Spoiler warning for the episode released on BBC iPlayer on Wednesday 7th February 2024.
Warning: This article contains spoilers for Thursday night’s (8th February) EastEnders, which was made available on BBC iPlayer on Wednesday 7th February 2024 at 6am.
EastEnders has aired another emotional exit for Karen Taylor (Lorraine Stanley), just days after she made a chaotic comeback to search for son Keanu (Danny Walters).
With Kathy Cotton (Gillian Taylforth) conspiring to cover up Keanu’s murder, she persuaded Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) to take back The Arches from Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) to settle Karen’s debt and get her out of Walford.
But just as Karen had agreed to leave again, she spotted Kathy and Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) together, and knew they were hiding something.
Telling daughter Bernie (Clair Norris) that Phil could “stick his deal,” Karen began another line of questioning on the whereabouts of her missing son, targeting The Six women who were with him on Christmas Day.
Her first stop was Denise Fox’s (Diane Parish) home, but her detective husband Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) told Karen that Denise was unwell and resting.
When Karen claimed that Keanu’s disappearance had Phil’s name written all over it, Jack warned her that without evidence, she should be careful who she accused.
Linda Carter’s (Kellie Bright) decision not to flee backfired on her when she was confronted by Karen at The Vic. After pouring herself another drink, Linda crumbled as Karen switched from angry to emotional.
As Karen continued to blame Sharon and Phil, she had no idea that she was talking to Keanu’s killer – but Linda was rescued by Kathy, who got both barrels from Karen.
In the Square, Karen told Bernie that she knew Phil and Sharon had done something to Keanu. But Bernie insisted that Keanu would be fine, and urged her mum to stop chasing after him after all he had done.
But Karen hadn’t quite finished yet, as she warned a wavering Kat Mitchell (Jessie Wallace) not to trust Phil.
Karen then said a tearful farewell to Bernie after handing her some cash. Sunglasses at the ready, Karen hopped in a cab, returning to Mitch Baker (Roger Griffiths) and the kids abroad. But will she be back?
Will Karen Taylor return to EastEnders?
For the time being, it seems not.
Last year it was confirmed that bosses were writing out Karen Taylor from the soap and she departed in December with most of her family.
However, the door does seem to be left open for a comeback even if no plans have been announced of a future return.
Karen is still vehemently convinced that Phil and Sharon are involved in Keanu’s absence, and we know that she’s half right.
Keanu’s death has seemingly been covered up in the long-term, but this is EastEnders and we can’t imagine his body staying buried.
So when he is eventually unearthed from under the café, will Karen be back in a hurry, ready to battle with his killer?
While there has been no word from the BBC on Karen’s future, we think it’s likely that she will reappear when the time is right.
Killer Linda should watch her back, but there’s also the matter of new café owner Nish Panesar (Navin Chowdhry) and fellow villain Dean Wicks (Matt Di Angelo), with the latter possibly still in The Vic when the murder took place…
Read more:
- EastEnders’ Karen Taylor overhears killer clue in early iPlayer release
- 6 EastEnders spoilers for next week: George Knight’s past exposed and Dean is attacked
- EastEnders’ Charlie Suff on ‘new’ Johnny Carter: “He’s all grown up and not to be messed with”
- Ian Lavender, EastEnders and Dad’s Army star, dies aged 77
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.
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