Three explosive EastEnders theories: dark Elaine Peacock secret and suicide bombshell
ELAINE Peacock made a thunderous entrance at The Vic and took business into her own hands immediately.
But could the returning EastEnders character be keeping a dark secret? And what will Lola Pearce do as her final days loom closer?
1. Elaine keeps shady secret
Elaine Peacock (played by newcomer Harriet Thorpe) finds her mark in the iconic Walford pub after making sure word of her return reached all Albert Square residents.
But following her long-awaited comeback, Elaine was shocked to find the Vic had been broken into and vandalised.
Both her and Linda tried to figure out who could have taken such action – until Elaine spotted a glass flamingo previously gifted by Nish Panesar had been left on the bar.
This week on BBC One, Elaine and Linda (Kellie Bright) deal with the fallout of the break-in.
Elaine is adamant on getting revenge on the Panesar clan and Eve Unwin (Heather Peace) becomes worried it could backfire on Suki Panesar.
However, Linda is upset when Elaine seems unbothered by the ruined picture of the supposedly late Mick Carter.
Elaine focuses on business and becomes an instant success with the men of Walford as she entices them in with free drinks.
Linda, on the other hand, becomes irritated as her mother changes the normal running of The Vic.
The pub landlady will perhaps be even more stunned when her mother makes a decision about the Vic behind her back.
Teased to be moving back to Albert Square with a new family in tow, Elaine makes a phone call to a mystery man and shares her hopes that he’ll move into The Vic.
Will Linda find out and, if so, how will she react?
To make tensions even stronger, Elaine later admits she wants to get rid of Alfie Moon (Shane Richie) at The Vic and she’s unimpressed when he turns up late to his shift.
Alfie has been a source of support for Linda following Mick’s disappearance at sea.
But things get worse for him at the Vic when he tries to work his charm and suggests a cocktail night by mixing some signature drinks for Kat Slater and Phil Mitchell to toast to Peggy.
Kat (Jessie Wallace) senses Elaine’s hesitation towards Alfie and subtly sticks up for him.
What does Elaine have in mind?
Who will she get moving into The Vic with her and Linda?
2. Stacey trapped by ex
A dangerous offer makes Stacey Slater consider risking it all to save her family.
The bap van owner portrayed by Lacey Turner has been under immense financial pressure in recent months, particularly as her daughter Lily is expecting a child.
Her money issues spiral out of control this week as bailiffs arrive to boot her out of house and home.
Martin Fowler (James Bye) sees this and tries to offer some additional support but Stacey insists she has it all covered.
Later on, Freddie Slater (Bobby Brazier) spots a dejected Stacey and quickly comes with a money-spinning idea to get more customers to her bap van.
Although the idea is an instant success, an overjoyed Stacey is brought right back down to reality when a client makes her a shocking offer on Secret Cam.
Unbeknownst to Walford residents, Stacey was inspired by Freddie’s own business venture and turned to camera work to make ends meet by making her own account on a platform named Secret Cam.
Stacey contemplates the offer and continues to dismiss Martin’s help.
In later scenes, she asks Eve Unwin to look after the bap van.
Unfortunately, Eve soon returns home to find Stacey dolled up – will she tell her what she’s been up to?
Things go from bad to worse for Stacey when she finds out Lily (Lillia Turner) has been bullying a girl at school but there’s more to the situation than meets the eye.
Martin then takes a struggling Stacey for a picnic in the park where they share a heart-to-heart conversation and he unknowingly gives her the reassurance she needs.
Will Stacey go through with the offer?
While viewers have yet to know more about this week’s event, one could theorise an mystery enemy could be looking to trap Stacey.
Could the Secret Cam offer come from somebody Stacey knows well?
Could she become a viral sensation by accepting the offer?
One could also theorise that this may be a ploy by Ryan Malloy who is eager to get custody of his daughter Lily.
Is he capable of playing tricks on Stacey to make her lose credibility as a mother?
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3. Suicide twist in cancer storyline
Could Lola Pearce be tempted to take matters into her own hands?
The hairdresser’s health has been on a drastic decline in recent weeks as actress Danielle Harold prepares to leave Albert Square after more than a decade.
Despite her condition, Lola has been adamant on working at Fox & Hare but with her health deteriorating, she’s been forced to take her leave from the salon.
This week, Kim Fox (Tameka Empson) organises a leaving karaoke party for Lola.
Sadly, Lola becomes overwhelmed by the events of the day, particularly as Kim struggles to find a karaoke machine.
She secretly retreats outside, leaving Denise Fox (Diane Parish) Honey Mitchell (Emma Barton) and Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth) to realise that she’s gone missing.
The trio of women panic when they fail to find her and Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) soon joins the search with Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick).
Billy eventually finds a confused Lola on the floor outside the gym and she begins to panic when her speech and mobility are both impaired.
A weakened Lola wakes up in hospital with Ben, Jay and Billy at her side and she’s soon told the heart-breaking news that her palliative chemotherapy treatment hasn’t worked.
Fully aware that Lola’s time is quickly running out, Jay breaks her out of the hospital in later scenes with the idea of enjoying a fun-filled day at the seaside.
Lola then spots a ruby necklace which she hopes to buy for her daughter Lexi as a 16th birthday present.
While at the sea front, the couple share a heart-to-heart and Jay has a massive surprise for Lola.
Viewers of the long-running drama are bracing themselves as Danielle Harold has reportedly filmed her character’s last ever scenes.
Knowing the end is near, many fans of the London-based program are fearing Lola may decide she has had enough and decide to end her own life.
But could they be right?
EastEnders airs from Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One.