelle believed that you should always tell the truth, because it'll always come out in the end if you don't! It looks as if what Gray has said to her has managed to persuade her to plead Not Guilty, could this be the pep talk she needed to fight her way through court?!

The last scene of tonight's episode was in the Vic, Tina and Frankie had met up with the rest of the Carter family and Tina excitedly explaining to them all that Frankie is Katy Lewis's daughter. Mick looks a bit quiet as he sips his drink, Linda recalls hearing the name, whereas Shirley seems to remember her perfectly. This is really interesting now, Tina then reveals to Frankie that Katy was Mick's carer? She make the revelation that Mick was only 12 when he seemed to have a crush on her. Frankie's face drops! Her head is spinning as Mick admits that he was just only 12. Frankie excuses herself to escape the conversation, Mick follows her pretty quickly, as they talk together alone in the corner of the Vic, Frankie is absolutely shocked, she can't believe what she's just heard - she initially thought that she was the result of an affair? But it looks as if he could've been sexually abused as a child!!! Did Frankie's Mum abuse him???!!! Also, very interestingly, did you see the look on Shirley's face! She knows something! She knows something isn't right with Mick!!!

Friday 20th November 2020

Hello again everyone! Hope you all are doing well, this current lockdown is nearly at an end! Hopefully things will start to look a bit better when Christmas comes around! I apologise for me being so behind on the episodes lately, unfortunately I am still working during this current lockdown and of course with things happening in my own personal life, there are times I miss out on watching an episode, let alone even getting the time to review one and type up a blog. I want to thank you all for your on-going support, there have been so many spoilers as to what may be happening over the Christmas period on Albert Square, I'm really looking to watching it all unfold!

Meanwhile, let's carry on from where I was last up to, Friday's episode. The episode begins with Kat, she's slumped on the kitchen table as Stacey makes her way in. Poor Kat looks as if she hasn't been able to have a wink of sleep all night. She reveals to Stacey that she's tried calling everyone she knows trying to find the whereabouts of Kush, she's still trying to call him but his phone remains off. Who knows where he must've gone to after the robbery?! He seems to have just done a disappearing act. But Kat isn't one to just hang around and do nothing, as she grabs her coat, she informs Stacey that she's going off to the police station to give her statement and then she's going to try and find Kush. If the police haven't got him then he must be somewhere?!

Meanwhile, Callum looks absolutely lost. He's seems to be in a world of his own as he tends to his busted lip. As Ben walks in, they begin to discuss how the whole situation has turned into such a mess. Callum informs his boyfriend that he really didn't have a choice but to let Kush go, considering he'd threatened to take down Ben with him if he got caught. Ben then speaks his opinion that Kush should remain missing, he seems to be believe that they would've gotten away with the robbery if Kush hadn't set off the silent alarm - however things seems to take an interesting turn here, Callum then reveals to his boyfriend that there actually wasn't a silent alarm, and the other reason the police turned up was because they received an anonymous 999 call. Ben seems to look deeply concerned, but does he have an idea as to who grassed them up?! Wait till he finds out that it was his brother!!

At the laundrette, Max walks in on Linda drawing up some new ideas for her business idea. She shows Max her rough copies of the new superhero's she's made, and of course - Max is really impressed and suggest that she should post them online. Once again I'm sensing more flirtation between the two, they suggest bringing their children together for a playdate and perhaps modelling some outfits that Linda has designed, but it's just so blatantly obvious that Linda is flirting when she suggests having an adult in on the modelling too to be pose with the children. They share a giggle as Sharon enters the building, oooh Sharon knows she has walked in on something! Both Linda and Max act very coy when she asks if she's interrupting something, Linda reveals to her friend that Max is helping with her business idea for the Lucy Beale Award. Sharon knows that Max is up to no good, the last thing she wants is for Max to break up another marriage! What do you think, are Linda and Max just good friends? Or do you fear that something is going to happen between the two and they'll cross the line?!

In the Cafe, Tiffany is informing her husband that both Rainie and Stuart haven't been in touch with her for a while since she agreed to be their surrogate, however once Keegan notices that she's had her phone on "Airplane Mode", loads of messages seem to come through once she's taken it off. I mean, of course Stuart and Rainie are going to be in touch with her as much as they can, it's the excitement of being one step closer to becoming parents. Suddenly they make their way into the Cafe and insist on buying Tiffany breakfast, however in stead of buying a lovely full English Breakfast, Rainie brings up a plate of salad to her - I mean, I get she wants her to be healthy so she'll be able to look after their baby okay, but something tells me it would start being a bit of an insult if she starts telling her what to eat and what not to eat. Tiffany and Keegan can both see this is going to be a really long journey for them.

Out on the Square, Ian appears to be dressed in his finest as he gives an interview for the Walford Gazette newspaper. I'm unsure what that interview is for, possibly for his public image? Or wanting to get the word out that the Vic is now under new management. He's one again gloating to this news crew that if it wasn't for him, the Queen Vic would've hit rock bottom with sales, business, etc. However, unfortunate for Ian, Tina is stood behind him listening to every word he's saying. It's interesting how many people he's really beginning to annoy and how many people are/will have it in for him. As Tina walks away after hearing him insult her family, Suki approaches and acknowledges how happy she is that someone as up-standing as Ian is getting the recognition he deserves, of course she's only saying that because they've come to an agreement of some kind. I do have a feeling that things aren't going to continue going well for Mr. Beale.

Returning to the Mitchell household, Kat pays them a visit an informs Callum that she's been down the statement having to give a false statement. She informs the young police officer that he didn't drop him in it but she knows full well that he let Ben off, she demands to know where Kush is, if anyone would know, he would, right?! Callum informs Kat that he has no idea of the whereabouts of Kush, its then he also drops the bombshell that he did find Kush during the robbery, but Kush ended up punching him and fleeing the scene. Kat can't believe that Kush would punch Callum, but he informs her that it's probably best if Kush stays hidden for the time being, as he not also took part in a robbery, he also assaulted a police officer, so maybe he is just lying low.

At the Atkins household, Phil is questioning Gray whether they'll be any issues in changing the licence plates on the cars. But Shirley reassures her boss that the paper work needs to be absolutely spot on, which is why Gray is doing the paperwork and Phil isn't! Interesting, there seems to be a lot of people who are in-the-know about this robbery. It's amazing how none of them have grassed any of them up, well of course except for Ian. But there's Kat, Stacey, Phil, Shirley, Ben, Callum, Kush, Gray, Sharon ... (Well maybe she doesn't know about the burglary but she's felt comfortable about giving Phil a false alibi?!) As Phil leaves the property, Tina arrives back and it's clear to see that she is seething over Ian's insults to her family and his attitude towards them and the Vic. Tina pleads to her sister that they attempt to get the pub back in their name, but Shirley reminds Tina that Linda is still an alcoholic, that was the reason they sold up in the first place. But Tina seems to believe that Linda is doing a lot better recently, she explains that since they sold the pub, Mick hasn't been the same, he seems to be so unhappy and lost. Could there be a way for the Carter's to win back the pub?! Is the pub really in Ian's name or Sharon's name? As Ian has always said that he bought the pub for Sharon, but who's name is really on the lease of the building?!

Returning to the Vic, Linda is informing her best friend about application for the Lucy Beale Award. It's nice to see Linda looking more positive and happy about her future prospects, but it's clear to see that Sharon is worried for her friend about getting too close to Max. As Linda is glowing with the excitement of a whole new beginning, Sharon voices her concerns about Max, but in a loving, friendly way that everything seems okay now between them, but if things go on it won't be long before Max will have his tongue down her throat. (However little does she know that they have already shared a kiss!) Linda reassures her friend that she wouldn't cheat on Mick and that she literally just sees Max as a mate. But Sharon has a good point, whilst Mick is away staying with Lee, it's understandable she's enjoying the attention but I'd hate to think she'd cheat on her husband whilst he was away, especially considering what he's been dealing with in recent weeks.

Meanwhile at the restaurant, Iqra is sat doing paperwork. Ian is stood behind the bar as Suki walks in, subtly she hands him over an envelope with half of the amount she promised him inside. Ian doesn't seem impressed and pulls Suki into the back for a private word, leaving the money on the bar counter. As he pulls Suki to one side he asks Iqra to watch the bar whilst they're in the back. Iqra is quite reluctant but once both Ian and Suki are out the back, Iqra starts to clean behind the bar, until she eventually comes across the envelope with the money inside it - instantly she's looking a little confused as to where this money has come from, but suddenly she begins to hear voices. Ian and Suki are both discussing their plan, Suki tells Ian that he won't receive the other half of the money until he has held up his end of the bargain and put things into paperwork and he has signed some kind of formal documents she needs, planning approval etc. Iqra is really shocked to have heard what she has, but what will she do with this information? Will she tell Ash what her Mother is really up to?! Or maybe will she help Tina in getting the Vic back in the Carter's name, knowing full well that Ian is up to some dodgy deals with Suki! Who knows?!

