Having returned from the honeymoon holiday that was originally planned to celebrate her wedding to Max Branning (Jake Wood), a sun-bronzed Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) jets back into Walford with a younger fella on her arm, Rafael (Daniel Garcia).
The EastEnder is determined to make Max jealous, though has no idea that he rekindled his romance with Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) just hours after admitting infidelity at their botched ceremony.
During her absence, it seems that Cindy has fallen on hard times, and after accepting financial support from her estranged hubby, heads to his flat and finds some pink lipstick on the bedside table. She now makes it her mission to uncover the identity of his mystery lover…
Elsewhere in Albert Square, Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace) tracks down a man who saw late daughter Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan) just hours before she died, and Denzel Danes (Jaden Ladega) falls victim to a cruel plot orchestrated by jealous Craig Ingram (Matthew James-Bailey).
Plus, amid his blackmail ordeal, Mark Fowler (Stephen Aaron-Sipple) warns Lauren Beale (Jacqueline Jossa) to stay well away from Ned Hawkins (Jamie Bamber).
Here's everything happening in the episodes of EastEnders airing between Monday 19 and Thursday 22 October.
6 EastEnders spoilers for next week
1. Kat Moon desperately searches for answers relating to Zoe Slater's death
Kat remains determined to get justice for Zoe and track down the man she believes is responsible for her daughter's death. After finding the former owner of Charlie's cab, she and husband Alfie (Shane Richie) are left disappointed when they discover he has already been cleared by the police.
However, Kat refuses to back down and vows to continue her search for answers. Her behaviour soon raises suspicions, with Jasmine Fisher (Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness) questioning Alfie about what her grandmother is up to.
Later, determined to raise a grieving Mo Harris's (Laila Morse) spirits, Jasmine, Josh Goodwin (Joshua Vaughan) and Oscar Branning (Pierre Counihan-Moullier) organise a bingo night in honour of Zoe.
2. Denzel Danes is blackmailed by Craig Ingram, and Amy Mitchell plans to leave Walford
Denzel's situation takes a worrying turn when his blackmailer demands money, threatening to leak his intimate pictures if he fails to pay up. Desperate to help his friend, Davinder "Nugget" Gulati (Juhaim Rasul Choudhury) attempts to steal money from the Minute Mart, but their plan quickly falls apart when Yolande Trueman (Angela Wynter) catches them.
Later, Howie Danes (Delroy Atkinson) and Kim Fox-Danes (Tameka Empson) surprise Denzel with a signet ring ahead of his birthday celebrations. However, with the blackmailer still applying pressure, the teen makes the difficult decision to pawn the gift to raise the money he needs.
As his family and friends gather to celebrate, Craig secretly watches from a distance. When Amy Mitchell (Ellie Dadd) confronts him, jealousy gets the better of Craig, who retaliates by sending Denzel's pictures to his parents.
The shocking revelation leaves Denzel and his loved ones horrified.
The fallout from the leaked pictures continues later in the week when Denzel finally admits that he sold his ring to pay off the blackmailer. Meanwhile, Amy turns to Craig for support, and he spots an opportunity when she mentions her upcoming inheritance. Hoping to get what he wants, Craig agrees to leave Walford with her.
Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) remains at loggerheads with his daughter as she searches for a way to access her inheritance early. Denzel, meanwhile, begins to question Amy's version of events, but she avoids answering his questions, leaving him with more reasons to doubt her.
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3. Cindy Beale realises that Max Branning has a secret lover
Max tries to charm Suki Panesar-Unwin (Balvinder Sopal) into selling him No.31, but his plans take an unexpected turn when he discovers that Cindy has returned to Walford with Rafael, a young man she met during her honeymoon.
Claiming she is ready to focus on the future, Cindy soon suffers an embarrassing setback when her bank card is declined. Max eventually agrees to help her financially, but his generosity only raises further questions when she discovers a lipstick in his flat.
Convinced there is another woman in his life, she becomes determined to uncover the truth.
While she investigates his secret relationship, she confronts Lauren and learns about his plans to buy No.31 from Gemma Hawkins (Patricia Potter), who has also got her eyes on the property. With her suspicions mounting, she turns her attention to Oscar in the hope of finding out more.
Later, in The Vic, Cindy overhears Max on the phone, sparking yet another argument between them. However, it is something she discovers on a laptop belonging to them both that really catches her attention.
Cindy warns Lauren not to trust her dad and reveals what she has uncovered on their laptop. Determined to expose him, the pair turn up to a viewing of No.31 and reveal Max's secret property in New Zealand, undermining his attempts to secure the house. Suki ultimately decides to accept another offer, leaving Max humiliated and furious.
With his plans in tatters, he declares war.
Looking for answers elsewhere, Cindy discovers Kat's revenge plan and learns more about the man believed to have let Zoe die. Meanwhile, Max enlists Oscar's help to prove that his marriage was never consummated. As Oscar and Cindy enjoy a few drinks together, her suspicions begin to resurface.
Max's troubles continue when HMRC catches up with him over his property in New Zealand. Convinced that he is hiding something, Cindy demands that he explain himself, putting Max under yet more pressure.
4. Gemma and Jodie Hawkins ask for Phil Mitchell's help
Gemma and Jodie Hawkins (Anna Constable) attempt to keep troubles with their car under wraps, hoping to avoid Ned finding out about their predicament. Their situation becomes more complicated when Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) initially refuses to help them out.
However, Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) steps in and encourages Phil to reconsider his decision. He eventually relents and agrees to help Gemma with her car, offering the pair some much-needed assistance.
5. Ian Beale turns to Ned Hawkins for further support
Nancy Carter (Maddy Hill) gets quite the shock when she discovers that grandmother Elaine Peacock (Harriet Thorpe) and Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) were having a fling.
With the news spreading, and with him still struggling to fit in following his prison release, Ian turns to Ned for support and takes heart from his encouraging words about his life.
Ian's renewed outlook soon catches Lauren's attention, but not necessarily for the right reasons. As she watches the change in her father-in-law, she grows increasingly suspicious of Ned's influence and begins to question what lies behind his involvement.
6. Lauren Beale investigates Ned Hawkins's past
Lauren arranges to meet Mark, but he suddenly pulls away after spotting Ned and Ryder. Concerned about their affair being exposed, Mark insists that they need to keep their distance from him.
Lauren, however, is unwilling to let the matter rest and decides to investigate Ned's shady backstory for herself, despite Mark's warnings. Her search takes an intriguing turn when Ryder gives her a cryptic clue about his dad's former career, leaving Lauren keen to discover what he might be hiding.
Read more:
- EastEnders legend Jo Joyner returns to Walford set for Branning 'family reunion' - 8 years after last Tanya appearance
- EastEnders star teases "fire and carnage" when Penny Branning's baby paternity secret is revealed
- EastEnders favourite Balvinder Sopal teases Ash return is "grenade" to the Panesar family unit this autumn
- EastEnders announces hard-hitting Amy Mitchell storyline as BBC soap works with charities
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