Zoe’s Son Returns for Revenge on Jasmine | EastEnders

Walford has been simmering with tension throughout 2026, but this week’s EastEnders episodes take that unease to a whole new level as buried secrets explode, old sins resurface, and the fallout threatens to tear multiple families apart. At the heart of the chaos is Jasmine Fischer, a woman who has spent months living on borrowed time, terrified that the truth about her past would finally catch up with her. And just as she makes a desperate bid to disappear, the consequences of her actions begin to ripple across the Square — with the ominous hint that Zoe Slater’s son may soon return, driven by revenge and unanswered questions.

Jasmine’s fear has been building steadily all year. Haunted by what she’s done and increasingly paranoid that someone will expose her, she’s been plotting an escape from Walford with her boyfriend, Oscar Branning. The pair dreamed of a fresh start far away from Albert Square, believing that distance might finally give Jasmine peace. But dreams cost money — and that proved to be their first major obstacle. Desperate times called for desperate measures, and Jasmine crossed a line when she conned cash from her grandfather, Patrick Truman.

For a brief moment, it seemed like her plan might actually work. However, guilt soon crept in. At Oscar’s insistence, Jasmine returned the money, choosing to do the “right thing” even though it meant destroying her only chance of escape. That moral decision didn’t bring relief — instead, it appeared to push her into a corner with no way out.

Then came Thursday’s episode, which delivered a huge shock without even showing Jasmine on screen. As the 27 January instalment unfolded, it became clear that Jasmine had vanished from the Square altogether. Oscar received a short, devastating message from her, claiming she was better off on her own and telling him not to look for her. With no goodbye, no explanation, and no sign of where she’d gone, Jasmine simply disappeared into thin air.

Her sudden exit wasn’t random. Jasmine’s desperation to flee Walford has always been rooted in one terrifying truth: she killed her father, Anthony Truman. Although the death happened in self-defense, Jasmine made a catastrophic decision afterward — she allowed her mother, Zoe Slater, to take the blame. That lie has hung over the Slater family like a dark cloud ever since, with Zoe facing the very real possibility of spending her life behind bars for a crime she didn’t commit.

In a bid to keep her secret safe, Jasmine manipulated those closest to her. She convinced Kat Slater — who never truly believed Zoe was guilty — that Chrissie Watts was responsible for Anthony’s death. Jasmine even pretended she was willing to speak to the police, all to get Kat off her back and buy herself more time. For a while, the act worked.

But lies have a habit of unraveling, and Max Branning became the unexpected catalyst for Jasmine’s downfall. After speaking with his police officer brother, Jack, Max discovered a damning truth: Jasmine had never given a statement to the police at all. Everything she’d told Kat had been a fabrication. When Jasmine fled the Slater household, Max finally snapped and revealed everything he knew to a stunned Kat.

Viewers were quick to react, with many expressing relief that the truth had finally begun to surface. Some praised Max for protecting Oscar and doing the right thing, while others doubted Jasmine’s disappearance would be permanent, pointing out that she left with no money and nowhere obvious to go. A few even joked that her absence wouldn’t be missed — but most agreed that Kat is now closer than ever to uncovering the full, horrifying truth.

Jasmine’s off-screen departure raised eyebrows, but it also pushed the story into dangerous new territory. Kat now knows about the failed escape plan and Jasmine’s lies about contacting the police. With each revelation, the pressure mounts — and the question looms larger than ever: how long can the truth stay buried, and who will pay the ultimate price when it comes out?

Since arriving in Walford last year, Jasmine has barely had a quiet moment. She quickly became tangled in several major storylines, initially appearing to target Cindy Beale and even shoving her down a staircase. Many viewers suspected she was working alongside the Ford family, but the real shock came when it was revealed that Jasmine was Zoe Slater’s long-lost daughter. That bombshell placed her at the center of Zoe’s traumatic return to the Square, which included a devastating fire and a string of sinister, threatening messages.

Now, with Jasmine gone, Zoe’s future looks bleaker than ever. If the truth doesn’t come out in time, she could be left to face a life sentence for her daughter’s actions. And looming over it all is the chilling possibility that Zoe’s son — Anthony’s grandson — could return, seeking answers or revenge once he learns what Jasmine has done.

Meanwhile, trouble is brewing elsewhere in Walford as another unsettling storyline gathers momentum. Newcomer Beia Pollard has been raising alarm bells among viewers, with many convinced she’s hiding a much darker agenda. Arriving on the Square as an old school friend of Linda Carter, Beia quickly latched onto Honey Mitchell, forming what initially seemed like an innocent friendship.

But cracks soon began to show. While some fans suspected Honey herself might be heading toward a darker plot, upcoming episodes suggest Beia’s focus may have shifted to a new target entirely — the Panisar family. Teasers reveal Beia urging Honey to challenge another resident, pushing her to act after tensions at the Minute Mart reach breaking point.

Beia becomes visibly furious over Vinny Panisar’s behavior toward Honey, firmly planting herself in Honey’s corner. When Honey injures her back while working, Suki Panisar’s blunt and unsympathetic response only fuels Beia’s anger further. What follows is a series of questionable suggestions, as Beia encourages Honey to consider legal action against the Panisars for the workplace accident.

As the situation escalates, Beia’s influence over Honey becomes increasingly unsettling. In scenes that have already sparked intense online debate, Beia convinces Honey to drink wine with her inside the Minute Mart after hours. As the alcohol flows, their conversation turns darker — and Honey lets her guard down, making a shocking confession.

She reveals that years ago, Suki once tried to kiss her. Though the incident was supposedly resolved long ago, Honey feels compelled to bring it up again, leaving Beia visibly stunned. The revelation raises huge questions about Beia’s true motives and how she might use this information against Suki and the Panisar family.

Fans have been quick to speculate, with many suggesting Beia’s behavior goes far beyond friendly support. Some believe she’s deliberately inserting herself into Honey’s life for manipulative reasons, while others fear the show is heading into “single white female” territory. Viewers have described Beia as obsessive, sinister, and potentially dangerous — with more than a few predicting she could become the Square’s next full-blown psycho.

As if that weren’t enough, another explosive storyline unfolds in the courtroom, where Joel Marshall’s trial reaches a shocking and deeply disturbing turning point. Vicki Fowler is left shattered as Joel, accused of brutally attacking his stepmother and filming her afterward, sits grinning coldly as the case takes an unexpected direction.

The trial forces Vicki to relive the horror she endured, bravely telling the court she genuinely believed she was going to die. Her testimony is harrowing — but Joel’s defense lawyer launches a ruthless cross-examination, attempting to undermine her credibility and dredging up past incidents in a desperate bid to sway the jury.

Overwhelmed and convinced Joel will escape justice, Vicki breaks down and flees the courtroom in tears. Meanwhile, Joel’s chilling smirk sends shivers through everyone watching, leaving one terrifying question hanging in the air: will he finally be held accountable, or will he walk free?

With Jasmine on the run, Zoe’s fate hanging by a thread, Beia’s true intentions growing darker by the day, and justice teetering on the edge in Joel’s trial, EastEnders is setting the stage for a devastating chain of events. And if Zoe’s son really does return, driven by revenge and betrayal, Walford may never be the same again.