Back out on the Square, Whitney is seen leaving the Minute Mart as car sirens can be heard, slowly Ruby approaches from behind and they both watch in amazement as from across the Square, the police pull up the Slater household and barge their way in as they look for Kush. Stacey's voice can be heard objecting to them entering the house. Ruby voices her opinion that it doesn't surprise her that the police have come knocking at their door, however Whitney's response is more sympathetic, she questions that maybe the police have got the wrong house? But Ruby just laughs at Whitney's response and says that it wouldn't surprise her if they found something at the Slater household. Hmm, does Whitney know more than she's letting on?! Why would she be so quick to defend the Slater's?!

At the Carter's household, Max once again is helping Linda with her costumes (Wow! Can I just say how big baby Abi has grown?! I know it sounds silly, but I still picture her as a little baby, not the toddler that she's become. Didn't realise it was that long ago that Abi Branning passed away! Only feels like a year or two ago - which may possibly be how old young Abi it?!) As Linda is eager to get the children in their superhero outfits, Max picks out one for Ollie to year, however Linda recalls that the one he picked was the one Mick made for him when Ollie was first diagnosed with Autism. You can see a slight look of sadness as she mentions how Mick didn't want their son to feel different from everyone, so instead of different they made him feel special. When Max puts the superhero outfit away, Linda admits to him that it was actually Mick's idea to make their son a Superhero outfit. Is there a sense of guilt between them now that Mick hasn't been brought into the idea of superhero clothes for children?! Or the fact that they're feeling guilty for spending a lot of time together and have quite visibly been flirting with one another? Who knows?!

Meanwhile, Iqra has found her way to the Prince Albert, unfortunately she doesn't seem to be listening fully to Tina as her head is replaying what she's overheard from Ian and Suki. Tina is voicing how much she's going to miss living with her and Ash, but she understands that her moving out would help Iqra and Ash spend some time together. However, Iqra feels trapped in a corner as she admits to Tina that she can't stand Ash's family. I have to say I really do like the friendship between Tina and Iqra, I did kind of wish that they were a couple instead of Iqra and Ash. Anyway Iqra finds it in herself to confide in Tina and reveals everything that she witnessed, Suki giving Ian some money in return for some approval on a planning application. Tina tells Iqra that she's got to tell someone, she knows full well how dodgy Ian is being at the moment. Iqra pleads to her not to tell anyone, especially considering the fact the Iqra can't tell her own girlfriend that her Mum is up to something. But what will Tina do with this information? Will she find a way of getting her own back on Ian herself?!

Back at the Carter household, Max and Linda are enjoying taking pictures of their children in Linda's new children's superhero outfits. Only things take a slight U-turn when Max comments that they both make a good team. I think Linda maybe feels a little uncomfortable with his comment, he thanks Max for all his help but expressions her opinion that once they're done he should leave. Only when Linda begins to take photo's of Ollie with the flash on her phone, it frightens the poor boy and he attempts to hide underneath the kitchen table with his hands over his eyes. Linda apologises to her son and tries to coax him out but to no avail, Max then decides to take it upon himself to try and gain the little boy's trust. He gets down to his level and squeezes underneath the table, softly he speaks to the little boy and after suggesting that they build a den after taking their photographs, the little boy removes his hands from his face, much to Linda's surprise. Eventually Max persuades little Ollie to get up and join in with taking photographs, to which Linda is incredibly thankful.

Back on the Square, Tiffany and Keegan are approaching the chippy (Yum! Everyone loves a chippy, right?!) As Keegan orders himself some food, Tiffany feels a bit gutted that she's having to stay healthy. As she's voicing her frustration, Stuart appears from behind and informs her that he's managed to go to the chemist and pick up some vitamins for her. He pulls out about 3 or 4 different tube bottles full of pills and Tiffany is looking pretty overwhelmed with this new information that she's having to take pills as well as eat healthily. However it looks as if enough is enough when Stuart asks her to start taking them that day, she understands that they want the baby to be healthy but she assures Stuart that she wouldn't let anything happen to their child once its in her womb. Stuart seems to understand, he apologises for coming on so heavy, its nice that they have come to acknowledge each other's understanding, Tiffany tells him politely that she's more than happy to carry their child for them, but it does not mean that they can start telling her what she can and can't do, and in all fairness - Stuart completely agrees and announces that they'll do it Tiffany's way, to which she then responds with happily ordering something from the chippy.

Once again, returning to the Carter household, Ollie and Abi are both playing happily together as they wind down after their photoshoot. Linda is sat with Max as they look over the photographs they've taken. This scene did get me a little worried as I sensed something, once again, was going to happen between the two. Max brings up the fact that he's trying to be supportive to Linda considering he was with her the last time she had a drink, he doesn't want her to feel that she's got no one to talk to, but regardless of them spending time together, he admits that he knows that she and Mick are solid. It's then Linda seems to look upset and reveals to Max that things haven't exactly been brilliant between them recently, she explains that each time she tries she feels she's just pushing him further and further away. Perhaps this is why she's been enjoying Max's company so much, it's made her feel something again - I mean when was the last time, Mick and Linda actually had a laugh with each other and showed each other some affection? It's been a long time, hasn't it?! Max seems to understand but he makes the big confession that the only reason he kissed her a while back is because he wanted to, and more interestingly, he stills wants to! Things are looking as if they are going to pounce on each other, however Ollie breaks the silence as he asks for his Mummy. As Linda goes to see her to son, Max suggests that they make another play date for their children, to which Linda coldly responds by saying she'll text him.

Back at the Slater household, Kat answers her mobile which is ringing on the kitchen table, it appears to be Stacey on the other end. She informs her cousin that she's been desperately trying to search for her boyfriend but can't find him anywhere. Suddenly, there's a knock on the backdoor and Kat is surprised to see Whitney stood there. It's then Whitney announces that there's something she needs to show her, pretty urgently and they both leave the house together. Meanwhile in the Vic, Ian is feeling positive about his interview with the newspaper, even though he is looking incredibly happy with himself, the fella from the newspaper seems less than impressed as he downs his bottle of beer. Across the bar, both Callum and Ben are trying to talk about something other than the robbery. Oh but just by coincidence, as soon as Ben questions whether Callum can trace who dialled the 999 call, Ian is stood behind the bar ear-wigging on their conversation. However Callum is unsure whether the call will be able to be traced, but then again the only thing they'll find out is that it was made from a telephone box. Maybe Ian did a clever thing for once and made sure he dialled from a phone box and not a mobile phone, that way it would be harder for them to trace?! Suddenly Tina enters the Vic and makes her way toward the bloke from the newspaper. Ooooh I'm liking the look of this!!! She questions whether he's writing an article  about Ian Beale, but the bloke doesn't seem interested if she's going to comment on how much of a aspect to the community he is, but then his attention in instantly grabbed as Tina admits that that is not what's doing, she mentions that if he really wants a story then she has one for him. Ooooh - I'm loving this! Yes! GO TINA!!! Is she going to spill what Iqra has informed her about and portray Ian in a terrible light?! In all seriousness, it's more than what he deserves! Only the downside is, will it fall back onto Iqra and will she get the blame?!

Eventually Kat makes it to what looks like Whitney's attic, she's questioning why Whitney has brought her up there, only as she turns around, Kush is seen sat in the very far corner, almost looking scared and very sheepish. Kat is absolutely elated to find her boyfriend is safe and sound, she announces how worried she's been about him, but Kush is nothing but deeply apologetic for making such a mess of things. He's tries to explain how he thought he would be able to start the car and how things just turned so messy. Kat is just happy to see that Kush is safe, she promises him that they will sort everything out together.

