Hard-as-nails, chain smoking launderette worker Dot Branning, also known as Dot Cotton, will find herself submerged in an unprecedented character story-line as she faces accusations that she killed her own son, Nick Branning!
Albert Square, known for its cheerful, light-hearted approach to life full of chirpy, cheeky cockneys selling apples and pears and lots of other wares to all and sundry has decided to switch formulas and get all macabre. If only the contents of that last paragraph were true!
Don’t get us wrong, we love a bit of Walford on an evening but sometimes, just sometimes, it would be nice to watch a story-line that didn’t involve an unrelenting, immoveable force of misery now and again. Sure, we have the choice to switch off, but we’ve invested years following our favourite characters, and bought very much into their lives, so we wont, but all we ask for is a little genuine happiness now and again?
However, over the past few weeks Eastenders has made recent episodes of Broadchurch look like a nominee for this year’s British Comedy Awards.
The last time Eastenders tried to be funny, even slightly light-hearted with its story-line, was when Dot discovered that Bobby’s pet snake had escaped, in her own home. Refusing to go back in until the snake was found this particular half hour dragged like an episode of Eldorado thus mustering up the same laugh along moments you’d find at your local parish fete.
Oh, and then along came Dot to ruin it all by ringing up a prostitute, which was nice.
Needless to say, we still watched it
And here is the conundrum, it’s difficult not to watch Eastenders every week without getting that slightly warm fuzzy feeling that life probably isn’t as bad as we all think. After all, every dream or happy moment in this particular part of the East end always goes, shall we say, south.
Whatever happens to Dot and Nick in the next few episodes will be as predictable as the ending of, well, Eastenders; it’s going to be miserable, disastrous and tear jerking, just like Ian Beale’s grand opening of his new restaurant (creatively named ‘Le Square’) where Ian’s insane business decisions to hire all his neighbours as gourmet chefs make him look like the perfect candidate for Lord Sugar’s next business venture.
Still, it’s a cracking bit of television isn’t it!
Looking forward to Thursday’s episode? Let us know your thoughts on how Dot might ‘get rid’ of Nick…
