In EastEnders, Linda Carter’s (Kellie Bright) life came tumbling down when, after escaping a jail sentence, her greatest fears were ultimately realized thanks to nemesis Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks).
In Monday’s (August 29) episode of the BBC One serial drama, which turned out to be another another in a long run of very good outings, the landlady was on pins and needles.
Viewers are aware that Linda, who pled guilty to the vehicle crash that almost killed her and baby Annie earlier this year, was facing a potential jail sentence for a crime she didn’t even commit.
Of course, Janine is to blame since she was the one operating the vehicle, but she later accused her love rival—who was inebriated at the time—of causing the collision.
That pesky Janine.
Linda was able to recover from her severe wounds, but she had trouble remembering what had happened on that particular day, leading her to believe that she was behind the wheel. Despite being innocent, she took responsibility for her actions and enlisted support for her alcoholism.
To Janine’s dismay, Mick (Danny Dyer), who has been by her side nearly constantly, was prompt in her assistance once more tonight.
Before leaving for court, Linda stopped by The Vic for a tender moment with her loving children, Ollie (Harry Farr) and little Annie. Devilish Janine was quick to take pleasure in Linda’s suffering, and she even went so far as to suggest that Linda’s children would be better off without her.
Charlie Brooks, you are such a master at portraying malice!
As for Janine, she used extortion to force Jada Lennox (Kelsey Calladine-Smith) into hiding alcohol bottles throughout the house. If she objected, Janine would secretly videotape her consenting to the plot and release it.
Mick was a huge comfort to Linda in court, helping her breathe through what seemed to be a panic attack as she worried about spending the rest of her life in prison.
The landlady was then brought to the courtroom and, bravely acknowledging that her own behavior had broken her family apart, asked to speak to the court while knowing that her comments would not be heard.
She managed to avoid a prison sentence and was instead given a fine and hours of community service, showing that her comments had an effect on those who were listening. Linda and Mick were both astonished by the choice, with Linda seemingly appreciative of getting another shot.
When Linda arrived at the Vic, Janine was less than delighted, but with the schemer’s plot already in motion, it was only a matter of time before her love rival’s world came tumbling down.
You see, Janine had Jada call social services to report Linda’s suspected drinking in addition to having her hide alcohol bottles about the house.
Following a visit from a social worker, Zack Hudson (James Farrar), who was visibly shocked, quickly made his way to the pub to alert Linda, who dashed across the Square to find out what was going on.
But it was already too late.
Despite Linda’s protests that everything was a setup, the social workers had discovered the fake alcohol bottles and were reluctant to trust her.
They had to take Annie to the hospital as a result of finding a bruise on her arm, which made everything much more difficult.
Concerned that they would believe she had hurt her child, Linda first tried to block their path before pursuing their car across the market and collapsing into Mick’s arms.
A genuinely heartbreaking episode that once again manages to highlight Janine’s character’s cunning cruelty and cunning, which elevates her well above the typical soap opera villain.
Meanwhile, Linda and Mick are perfectly ideal for each other, and maybe the most important lesson from this episode is that their chemistry is intensifying and it may soon be time for them to get back together.
Who knows what will happen next, but this may be the lowest Janine has fallen so far, and we can only assume that it will make the outcome – when she is discovered – all the more delectable.
