There is serious danger for Mark Fowler Jr (Stephen Aaron-Sipple) in EastEnders next week when he is kidnapped upon failing to pay back his debts to his criminal associates. His estranged father Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) is left fearing the worst when his son goes missing just as the rest of his family are busy preparing for Nigel Bates’ (Paul Bradley) funeral.
This week saw Grant offer Mark to help him get his gangland boss Russell off his back, but determined to raise the cash himself, he has tricked Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) into pushing more of his stolen cars on the car lot. As we return to Walford on Monday, Max Branning (Jake Wood) learns some vintage cars from the car lot have been found burned in a quarry, leading him to question Lauren. When Lauren challenges Mark, he denies any involvement, and Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf) also steps up to provide a fake alibi for her nephew.
Actress Kim Medcalf, who plays Sam, says: ‘Her survival instinct kicks in, and as a mother she understands exactly what buttons might influence Lauren and how to use that to help Mark. Sam really understands Mark. She sees beyond the bravado and the lashing out to his vulnerability underneath, and she recognises how abandoned he’s felt by Grant. She’s never judgmental with him – she tries to support Mark, while also helping Grant understand that it’s not about big promises, it’s about simply showing up.’
Meanwhile, Mark continues manipulating Lauren into the possibility of dealing with illegitimate cars as her own financial pressures grow – something that only gets worse when she hears that a place at a special nursery for her blind son Jimmy has come up, but they can’t afford it. Grant later reveals he has sold his bar in Portugal and will soon have the funds to help, but Mark rejects the offer, determined to fix things alone.
‘At his core, Mark just wants to be loved by his dad, and that anger comes from everything Grant wasn’t there for,’ explains Kim. That evening, Mark receives a warning from the people he owes money to, and soon manages to gain access to the car lot safe. However, he has a change of heart about robbing the money inside when a message from Lauren triggers his guilt – but on his way out, he unknowingly drops his keys to No.55. The next thing he knows, Mark is suddenly bundled into a van by masked men.
As the days pass, Mark’s family grow increasingly worried, not realising the danger he is in. But as Nigel’s funeral arrives, Grant is left fearing the worst when he hears from Russell, demanding his cash – or else. Things are further complicated when Russell overhears Sam while speaking to Grant, and it soon becomes apparent that he and Sam have some unfinished business.
Grant and Sam spring into action, determined to track Mark down before the funeral, and eventually they embark on a rescue mission along with Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) and Billy Mitchell (Perry Fenwick). A tense stand-off with Russell unfolds, and while viewers will have to wait to see how it all turns out, they will be left wondering if these events could somehow be connected to the situation Max found himself in during the flash-forward episode on New Year’s Day.
EastEnders airs these scenes from Monday 18th May at 7.30pm on BBC One or stream first from 6am on iPlayer.
