Decider

Not sure how I feel about Shabnam's revelation today (Friday). Trying to figure out how this all fits in the timeline is making my head hurt but maybe there will be more explanation on Monday's episode.

The next installment in Back to Ours is up on BBC iPlayer with Samantha Womack and Rita Simons. Really looking forward to the one with Pam St. Clement and Barbara Windsor.

There was plenty of eye rolling going on from me with that scene. Even with Max's well known habits, that felt like a bit of a stretch.

Dot and Ethel still makes me weep, no matter how many times I watch those scenes.

Yep, Number 23 was Reg's flat. There were other characters who lived there over the years after Reg was killed and the space was split into two flats -- Ali and Sue Osman, Mary Smith, Mo Butcher, Dot even lived there briefly -- then the Slaters moved in and it was converted back to a house. 23 is where Kat and Alfie were living up until the fire that Alfie set, that is why it is empty right now. Edited to add: Sonia and Fats? Oooooooh, I say. And I cannot wait until Mick goes off on Shirley on Monday.

Seems kind of fitting that Nick should be hiding out in Reg Cox's old flat. Poor Dot. Don't want to say more about that as it may tie in with the spoiler I linked a few days ago. I cannot wait for the wrath of Phil when he finally gets out and finds out 1) about the Arches and 2) how practically his whole family believed that he was responsible for Ronnie, but I suspect that may not happen for a while with Steve McFadden having time off.

The preview in the The Hollywood Reporter link says the new season will premiere on April 12th.

I am getting kind of tired at the writers feeling like Ben needs to try to lay a kiss on practically every man in his life who shows him any kind of support or sympathy. First Johnny and now Jay? Ugh.

Upcoming storyline spoiler (page address gives away the spoiler). Also: Jo Joyner returning to Eastenders for the 30th anniversary.

Phil and Shirley stealing her money a while back might be a contributing factor, plus stress and grief over Ronnie's condition could alter her judgement but Roxy thinking Phil would do something like that to Ronnie feels like a bit of a stretch to me, too. I still don't think Abi killed Lucy. Way too many anvils are being dropped for that character right now to make me believe it would be her.

There will be a special flashback epsiode as part of next month's anniversary week with details of the night Lucy died. I guess Anna Acton really didn't give anything away when she said in the press that she would be back as part of the reveal!

Kind of interesting that this is the second time that someone has died at the hand of Nick Cotton tampering with brakes. I am not sure if anyone realized that Emma was hit by the car at first.

I believe it was said back at the start of this storyline that the killer may not have known that Lucy would die when everything went down, but I guess we'll find out in a few weeks!

Abi just feels too red herring for me as Lucy's killer. I am still leaning towards Jane being involved somehow.

I liked Sarah, too. Her pushing Mike off her when he was jokingly trying to hug her after his escapade with Melissa and the waitress in the shower and telling him "you reek of...broads" still makes me laugh to this day.

Roxy got her money back, though, if my memory serves. She had burned through the three million pound inheritance that she got after Archie died and was supposed to pay for Ronnie's wedding to Jack. She used the last of her cash to place a bet at the bookies and her horse won, but Glenda (who was working at the bookies at the time) had not placed the bet. Roxy sold a bunch of her possessions and that was the money that was stolen by Phil and Shirley, around 20 grand. Glenda, who found out that Phil took it and then embarked on an affair with him, convinced Roxy that she should get her money back plus a little extra by breaking into Phil's safe. Phil walks in on them, tells Roxy that Glenda stole the money, and the money that they took from the safe went back to Phil. Roxy then found cash hidden away in Glenda's wardrobe that Phil planted there to convince Roxy that she took it. Roxy refused to believe Glenda when she claimed that Phil planted it and accused Glenda of only wanting a relationship with her to get to her money. Glenda then revealed her affair with Phil to Roxy in front of Phil and Shirley as proof that Phil would set her up but no one believes her and Roxy tells her to move out of their flat. I think the money that was planted in Glenda's wardrobe would have gone back to Roxy.

Thanks, eejm, I didn't recall that mention.

Dominic Treadwell-Collins says there are no plans to recast Johnny, at least not at the moment. And no, there has been no mention of Carly.

I thought to myself at that moment wait, Linda hasn't been able to say anything to anyone about what happened for all of these weeks but she was potentially about to blurt it out to Stacey in the middle of the street? Of course Dean was going to show up at that moment. The truth will out, of course. Looking forward to this week's episodes.

I am glad that it is being dealt with now, it would have been difficult to fit in with all of the Carter reveals happening next week.

Puck and Betty got married on Battle of the Sexes.

I think that is how Kat is going to find out about Alfie. (Speculation, not a spoiler.) Otherwise, why show him tucking the photo away into a bag? It has to come back into play somehow.

I found that scene where Belou cursed out the Wicks about criticizing her mothering skills on YouTube a while back. Still one of my most favorite Challenge scenes ever.

Lori from Back to New York used to work at a staffing agency where I was registered to find a job back when I first moved to Los Angeles. She did call me once about an open temp position and I was always tempted to make mention of the show but thought it would end up being too awkward.

Yeah, they are squatting. Donna, the market trader in the wheelchair, gave them the keys to Terry's old flat when they got bounced out of the previous apartment that Alfie had moved them into before Kat got out of the hospital. Donna told them that Terry's rent had been paid up through the end of November but I don't recall if she explained why she had his keys.