Linda seduces Stuart to free Mick
SHE RESORTS TO DESPERATE MEASURES TO GET HIS CONFESSION…
“Every choice that Linda has made has been for Mick…”
Linda proves this week that she’s prepared to do whatever it takes to save jailed husband Mick – even if that means succumbing to the sickening charms of vile Stuart!
The determined Queen Vic landlady has been playing a long game with her family’s tormentor, pretending to have disowned Mick in a bid to earn Stuart’s trust. However, with time running out for her beloved hubby, Linda is left with no choice but to accelerate her plan by doing the unthinkable – sharing a kiss with Stuart… “Linda knows that prison could
kill Mick essentially, so she has this crazy idea that she is the only person who can get to the truth of Stuart framing him,” explains actress Kellie Bright, who plays her. “She realises how clever Stuart is and that he has eyes and ears everywhere, so Linda has launched into this plan without really thinking it through.”
With Mick’s mum Shirley aware that Linda hopes to glean a confession from Stuart, the pressure is on for her to come up with the goods – especially when Shirley reveals that struggling Mick is refusing to let anyone visit him.
“I’m not sure how Linda originally thought that she would get Stuart’s confession – beat it out of him with a stick, I suppose,” offers Kellie. “But at this point, she’s kind of propelled into action, and is allowing Stuart more freedom to step into Mick’s shoes
[see right for more on that], as she knows that’s what he wants. However, I think that Linda becomes a bit unstuck – as ultimately, to get anything out of him, she has to grow close to him – and the
question really becomes: what won’t Linda do?”
The answer to that very conundrum is what Linda is forced to address, after she finds herself alone with Stuart. He can sense that she is upset about something, yet Linda paints on her game face and puts her plan into action. Although when Stuart puts her to the test and moves in for a kiss, the revulsion that Linda feels for him – not to mention her loyalty to Mick – is too strong to ignore.
“Linda runs out of the room,” reveals Kellie. “The problem is, she is disgusted by what she has done, but also annoyed with herself for not being able to pursue it.
“Linda has to give herself a really good talking-to, and remind herself that she is playing a part,” adds the star. “Every choice that she has made has been for
Mick, and all that she’s doing is driven by her desperation to free him.
It actually culminates with one of Eastenders’ ‘two-hander’ episodes between her and Stuart!”
Worried that her plan is on the verge of falling apart, Linda steels herself for what could be a make-or-break opportunity to finally extract the truth from Stuart. As the pair share a cosy nightcap, she tells him that she feels guilty about their kiss – and while the evening unfolds, she goes to desperate lengths to get Stuart’s confession. But will Linda acquire the evidence she needs to save Mick?