Seductress!
Linda goes to desperate lengths in a bid to get Stuart to confess to shooting himself…
she’s like, ‘i’ve put all this work in – i can’t let it go now’
There’s only one thing on Linda Carter’s Christmas list this year, and it isn’t tickets for Les Mis. She wants her precious Mick out of the slammer and back with ‘the faaarmly’.
But the only way that’s going to happen is if psycho Stuart admits that it wasn’t Mick who shot him – he did it himself. As
‘L’ ups the ante and puts a dangerous plan into action, will he let his guard down and confess?
Linda’s been playing the long game for months, duping Stuart into thinking she believes his side of the story, and has washed her hands of her hubby. She’s let him move into The Vic and, this week, even lets him play the main man in the Christmas grotto. It doesn’t get bigger than that.
‘She asks him to be Santa, which is a big deal, because Mick is always Santa,’ says
Kellie Bright, who plays
Linda. ‘She’s allowing him to step into Mick’s shoes, which she knows is what he wants.’
But the downside of Linda’s Baftaworthy performance is that Mick’s state of mind is at rock bottom. He genuinely believes his missus has left him, and his spirits get so low that he refuses a visit from Tina and Shirley.
It’s a red-flag moment for
Shirl. Worried about her son’s mental health, she gives Linda an ultimatum – she either gets a confession by the end of the week, or they’re doing things her way.
With the pressure on, Linda plots to reel Stuart in. But when they end up sharing a kiss, she feels sick to her stomach and bolts. ‘She’s disgusted with what she’s done, but also annoyed with herself for running out,’ adds Kellie.
‘She’s like, “I’ve put all this work in – I can’t let it go now!”’
The following day, some serious backtracking is needed. As Stuart suggests she find a new Santa,
Linda manipulates him into carrying on, and defends him in front of Jack when he overpromises presents.
Later, as they close up the pub, she suggests a nightcap.
In a special two-hander episode, Linda then goes to desperate lengths to get the evidence she needs to save her husband. But will everything go to plan?