EastEnders spoilers follow for Thursday's episode (October 3), which is available to watch now on streaming service BBC iPlayer and hasn't yet aired on TV.
Earlier this year, it was announced that Michael French would be reprising his role as legendary character David Wicks in EastEnders for the first time in ten years – albeit for a short stint.
While his big return has been widely promoted, David made a surprise appearance at the very end of Thursday's episode when he got out of a cab to find his daughter Bianca lying in a heap of bin bags and wearing a pink hi-vis jacket. It's a long story.
When his return was first announced, French said in a statement: "I feel honoured to be asked to reprise the role of David Wicks once again. It may only be a brief visit, but we know from his past that David never fails to create a lot of drama in a very short time."
Of course, it's been a decade since David has set foot in Albert Square, so it might be handy to have a refresher on who he is and what he got up to during his previous two stints on the show. Don't worry, we've got you covered. Who is David Wicks – and why is he back?
Who is David Wicks in EastEnders?
Related: Best streaming services
What to Read Next
David's first appearance in EastEnders was at the end of 1993 when he arrived in Albert Square for his father Pete Beale's funeral. Shortly after, he reunited with his mother Pat and went into business with her stepson Ricky Butcher.
He found out that his ex-girlfriend Carol Jackson was back in Walford with her four children – and here's where it gets a bit weird. David began to fall for Bianca and the pair flirted with each other, but he was horrified when Carol told him the news that Bianca was his daughter.
A whole year passed before Bianca found out that David was her dad when in spring 1995, he revealed the truth after she drunkenly tried to kiss him. This was shocking news to take in, but the pair eventually formed a close relationship as father and daughter.
In that same year, David began an affair with Cindy Beale, who was at the time married to Ian. Sound familiar? They continued their betrayal for a year, and during this time, David was reunited with his estranged son Joe.
Cindy started to fall in love with David, but Ian was suspicious and hired a private investigator who uncovered the affair.
This led to Cindy hiring a hitman to kill Ian, and David helped her to flee the country with her children when the police suspected she was involved – marking the last time David saw her.
Why did David leave EastEnders?
Related: 10 huge EastEnders spoilers for next week
David initially left EastEnders in 1996, departing Walford for Milan. It wasn't until New Year's Day 2012 that he returned to see his mother Pat, and discovered she was dying of pancreatic cancer. He managed to make amends and forgave her for past events, before she died in his arms.
He left soon after, scared of Carol's brother Derek who was out for revenge. But David felt it safe to return in late 2013, after Derek had passed away.
At this point, Carol was in a relationship with Masood Ahmed, but was torn between her two love interests. She eventually chose David and they got back together, getting engaged soon after.
But on the couple's wedding day in 2014, David suffered a heart attack and ended up in hospital. He discharged himself and managed to speak to Carol, but they both accepted that their relationship wasn't going to work.
David left, telling Carol he was returning to the hospital – but instead, he decided to go to Heathrow Airport. Viewers later learned that David had started a new life in the US.
Why is David back in EastEnders?
Just why David is making a return to Albert Square remains unclear for now. Bianca certainly looked surprised to see her estranged dad while she was lying in the pile of rubbish, so it didn't seem like she'd reached out to him.
What we do know is what will happen when his return scenes air next week. It isn't long before Cindy spots David in Walford, but she panics and is keen to stay away from her ex – who hasn't seen her in almost three decades and most likely thinks she's dead.
But George encourages Cindy to face up to her past, and David gets a huge shock when they come face to face.
The pair have a proper catch-up, and David has lots of questions as they make up for lost time.
Naturally, this doesn't go down too well with Ian, who finds out through Bianca that his half-brother is back. Ian later catches David and Cindy having a cosy conversation at the house.
This will be a reunion for the ages, and no doubt will make viewers feel like they've gone back to the nineties.
Of course, David also catches up with Bianca while he's in town, where father and daughter have some deep conversations about what's been going on since he left.
How long will David stick around, and what will the consequences be for Walford's residents?
EastEnders airs on Mondays - Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast.