At Ruby's club, Linda is sat alone with a drink, Ruby enters the room carrying a huge box of wine. It looks as if Linda is feeling sorry for herself, she seems very agitated when Ruby politely asks if she's okay. Whether she's waiting for someone or something else. Linda then voices that everyone around her sees her not as Linda anymore, but Linda The Alcoholic! Ruby tries to persuade her that that isn't the case at all, she tries to explain that she has lots of friends and family around her who are just trying to look out for her. She questions whether she should all Mick, but Linda snaps back that he isn't her carer, he's her husband. She also makes sure to point out to Ruby that the drink she's got in her hand is only orange juice, nothing else! But Ruby is quick to throw in one last dig, she knows that she's drinking a soft drink, as she explains that all her staff have a list of who not to serve alcohol to, and it turns out that Linda's name is right at the very top of that list! Honestly, that's a bit of a big insult, I think that would hurt anyone really wouldn't it?! As Ruby leaves the room, Linda takes it upon herself to approach the box of wine which she's left at the bar and swipes a bottle before leaving. Once she's home, she's sat alone with the bottle and a glass already poured, to me it looks like that she really can't take Mick's behaviour anymore, she's feeling lonely, unwanted and maybe also missing her husband as well as missing their happiness and intimacy. She attempts to call him but to no avail as it the dial tone rings dead, I did fear at this point that she was going to take a big gulp of wine. She brings the glass up to her face and she gently smells the wine, she then plonks the glass back down and dials another number - Max! She agrees to go along with the playdate for the children for the following day, but something else is telling me, is she doing it for the company. If Mick isn't around then why not have Max's attention. I do thing as things go on, something will happen between the two, what do you think? Feeling a little more relieved she gets up and throws the glass of wine and the bottle down the sink!

Thursday 10th September

Good evening again everyone! Hope your day has been a good one - whether you've been relaxing at home or whether you've been out and working, hope it's been a good day for you all! We are back again with another episode tonight, we know Tuesday's episode ended with Chantelle dropping the bombshell on Kheerat that she is planning on leaving Gray the very next day!! Clearly something is going to stop Chantelle in her tracks, but what?!

Let's delve right into it! The episode starts with Ian waking up in the Vic, Sharon has only gone and made him a full English Breakfast!! The absolute works! I can still sense the flicker of guilt from him - he doesn't really deserve the Vic or the appreciation that Sharon is giving him. She thanks him for looking after both her and her baby boy, saying how she feels like a princess each time he's ran out to get groceries for her! He's there giving her a smile, even though it looks a bit forced! It's as if everything with Dotty has been forgotten about, Sharon hasn't even begun to even suspect for once that Dotty could be telling the truth. It's only going to hit her harder when she realises.

Across the Square, it looks as if Gray is finally heading back to work. Chantelle is stood behind the counter looking nervous and scared to even talk or move. It's the day she's planning on leaving her husband for good! Before he leaves he asks her whether she has her phone, he demands her to keep it with her, oh you know, just in case! She asks him softly on what time he'll return, she tells him she'll have dinner ready. Is this so she can time it right for her to get away before he gets back? So if what I'm thinking is right - she has until 1 o'clock to get away! As he leaves the house she grabs her phone and makes a call, it sounds as if she's making an enquiry about an apartment or house of some kind that she can stay in? During the phone conversation she looks down at her ring, is she going to pawn her jewellery just so she'll be able to afford it?!

In the Market, Mick bumps into Tina - I'm sure they probably haven't seen each other since lock-down. I'm unsure where Mick and Linda are staying right now but it sounds as if they're all settled in their new home. Linda is doing well to stay sober also, the only downside is that Mick is struggling to find a job, with him being Landlord of the Queen Vic for a good few years, it's probably been hard for him to find something he's qualified for - as he explains to Tina, he's had 4 interviews but not got the job in any of them because he's overqualified! Luckily, Tina decides to give him a permanent position at The Albert. I don't know about you guys but it feels so weird seeing both Mick and Linda looking for jobs in the Square now, they've been a part of the Queen Vic for so long, it's weird not seeing them behind that bar! It's true they're already popular within their neighbourhood and community, I'm sure they'll have plenty of people rallying round them if they needed any help.

In the Mitchell household, Ben still has his little package in his pocket ready to give to Callum. Oh bless! He's all excited and ready to go the seaside to listen to the seagulls with his partner, only Callum refuses to go. I feel sorry for Ben at this moment in time, as he has no idea what Callum has found. He's been struggling to come to terms with the fact that he could potentially lose all his hearing, until yesterday when he had the implant and it was the first time in weeks that he heard Callum's voice! He explains to his boyfriend that that was one of the biggest days of his life and he's disappointed that Callum doesn't seem to care. Only we know, that Callum knows that Ben has been lying to him. It's kinda sad to watch because all Ben is wanting to hear, is Callum tell him that he loves him. Of course Callum wouldn't deny that he doesn't love Ben, but knowing that he's plainly lying to his face is just getting him more and more angry. Why won't Ben tell him the truth? To save him the upset possibly? To not come between him and his job? Who knows? But when Callum decides to bring Danny Hardcastle up, once again Ben lies to his boyfriend and says he's not seen him since that incident at Ruby's. Callum scoffs in disbelief that once again his boyfriend has lied to him, he leaves the conversation before anything else can be said.

The next time we see Chantelle it looks as if she's leaving the pawn shop, Karen approaches her excitedly saying how much she has missed her and the kids. Did any one else notice that Chantelle was fidgeting with her sleeves? Like she was trying to cover up her hands so her Mum wouldn't see that she's not wearing her ring?! Chantelle tries to dash as she uses the excuse she needs to take the children to the dentist. As Karen begins to leave, Chantelle then calls to her Mum that she'll bring the kids round to see her, as she's missed them so much. Plus with Chantelle's plan on leaving, she'll know she'll never forgive herself if her Mum and Dad didn't get the chance to say goodbye to their grandchildren. Only will this cause her to run late and corrupt her plan to get away?!

Ha! Sorry I just need to applaud Dotty for messing with Ian's head! She is brilliant! She actually made him believe that Sharon loves him! Did you see that little smile appear on his face after she walked away?! He actually believed her! Sharon has always said from the beginning that she and Ian are just close friends. Ian has only been "her rock" the past few months out of guilt. She fell apart after Dennis died, he took her in and looked after her and her baby son, and also as a massive gesture - bought her the Queen Vic! And since lock-down he has been living with her and Albie, as Dotty says - in the hopes of things actually getting more romantic and intimate between them. I think it's no secret that Ian has always held a bit of torch for Sharon, they've been close friends for years but I think deep down he has always truly loved her. As for Sharon, she's never seen Ian as anything else other than a close friend, she's never had any romantic feeling towards him - ever! So why the hell should she start now?! I love that Dotty has used this information to her advantage, Ian is only going to make another fool of himself!

Meanwhile, at the Taylor's, Chantelle is visiting her parents. As she sits down and listens to Karen talking about much she is missing Chatham and Riley, also Keegan and Tiffany now they've moved out, Chantelle is looking round and looking at all the family photos. I think she feels this will be the last time in a while that she'll get to see her Mum and Dad, so she's taking everything in. She turns to her Mum and tells her how much she loves her, and how much she loves her family and her parents. I'm sure deep down inside it is killing her knowing she'll be fleeing in a few hours. I just hope she would tell her parents exactly what was happening and why she has to leave. Just for a split moment when Mitch was going to hand her some money, I thought she might've said something then ... she slightly hesitated, did anyone else notice?  She decides to decline her Dad's offer of the money and says to him that Keegan would need it more, she takes one last look at her parents and softly says goodbye to them, not a thought in their mind aware of what she's about to do!

Ooooh look! Frankie's back! It's nice to see her making more of an appearance on the Square! It looks as if Kathy has given her a job at The Albert! Ooops - only to find that Tina has also hired Mick! #Awkward! ... In the recent new trailer that was released, it showed Frankie taking pictures of little Ollie. Does she have some kind of connection to the Carter's? Why would she be taking pictures of Ollie?! I'm looking forward to seeing more of Frankie and what could be her story-line involving the Carter's. I know Frankie was meant to have a story-line with Ben, I kinda have a feeling we haven't seen that yet? Only she was introduced to him by Callum, are we going to see something more from that side of things? Is Frankie going to show Ben the deaf community and how it all works, even though he's slowly getting his hearing back, it would enlighten Ben I think. Poor Mick, he decides to let Frankie have the job at The Albert, but as he leaves you can see the look of disappointment on his face, another job he's potentially lost? Will he be able to find something?

