EastEnders is aiming to pack a big punch over the upcoming months, so sunshine and lollipops are definitely not on the summer menu.
The Mitchell family is about to go into an explosive meltdown in the coming weeks, a familiar person comes back for their lost love, a number of dramatic exits are planned, and there are going to be lots of showdowns as old secrets are revealed and new ones emerge.
Things have gotten out of hand for the clan since since Mitchell family patriarch Phil (Steve McFadden) returned. With multiple bombs (this time metaphorically) ready to go off, no one will escape unharmed.
Ben (Max Bowden) was the victim of a brutal attack by Lewis (Aidan O’Callaghan), and when Sam (Kim Medcalf) finds the perpetrator right away, justice will be served.
However, Mitchell justice has a reputation for being more brutal, thus a massive conflict is to be expected.
How far is Phil willing to go as he challenges Lewis? And what will Ben think of how things turn out? Will he acknowledge his father or reject him?
Ben’s husband Callum (Tony Clay) is not aware of what has happened to the guy he loves in another location.
But will this change when things continue to spiral out of control?
Sam has been concealing her own betrayals from Phil as well, and now that he knows about the drug deal she struck at Peggy’s, it is only a matter of time before the web she has constructed is exposed.
Phil must also prepare for a forthcoming wedding. Since he and Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) are determined to get married, it would be best for Phil if his most recent liaison and vows of love for ex-girlfriend Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) remained a secret.
Alfie Moon (Shane Richie), who comes into town in time for the big day, is another reason for fear.
But does he want to keep dating Kat, and does she share his sentiments?
Little Mo’s son Freddie (Bobby Brazier) is another intriguing guest at the wedding, but why has he just returned after all this time?
Phil will have a lot to think about considering the Mitchell family’s overwhelming level of rage and aggressiveness.
He will be forced to consider his own behaviour and how it affects those around him as a result of everything being broken.
Fans should expect a particularly special episode as a result, in which we travel back in time to observe Grant and Phil’s upbringing from a much younger Peggy (Jaime Winstone).
Next week, another pair of well-known characters will make an appearance when Stacey (Lacey Turner) meets up with Big Mo Harris (Laila Morse) when she is on vacation with Jean, Stacey’s recovering mother (Gillian Wright).
Stacey spends time with her ex Martin Fowler (James Bye) during the break, but is Kheerat Panesar (Jaz Deol) concerned about this?
He undoubtedly has additional causes for concern given the continued decline in his relationship with his mother Suki (Balvinder Sopal).
Suki is left defenceless and at the mercy of the perverse businessman Ranveer after being rejected by her children.
She strikes back and delivers a timely blow that leaves him for dead. Will he survive this, or has she turned into a killer?
And what about their on-again, off-again relationship? (Heather Peace). Could Eve be the solace Suki needs to cry on?
Could Eve be moving too close and risk losing her heart?
The appearance of Ranveer’s son Ravi (Aaron Thiara), whom we last saw in prison, further complicates things.
However, why is he at the Square? And what issues will he cause?
At the Queen Vic, broken partnerships are also the norm. Things between Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) and her husband Mick seem to be slowly defrosting now that she appears to be back on her feet (Danny Dyer).
How much information should we glean from recent hotel photos?
Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks) appears to need to be on watch, but that is nothing compared to the reality of the collision, which may cause her to collapse at any time.
The truth has to come out sooner or later, and with Mick expected to depart in a big way before the year is up, will this enormous secret be the focal point?
Ricky Champ’s character Stuart Highway (Ricky Champ) is still battling postpartum depression, especially after his wife Rainie left him (Tanya Franks).
How much can Stuart handle while juggling that with the oncoming threat of his cancer is cause for anxiety.
It’s no news that Ricky will also leave the programme, but will Stuart’s story have a catastrophic ending?
And speaking of sad, Lola Pearce (Danielle Harold), who develops a brain tumour, will be the focus of a heartbreaking plot.
In depressing sequences, it appears that the character will decline, resulting in an emotional farewell.
The specifics of how it proceeds and with whom are still up in the air, but the consequences for those left behind are sure to be severe.
As Dana Monroe (Barbara Smith) looks to the future with a spot at university, she is also saying farewell.
But is Bobby Beale (Clay Milner Russell) still owed something? Where do their emotions stand?
Will she say farewell and break his heart?
While Kim Fox-Hubbard (Tameka Empson) gets used to Howie Dane’s (Delroy Atkinson) son Denzel’s presence, Jada Lennox (Kelsey Callidine-Smith) upcoming departure is likewise cloaked in secrecy (Jaden Lageda).
And Amy (Abbie Burke), who also quickly develops a soft spot, isn’t the only one.
Residents are reeling from the effects of fiery conflicts and discoveries as many boiling strands collide this summer.
They cannot, however, pause for long since, as winter approaches, even greater shocks are on the way.
