[Barbie]

Glad Mercy is sticking around, seems like a good character.

The school popping into eastenders was a bit weird, used to just seeing the square and the occational pop out like Peggy and Pat in london, and the woods, but they are more special things, not casual.

[Callum]

Yeah me too Barbie, I was so excited to see the school haha. I think it's because it's been mentioned so many times but we've never seen it properly. I'd like more school scenes.

Danniella Westbrook is to return in the Summer for those who don't know, she's filming her scenes now and all that is known is that she'll hold a "grudge".

[Jords]

I loved the school scene too! Glad to hear Mercy is sticking about, she seems so interesting and likable.

[bbfan1991]

Originally Posted by Jords

I loved the school scene too! Glad to hear Mercy is sticking about, she seems so interesting and likable.

I wasn't impressed when all of a sudden when the others were going through the plan of revenge on Lucy that Mercy acted like she knew her and judged her for it.

Ryan kisses Stacey.. no surprise hope that they don't get them together before she leaves.

[Jords]

Originally Posted by bbfan1991

I wasn't impressed when all of a sudden when the others were going through the plan of revenge on Lucy that Mercy acted like she knew her and judged her for it.

Ryan kisses Stacey.. no surprise hope that they don't get them together before she leaves.

I guess she did find out Lucy had an abortion rather than a miscarriage at the same time as the others though.

I feel sorry for Lucy as they all think she claimed having a miscarriage to score points but it was actually to protect Jane from getting hurt. Its going to get back to her sooner rather than later now..

[bbfan1991]

Originally Posted by Jords

I guess she did find out Lucy had an abortion rather than a miscarriage at the same time as the others though.

I feel sorry for Lucy as they all think she claimed having a miscarriage to score points but it was actually to protect Jane from getting hurt. Its going to get back to her sooner rather than later now..

Yes but it's none of Mercy's business.

I feel sorry for Jane the most because she longs to be a mother.. I suppose Masood will be a sperm donor cue next EE plot *duff duff*.

[Callum]

Last night's episode impressed me. Loving Mercy's nan, she's already a big character and she's only been there two minutes. I found it funny though that she was having some big send off as if everyone had known her for years, had Lucas and Denise even met her before? So yeah found that bit unrealistic but nice gesture none the less.

Cliffhanger was boring, they seem to be getting worse these days.

[Jords]

I love Jodie's accent! And she reminds me so much of Mariah Carey.

Tut Tut Vanessa!

[Stacey.]

i love Jodie so much. she's really sweet!

[Kerry]

Need to watch EE on iPlayer again. Bloody Emmerdale on for an hour again

[Patrick]

I LOVE JODIE SO MUCH!

[CaraRawr]

Jodie is adorable, I love her and Darren together.

[Firewire]

Jodie is adorable. I hope she sticks around.

[bbfan1991]

I really like Jodie, she's sweet and pretty.

Lucas aka Mark so has a split personality disorder.

[Jessica.]

Why is Ben in court?

[Stacey.]

is Lucas actually going to kill her?

[Smithy]

Yea i think so, Just they don't show it

[MrGaryy]

WHAT THE ****. Lucy is amazing, they can't recast her

[Callum]

Sadly they are ^

Loved the school scenes with Zsa Zsa and Lucy the other day, I'm loving getting to see the school. Although seemed odd to be sitting an exam in a classroom.

I'm going to jump on the bandwagon with the Jodie love, I think she's great. She's a total breath of fresh air and so far much superior than her mother who I've been disappointed with. Loved seeing Liz more tonight, such a shame she was axed she could have been the next big gossip on the Square and she really fits in too.

[Callum]

Lucy leaving in late Summer, sooner than I expected, she must've known she was leaving before the press were told then.

Recasts for both her and Ben happening later this year around late Autumn apparently.

[Callum]

EastEnders star Rita Simons has revealed that forthcoming episodes of the soap will revisit the relationship between her screen sister Ronnie Mitchell and their late father Archie.

