[1] Devoting an entire half an hour of drama to just two characters had previously been unheard of in a bi-weekly serial before this episode aired, but it set a precedent for the programme and it has featured two-handers ever since.
[1] Angie stalls but Den persists and explains to her that he wants a clean break from her, their pub, The Queen Victoria, Albert Square and Walford.
The second two-hander features old friends Dot Cotton (June Brown) and Ethel Skinner (Gretchen Franklin) babysitting Vicki Fowler (Emma Herry) one rainy afternoon.
[1] While baby Vicki sleeps, Dot and Ethel reminisce about their lives during World War II and share secrets from their girlhoods.
In the aftermath of Sharon's adoptive father, Den Watts' (Leslie Grantham) apparent death, the two friends start an evening at home with a bottle of wine and their memories.
After they reminisce about their many conquests with women, Grant returns to the topic of Sharon, revealing that he plans to crush her "like a table tennis ball" and make her pay for what she's done.
However, Pat has other concerns, namely that her husband, Roy Evans (Tony Caunter), has driven off like a suicidal maniac nearly hitting her in the process.
After opening a bottle of wine Pat begin to feel sorry for herself, saying that she is cursed and turns rich, happy men into disasters – Roy is broke and impotent, whereas Frank, who has spent a couple of years away from her, has returned to his old virile self.
Peggy is amazed to discover that Roy is impotent and Pat is quick to point out that sex is not important and she is happy to have finally found a man who wants her to settle down.
Their rowing finally descends into violence as both women throw wine glasses at each other and begin to fight, with Peggy flipping kitchen table to clear the way to attack Pat.
Frank is understanding and promises to not tell anyone, and he in turn shares a story with Roy, relaying that he had fathered a child with a young girl he met during his breakdown, and that no one else knew.
Steve attempts to gain the upper hand by pulling his gun from the safe, but Matthew is one step ahead and has already removed the bullets.
When Steve comes to, he attempts to use a piece of smashed bottle to free himself, and manages to grab hold of the gun Matthew was waving in his face.
After losing his wife Bianca Jackson (Patsy Palmer); son Liam (Jack & Tom Godolphin); and finally his mind, Ricky says an emotional farewell to Albert Square – while Phil tries to talk him out of leaving.
Ricky is furious with Phil for allowing him to work on faulty motors at The Arches, and is even more annoyed when he discovers that the car he has totalled was stolen.
In the previous episode, Zoe had announced that she is leaving Walford to live with her uncle, Harry Slater (Michael Elphick), in Spain, but Kat is adamant that she will not.
Half-crazed with anger, Trevor barks questions at Little Mo, forcing her to admit that it was morally wrong for her, as his wife, to sleep with another man.
Phil immediately gets defensive, he continues his mind games and manages to make Lisa consider that a life in Portugal, with an unskilled, jobless mother is not appropriate for their daughter.
Sharon touches Den, dumbstruck to see her dad after all these years, but before she has a chance to take it in she begins to feel nauseous and runs to the toilet to be violently sick.
The episode begins with a jovial Kat returning home, but her mood soon changes after seeing that Andy had filmed their sordid liaison and maliciously given it to Alfie to watch.
Through his tears and anguish Alfie reveals the guilt he has always carried about his parents' death in a car crash and how he blames himself for not fixing something his dad asked him to.
As Alfie continues to reject her, Kat turns on him and brings up her past sexual abuse at the hands of her uncle Harry Slater (Michael Elphick) and likens it to her affair with Andy.
She tells him that he treats his friends and family appallingly and when he has heard enough and turns to leave, he finds that Dot has locked him in and refuses to give him the keys.
She wants to face death with dignity and begs Den to keep her secret quiet as even her husband, Jim, does not know she is suffering.
As Martin attacks Joe Macer (Ray Brooks), believing he killed his mother, Sonia confesses it was she who had the altercation with Pauline.
Stacey also reveals that after she fled the morgue, she contemplated suicide but could not bring herself to do it for the sake of her unborn child; she then went to her mother's old flat which was deserted and did not move for three days; eventually leaving to buy food and drink.
After telling Stacey that she must confess to her mother Jean Slater (Gillian Wright) and the Mitchell family first, he drives her back to Walford where he eventually changes his mind after expressing that Bradley would want her to be happy.
The episode ends with them both entering their respective houses and the camera panning up over Walford, rising so high that it morphs into the EastEnders credits.
This episode features Michelle Fowler (Jenna Russell) revealing to her best friend Sharon Mitchell (Letitia Dean) her reasons for returning to the United Kingdom after 20 years.
[13] In this episode Patrick is vying for answers from Yolande following her sudden change in behaviour after Pastor Clayton suggested to him that she was showing signs of dementia.