Back at Vic, Linda is having a lovely catch up with her best friend, Sharon. To be honest, it's lovely to see these two having a nice catch up and a chat the way they are. Obviously the roles have reversed with now Sharon behind the bar and Linda sat as a punter - but I watch them and I can't help but think it's so real how they've done it. With the whole social-distancing aspect in place, Sharon is behind the bar and Linda is sat at her table ... I think that whole scene was brilliant and it just felt very realistic. I loved how Ian was eavesdropping on their conversation, Sharon complimenting him on how amazing he's been to her though-out lock-down. He is going to high jump to conclusions! I love how they both laugh at the thought of both herself and Ian being an item, little does the poor man know how humiliated he's going to be!

Does anyone else seem to understand what Vinny and Ruby are up to? I kinda didn't understand that moment, to my understanding Ruby doesn't have insurance for the club? Am I right in thinking that? So Vinny is going to help her in some way - saying she's needs cash or something? I am so confused with this one! Vinny is seen loitering, waiting - for what looks like - Ruby to come out the club, she previously told him the club would be empty with cash in the safe! Is going to try and get that money for something or someone?

Awww and Chantelle looks as if she's ready to flee, she waiting for children, calling for them to hurry. Kheerat approaches her and pleads for her to tell him where she's going. Little does Chantelle that from across the road, Gray is watching her from his car. Watching as Kheerat and Chantelle have their little quick discussion, the look on Chantelle's face is utter fear as Gray makes himself known, Kheerat backs away and Gray reminds her that he didn't want Kheerat talking to her. I really feel for Chantelle right now, she almost got away. She was almost out of his grasp, as they walk into the house - Kheerat watches from a distance, catching Chantelle's eyes and Gray's. I am so sure that Kheerat's going to suss Gray out, he's going to find out exactly what's been happening! The BIG question is - will it be too late before he does?!

Back at The Albert, Ben finally catches up with Callum. He joins him at the table and apologises. He seems to think that Callum is upset because of Danny, but to what extent and why. It's only when Callum reveals that he'd figured out that he'd been lied to for months! He questions him why and what it means for their relationship. Ben claims it's literally because he's joined the police force and nothing else, but then again - it shouldn't matter what Callum's job was, he still should've told him the truth. He claims he was trying to protect him, protect him from what though? Protect his job? Protect his safety? The seriousness of the situation really hits home for Ben when he realises that he's been seen on CCTV! What does this mean for Ben and the Mitchell's? How is Callum going to be able to ignore it?

The following scene, Chantelle is back in her bathroom trying to find a hiding place for the money. She decides to put it in a make-up bag and hide it in the toilet, Gray shouts out for her as she makes herself look busy in the bathroom. Of course the first thing Gray notices, he engagement ring is missing! Oh shit! How is she going to be able to explain that one?! Perhaps say it's gone down the drain something?

Oh gosh this is really cringe-worthy isn't it! Ian trying to find the words to say to Sharon how he feels about her. How many women has he claimed to love on this soap?! Sharon seems to think there's something wrong with Albie, but he decides to jump right in the deep end and pour his heart out to her. Oh and I can see how awkward this is making Sharon feel, an awkward smile on her face, a nervous giggle, twiddling her fingers ... he tells her he loves her and even claims to know that she feels exactly the same way about him ... only when she explains to him that she doesn't, you can see his face drop in dismay. He's clearly realised he's made a huge mistake and has made himself look a fool. What's going to happen now between them? I don't think they'd be able to live together now things have been made to feel awkward between them. Will Ian move out and back in with his Mum while Sharon stays at The Vic?! Will Ian realise that it was Dotty who was playing with his mind?

Okay, so the last scene of tonight's episode, Vinny is seen sneaking out of Ruby's club, carrying a hefty looking bag ... Martin clicks on as to where he came from and begins to give chase. Has Vinny nicked all the money that was in the club's safe?!  Vinny heads to the back entrance of the Minute Mart, Martin slowly closing in ... he calls for him and slowly enters the shop, looking in all the nooks and cranny's. Only Vinny appears from behind and bashes him over the head with a fire extinguisher. Martin is left lying unconscious! What the hell has he done?! and why did he attack Martin in such a way?! Why does Vinny need the money? Was he getting the money for Kheerat as a favour?! Will Martin be okay?!

Monday 14th September 2020

Good afternoon everyone! As promised, this is the first of two blog posts today. This will be following last night's episode. Friday's episode ended with Kheerat basically hinting to Chantelle that he has feelings for her, by giving her that lucky poker chip! I still think that that poker chip is going to become very important, i'm unsure why or how. But something tells me it'll be a big significance with Chantelle's death. I could be completely wrong and jumping to conclusions, but we shall see! Before we jump into last night's episode, some spoiler pictures have been released today of the aftermath of Chantelle's death, as you can see by the picture below, Karen is grief-stricken as flowers and tributes are laid out in front of the Atkins household after the Square learn the news of Chantelle's passing. Kheerat believes that Gray has something to do with Chantelle's death and decides to confide in Mitch about what he knows and reveals that he and Chantelle had gotten close during her last few days. These next few episodes are going to be really hard to watch but I'm really intrigued to see how Chantelle's death will be portrayed and of course the aftermath is always the most interesting part!

Anyway, lets jump right into last night's episode - Max appears to have had some post delivered and he seems happy about it, have the divorce papers from Rainie finally come through? Viewers will know that Max sold his half of the restaurant business over to Ian, to stop Rainie on getting her hands on any of his money, however Max is unaware that Ian used his share of the money to buy Sharon the Vic! I know it sounds awful to say, but I am really looking forward to Ian getting his comeuppance. He's been acting the hero for too long now and people are going to realise his secrets and uncover what he's been hiding the last few months, is Max going to be the first one to be suspicious when he learns the truth?

In the Square, Martin seems to be the thought on everyone's mind. Sharon approaches Ian and asks on whether there's been any news, Ian acts very coldly towards her and just gives her a simple one worded answers - "No!" She can clearly see that he's acting very differently towards her now after she revealed she didn't have feelings for him. She can sense the awkwardness between them so leaves the conversation sharpish, Ian watches as she walks away! Can I just say what Peter said next really shocked me - "The best way to get over someone is to get under someone else!" Is he implying that his Dad should sleep with someone else just to take his mind off Sharon?! I apologise if that is not what he meant, but it sure did sound like it to me!! 

At the Atkins household, Chantelle is upstairs quickly trying to pack her suitcase, it looks as if she has packed everything she needs to get away! From the outside, she can hear voices approaching the house - she looks out and calls to Gray that she will run and grab the front door, unfortunately Gray gets there before her and he welcomes Mitch and Karen into the house. I'm sure he's unaware of their holiday plans and of course he'll have no idea that Chantelle is going with them, are they going to put their foot in it and not realise that Gray has no idea? Is Gray then going to get angry at Chantelle for not telling him their plans? 

At Ruby's club, Ben and Callum are talking about what they're potentially going to do, Callum is still unsure whether to go ahead with setting up Danny. Suddenly, Stuart interrupts their conversation, all smiles - can I just say how nice it is to see Stuart, finally! I know when he first came into the soap he was a bit of a dark character, but now, its lovely to see him so smiley and happy with Rainie, it's like his character has done a complete U-turn! He is so happy to finally learn that Max's and Rainie's divorce has come through, which can only mean he can finally marry Rainie! I just love the fact he starts dropping hints to Callum about what he wants for his Stag night - Something is telling me he wants to be tied to a lamppost in his pants! Of course this is something which has completely been wiped from Callum's mind, Ben actually decides to change their conversation and asks him whether he does have anything planned for Stuart's Stag night! But Callum ignores the question and gets back to the matter in hand, if Ben has any plans or ideas of setting up Danny, then Callum wants to be made aware of it, unfortunately Ben tells him that he wont tell him - mainly because he doesn't want Callum to have to lie to his boss, so in a way he's kinda being cruel to be kind. He doesn't Callum getting in any kind of trouble because of his actions, but Callum does make sure that Ben promises him to speak to his Dad if he decides to make any stupid decisions, at first, I think Ben is hesitate, but he nods his head and makes the promise, however is this going to be another promise he breaks?!

Back at Chantelle's and Gray's house, Karen and Mitch are making themselves comfortable, Bernie is also there in two as everyone is getting ready for their holiday. Gray unaware of their plans, softly says to Chantelle "What were you going to do? Send me a postcard?!" But with all of the family members there, he knows he can't do anything else, he can't do anything to Chantelle while her family is around. She speaks softly in response to him "It'll do Keegan good after everything he's been through, plus you can concentrate on Whitney's trial!", he still doesn't look happy about the situation, but to put on a front for the family he smiles and agrees and leaves the room, leaving Chantelle to be with her parents as she smiles, is she thinking that she'll finally be able to get away? One thing I have noticed about Chantelle - which I can't believe I haven't noticed before, she always wears long sleeved blouses - clearly to hide any bruises or marks she may have from Gray's abuse, I never really realised it until now. 

