Grant Mitchell's (Ross Kemp) return to EastEnders has been utterly glorious, and now he has confirmed it is permanent. Coming back to reunite with his siblings, Phil and Sam (Steve McFadden and Kim Medcalf) as his old friend, Nigel Bates (Paul Bradley) entered the final days of his battle with early-onset dementia and the resulting pneumonia, Grant made an immediate impact in Walford by helping to ensure that Phil's mental health didn't relapse, while also eyeing a reunion with his son, Mark Fowler Jr (Stephen Aaron-Sipple).
Mark previously summoned Grant back once it became apparent that Nigel was nearing the end. 'He's desperate to see his son. They've never had a relationship, and he may see this as the first step towards potentially building one,' Ross said on what brought Grant back to his old stomping ground. 'He's also shocked to hear from him in general and probably feels that, if Mark has reached out after all this time, then whatever is happening must be significant enough, and important enough, for him to come back to Walford immediately.'
Mark's been in a mess of his own of late, having fallen in deeply with an organised crime gang. His own reappearance in Walford was due to his shadowy boss wanting to track down a mole, with his sister, Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig), being threatened should he fail in his mission. Uncle Phil stepped in once it became known that Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) was the mole and, correctly guessing that Mark was hardly a cold-blooded killer, called in a gangland favour to get him off the hook. The only catch? Mark now owed an enormous sum of money.
Mark's tried to raise the cash through stolen cars, selling them via Lauren Branning's (Jacqueline Jossa) car lot, but he's scuppered when she tells him she simply doesn't have room for anymore, and later becomes suspicious over the legitimacy of the cars themselves. Grant, meanwhile, has been trying – and failing – to bond with Mark, while also making time to pursue Linda Carter (Kellie Bright).
Despite Mark wanting Grant to stay out of his current predicament, instead turning to Phil, Sam told Grant everything, and when he waded in and confronted Mark's boss, things just got worse. Next week sees Grant announce that he's sold his bar in Portugal and intends to use the money to help pay off Mark's debt, but his son is adamant that he'll fix the situation alone and rejects the cash injection. Later, though, he receives a warning that payment is due, but before he can turn to his dad, he's kidnapped.
As the day of Nigel's funeral rolls around, the Mitchells and Vicki are increasingly worried about Mark's whereabouts, and when Grant receives a phone call demanding full payment, the terror increases. When Mark's boss also overhears Sam's voice, it becomes clear that Grant isn't the only Mitchell he has history with.
Can the Mitchells band together to save one of their own? Or will Mark's return be a brief one as his past finally catches up with him? Grant's decision to sell his bar and stay in Walford permanently signals a new chapter for the character, with potential for deeper family bonds and ongoing drama.
