MICK JAILED!
But did he pull the trigger?
The moment of truth arrives for the Carter family this week, when Stuart wakes from his coma – and names Mick as the person who shot him! After word gets back to the Queen Vic, Mick and Linda are confronted with the decision of whether or not to make a run for it. But time isn’t on their side – and the pub is soon swarming with police… “Mick is a popular character that a lot of people love, so I’m expecting a big reaction from the viewers when he’s carted off to prison!” exclaims Ricky Champ, who plays twisted Stuart. “I think this is going to underpin Stuart’s status as a villain and a horrible person, who has been hell-bent on destroying the Carters.”
“Stuart really comes into his own as a victim!”
After battling to save his life, Stuart’s doctors announce they will try to bring him round from his sedation. With Linda having already faced a grilling from the police, the overwhelming feeling at the Vic is one of relief, as the Carters expect that Stuart will tell detectives what happened on the night of the shooting. However, Shirley remains adamant that Dylan is responsible, and hatches a plan to prove her suspicions. Will it pay off? Meanwhile, Stuart opens his eyes after escaping the jaws of death. “There is a brief moment of relief and purity as Stuart realises that he’s alive – and then he’s straight back on the horse, blaming Mick!” reveals Ricky. “He really comes into his own and flourishes as a victim – as though being in hospital and recovering from a gunshot wound is pure bliss for him. He revels in it.”
With the dramatic shooting having taken place off screen, Eastenders viewers only have Stuart’s word that Mick is the guilty party. Given the amount of lies that the nasty bloke has told in the past, though, is it fair to assume he’s telling a whopping, great big lie?
“There is always a chance where Stuart is concerned,” grins Ricky. “He fibs so well and so often that even he has trouble finding the real truth sometimes. Every time something major happens, another piece of him is stripped away and it’s harder for him to recover – not just physically, but mentally too. Having said that, Stuart could well be telling the truth about Mick this time – so you’ll just have to wait and see…”
Either way, it’s clear Stuart took an extremely big risk by going to the Queen Vic armed with a gun that night!
“The fact that Stuart doesn’t have much regard for his own safety is what makes him such a dangerous character,” points out Ricky, who joined the show in May. “It doesn’t matter what you do to him, he gets back up and comes at you again.”
Linda is so outraged after Mick is marched off by the police that she storms into Stuart’s hospital room and brands him a liar! However, as the thug gives a full statement to the police and confirms the Vic landlord as his attacker, the Carter clan’s worst fears are brought to life. With Mick in prison awaiting his bail hearing – and his fate in the hands of an inexperienced solicitor – is the troubled family more vulnerable than ever?
“I always thought Stuart’s plan was to punish Mick, but actually I reckon that Stuart just wants everything that
Mick has,” offers Ricky as a parting shot. “With Mick out of the way behind bars, Linda, his family, and his livelihood could be at risk…”