At the Vic, Kathy is very apologetic towards Sharon. After Ian confessed his feelings for Sharon, Kathy blamed her for leading him on, but now she's realised that that wasn't the case and she apologise to the fellow blonde. Sharon understands and explains there's nothing for her to be sorry for. It's then that Ian makes his way into the pub and Peter pipes up giving him the news that he's set him up on dating app! Understandably, Ian is horrified! Both Sharon and Kathy decide to have a look and they all agree it would be good for him to focus on something else and persuade him to give it a go! But Ian is adamant he wants nothing to do with it - but something is telling me that, with Jane not around any more and Sharon not feeling the same way about him, I think he'll reconsider. I mean what else has he got to lose? He might as well give it a go and see if he can meet anyone! 

Ruby is then seen waiting in the hospital to news of Martin. Vinny suddenly appears and begs to Ruby to tell him that Martin is okay, she instantly tells him leave! She is so angry with him and tells him that she didn't want to go through with it in the first place, she informs him that she tried calling him to call their plans off! Vinny begs to her not to say anything to police, Ruby realises that if she would - Vinny would go down for robbery! Vinny makes the big statement - "If I go down, you go down with me!" I'm sure it's something that Ruby wont even contemplate, of course it's important that Martin gets better. It's unknown whether he actually realised it was Vinny that he was chasing. Ruby states that Martin is all she has right now and he's the most important thing to her. I'm really curious to find out when Stacey will be back - will she learn of Martin's attack and make her way back to the Square? Or will Stacey's return be for some other reason?! Either way - she is not going to be happy when she learns that Martin and Ruby have become an item! 

Ahhh so we've learned a little bit more about Frankie, after Tina slightly offends her, Tina tries to apologise to her. She asks whether she can have a look at Frankie's photography, we see pictures of a young boy, funnily enough around Ollie's age. Frankie reveals to Tina that the little boy was in fact her younger brother who has sadly passed away. She claims even everyone is trying to help her and cure her hearing, she says that he was the one who was actually sick and needed curing. Is this something that has affected Frankie her whole life? Not being able to cope with the passing of her brother, so does she start to get close to the Carter family and Ollie? Is Ollie maybe going to replace the brother she lost? I'm hoping Frankie becomes a regular part of the soap and we'll be able to discover more of her story/background. I think it's clear there's going to be some form of romance between her and Tina though, that I am looking forward to seeing! It's about time Tina fell in love and found a proper love interest. 

Back at the Atkins family home, Gray is seen in the bedroom, lurking over the suitcase on the bed that Chantelle has packed. Nothing can be heard other than the voices from the family downstairs. He takes it upon himself to start unzip the suitcase, although as he's about to open it fully, footsteps approach and he quickly zips it back up. Chantelle makes her way into the bedroom, and discreetly hides from Gray the make-up bag with money in that she hid in the toilet, and she quickly stuffs it into the suitcase. Gray is clearly suspicious and claims that she managed to pack her stuff fairly quickly, Chantelle once again tries to lure him off the scent and claims that she literally just stuffed everything inside it as quick as she could. She explains that they have a long train journey ahead so she'll go out and grab some food for herself and the children. As she leaves with the suitcase, Gray heads to the bathroom - at this moment, I was kinda worried thinking he might find something that Chantelle may have missed. He looks all over the shelves and cupboards and then notices the top of toilet is wonky, he picks it up to reveal - nothing! He sighs in frustration! Luckily we know Chantelle grabbed it in time before he could click on to her plans to escape.

The next scene shows Tina joining her family in the Vic, Mick, Linda and Ollie are all sat together. Tina has dolled herself up, wearing a lovely black dress. Frankie follows behind her and Tina introduces her to her family. However, when Frankie is introduced to Ollie, he turns and gives Frankie a smile. She mouths the word "Hello" to the young boy and smiles. But as she turns away its obvious that something is playing on her mind. I personally think that Ollie does look very similar to her younger brother? Don't you guys think? I truly believe that somehow Frankie believes that Ollie might be her real brother, or something along those lines? Later Frankie is sat with Ollie as Linda and Tina watch from a distance, everyone commenting how Frankie is good with children and how Ollie has happily decided to sit with her. Frankie looks as if she is besotted with Ollie, she tells him how similar he looks to her younger brother, Harry. I am so certain something is going to happen between Frankie and the Carter family! 

Meanwhile, Ben decides to take his boyfriend's advice and decides to speak to his Dad about the possibility of setting Danny up. He reveals to his Dad that the warehouse they went to did actually have CCTV. Phil is of course wary of them being found out but he makes it clear that if the Police had anything on the, they would've come for them by now. Ben is desperate to her his Dad onside, i don't think Ben can take the fact that Danny almost left him completely deaf. Phil wants nothing to do with it, and warns Ben to let it go and forget about it, but clearly its something he just can't do. He goes into his Dad's phone and decides to take Danny's phone number. What is Ben planning on doing? Is he going to get himself in more trouble and potentially put his life and Callum's life in danger once again?! 

Back at the Vic, Max finally catches up with Ian, gives him the news that his divorce has finally comes through. It seems Max is really thankful towards Ian, he thanks him for keeping hold of the money so Rainie can't get her hands on it, he claims he's even willing to let Ian keep a couple of grand to himself in a way of saying "Thank You!" - Ian is clearly taken aback by his offer and says to Max that he really doesn't have to do that for him! It's only then Max the comment that he's happy to take the money back from him, seeing as he no longer needs to look after it, plus he also makes a little joke "Don't want you getting tempted to spend it, do we?" - Oooooo as a viewer, I am kinda looking forward to seeing it when Max finds out about his Ian spending his money on the Vic, how is Ian going to worm his way out of this one? Is he going to try and get money as quick as he can, or another possibility - is Sharon going to find out where Ian got the money from, if you think about it, technically the Vic belongs to Max! If it was Max's money used to buy it, Max should be standing behind the bar, not Sharon! It's an interesting thought but it's technically true and it could be a big turn in events if Max ended up living in the pub! 

Awwwwww the next scene was such a heartbreaking one!!!! Kheerat is in his office and Chantelle pays him a visit. He stops his work as she makes her way in. She's shaky and her voice is raspy. She asks if Kheerat meant what he said to her the previous day. He promises her he meant every word. She playing with the poker chip with her fingers, twiddling it in hands. She says to him as much as she wants to cash in and be with him, she can't - not at this moment in time. She's going away with her family and she wont be coming back, but she does hope that one day soon there will be a chance for her to cash in with him! Kheerat is clearly disappointed, but he understands that she has to do what she has to do. He tells her to keep it, and whenever the time feels right for her, he'll be waiting. They're definitely an unspoken affection and love between the two souls, as Chantelle leaves the room, she turns and says to him"All I want to do is kiss you!" ... it is quite heartbreaking. Tears fill her eyes as she leaves the room. We know that the chance for them to be together will never happen! I feel Chantelle's death is really going to affect Kheerat, he'll be heartbroken but he'll also make sure he does everything in his power to find the truth and the reason why she dies.

Unbeknown to Chantelle, back at their house, Gray is ransacking their bedroom, trying to find some sort of clue that Chantelle is keeping something from him. Does he know that she's planning on leaving him? He goes through her draws and wardrobes and everything. He then decides to look at his phone and uses the tracking app to see where she is. He throws the phone in a rage, he then discovers a type of child memory box from under the bed. It's only then as he looks through it that his daughter Mia tells her Father that they're planning on leaving for the holiday. He asks her when her Mummy told her about the holiday, the little girl reveals that it was least week she planned on taking them on a big adventure, but they didn't go. Only then Gray realises that it's been a whole week that Chantelle has been planning on leaving. 

Back in the Square, the Carter family are enjoying time together after lock-down, Mick, Linda and Tina are all enjoying quality time together. Entertaining Ollie playing a little bit of football, but from a distance, it's revealed that Frankie is taking photographs of the family, especially more of little Ollie. What is her connection with the Carter's? Why is she so fixated on Ollie? I'm really looking forward to seeing more of her story unfold! 

