Sean Slater returned to Albert Square on Monday night's EastEnders, drawn back by the disappearance of Amy Mitchell, the girl he once believed was his daughter and whom he swore to protect.
The BBC One soap, which airs these scenes from Monday, November 2 at 7.30pm and streams first on iPlayer from 6am, has built its latest storyline around the grooming of a teenager and the failure of the adults around her to act in time. According to Metro, the plot centres on Craig Ingram, a predatory former police colleague of Jack Branning, who has lured Amy away after learning she stands to inherit a substantial sum.
What happened to Amy Mitchell in EastEnders?
Amy, played by Ellie Dadd, has been groomed by Craig Ingram, played by Matthew James Bailey. The reporting from Metro makes clear that Craig's motive is money: he settled on his plan to abscond with Amy after learning she was about to come into a hefty inheritance.
There was one obstacle. Amy could not access the money without the help of the trustee, her uncle Max Branning, played by Jake Wood. Max, in a detail that will surprise no one who has followed his career of self-interest over two decades, needed to borrow money quickly to pay off his ex-wife Cindy Beale, played by Michelle Collins, after she learned he had left Zoe Slater alone on the night she died.
So Max agreed to help Amy get to the money in exchange for a loan. He also neglected to tell Jack that Amy was with his former colleague. He told his son Oscar he planned to sort the situation out, but it was too late. Amy and Craig fled the Square.
Why Sean Slater's return matters
Sean, played by Rob Kazinsky, was married to Amy's late mother Roxy Mitchell, played by Rita Simons. For years he believed Amy was his child.
'Sean never stopped thinking of Amy as his child, he held her in his arms as his daughter and finding out she wasn't his was the hardest thing that ever happened to him,' Kazinsky told Metro.
'He will protect her and love her as only a father ever could, he swore to Roxy that he would do so and nothing stops him keeping promises to Roxy Mitchell,' the actor added.
After spending the night searching for Amy alongside Jack, played by Scott Maslen, Sean returns to the Square. There he is confronted by his niece Lily Slater, played by Lillia Turner, who is less than impressed that her uncle has not even bothered to say hello. Radio Times reports that Lily spots her uncle and angrily questions why he failed to acknowledge her, a further blow to a family already fractured by Sean's long estrangement.
The friction between Sean and Jack is the engine of the story. Kazinsky described their bond as the most storied relationship of his character's history, an arc from enemies to grudging acceptance.
'The speed with which two men who have a fight can become friends is almost ridiculous and Sean and Jack have one thing that binds them together: they both love Amy,' he said.
'Will that mean they become friends or will Jack resent her first father coming back into her life?'
The discovery that could bring Amy home
The breakthrough comes from an unexpected quarter. Lily discovers that Amy used a tablet belonging to Charli, Lily's daughter, to open a bank account.
Digital Spy confirms that Lily provides the key piece of evidence when she uncovers the secret account, which Sean and Jack are delighted to hand over to the police, hoping it will lead them to Amy.
Back at home, the wider family is updated on the search, and the mood turns volatile when Sean and Jack end up in a fierce argument with Max over his decision to let Amy access her inheritance money. The family remains unaware that Max knew of Amy's relationship with Craig.
Before the discovery, Sean heads to the Vic to reunite with the wider Slater clan, where Lily herself arrives with the news that changes the case.
A story with an uncomfortable point
Strip away the soap conventions and this storyline is about something familiar and grim: a vulnerable teenager, an adult predator, and a chain of grown men and women who each had a reason to look away. Max Branning, ever the opportunist, trades a child's safety for a loan. The institution meant to protect her, in the shape of her guardian family, is outmanoeuvred by a man with a tablet and a plan.
It is also, in its way, a very British story about promises kept. Sean Slater, the black sheep, the man who left, is the one character who honours a vow made to a dead woman. The Square's moral ledger is rarely neat, but this week it settles a few accounts.
EastEnders airs these scenes from Monday, November 2 at 7.30pm on BBC One, or stream first from 6am on iPlayer.
FAQ
When does Sean Slater return to EastEnders?
Rob Kazinsky returns as Sean Slater in episodes airing from Monday, November 2 at 7.30pm on BBC One, available first on iPlayer from 6am.
Who took Amy Mitchell in EastEnders?
Amy Mitchell was groomed and taken away by Craig Ingram, played by Matthew James Bailey, who targeted her after learning she was due a large inheritance.
How is Amy found in EastEnders?
Lily Slater discovers that Amy opened a bank account using the tablet belonging to Lily's daughter Charli. Sean and Jack hand the evidence to police, hoping it leads them to Amy.
Why did Max Branning help Craig Ingram?
Max Branning agreed to help Amy access her inheritance in exchange for a loan he needed to pay off his ex-wife Cindy Beale, and did not tell Jack about Amy's relationship with Craig.