EastEnders sent fans wild last night when they aired an episode that ended with a 'flash-forward' to Christmas 2023.
It was the show's 38th anniversary, and as soap anniversaries go, it started out as a quiet one.
The whole episode took place in The Queen Vic, with various characters having a drink, playing darts, and in Sharon's case, having some rather raunchy fun with Keanu in the ladies' toilets!
Linda was upset because she'd spotted her rapist Dean Wicks in a photograph of his mum - and L's mother-in-law, Shirley Carter.
And she was shaken by Nish and Suki offering to buy Janine's share of the pub.
But all the viewers seemed to have a different opinion about who the victim could be.
Denise was drunk after bickering with Jack and being rejected by Ravi.
And as the other characters drifted away, there were six women left - Sharon, Linda, Denise, Suki, Stacey and Kathy.
They drank and chatted and reminisced about 1985 - the year EastEnders was first broadcast.
There were mentions of Sharon's best friend Michelle, and Kathy's first husband, Pete Beale - both original characters.
And they toasted the men in their lives, saying "may they get what they deserve".
From there, the scene jumped forward TEN MONTHS, to Christmas 2023.
We saw a stunned Linda, with a split lip, walking towards a body on the floor. Stacey with blood on her hands, Denise with a broken bottle.
And Sharon IN A WEDDING DRESS. What?!
Shaz, whose dress had blood on it, bent down to the still unseen body, checked his pulse - giving us a glimpse of his fancy cufflinks, and said: "He's dead."
And the viewers were gripped!
Immediately, fans flooded social media with their theories about who is dead - and who killed him.
Some fans thought it was Nish - Suki's husband. Though others dismissed that theory as too obvious.
It's has to be Nish, right? (Please be Nish 🤞🤞🤞🙈). #EastendersFebruary 20, 2023
Others predicted it could be rapist Dean.
After all, the fans pointed out, why else would he have been mentioned in the run-up to the flash forward if he's not involved?
And Kathy had said Linda would have a "wall of friends" to protect her if he ever came back to Walford.
It's a good theory!
It’s super obvious the victim is Dean. It’s a random thing that he is somewhat back in the story arc with that photo. #EastEndersFebruary 20, 2023
My bets on dean Kathy said to Linda there would be a wall of friends to protect her if he ever came back… #EastendersFebruary 20, 2023
But other viewers clocked the broken bottle in Denise's hand and thought she could be the killer - with the victim being her husband, Jack Branning.
Reckon Jack Branning is getting killed at Christmas #EastEndersFebruary 20, 2023
PLOT TWIST, JackFebruary 20, 2023
And some fans decided it could be a shocking turn of events with show legend Phil Mitchell being the one to cark it on Christmas Day.
One viewer even went full Jessica Fletcher, finding a photograph of Phil wearing very similar cufflinks to the ones worn by the victim.
Rip Phil Mitchell #Eastenders #Christmas2023February 20, 2023
Anyone who watched eastenders tonight an remember the cuff link close up. Phill had the same ones from that scene on this photo. Surely they aren’t going to kill him off?? #Eastenders pic.twitter.com/GxdVRCWqo1February 20, 2023
And one fan simply feared for her fave Keanu, saying if he was the victim "I will sob".
Aww.
If #EastEnders are going to kill off Keanu at Christmas I will sobFebruary 20, 2023
One thing's for sure - we're all going to be talking about this mystery from now until Christmas!
EastEnders usually airs on Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One. See our TV Guide for more information.