In the BBC soap's live instalment earlier this year, viewers learned that Ronnie (Samantha Womack) had been raped by Archie (Larry Lamb) when she was a teenager. The dark secret emerged as Ronnie had a heated argument with Simons's character Roxy.

Although the storyline has been put on the backburner since the revelation, viewers can expect it to be brought back to the forefront in the weeks to come.

Speaking on This Morning today, Simons confirmed: "It is being revisited and I'm very glad. We've actually filmed it already. Sam Womack was phenomenal. I think she's had to keep replaying - I don't think she gets enough credit for it - this tragic heroine over and over. Just when we think it's over, she's got another revelation, so she was just incredible."

She continued: "It was so important to me that when we shot it - and I'm not a diva and I never do this - I asked the director, 'Please can we do it again?' because I wasn't happy. It was just that important to Sam and I, and I hope we've nailed it."

Archie was written out of EastEnders last Christmas when he was murdered in the Queen Vic, sparking a 'whodunit' storyline.

From DS

[bbfan1991]

I think Ronnie will tell Stacey about her rape and when the truth comes about about Stacey killing Archie she will help her to escape the Square.

Janine is seriously bugging me now, it's always the same thing round in circles for her, be nasty to people and scheme then get found out and beg for remorse.. then comes the reformed character which doesn't last I do like the character but EE clearly don't know what to do with her.

[Scarlett.]

lol Ronnie is on some show on Dave right now xD

[BB_Eye]

Originally Posted by Chewy

lol Ronnie is on some show on Dave right now xD

Game On?

[Callum]

Well, well, well - what do we have here, then?

We've already had numerous EastEnders script mentions of newcomer Vanessa Gold's husband - and Jodie's father - Harry in the small number of episodes since the two females in his life set foot on the Square.

It was therefore inevitable that we'd meet such a prominent character in their lives at some point in the near future a la Ronnie and Roxy's evil dad Archie Mitchell.

With Harry, I expected something similar. I thought we'd have to wait for months - at least until Zöe Lucker begins her extended second stint - to see him for the first time.

But not with this patriarch.

Here's an exclusive first look at Harry Gold - played by Linal Haft - alongside Vanessa.




Don't they look happy?!

Take a closer look...

Beneath Vanessa's brassy exterior lies a trapped housewife.

We've seen Vanessa reject umpteen phonecalls from Harry and during next Wednesday's episode, he's at it again. Anyone would think he was checking up on her!

After a sneaky fag in the car, we actually follow Vanessa into her home - a luxury Essex mansion, complete with long driveway and pillars outside the front door. Very swish. It's all material, though. Inside, a daughter she dotes on and a husband she apparently detests.

Stepping into the front door, Vanessa changes out of her high heels and into her flip-flops, before straightening the other shoes in the lineup. On her way to the kitchen, she also spots a tall ornament out of place. Happy after pushing it into its rightful position, she moves on. Sounds all a bit OCDish to me. But that's not the best bit.

Heading into the living room, Vanessa takes a deep breath and approaches a large leather armchair. At this point, I expected a Blofeld-esque non-reveal of who was slouched in it. But to my surprise, the camera panned to Harry.

First words to his loving wife? "Mine's a double."

Questioning why she smells of smoke and interrogating her over her movements for the day, Harry eventually strikes the killer blow - he reveals that he's actually spoken to the friend Vanessa claims she's been with all day. An argument below a looming family portrait ensues, before Vanessa heads to bed - alone.

As she does, Harry moves the ornament back to the edge of the table in the hallway. Controlling or what?!

The whole 'going into the bad man's lair' scenario very much reminded me of the first time we met villainous Mitchell patriarch Archie in July 2008. Mind you, that's not a bad thing. If Archie's the measure of a modern day successful soap villain, exec producer Bryan Kirkwood's onto a winner.

Hopefully, though, Harry's not a stereotypical Archie-type - even if he is another brainchild of Simon Ashdown.

Harry makes his first appearance during next Wednesday's hour-long Ashdown ep, during which Stacey gives birth and Max comes face to face with Tanya again.

Incidentally, that episode ends with Julia's Theme...

Looks like an interesting storyline