I knew they’d leave it open ended but I really wish they’d have just shown us Mick dead. I don’t think he’s a character we ever need back and there is no reason for him to leave if he’s alive. Amnesia can work on a show like Neighbours but it’s a bit far fetched for EE. No way would he just leave Linda and Ollie and the others so for me I hope that he’s definitely dead.

 

The whole story has been a farce anyway. Mick wilfully ignoring everything Janine has done and everything everyone has told him about her until today, Mick essentially enabling her obsession with him by just meekly going along with everything. Everything Janine said to him was right tonight, he has always caused his own problems and looked for others to blame-Linda especially kept getting the raw end of the stick for that one. Yes, I know that the abuse storyline exists but however good that was, it seemed awfully tacked on.

 

Hopefully now that EE is unshackled from Danny Dyer, we can see continued improvement in the show. May he never return.

That was an AMAZING episode!

 

Their best Christmas episode in absolute yeaaaaars!

 

It was so great to see the real Janine again, I missed how evil she could be. Poor Scarlett :lol: Ahh i'm so sad tomorrow is Janine's last episode :( I'm hoping Janine will come back someday soon. Charlie Brooks is an incredible actress.

 

Never been a big fan of Mick but that ending was great and it made me sad that he appeared to have passed away. However, with that ending i'm sure he could always come back!

I can see Mick having a Dirty Den style comeback in a few years, i do hope Kellie Bright is staying but also i can see this ending up with new landlords for the Vic.

Umm, Janine is still married to him, which means dhe gets THE LOT!!

And it's just her word vs Linda's, sooo :lol:

That was an AMAZING episode!

 

Their best Christmas episode in absolute yeaaaaars!

 

It was so great to see the real Janine again, I missed how evil she could be. Poor Scarlett :lol: Ahh i'm so sad tomorrow is Janine's last episode :( I'm hoping Janine will come back someday soon. Charlie Brooks is an incredible actress.

 

Never been a big fan of Mick but that ending was great and it made me sad that he appeared to have passed away. However, with that ending i'm sure he could always come back!

Completly agree, it was excellent from start to finish and a great reminder of when eastenders is on form it's brilliant. They episode was also written by the brilliant Simon Ashdown.

Okay I've slept on it and whilst I'm still of the 'what the heck was that' opinion, I think that's more pushed towards the ending of the episode and how rushed it all was (did Chris Chibnall have a hand in it? :lol:)

 

On the whole, the episode was actually well thought out. We had scene after scene after scene of just showing each family spending their Christmas Day which was subtly nice; there were no specially set up cut scenes (apart from the end aware from the Square) and so it felt like a more authentic Christmas.

 

I'm really worried Lola's exit is right around the corner and we won't get to see her and Jay marry, perhaps a New Year's Day exit?

 

Now, The Carter scenes in the Vic were brilliant (Queen Shirley!) and Scarlett just outing Janine was what I wanted all along so I'm glad it happened and the subsequent scenes between Mick/Janine and Mick/Linda were really well done. Why it all had to end in a high-speed chase is a bit odd, other than them not wanting Janine to flee because the police weren't treating what had happened as a priority. I know this is EE, but a call back to police to explain she was doing a runner surely would've been enough for them :P

Mick saving Janine first was the right thing, as Linda said to save the baby, but there was a little gut wrench when we saw Linda had got out and he'd gone back in. What I would like is for tonight's ep to pick up exactly where we were left and perhaps see some kind of attempt to save him or at least deal with the emotion at the scene so last night's didn't feel so rushed but I doubt it'll happen.

 

I can see that the Boxing Day ep is available already on iPlayer so might watch it shortly.

I can't see lolas exit that soon or at least I hope not.I think they said earlier that it's a long storyline but in soap world long can be 2 or 3 months, il like them to really play it out longer, I was thinking even have her exit next Christmas.

Eastenders was the most watched soap yesterday

 

Eastenders: 3.2m (up 0.3m on last year)

Coronation Street: 2.8m

Emmerdale: 2.6m

 

Behind the scenes:

 

I agree with Joseph's post, I enjoyed the dinner scenes a lot - the unravelling of information and subsequent fall-out was the most I'd been gripped by an EE festive episode in a good few years. But the pacing felt off with the car-chase onwards and I felt a bit underwhelmed that Mick's exit was left so open-ended. Poor Linda, Ollie and Shirley if this really is the end - the latter can't catch a break :cry: I hope her and Linda can forge a strong friendship going forward as her ties on the square are dwindling and I can never get enough Shirley.

 

(I kept to my word back in September and am still catching up on the last year very slowly so there are gaps I'm still filling in :lol:)

 

For those who enjoy small details:

 

@1607156519686246400

I generally agree with the comments on here. The reveal of Janine's lies, the reunion of Mick and Linda and all the other stuff going on in the first half of the episode was decent. The car chase and ending all felt a bit rushed. While I get why they've gone with the 'missing presumed dead' open ending, because it's one of the only feasible ways to write Mick out without Linda or Oliie, it will feel a bit silly if they pull the 'memory loss' trick in a few years time. I'm guessing the alternative ending Danny Dyer mentioned would have seen him confirmed dead but also sure that would have just been one of those 'filmed to try and stop it leaking' things and they had no intention of using it.

I really enjoyed the reveal of Janines lies and also the reaction, the way she tried to say Scarlet was mentally ill showed the real Janine and thats side we all enjoy from her, i thought the episode built up really well, it may have been a little rushed at the end but i really enjoyed it from start to finish the only negative i have from the whole episode was Alfie, his storyline is ridiculous and annoying.

Alfie has stupid storylines!!

 

Scarlet is nothing like Janine. Boring character!!

Snuck into the Boxing Day ep early and I'm glad it doesn't brush past anything. There were some great character scenes once again between Janine/Sonia/Ricky/Scarlett and Linda/Shirley. Oop at

Ricky shopping Janine to the police, but I guess she had to get her comeuppance at some point

. My heart was also breaking at the Linda/Ollie scenes. The rest of the week will be interesting to see how it plays out once the rest of the Square find out.

Ricky told the police?! What a TURD

Scarlett should see right through her mother. Janine never wanted her anyway. She said in pub, you’re not coming after she was about to run away.

There was ZERO EVIDENCE, just a brat shouting ... but there was evidence foe ATTEMPTED MURDER!!! Sherly tried to kill Jamone!! Sorted. She gets the Vic, those two get out. She sells it, and leaves. That makes more sense, EE writers x

Superb emotional acting from Kellie Bright and Linda Henry :cry: :heart:

So his scene with Linda in the Christmas episode..

 

"Why does everybody around me always get hurt? I was on the roof last night and it hit me - maybe I'm the problem and I always have been"

 

Calling it now - he'll be back at some point and he'll use the excuse of needing to disappear because of his belief that he hurts everybody around him.

 

EDIT: Just read an article on DS

 

Show boss Chris Clenshaw said: "You'll have to wait and see (if Mick is dead). It's EastEnders so anything could happen."

 

...so yeah. Not dead. :lol: I bet Danny's just taken a year or so out to recharge his batteries and/or do other things.

Edited December 26, 20222 yr by Jαsє

I really do hope they use this as an opportunity to bring back Lee and Johnny. Nancy can stay away though :kink: