EastEnders' subtle flash-forward clue may hint at Christmas murder victim

While back in February, the BBC soap delivered many hints, there was one other moment that may have gone unnoticed.

Dressed in her wedding finery, iconic character Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) bends down to check the pulse of the man lying lifeless on the floor of The Queen Vic. Yes, I hear you cry, we’re all too familiar with the scene by now.

But did anyone hear that sudden cluster of voices, just as Sharon picks up the unknown figure’s arm? They’re clearer if you watch BBC’s more isolated clip below.

Said voices could, of course, simply be those of festive revellers, merely a group of party-goers wandering past the pub outside. This could have been included to add to the Christmas theme, a brief moment to bring the viewer back to the time and place while watching.

Yet, given that those behind and in front of the cameras warned us to keep an eye on everything on-screen - from that crucial scene to every tiny clue throughout the rest of the year - it feels like a bit of a coincidence.

Everything is significant, we say - so let’s dive in and explore what it could all mean!

Do the EastEnders flash-forward 'voices' offer a crucial clue?

Well, we can’t help but link these voices to Sharon, as they don’t materialise until she is in the spotlight. And, as Sharon does have blood on her wedding dress, she’s as much a potential culprit as the rest of ‘The Six’.

Until now, there was arguably more reason to suspect one of the other Walford ladies as the murderer. Denise Fox (Diane Parish), for example, brandishes a bottle and has reason to hate the blackmailing Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara). Her husband Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) is also currently in possession of the amber cufflinks seen on the victim.

Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal) also has a motive to kill her abusive husband Nish (Navin Chowdhry), as well as her stepson Ravi. Yet, despite Sharon being in the thick of the action, there hasn’t been a truly obvious reason for her to turn killer - yet.

But if we know EastEnders, it’s not necessarily the obvious that we should be looking for. And remember, she is close to a few of the local men - including fiancé Keanu Taylor (Danny Walters) who has gone rogue again recently, and her ex-husband Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden).

With Keanu’s recklessness and immaturity really shining through recently, might Sharon end up unintentionally fatally injuring him in a row? Or does she have a big bust-up with former-flame-turned-business-partner Phil, leading to a violent act from which she must defend herself?

Of course, at this point in the show, Sharon and Phil are seemingly over for good; but they clearly still care deeply for each other. So Sharon may not necessarily take the life of Keanu or Phil - but this new angle on her involvement might mean she at least has a link to the dead man walking, putting the pair at risk.

Still, we can’t rule out Sharon as the guilty party, even if the victim is someone else entirely on our list of potential victims. Are the voices a way to haunt Sharon for a shocking act that will stay with her forever?

Going back in time now, it was also during the festive season that Sharon found herself cradling her late husband Dennis Rickman (Nigel Harman), who was stabbed to death outside The Vic. Yes, this happened among a crowd of party-goers, so perhaps the voices symbolise the noise going on around Sharon on that awful night.

One murder which took place inside The Vic was that of Sharon’s adoptive father Den Watts (Leslie Grantham). Sharon was, of course, not present at the time, but perhaps the voice of Den comes to mind as she bends to the floor on Christmas Day, making her recall the horror of discovering how he died.

Of course, we can’t discuss Sharon’s connection to The Vic without mentioning her first husband Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp), as she set up a home with him there in the 1990s. Is his voice there among the collection of sounds we can hear? It’s difficult to pinpoint, but it’s possible that this is indeed Sharon hearing the voices of her past.

Fans (us included) have longed for a comeback from Kemp for years, and while we certainly wouldn’t want him back just to be killed off, might he return for another reason - to marry Sharon instead of Keanu, or to attend wedding 2.0 for her and Phil - who is currently set to marry Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) at Christmas?

Whatever happens, Sharon is just as likely to be at the centre of this mystery as the other ladies present, and not just as a bride.

Read More

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EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and from 6am on 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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