Tonight’s EastEnders is set to end with a huge shock as a long-absent character makes a dramatic return to Albert Square, and it’s safe to say he doesn’t come back quietly.
Mark Fowler Jr (Stephen Aaron-Sipple) arrives at Phil Mitchell’s (Steve McFadden) door for the first time in a decade… bruised, bloodied and clearly in serious trouble.
The episode builds towards the bombshell, beginning with Phil preparing to take Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley) to Portugal later in the day, following Sam Mitchell’s (Kim Medcalf) hospital operation. On the surface, Phil is doing what Phil does best, sorting things out, keeping busy and avoiding his own emotions. But it doesn’t go unnoticed that something is off.
Denise Fox (Diane Parish) quickly clocks that Phil isn’t quite himself and quietly asks George Knight (Colin Salmon) to check in on him, concerned that he’s carrying more than he’s letting on. Phil, as ever, brushes things off, focused instead on getting through the day and supporting Sam.
Sam heads to the hospital with Ricky and Jack for her operation, and despite everything between them over the years, she’s clearly comforted when she wakes up to see Phil by her side. It’s a rare moment of calm for the Mitchells, but it doesn’t last long.
In a careless slip, Sam accidentally lets Phil’s plan for Nigel going to Portugal slip in front of George. Before long, the information makes its way back to Denise, raising fresh questions about what Phil is really up to and why he’s so determined to get Nigel out of Walford.
But just when it seems like Phil has enough on his plate, the past quite literally comes knocking.
Back at Phil’s house, there’s a knock at the door. When Phil opens it, he’s confronted with a sight that will shake up the Square: Mark Fowler Jr, battered, bloodied and barely able to stand.
Looking like he’s been beaten to a pulp, Mark manages to mutter, ‘Hello Uncle Phil,’ before collapsing onto the stairs. The episode ends there, leaving viewers with one huge question: what on earth has Mark dragged back with him?
Mark Fowler Jr is no stranger to drama. The son of Grant Mitchell, he left Walford around ten years ago and has largely been off the radar ever since.
Mark left Walford, it was with the hope of starting fresh. But if his condition tonight is anything to go by, that fresh start hasn’t gone to plan.
The fact that Mark turns up at Phil’s door, rather than anywhere else in Walford, speaks volumes. Whatever has happened, he clearly believes his uncle Phil is the only person who can help him.
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Covered in blood and clearly terrified, Mark’s return suggests he’s either on the run, in debt, or crossed the wrong people, possibly all three. And knowing EastEnders, trouble like this never stays in the past for long.
With Phil already under pressure, trying to manage Nigel’s future and keep his family together, Mark’s sudden arrival threatens to blow everything apart. Denise’s growing concerns, George’s involvement and Sam’s fragile recovery all add to the sense that Phil is about to be pulled into yet another crisis.
Why has Mark come back now? Who has beaten him up, and are they close behind? And will Phil once again put himself in danger to protect someone he cares about?
