A dramatic Friday-night episode of EastEnders has seen Aidan Maguire run out of town thanks to the combined force of a band of Albert Square regulars led by Phil Mitchell.


Tense scenes saw landlord Mick Carter taking a beating during a High Noon-style standoff with Irish gangster Aidan, only for Phil to turn the tables at the last minute.

Just as Aidan and his thugs appeared to have got the better of the likes of Mick, Linda, Billy and Jack, viewers were treated to the sight of old Walford warhorse Phil saving the day.

After debating which side he should take in the showdown, Phil ultimately opted to stand by his neighbours rather than his former cell mate and used a box containing what turned out to be the teeth of Luke Browning as collateral.

Because, as it transpired, Aidan had taken Phil’s request to teach Luke a lesson too far and had actually bumped off the son of James Willmott-Brown!

Since Luke’s abduction last December, fans had been debating what had happened to the one-time boyfriend of Ben Mitchell and tonight they got their answer: he’d been killed on Aidan’s orders.

And with Phil threatening to reveal all to the authorities using Luke’s teeth as evidence, Aidan was left with no choice but to abandon his plan to take over Walford, deciding instead to flee.

The episode brings to an end the ‘heist storyline’ that has been running since January, with order now restored to the neighbourhood thanks to the eviction of Aidan.

Phil even appears to have forgiven wife Sharon for stealing the money out from under his nose and returning it to Aidan’s estranged wife Ciara. The Mitchells now plan to become ‘the King and Queen of Walford’ with Sharon seemingly determined to embark on a life of crime with Phil.

The Carters, meanwhile, are now free to reopen the Queen Vic without the threat of illegal drug deals being carried out in the gents’ toilet. Mick may be bloodied and bruised but he’s certainly not defeated.

You can watch our exclusive Week in Walford review show below. Beneath that, there’s a 60-second rundown of all next week’s drama on EastEnders


And visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers.