EastEnders spoilers follow from the two Christmas Day episodes.
EastEnders’ Christmas Day episodes have become a tradition in households across the country, for both regular viewers and those who only watch the soap once a year. 2023 was a huge year for the show; the ground-breaking flashforward scene in February meant that Christmas Day was must-watch television, as the nation found out that it was Keanu who was killed in The Vic, and it was Linda who was responsible.
Naturally, this meant that there was a lot of pressure attached to Christmas 2024 in Albert Square. When it was revealed that the big festive storyline would revolve around Cindy Beale, there was a bit of concern. While EastEnders has had a very strong year overall, Cindy and Junior’s affair hasn’t necessarily been one of the highlights for viewers.
But the soap has produced a brilliantly entertaining Christmas instalment, split into two parts, that should appeal to both die-hard and casual fans.
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There was a mystery to solve as the episode began, with Cindy unaware of who had stolen the recording of her conversation with David Wicks, that exposed not only her affair with Junior, but her true feelings for her ex-husband – and Junior’s dad – George. But it wasn’t long before she found out that it was Lauren, who arrived at the Beale/Knight family dinner with the intention of causing chaos.
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Viewers were reminded that Lauren previously exposed Stacey and Max’s affair at Christmas, in iconic scenes that unfolded 17 years ago. This affair reveal might not quite stack up in comparison, but it’s a really nice parallel, and it makes sense for Lauren to want revenge, considering how Cindy has turned her family against her in recent weeks.
After an incredibly tense Christmas lunch, The Vic hosted festive celebrations for the community, and Ian opened another present addressed to him – the USB stick. He handed it to George, who played it on the speaker, and the entire pub heard Cindy and David’s sordid chat.
During the first episode, Denise and Ravi kissed, Stacey failed to tell Martin how she felt about him, and a lonely Phil was reunited with Nigel. But all of this fell by the wayside after the shocking reveal in The Vic – and rightly so, as the major fallout required an episode all of its own.
Through the second half hour, Cindy managed to make an enemy out of everyone around her. Ian was most obviously devastated, and Kathy was furious on behalf of her beloved son. Anna and Gina were shocked by their mum’s betrayal, and Junior was gutted to discover that Cindy’s true feelings are for his dad. Plus, her actions indirectly destroyed both George and Elaine’s and Peter and Lauren’s relationships, perhaps for good.
While Cindy had hope that she could get Ian to forgive her once again, this time he decided to break the cycle, finally realising that she will never change. "It’s like I fell into a maze 30-something years ago," he said, "and I’ve been struggling to get out of it. But now I can see the light, and all I’ve got to do is walk."
Having burned every bridge, Cindy was left standing in the cold with a suitcase. She made arrangements to leave Walford, but she didn’t get that far, as she was whacked over the head with a snow shovel and was left lying motionless in the Square. Nothing says Christmas like a violent attack, eh?
The twist itself isn’t particularly surprising as you’re watching the episode unfold, as there are a host of references to Cindy’s demise. Kathy threatened to kill her should she ever hurt Ian again, Elaine told her that "someone should deal with you permanently", and Ian remarked that she doesn’t deserve to live.
Plus, eagle-eyed viewers might have noticed that there was even a mini shovel on the dinner table in the promotional Christmas photo of the Beale and Knight families. But the inevitability doesn't spoil the episode – in fact, it only adds to the delicious enjoyment of watching it all play out on screen.
Speaking to Digital Spy and other press at a recent screening, executive producer Chris Clenshaw explained that after the innovation of last year’s The Six plot, it was important that this year’s Christmas episode was classic EastEnders. There were lots of references to the past, including in one particular scene that might have looked familiar.
"Even Ian’s breakdown [at the end of the episode]," he said, "we wanted that to have echoes of Arthur’s breakdown all the way back in 1986. It was scripted and it was choreographed very similarly."
Ending the Christmas episode with Cindy left for dead is likely to divide viewers, but it is perhaps the only path the show could have taken at this point. It feels like Cindy as a character is beyond redemption, at least for now, anyway. There’s no quick resolution to all the hurt she has caused, but leaving in a taxi would be an underwhelming ending for a such an iconic character. Plus, are we really ready to see the back of Cindy Beale again?
Ian, Kathy, Peter, Lauren, Elaine, Junior, George, Anna and Gina all have legitimate reasons to want Cindy dead, and the intriguing closing montage shows that any of them have the capacity for murder.
It’s a fun episode for anyone who wants to watch a bit of Christmas Day drama, and for those who love EastEnders all year round, there are some powerhouse showdowns between characters who have decades of complex history between them.
Cindy’s attack has given this long-running story an exciting climax, and this new whodunnit gives the show some momentum and direction as it enters its milestone year. Plus, with Billy and Honey confirming that they will be getting married on February 19, it seems that their wedding will take centre stage during the 40th anniversary episodes – which have been teased as "explosive" and "bonkers".
But for now, is Cindy dead? And if so, who delivered the fatal blow? We’ll have to wait and see…
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.