The last scene of the episode, Chantelle is making her way through the Square, she's on the phone to someone confirming her arrival of herself and her two children to a refuge. For a moment she's looking relaxed and happy and more positive than she has done for long time. When she gets to the house, her family are waiting for her and ready to make a move! The only people missing are her children, Mac and Mia! She looks up to house to see them standing at their windows, waving at her with sad solemn little faces. She calls for them to come with her, but Gray insists that they wanted to stay home, he plays the role of a perfect Daddy! Saying he'll give the movie nights, mid-night snacks and build dens with his children. Chantelle's plan has fallen through again, Gray stopping her and catching her out as she continues to make plans to escape. She looks helplessly and longingly for her children as the rest of the family make their way to the train station and Gray makes his way back inside the house. Chantelle is defeated again! 

Friday 11th September 2020

Good evening everyone! So sorry for the late post, I was away from my laptop over the weekend and I've only had now to catch up with Friday's episode! I've decided that tomorrow I will do two posts, one following up tonight's episode and obviously the second one following Tuesday's episode! I want to make sure my blog is up date as much as possible. I hope you all enjoyed your weekend.

Let's look back at the episode in hand, you will remember that Thursday's episode ended with Vinny attacking Martin in the Minute Mart after he was caught fleeing from Ruby's club. The episode started exactly where the last one finished off, Martin is lying on the floor unconscious, poor Vinny is worried and panicking about what he has just done, he calls his brother Jags for help! How is Vinny going to get himself out of this?!

Back at the Vic, Ian has just poured his heart out to Sharon, revealing that he has fallen in love with her, and he's adamant that she feels the same way about him. To his devastation, she admits that she loves him as a dear friend and as someone she trusts, but not in the way he is thinking. Poor Ian so confused, I'm sure he's feeling completely taken aback, especially after the lies Dotty filled his head with. Ian states to Sharon that she gave him all sorts of looks and signs and signals that that was how she felt about him, but I think it comes to the realisation that he accidentally misread them. Sharon assures him that nothing needs to change and they can still carry on how things are, but to Ian's dismay, he feels as though everything has changed between them now - how can he carry on living with her knowing she doesn't feel the same way about him?!

At the Atkins household, we last saw Gray approach Chantelle about her wedding ring. He is unaware that she pawned it so she could get some money to get away. She's come up with the story to tell him that the stone in the ring had come lose, so she's going to have it fixed. He is constantly questioning her, asking her why she hadn't told him in the first place, he lunges at her a smacks the table in a rage. Softly, out of fear, she says she'll have the ring back in a few days and she also questions him back - Asking him whether he thinks she took it off because she's fallen out of love with him? Only his snide comment back is "Can you blame me?!" ... As they're trying to talk things through, their daughter Mia walks into the room, nearly giving away Chantelle's escape plan. Chantelle tries to swerve Gray off the suspicion and says she'll take the children out for the afternoon while he does his work at home. Gray then goes into Chantelle's bag, takes out her purse and car keys and gives her only a £10 note to spend and says "The should be more than enough!" - he walks away with her purse and car keys, leaving her with no choice but to come back home!

Back at the Minute Mart, Vinny is waiting for his brother, only for his Mother, Suki, to walk in. She sees Martin lying on the floor and begins to ask questions. She tells him that he needs to flee and act as if he wasn't there and doesn't know a thing. Jags follows behind her, she tells him they all need to get their story straight and instructs Jags to wipe the CCTV. Whatever the plan Vinny and Ruby had, Ruby doesn't want to go ahead with it anymore, she's seen phoning Vinny claiming it was a mistake! Could they both be in big trouble for what they were going to do?! Is Martin going to realise who it was he chased and ended up being attacked by? What I also want to know is, what does Suki have anything to do with the situation? Why is she getting involved? I've said it before and I'll say it again - i'm convinced there's much more to the Panesar family that we haven't seen yet. I'm really intrigued to see if we'll find out anymore about their past and why they came to Walford!

Callum is still clearly feeling disappointed in Ben for lying to him. Ben is pleading for Callum to help him and his Dad and asks him to try and get the CCTV footage of him wiped. Callum scoffs and can't believe what his boyfriend is asking of him, Callum has worked hard to get where he is in the Police, how could his partner ask him to jeopardise his career? Callum states to Ben that all he cares about is himself and his Dad, he always seems to come second best. What relationship are they going to have when it's all based on lies?! Callum leaves leaving Ben looking guilty, worried and panicked. Is this another bump in the road that Ballum will be able to overcome?

Back over at The Vic, Dotty decides to make an appearance, even though she's not welcomed with smiles. Sharon immediately tells her to leave but Dotty can't help but make fun of Ian. Acting with pride and sarcasm, asking him if he really believed that Sharon actually loved him. Ian just bows his head in embarrassment, for a split second there is silence as the locals listen in and react to what they've just heard. Max, who is sat on the other side of the room, tells Ian to just ignore her as Dotty leaves with a smug grin on her face. I think it's then that Ian realises he's been made a fool of and been lead to believe something which isn't true. Everyone is sticking up for him, Sharon and Max are all saying that Dotty is just talking rubbish - even though part of me is thinking that Max isn't going to be best buddies with Ian when he realises that Ian bought the Vic with his share of the restaurant. Later on upstairs, Ian is packing his things away, Sharon is trying to persuade him that nothing has to change and that he can stay, but Ian is having none of it - he blames her for leading him on, being too intimate and being with each other over lock-down. Sharon apologises deeply for giving her friend the wrong impression but she can't seem to realise that she's done anything wrong - which to be fair, she hasn't - I'm sure she thought Ian was there for her just out of support and for genuinely being a good friend. Ian then confesses "I bought you a pub!" - that was another reason he bought it for her, because he loved her! It's only then Sharon realises that his feelings for her really do run deep!

Meanwhile, Ruby has been trying to get hold of Martin, she noticed Vinny from across the Square and he shoots off. Ruby then looks down the Square to see an ambulance, as she gets closer, she realises it's Martin lying in the back of it. She rushes to be at his side. Suki tells her not to worry and that she was the one who called the ambulance. As Ruby looks on worryingly, Ash approaches her Mum and asks her what has happened. Suki then instructs her quietly, as she looks over Ash's shoulder in the distance to the Police, to say that Vinny was with her all day if anyone asks her any questions. Ash looks confused but then as she looks behind her to see the police, she understands she needs to do as her Mum tells her.

At home, Ben is waiting for Callum to return. As he walks in, it's clear they are both reeling from the information that they've both been made aware of. Ben is the one who breaks the ice and instantly apologises to his boyfriend for lying and for putting him in a terrible situation. He admits he's messed everything up, Callum is silent and listens carefully as Ben makes his apology. Ben begins to explain the whole situation regarding his Dad and Danny, even mentioning the moment when Danny had a gun and that was when he lost his hearing. He compliments Callum and basically thanks him for being so loving and caring towards him when he was going through the most difficult time in his life, and that because of that he couldn't bring himself to tell him what had happened and upset him. He states that he doesn't want to lose his partner because of it. Callum instantly tells him that that is not going to happen, it's then that Ben sighs and says to him "I do not deserve you!", this is such a beautiful Ballum moment, Callum smiles slightly and agrees that finally that that is something they can both agree on. Ben sighs and then goes to the draw and pulls out the box containing the house key, instantly Callum is shocked and begins to ask whether it could be something else, Ben explains that he was going to do it the day before, before anything happened but obviously he couldn't ... he opens the box - "Move in with me, Cal!" ... for a split moment, it looks as if Callum is about to smile a huge smile - but then he says "How do I know you've not just done that now? Thinking that it would fix everything!" - Ben is left devastated, his lips curl and he places the box on the kitchen table, softly saying "Stupid idea!" and walks out! Callum is left staring at the box. At his point, I do feel sorry for Ben, he's trying to do everything he can to make it up to his partner, but he just doesn't seem to be having any of it.

Outside on the Square, Chantelle is looking defeated. Her daughter Mia asks her whether or not they'll be going on their adventure. Chantelle sadly shakes her head and tells her daughter that it wont be today, she also asks her not to mention it to their Daddy either. Mia smiles and says "I'm good at keeping secrets!" - Mitch then joins Chantelle and the children in the garden and says that he's booked them a holiday for the following day, and even though he understands that Gray may not be able to get the time off work, he would love it if Chantelle and the kids would go with him. Chantelle's face lights up - could this be the opportunity she needs to finally get away? It would be the perfect excuse to get away from Gray and it will also be the best opportunity she could get to make her escape plan work! She agrees and tells her children that they'll still be going on their adventure!

