EastEnders airs format-breaking Linda episode in early iPlayer release

EastEnders spoilers follow for Monday’s episode (December 16), which is available to watch now on streaming service BBC iPlayer and hasn’t yet aired on TV.

Note: This article contains detailed discussion of alcoholism and its effects.

EastEnders has aired a special format-breaking episode about Linda Carter’s alcoholism, after Elaine’s huge ultimatum.

In last week’s episodes, Elaine returned from her honeymoon and was shocked to discover the state that her daughter was in, with her drinking spiralling out of control.

While she initially vowed to get her back on track, Elaine reached breaking point and told Linda to either go to rehab that night or leave with her bottle of wine for good.

In today’s episode, Elaine started packing Linda’s stuff but she was furious, and had a violent altercation with her mother. Downstairs, Johnny discovered that Ollie had drawn a picture of Linda drinking herself to death.

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Ollie gave Linda the heartbreaking picture, and after a tense argument, Linda chose alcohol and walked out of the pub with a bottle of vodka.

As Linda threw Ollie’s drawing on the ground and put the bottle to her lips, the episode decided to play out what might happen if she chose to carry on drinking.

She wandered aimlessly while gulping down vodka, and found Glen, the man from last week’s episodes. He provided comfort and warmth, but he soon began touching Linda inappropriately and she quickly ran away.

Linda returned to the Square and doubled over in pain while she kept reaching for a drink. She coughed up blood and collapsed, unresponsive. The next day, the police arrived in Walford and informed Elaine that Linda had died.

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The next scene was on the day of Linda’s funeral, and her other children Lee and Nancy had returned for the occasion – with special appearances from Danny Hatchard and Maddy Hill.

Johnny had started drinking heavily himself and refused to carry his mum’s coffin. Linda’s loved ones, including Phil, Alfie and the other members of The Six, regretted that they didn’t do more to help her.

Outside the church, Nancy persuaded Johnny to say goodbye to his mum. Sharon read a eulogy and talked about Linda’s alcoholism. But when she spoke about it being an illness, Johnny raged that Linda didn’t accept the help she was offered and chose to die.

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As the funeral descended into chaos, Nancy confronted Elaine for enabling Linda’s drinking, and she even slapped her grandmother.

Back at The Vic, Lee and Nancy said their goodbyes as they took struggling Johnny back to Manchester – promising to come back for Annie and Ollie soon and threatening to take the case to the family court.

Elaine then cut the wake short by demanding that everyone leave and destroying the table of food. Sharon made it clear that she did nothing wrong and it was Linda’s decision to drink.

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The episode then returned to Linda standing outside The Vic in the present day. Having had a vision of what could happen if she kept drinking, she poured the bottle of vodka away instead.

She went back into the pub with Ollie’s drawing in hand, and in a hugely emotional scene, she told her mum that she would get help and go to rehab.

"I just don’t want to die, mum," she said. "I really don’t want to die."

EastEnders airs on Mondays - Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast.

Read more EastEnders spoilers on our dedicated homepage

Alcohol Change UK offers information, advice and support with their questions about drinking and the problems that can sometimes be caused by alcohol. For more information, visit Alcohol Change UK's website.

Drinkline also offers free, confidential advice to anyone who is concerned about their own or someone else's drinking on 0300 123 1110 (weekdays 9am–8pm, weekends 11am–4pm).

Readers can also contact Drinkaware.

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