Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) has exacted revenge on Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) in tonight’s explosive EastEnders – sparking a horrific series of events.
Since Christmas, we’ve seen the soap super b*tch accuse pretty much every single member of her extended family of being the mystery assailant who walloped her over the head with a shovel.
Finally, last week, she realised that she needed to track down her missing locket – that originally belonged to late daughter Lucy – that she was wearing at the time she was attacked.
Convinced that Ian was the one with his hands on the jewellery, she employed Priya Nandra-Hart (Sophie Khan Levy) to get close to him and retrieve it, but their plan was soon rumbled.
With the 40th anniversary week upon us, Cindy had finally reached the end of her tether and stole Phil Mitchell’s (Steve McFadden) gun to threaten the person she thought was responsible.
Phil had intended to use the gun to take his own life, and after writing a series of goodbye notes to his family, he retired to his home to go through with the act.
Little did he realise, Cindy had headed to her former home and confronted the person with the locket – who we learnt, in tonight’s episode, was indeed Ian.
He was terrified to see the weapon aimed at him – and quickly sat down to explain he wasn’t responsible.
Cindy told him that she wished that she was the one who had shot him back in 1996, rather than the hitman she hired, and this was now her opportunity to do so.
As she prepared to pull the trigger, Ian confessed that it was in fact their son Peter (Thomas Law) who wielded the shovel.
Across the Square, Phil was trying to track down Cindy and get his firearm, even breaking into her lover Junior Knight’s (Micah Balfour) flat in the hope she’d be there.
Concerned friend Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) had gone to his house, worried for his wellbeing, and found the heartbreaking suicide notes.
She returned to The Queen Vic and told brother Grant (Ross Kemp) and their best pal Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley).
Back at the Beale household, Ian was pleading with Cindy to stop when his mum Kathy (Gillian Taylforth) burst in and confessed that she was the real culprit.
Wait a minute, who is telling the truth here?
She explained that she finally wanted to rid Cindy of their lives, and wasn’t going to allow her to take the locket as a memory of Lucy, when she hadn’t played a part in her upbringing.
Ian was desperate for them to come to some sort of agreement – rather than ringing the police – but Cindy wasn’t backing down.
He leaped to his feet and tried to wrestle the gun off her, and was subsequently shot in the arm.
Ouch.
Now Ian finally had something on her, and they were equals again.
When they headed out into the street, Phil demanded she hand the gun back and he proceeded to lock himself in The Arches.
Grant, Nigel and Linda saw the lights on inside of the garage, and when they broke the door down, he was preparing to shoot himself.
A huge row ensued between Ian and Cindy, and he tried to make a pact with her. If she didn’t report his mum to the police, he would offer her a lifetime of financial security.
If she didn’t agree, he’d make her life a living hell and pay for Kathy to have the best defence in court.
Suddenly, manic m.u.r.d.e.r.e.r Reiss Colwell (Jonny Freeman) drove around the corner trying to escape from Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer), and Cindy pushed Ian out in front of his car.
As Reiss swerved, the car set alight – with a number of gas bottles lay nearby.
The locals rushed out into the street, and George Knight (Colin Salmon) retrieved Reiss from the car… but he soon scarpered.
Cindy was ordered to find a fire extinguisher, but it was too late. The gas bottles ignited, and the whole pub exploded.
Is there more to come concerning Cindy’s attacker?