Okay - just putting it out there!!! Does anyone think something is going to happen between Tina and Frankie?! I can just see it happening. Tina isn't fond of Frankie to begin with, saying to Peter that her disability isn't going to help when it comes to serving drinks to a bar full of people. Frankie then proves her point to Tina and deals with a situation with some customers. She gets them to leave the bar and smiles at Tina - "Happy?" - Tina is then seen looking closely at Frankie. Is she going to slowly start getting feelings for the girl, and with Frankie somehow going to be getting closer to the Carter family, will she perhaps take advantage of Tina's feelings and lead her on, just to get closer to Mick, Ollie and the family?! Who knows?!

Back at the Mitchell house, Ben walks in a room where Callum is on his own, just thinking to himself. He says to Ben that he hates everything that is going on. He hates not being able to trust his own boyfriend. Once again, Ben tries his best to apologise - trying to explain that he didn't think, he was trying to protect his lover but also the fact that he was worried that Callum would put his career before him. Callum again tells his boyfriend that he loves him, they both share a smile at each other and Callum begins to get back to matter at hand. He informs Ben that CID will have the CCTV footage back in a few days time and he can try and delay it. The only way that they can move Ben away from the scent and the one thing that will stop Ben from going on the run, is if they decide to set Danny up and get him to go to the police without him knowing. Callum looks in shock, but perhaps it could be the only way of getting Ben and Phil out of trouble?!

The Panesar family are reeling over recent events and what Vinny has done. Ash is angry at her family for getting her involved and making her lie to the Police. Suki is basically telling them all to agree to the same story. Kheerat is trying to keep the peace saying that everything will be fine if they all say the same thing. Ash is angry and leaves the room. Suki instructs Vinny to change his clothes, it's only when she also leaves the room that Jags approaches his brother and asks him whether he's sick of things happening and that everything they do - there's always a victim. He reveals that he and Habiba had been seeing each other, but after he took her to one of his jobs to collect rent, she dumped him. I think that Jags is slowly starting to realise that the way he's been living his life, is not normal. I think it's clear that the Panesar family have been involved in horrendous things and it looks as if Jags is wanting to change his ways. He couldn't believe he could have someone as beautiful as Habiba, and now she's dumped him, he can see that the family do is wrong. He pulls out a poker chip and says that Kheerat can now have it, it used to bring him luck but he no longer wants it and maybe Kheerat needs more of the luck if he's going to be staying with the family  He says to his brother that he is going to change his ways and he's going to do everything he can to win Habiba back.

The last scene of the episode, Chantelle is whispering on her phone. At first we're not too sure who it is she's speaking to, until she makes her way down the stairs of her front door and Kheerat approaches her. She says to him that he's not supposed to be there, but he confesses he can't help but worry about her and making sure she's okay. He claims that he and Chantelle both know that there is something between them, Chantelle doesn't deny it, but she begs him to go before Gray sees. He pulls out the poker chip Jags gave him and tells her that he wants her to have it, and that any time she wants to cash it in, to give it back to him. She looks a little confused to begin with, she asks "What do I get?" ... Kheerat then leans in and smiles, "Me!" and places it in her palm. Chantelle encloses it with fist and fingers and as he walks away, she's left with a soft smile on her face. Will Chantelle find a way to confide in him before it's too late? Will Gray find the poker chip? Will the poker chip be found at the scene when Chantelle sadly passes away?

Tuesday 27th October 2020

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Friday 25th September 2020

Hello again everyone, I just want to thank you all for being so patient with me. This will be my last post this week, this will cover last night's episode and I'll finally all up to date with you all. Before I delve into the episode, I'm going to share some recent news with you - as I'm sure you've all been made aware by now that there's going to another new character coming to the Square. It is yet to be announced who this character will be named, all we know is that she is played by Simone Lahbib, and her appearing on the Square is going to make a lasting impact on the Carter family, and will especially be a huge part in an important storyline involving Mick. Who is she and what brings her to Walford? We'll be seeing Simone join the Square next month! Are you excited to see what she brings to the Square? I sure am!

Friday's episode starts with Gray being visited by a police officer. At first we see a gap in a section of some cupboards, at first I wasn't quite sure what I was looking at, but as Gray entered the room, it all make sense. Gray is instantly looking concerned as the Detective tells him that they've been given a name of a possible suspect in Chantelle's death, Gray's face looks like he's about to be grilled by the police, he's surprised when they then mention Kheerat Panesar's name. But you can his head spinning, can he turn this all around and set him up for the blame of the death of his wife? Gray reveals to the police that Kheerat wanted Chantelle to leave him, but Chantelle refused. Surprisingly, he tells the police that he's sure that Kheerat would not have hurt her, why would he tell them that? 

At home, Amy is telling her Dad that she doesn't want to go to school, because she has a headache. Jack is convinced that she's being bullied again, but Denise knows exactly why Amy is making up excuses for not wanting to go to school. Denise watches from the across the room, and decides to get her level, perhaps trying to understand the youngster. Denise tries to understand and says it's because of Isaac, and promises her that everything will be okay and they'll be able to find another tutor for her. Amy then pipes up, she claims she doesn't even like him and that he's a "Pot-Head!" It's then that Jack overhears what his daughter has said .... (That makes sense! As viewers saw in the previous episode, after Isaac said Good Morning to Amy, he spotted some pot lurking around on the playground, he picked it up and joked to Denise that he was going to take some. From across the yard, unbeknown to them, Amy had seen everything!) ... of course her Dad and Denise are both shocked by her claims, Denise is sure that Amy is making things up but she reveals that she's seen him smoking weed. Obviously, this doesn't sit right with Jack and Denise. 

On the Square, Stacey is still trying to make amends with her Mum, she offers to take her Mum out for a nice meal, but Jean still doesn't want to know. It's true she probably felt abandoned by Stacey when she went away, it's going to take a lot more than a nice lunch. Stacey says that they can give everyone they've lost a toast - Daniel, Hayley, Cherry - but Jean makes a very important point, she has already said her Goodbyes to those that she cares about, and that was the time that she really needed her daughter the most. Stacey really looks like that she's running out of ideas, what is it going to take for her Mum to talk to her again? From across the Square, Martin and Ruby watch on. Ruby sees how Martin is looking at Stacey, she tells him if he still has feelings for her, it's best he tells her now before anyone gets hurt, he promises that it doesn't matter that she's back, it doesn't change anything. 

Meanwhile, Jack has taken the information from Amy and decided to confront Isaac, he instantly denies the accusations and Jack tells him not to call his daughter a liar. Denise tries to step in, informing Jack that he did find some gear but was going to hand it in, which he obviously didn't. He reveals that instead of handing it in to the police, he threw it in the bin. Isaac figures out that reason she's got the hump is because she has a crush on him and he also tells Jack that that is also the reason why he stopped tutoring her. Isaac looks for Denise for back-up, Denise admits that what Isaac is saying is true, but she promises that she's just lashing out because she's upset. 

I really don't know like what Callum is doing, I understand it's a difficult situation he's been put in, but how can he work for Phil along side the police? Does Callum even trust Phil? At this moment in time, probably not. Callum has confided in his boss, revealing to him what Phil has asked of him. DI Thompson is telling Callum that it doesn't matter if he has to commit crimes, as long as Phil believes Callum is on his side, then that's all that matters. He tries to explain to Callum that you can either go up in life or down, he gives him a choice, what is he going to do? I really don't like what Callum is doing at the minute, but part of me also feels like he's being pushed into a corner and probably feels like he doesn't have an option?! 

On the Square, Lola, Lexi and Phil are emerging from the cafe, after Phil treating his granddaughter to a chocolate muffin, they spot Isaac from across the Square. Lola instructs her daughter to get out of sight before she gets in trouble for being off school. It's then Lola starts complementing him saying what such a nice man he is, suddenly Lexi speaks up and mentions that he's a druggie, much to Phil's annoyance, how dare someone smoke stuff around his granddaughter?! Lola, as a good mother does, tells her daughter not to hear school gossip, but even Phil is disgusted, as he says "Why would she lie about it?" Lola tells Phil to just forget about it,  but will he?

