Fans were not impressed...
EastEnders fans were left in a state of confusion following last night's episode, after it appeared that Linda Carter and Stuart Highway were growing closer following a difficult time.
Of course, viewers of the show are aware that Stuart is the man responsible for Linda's husband Mick's current stint in prison.
Evil villain Stuart framed Mick - played by Danny Dyer - after he was accused of shooting him a few months back.
So fans were understandably horrified, as Tuesday night's episode appeared to signal a blossoming relationship between Linda and Stuart, just as her marriage to Mick seems to be in tatters!
At the beginning of the episode, Linda was seen removing her wedding rings - apparently signalling her unwillingness to give her marriage another shot.
Later on in the episode, the pair were seen enjoying a cosy chat, and later, texting each other - and even putting kisses on the end of the messages.
Fans quickly took to social media following the show to share their outrage over the fact that Linda may be pursuing a romance with the man who put her husband in jail.
One viewer wrote, "#eastenders somebody tell me it's not real."
While another fan commented, "#eastenders Linda what you doing Nooo", and a third said, "Don't do it Linda!!"
However, other watchers of the show were left convinced that Linda's actions are all part of an elaborate plot to trap Stuart and prove Mick's innocence.
A viewer said, "I really hope Linda's playing the long game and it's all a lie to get Stuart to confess.", while another also wrote, "... i hope linda is playing along in order to expose stuart eventually because yikes #eastenders".
Another fan also commented, "Linda’s clearly pretending. There’s no way she’s going to leave Mick! #EastEnders".
So what do you think? Is Linda playing a game - or is she really falling for Stuart's manipulative charms?
