EastEnders has delivered a masterclass episode focusing on Nigel Bates’s (Paul Bradley) heartbreaking storyline, serving up all the ingredients to showcase what the BBC soap does best.
This is an era that’s seen some viewer frustration, with Zoe Slater’s (Michelle Ryan) storylines running on a continuous loop and Callum Highway’s (Tony Clay) decision to dump absent husband Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden) for Johnny Carter (Charlie Suff) proving very unpopular with fans of ‘Ballum’.
But, despite recent faults, EastEnders is still the show we know and love, and we couldn’t have had a more powerful reminder.
Life changed forever for Nigel, wife Julie (Karen Henthorn) and best pal Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) as his loved ones prepared for him to move into a care home amid the worsening of his dementia symptoms.
Lexi Pearce (Isabella Brown) was on hand to help Nigel’s beloved stepdaughter Clare Bates (Gemma Bissix) bring him back to The Queen Vic for one last drink.
From then on, we saw just about every aspect of the genre brought to the forefront – and expertly so.
It was easy to identify both with Julie’s panic and an exhausted Phil’s calm, dissociated exterior when they realised Nigel had left the hospital.
I smiled as our favourite barmaid Tracey (Jane Slaughter), fondly recalled introducing Nigel to first wife Debbie (Nicola Duffett), and laughed as Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) entertained the locals with the classic tale of a hungover Nigel and Ricky Butcher (Sid Owen) waking up in a field and wrongly believing they were in France.
While the likes of Harvey Monroe (Ross Boatman) only know the Nigel of recent times, the crowded community spirit didn’t feel forced because he’s always been a man of the people, and newest friend Yolande Trueman (Angela Wynter) was there to keep things in order.
When Oscar Branning (Pierre Counihan-Moullier) took the opportunity to try his luck with Clare, there was the added bonus of revisiting old times, as she turned him down with an epic retort that brilliantly matched up to her last memorable stint.
But amid the fanfare, my heart broke for Clare as she mourned Nigel being unable to recognise her; only to cry happy tears when he briefly acknowledged her, thanks to Julie’s recollections of their shared past.
EastEnders has a seamless knack for pulling off major returns for the right reasons and at the right time. Nigel’s journey would have been incomplete without an appearance from Clare, so to have her back to share that special moment, bookended by her moving gratitude towards Julie after so much animosity, was perfect and Gemma’s touching performance ensured our hearts were with her alter ego.
It was a harrowing watch as Phil and Clare accompanied Nigel to his new home, where, in his confusion and distress, he angrily lashed out. Steve and Karen shone as Phil and Julie wept separately over how Nigel’s illness had changed him.
Almost a year on from Phil’s decision to be with Nigel to the end, the reality of carer burnout was laid bare and he sadly walked away.
This episode was never going to have a happy conclusion, but without doubt it delivered on enduring love – something we trust Phil won’t let go of despite his latest painful move.
From Phil’s conflicted demeanour, to the stripping away of Clare’s hardened attitude, giving way to that vulnerable little girl who once made Nigel her chosen family, this was character-driven drama at its finest.
Then there was Lexi’s faltering smile after she waved Nigel off and retreated into her shell in scenes superbly portrayed by Isabella, the gravity of the situation and that reminder of her mum hitting home.
The instalment was filled with rich history of that calibre.
It was there in the silence when we knew Lexi must have been thinking of Lola (Danielle Harold), in Tracey’s assuring presence as she dutifully held onto every memory and story, and in the way Clare’s friendship with Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams) was not forgotten.
Nigel’s gradual transformation has been commendably played by Paul, and the soap took great care in impressing upon us that no matter what dementia takes from him, the real Nigel will always be the sweet, gentle soul who could also get away with putting Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) in his place.
Those references to Grant, made by Nigel in the depths of his illness, paved the way rather well for Ross’s imminent comeback to the role, and we already know Grant will be involved as we move towards Nigel’s final chapter.
As turbulent and emotional as this standalone edition was to watch, EastEnders hit every note that serial drama is famous for by leaning on its past, on ensemble players and intertwining the darkness with warmth and humour.