Back at his office, Kheerat is once again alone with his thoughts as he spins around and around in his computer chair. As he keeps spinning, he becomes aware of figure in the doorframe watching him. Gray! Instantly the two men stare at each other, Kheerat is ready for him, if Gray wants a fight he's got one coming! Gray insists that's not what he's here for, he begins to tell Kheerat of the information he's been given. The fact that a name has come up to the police about a suspect for Chantelle's death, he explains it was Karen who made the call. Is this something that he's lying about? Do we know for sure who has given his name to the police? Gray tells Kheerat that it's his name that Karen gave out, Kheerat remains silent as Gray carries on, he explains he told Karen that she was wrong, he tells him that he loved Chantelle too much for this to drag out, and he warns if Kheerat loved her just as much as he thought he does, then he would do the same. It's then Kheerat makes a valid point to Gray, mentioning how he was willing to give up everything in his life for Chantelle, his job, his family, everything ... so why isn't there just a piece of him that isn't making him think it was Kheerat?! Gray is always one to come up with a good backhander, "Because you loved her too much to hurt her, right? But she didn't love you did she!" ... Ooooh trying to hit him where it hurts, but we all know that's not true, it's what Gray wants to believe. Kheerat knew Chantelle loved him! He warns Kheerat to leave him and the kids alone, it's only then he reveals to the widower that he's revealed everything to his Father-In-Law! He warns that if Gray had anything to do with Chantelle's death, he'll be watching and waiting! 

At the Vic, it looks as if Sharon and Ian are trying to come to some form of understanding. Ian is already speaking to her much more politely. He apologises for the way he's been acting towards her, he explains he's trying the money for Max back together while he's waiting on some form of contract, and as soon as he gets it, he'll pay him back. Sharon warns her friend that secrets don't last for long, but Ian begs her not to say anything to Max, he promises to try and learn to accept the fact that she doesn't feel the same way about him. She asks him to keep things strictly professional, he nods and it looks as if they've come to a mutual agreement. 

Back at school, Isaac is being brought to his boss's office! She informs him that a complaint has been made against him about drug use, instantly he's fighting his corner, explaining that it's all a big misunderstanding because he stopped tutoring Amy Mitchell. The Head Teacher looks as if she doesn't believe a word he's saying, she opens her office doors and Isaac follows her inside, only to see Phil sat in the office chair, he looks over at him in disgust and Isaac knows he is in deep trouble! Meanwhile at the Minute Mart, Denise is looking to find something for the Atkins children when suddenly he phone rings, it's Isaac. From what we can make from the her phone conversation Isaac is telling her that Phil has come to the school to complain about his drug use, BUT while this conversation is taking place - Callum and Honey are also having another important conversation, Callum had just come back from a police job, a whole family of 4 being stuck in a car crash - a hit and run, from what Callum describes the scene to Honey as they both recoil from the news. As Callum is doing so, Denise can't help but overhear, does she know something about the family that have been hurt?

This is another place we've not seen inside of for a very long time, at McKlunky's Stacey is drowning her sorrows in fast food - definitely something I would do! - Martin walks in and they both clock each other, he laughs and make the small signal that she has some sauce on the side of her lip. For a moment, things seem civil between the ex-couple. Stacey admits that she doesn't know what to do to make it up to her Mum, Martin gives the only bit of advice he can "Give her some time!". Then Stacey starts to question his relationship with Ruby, whether she makes him happy or not. She reveals how devastated she was when Martin told her he had cheated with Sonia, she insults him by saying that she could do so much better than Martin. As she says this, it looks as if he's really hurt by what she's said, but he throws one right back at her, he reveals to her why he lied about sleeping with Sonia, he revealed he lied to keep her safe. Stacey once again accuses him of lying, because if it was the truth why didn't he just tell her in the first place? And he simply states that if he had, she would've made the situation a whole lot worse, he then tells her that he also can do better than Stacey, and just adds the last little dig, that he already has, with Ruby!

Back at Denise's house, you can see she's desperate to find something inside her house. She finds a folder which is full of letters and pictures. It looks as if the car crash she overheard Callum and Honey talking about earlier on, actually turns out to be the family her baby boy she had with Phil, Raymond, was adopted into. All the pictures show a tiny toddler cuddling a lion soft toy, and the letter reveals that the family were travelling to celebrate Raymond's sister's 13th birthday! Callum had told Honey that the child who died was 13 years old. Denise is beside herself as she looks on her phone and see the news of the mother and daughter passing and scrolls to the bottom of the article where it mentions the toddler being in intensive care. 

Meanwhile, Martin is catching up with Ruby after his confrontation with Stacey, he instantly tells her that he wants to go away just him and her. Everything has been a headache for him since Stacey returned. He pours his heart out to her and reveals that he wants to be with her, he loves her. Ruby smiles and she goes in for a kiss, as she does so, Stacey can be seen watching them from a distance, looking clearly devastated how her ex-best mate and ex-husband are looking so happy together. Ruby clocks on to her and grins as she enters her house with Martin. Stacey carries on watching them as she stands on the Square in her bare feet. 

Back at the Mitchell house hold, Callum has finally moved the last of his stuff into the house. He decides to have a heart-to-heart (well, from how it appears) - he reveals to Phil that through out his whole life he's been looking for something, he wasn't sure what, but as soon as he found Ben, he knew! He just knew he'd found what he had been looking for! I don't know whether Callum is trying to get into Phil's good books here or something, or whether he's lying to him to make him believe him, but he says that he would do anything for Ben. It's true he wants to be good copper, but if he was to choose between his job and Ben, he wouldn't have to think twice! He uses the most important phrase he could say to Phil, just to get him on side "I want to look after my FAMILY! Because that's all that matters isn't it?!" Phil smiles in acceptance - he's ready and welcoming Callum into their family, but is this going to be the biggest mistake Phil has made?! Is Callum going frame him and still put him up to the police! I feel really bad in saying, but I'm not liking this whole situation Callum is putting himself in. He is playing a very dangerous game, as soon as Phil finds out what he's doing, he'll kill him - not just for putting him up to the Police, but for betraying his family and most importantly Ben! 

Finally back at home, Isaac calls Denise one final time - telling her that it'll be the last time he calls, and basically thanks her for nothing, she was supposed to be helping him. But unbeknown to him, she has had a huge shock. We see Denise enter the hospital, she eventually finds the room in which he young son, Raymond, is lying in. She looks through the window, sees the toy lion and sighs against the glass. Suddenly a new face appears - Ellie! Finally we are introduced to Ellie!!!! She asks if she was a friend of the family - ahhh it's only as she's speaking to Denise, it occurs to me who she is! She is the adoptive Grandmother of Raymond! She reveals to Denise that both her son and young Raymond will survive, as she leaves to get them both a drink, Denise cries softly as she watches her young biological son. What interests me is, is Denise going to reveal the news about Raymond to Phil?! Does this mean that Denise is going to perhaps want to take her child back and fight for custody? Who knows?

Back at the Vic, Mitch is still reeling and reeling about who to believe or what to believe. Kheerat finds him and joins him, he reveals that Gray had paid him a visit. He reveals that Karen has named Kheerat as a suspect in Chantelle's death. Mitch is clearly taken back by this news, it's understandable that Karen is grieving, but why would she suddenly decide to blame Kheerat for Chantelle's death, she didn't have any clue about this until Mitch told her. Why would she do that? For some reason, I don't seem to understand that one. After a while both Karen and Gray come into the Vic and they both see Kheerat and Mitch together from across the bar. Gray is clearly disappointed in his Father-In-Law, believing a neighbour over his family. Mitch knows that something isn't right and he tells Gray that there is something that he's not telling them, it's then that Gray tells him that if he believes it was him, he wants him to announce it right now, in front of all the people inside the pub. Kheerat is quiet during the confrontation, but I'm sure if he had the choice he would've had his say. He definitely feels 100% certain that Gray was involved somehow, especially after his little visit. 

Back at the hospital, Ellie is making small talk with Denise, talking about the accident and how tragic it is for the family. She explains how much of a religious family they all are. She asks Denise whether she'd like to go in and see Raymond, she gently nods as Ellie lets her in. As they watch over the young boy, a nurse enters the room and asks to see Ellie, unfortunately she has bad news about her son. It looks as if poor little Raymond is going to lose all of his family due to the horrendous car crash, Denise begins to sob softly as the nurse asks if she's family, it's then she nods as she looks over her son and responds "I am! I am!" 

With all of the family passed away and with Ellie the owner adoptive family Raymond has left, is Denise now going to fight for custody of her son? She can't watch a let him grow up without a family. As he's young, will she be able to take him back and give him the family he's going to need? This is really interesting storyline, it's clear she's going to have a custody battle with Ellie. I'm really looking forward to seeing how this one plays out, perhaps she could try and get Phil's help, if he's willing?!