It’s going to be one dramatic year on Albert Square for Stacey, Suki, Linda, Sharon, Denise and Kathy…
Have you caught your breath yet, EastEnders viewers?
A ladies’ lock-in at the Queen Vic pub involving Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner), Suki Kaur Panesar (Balvinder Sopal), Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth), Denise Fox (Diane Parish), and Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) ended with a flash-forward to Christmas Day 2023 in a twist that the BBC One soap has never done before.
We all know that EastEnders is a popular show around the holidays, but this year we’ll see how these six women are tied to a bloody death that occurred on a wedding day, where Sharon is the bride, right in the middle of the pub!
Stacey has blood on her hands, Denise is holding a smashed bottle, and all of the ladies looked shocked as bride Sharon bends down to hold a man’s wrist and confirms, “he’s dead.”
So, what happens next?!
Now, following that epic cliffhanger, executive producer Chris Clenshaw has spilt the secrets behind the shocking twist storyline, how it came about and teases what is to come next for the iconic characters involved in the story.
How did you and the team come up with this incredible flashforward scene storyline?
We were looking for an episode to really excite viewers as we set up an event that they’ll hopefully look forward to all year, and we were looking for a vehicle for The Six (women) to come together, Linda, Suki, Kathy, Stacey, Denise, and Sharon.
How long have you and the team been planning this?
Since I took over at the beginning of last year, it has been in the works. I was looking for a blockbuster story for 2023, and it was obvious that there was a demand for a “whodunnit,” but I was hesitant to play one in the traditional sense because of the dazzlingly excellent “Who Killed Lucy” plot, which was not only enormously successful but also intensely compelling throughout. I told the writing and story team that if we were to do another “whodunnit,” it would need to be unique, feel distinctive, and have a fundamentally different mechanic.
A few of our writers and story team members took that directive into consideration and returned with the concept of flashing forward, assuring readers that a “whodunnit” will be revealed in the near future. We came up with the concept and decided that it would be even more thrilling if we kept the identity of the victim a secret, making it much more than a “whodunnit”… It’s also a “who-is-it?” We then decided to begin the story around the 38th anniversary of EastEnders, which fortunately fell around the time that The Six (women) – Linda, Suki, Kathy, Stacey, Denise, and Sharon – are all involved in stories related to the men in their lives.
Why was it important for you to try out a format that has never been shown before on EastEnders?
We have to think about whether it’s right for EastEnders and how the audience will react when we try something that we as a show have never done before. It wasn’t an easy choice for us to make, but I believe we can try new things, play with form and structure, and intrigue, grip, and excite our audience in fresh ways as long as we stay true to the show’s DNA, which is about family, community, and love, and we keep that in mind at all times.
The ending opens up a whole host of questions, can you tease what’s in store for the characters involved?
The discovery of a photo of Shirley and Dean has turned Linda’s world on its head, but she is under pressure to concentrate on finding a new business partner or risk losing her house. Nish and Sharon both want the castle’s keys, but Sharon’s knight in shining armor might not be who you think.
Suki is having trouble with her marriage to Nish and is making a valiant effort to persuade herself that she has no feelings for Eve. Suki will learn the truth as the year goes on, and her relationships will be put to the test, but her biggest secret may ultimately drive her to the breaking point.
Rocky and Kathy are getting married, but we all know Rocky has baggage from the past, so who knows what will come back to haunt him.
Stacey has struggled to protect her pregnant daughter from danger in addition to dealing with the rising cost of living. Stacey is doing something this year that she has never done before in an effort to defend her loved ones and an unborn grandchild.
How long can Denise resist temptation when her marriage to Jack is in trouble and local bad guy Ravi has had his eye on her for several weeks? When Jack realizes what has been happening, expect an uproar in the action.
As soon as Sharon and Keanu got back together, she learned that he and Sam also have a history, leaving Sharon newly single. The fact that Sharon is, as we all know, donning a wedding gown at Christmas means there will undoubtedly be many detours and heartbreak along the way.
How can viewers expect the storyline to transpire over the next year?
Six women are gathered around a dead body, which we know is a man, as we saw in the flash-forward scene. Expect to see each of these women have significant stories over the next ten months involving potential victims, which will all come together at Christmas.
How did you choose the specific characters for this storyline? Why was it important to feature all female protagonists?
Strong women have always been at the center of EastEnders, and we are incredibly fortunate to have a host of extraordinarily talented actors at our disposal. Therefore, it made sense to combine some of our most well-known and recognizable female characters in a massive, never-before-told storyline. These women are neighbors and share a square, but we hardly ever see them interact in this way.
In November of last year, I called a meeting with Kellie, Bal, Gilly, Lacey, Di, and Tish; they were all understandably perplexed but also very interested in why I wanted to meet with them all at once. I broke the news and shared our plans for this plot during our lunch meeting. They all halted mid-step as I described the flash-forward scene and said, “And we cut to Christmas 2023,” and the room went silent.
They were speechless. However, that didn’t last for very long because they had a lot of questions. Some of them tried to figure out who the body is right away, while others didn’t care. Others wanted to know which one of them is responsible, while others didn’t. The audience is asking the same questions that they did back then, I’m certain.
Christmas on EastEnders is always a busy time, and this year we got a sneak peek of what’s to come. Can you provide us with any additional information about this explosive episode?
I’ve already shown you a scene from Christmas; I’m sorry, but I’m at a loss for words. But I will say this: Be prepared for the unexpected.
The end of the episode ends in a whodunnit. Can you give us any clues on what might have happened, and who might have met their fate?
I won’t reveal anything that the episode hasn’t already revealed, but I will say that there were hints throughout. Did you take a close look? I implore everyone to watch the scene again and take in every nuance. If you look closely, you can find a few treats in the scene as well. I’d also add that a lot can occur in Walford between February and December, including changes in circumstances, interpersonal relationships, and loyalties. As a result, what you may believe now may not be entirely accurate as 2023 progresses and Christmas approaches.
What does the ending mean for the characters moving into next year?
You’re already requesting information about 2024 in February 2023! All I can say is that these six women will experience something that will forever tie them together before everything changes for them in an instant.
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