The gasp-inducing, Twitter shaking, get-me-a-brandy-quick moments in soap are always talkers, and a joy to behold.
But bringing back Cindy Beale was not simply a ploy by EastEnders to get themselves trending for a bit. Even though it absolutely did that.
The bold decision to revive Michelle Collins’ wonderfully camp soap villain with a vulnerably soft core presents a ripe ream of opportunities.
The moment Cindy raised that glass of white to her lips while lounging by a pool, my head was bursting with how many exciting moments we have got ahead to enjoy – what a time to be an EastEnders fan.
Cindy and Ian hiding out in France was just a snippet of what we have got to come when the Beales return to Walford with a vengeance this summer – from the revisiting of Lucy’s murder story through to the long awaited showdown with fellow death faker Kathy, we have some soaptastic treats on the horizon.
I found myself pretty spoiled for choice when my mind got carried away, but the situation can be narrowed down to the following upcoming incidents that are giving me life right now.
Cindy and George face-to-face
Casting Colin Salmon was already a winning move by the EastEnders team, but it’s already pretty obvious that the chemistry between him and soap queen Michelle Collins will be off the scale.
Cindy still holds a torch for ex-husband George, and he has not got over the woman he loves, but knows so little about.
When Cindy arrives back in Walford, the moment she faces a stunned George in the Queen Vic will be one for the history books.
How is he going to react? Will there be fury or lust – or more likely both? Are we in for a classic passionate Cindy affair behind Ian’s back that will keep the heat up when summer is long gone?
Bring it on!
Mum comes home!
Cindy has always had a very complex relationships with her children. When she is not kidnapping them or staying in hiding when they are murdered, she is a loving mother at heart, in her own way.
It might be hard to believe anything manipulative Cindy, an expert at the crocodile tear, says, but I am absolutely convinced that it has ripped her heart out being away from Gina and Anna.
The two refreshing characters have injected some energy into the Square, but amid their feistiness and fun lies a vulnerability over the disappearance of their mum and the lack of answers.
So how will they respond when ‘Rose’ makes her comeback? And what will it do to their worlds when they discover who she really is and that everything has been a lie?
Expect this to be the moment Gina and Anna really come into their own and make their mark on Walford.
Oh, Ian
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Whether you love him, hate him or love to hate him, Ian Beale is often a slightly pathetic man, and this is something that Cindy has exploited more than once.
You’d think after 704-ish disastrous marriages packed with infidelity and betrayal Ian would be more cautious and have a guard up – particularly when it comes to the wife who had him shot.
But the guy, who fled the Square after another wife, Sharon, tried to off him with creamy pasta (bet it was from a jar, too), is head over heels yet again.
I’m not sure yet whether I will feel bad for Ian or whether I will enjoy his squirming, but it can only be a matter of time before Cindy is plotting against him or cheating on him – if she isn’t already.
And chaos will ensue.
The killer Bobby issue
It’s not evident how much Cindy knows about Lucy’s murder, though it was probably in the news that Lucy’s music box and hockey stick kid brother was the one who killed her.
So, it’s going to be complex when Cindy sees Bobby for the first time, and tries to become accustomed to being under the same roof with him.
Bobby has built himself a redeemed life, and is no longer the damaged assailant who ripped apart his family.
So, he isn’t going to stand much of a chance against the very fierce Cindy. It’s going to be an intriguing one, and not one I have guessed the direction of.
Kathy and Cindy – round I’ve lost count
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There are not many things that arch-enemies Kathy and Cindy can relate to, but at least they both understand what it’s like to fake your own death.
For the moment they address this alone, this return is worth it.
But when Kathy and Cindy are in the same room, fireworks instantly explode, and their showdown is going to be a colossal affair, and EastEnders at its best.
After a few years treading water following her own return from the grave, Kathy is being well utilised again and firing on all cylinders, but this is going to propel her right to the heart of the action where she belongs.
The slanging matches, the cat fights, the acerbic dialogue, the tension – this is what we signed up for when we took Cindy’s return to our hearts.
Answers – and flashbacks?
It’s not quite possible, or fun, to have every question answered in an episode of half an hour, so there is still a lot for EastEnders to explain.
Where has Cindy been and who has she been with? When – and how – did Ian find out?
What was Cindy and George’s marriage like, and what transpired?
It will be interesting to see the gaps gradually filled but one thing viewers have raised qualms with is being robbed of the moment Ian first found out.
It would be great if any flashbacks were to be offered – time will tell!
What about Peter’s return?
When he was last seen, and with one of his manyother faces, Peter caused a lot of chaos with his family.
He has made amends with his dad since what happened, but Bobby and Kathy may not be so forgiving!
Peter embarked on affair with Bobby’s girlfriend, and girl he fell hard for, Dana, and left him hurt and humiliated.
And before leaving the Square in a huff, Peter cleared Kathy’s account.
It sounds like this is the money that has been paying for Cindy to hide out at a lush villa too – this is all going to go down very well with Kathy!
A very Walford wedding!
You always expect an EastEnders wedding to pack a punch, and Kathy’s nuptials with Rocky are set to be electric.
I will eat my summer hat if we don’t get a jaw dropping entrance from Cindy, leading to some of the aforementioned conflict between her and her on/off mother-in-law.
With Ian’s absence, Peter’s betrayal and Cindy’s return from the dead all to get her head round, Kathy’s thoughts of her groom will likely be pushed down the priority list.
For viewers, it will be more delicious than any wedding cake could dream of being.
That Christmas murder
You’d be foolish to think assassin hiring Cindy Beale won’t be involved in the upcoming murder storyline at Christmas – it’s just her cup of tea.
Given that it’s in the pub run by her ex-husband who she clearly still has the hots for, Cindy is right in the mix.
And that’s before you consider that one of the women present at the death is Kathy.
How does she fit into it all?
Suddenly, the already fascinating mystery just got a whole lot juicier!
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