Jake’s back! (Picture: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
While Jake Moon’s (Joel Beckett) original stint on EastEnders only lasted for two years, what a memorable two years it was.
Arriving to stay with cousin Alfie Moon (Shane Richie) alongside brother Danny (Jake Maskall), it soon became incredibly clear that the dodgy duo had been dipping their toes into organised crime and, upon the emergence of widely-feared gang lord, Johnny Allen (Billy Murray), it was revealed that they were both pretty bad at being bad.
Placed by Johnny under the employ of fellow East End crime boss, Andy Hunter (Michael Higgs), Jake and Danny were sucked into a Soprano’s-esque plot that saw wholesale drug exchanges, million pound rip-offs and, ultimately, Johnny throwing Andy over a fly-over bridge.
They were later ordered to flee by Johnny, though Jake soon returned, determined to forge a relationship with recent murderess, Chrissie Watts (Tracy-Ann Oberman).
When she ended up in the clink, Jake was drawn back into the ever-expanding Walford gangland, saving Phil and Grant Mitchell (Steve McFadden and (Ross Kemp) from the wrath of Johnny, accidentally killing his own brother and finally, appearing to have died at the hands of one of Johnny’s hitmen.
Intense right?
Jake and Danny were constantly ducking and diving (Picture: BBC)
So, naturally, with no mention of Jake in the years since, we all just accepted he was at the bottom of a canal wearing some rather scratchy concrete shoes. Or, y’know, something even more gangster-y?
But alas, no. Following Chrissie’s return to screens as the top dog of the prison Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) had found herself in and her ultimate release after twenty years inside, she reunited with Jake, who’d waited out her entire sentence to be with her.
Sweet, right? A happy ending for two of the dodgiest people to ever step foot on Albert Square…which really says something.
Well, not really, because it didn’t last.
Chrissie went bad again incredibly quickly. Learning that Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan) was back in London, she allied herself with Zoe’s long lost (and presumed dead) daughter, Jasmine Fisher (Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness) and began to stalk Zoe, leading to a vicious showdown on Christmas day… a showdown that occurred after Chrissie was seen ignoring Jake’s calls and texts.
Chrissie’s thirst for revenge cost her and Jake’s relationship (Picture: BBC)
‘I think that Chrissie has always felt that’s it’s very unfair she spent 20 years in prison and has never really been able to move on from the trauma of Dirty Den and living in Walford,’ said Tracy-Ann upon the reveal of Chrissie’s vengeful return.
Don’t miss a Soaps scoop! Add us as a Preferred Source
As a loyal Metro Soaps reader, we want to make sure you never miss our articles when searching for stories. We have all the latest soaps news, spoilers, videos, and interviews, with a vibrant community of highly engaged readers.
Click here and tick Metro.co.uk to ensure you see stories from us first in Google Search.
Now you can ensure you never miss a story from the Soaps team
‘When the opportunity came up to have something over Zoe Slater, who she has always found to be an irritating little girl, she jumped at the opportunity. She clearly has time on her hands!
‘Also, Chrissie, whilst being very hard and tough, has a strong sense of justice, and in her mind, Zoe never really paid for Den’s murder, and the part she played in destroying the Watts family.
‘What started off as a game for Chrissie, has ended up becoming a little bit of an obsession, and finding this gorgeous daughter, who was also hurt by Zoe, seemed like too good of an opportunity to miss.
‘Also, I do think she is genuinely very fond of Jasmine. She’s like the daughter she never had, and I think she wants to empower Jasmine to also get revenge on the woman who abandoned her. Chrissie thinks Zoe needs to take responsibility, and that’s her motivation.’
Zoe’s locked up for a crime she didn’t commit (Picture: BBC/Jack Barns/Kieron McCarron)
Prior to Chrissie’s big reveal, Zoe had found herself in a violent clash with her baby daddy, Anthony Trueman (Nicholas Bailey). She was knocked out after he smashed her head into the bannister and, upon waking up, realised he was dead.
She confessed to the murder and was arrested. While both Zoe and Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace) are convinced that Chrissie did the deed, the audience now know that his daughter, Jasmine, struck the killer blow.
With Zoe unwilling to place Jasmine in danger by crossing Chrissie once again, she’s decided to plead guilty to manslaughter, in order to hopefully cop a lesser sentence, though, in the meantime, Jasmine has fled.
She’s blown away next week, though, when Jake himself pays her a visit. Lamenting the destruction of their relationship, he’s shaken to his core as Zoe fills him in on exactly what happened on Christmas Day. Though she pleads with him to help her prove her innocence as her only connection to Chrissie, Jake refuses.
Cousins reunite (Picture: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
His return leads to a reunion with Alfie, something actor Joel was chuffed about: ‘Being back working alongside familiar faces, as well as some brilliant new ones, was a real joy.
‘It was good to know that Jake had been out there, alive and well. He returns carrying plenty of unanswered questions and the storyline takes him in some unexpected directions with real twists and turns. I’m excited for people to see what he’s been up to.’
An encounter with Phil convinces him to help Kat and Alfie free Zoe and, in an attempt to do right by his family, he attempts to lure Chrissie back to Walford.
Will the wicked witch of Walford come back? And if she does…what will the consequences be for Jake? Is this family reunion set to end in heartbreak?
Arrow
MORE: EastEnders confirms major return for ‘dead’ character with big shocks in store
Arrow
MORE: Patrick spirals as Zoe drops a bombshell about Anthony in EastEnders
Arrow
MORE: In pain Patrick furiously confronts Kat over her actions in EastEnders
Comments
Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google
Add as preferred source
The Soaps Newsletter – Daily
All the latest soaps spoilers and gossip, in your inbox every morning.