Mick Carter may have been missing from EastEnders since Christmas Day 2022, but the much-loved character is suddenly back at the centre of the drama.
With Linda facing fresh heartbreak and a shocking new twist surrounding his supposed death, fans are asking the big question: could Mick really be alive and heading back to Walford?
Linda, the love of Mick’s life, was left devastated after answering a call on Lee’s phone. The caller explained that Mick’s body had been found, almost four years after he was assumed to have died at sea.
But, as EastEnders viewers might expect, there was a lot more to this story. And Janine was right at the heart of it.
Janine’s return caused heartache for Linda
It turned out that Janine had been lying about Mick’s demise, which she claimed happened only a fortnight ago.
Janine made up an elaborate lie about Mick having a heart attack. This was to stop the life insurance company from taking the money back after Lee revoked his dad’s death certificate.
Linda went to see Janine to demand answers. Although she didn’t believe that Mick would have been alive all this time and not got in touch, Janine produced a death certificate, which we know is fake.
However, in another shocking twist, Linda visited the local crematoriums to get confirmation that Mick had been cremated, as Janine claimed. But once there, she bumped into Janine at Mick’s ‘funeral’.
Janine claimed Mick was in the coffin and had lied about him already being cremated to keep the funeral private.
However, Linda still didn’t believe Janine and asked to look in the coffin. However, she couldn’t go through with it and left while Max did the grisly deed.
Janine then confessed that the body wasn’t Mick and begged Max to keep her secret. She pointed out that it would also benefit him if Linda thought the love of her life was officially dead. So Max told his most unforgivable lie yet, and said it was Mick’s body in the coffin.
How did Mick Carter leave EastEnders?
After marrying Janine, Mick soon discovered she had framed Linda for a car accident. He reunited with Linda at Christmas in 2022, but they weren’t to get their happy ending.
Janine tried to flee the police, but her car plunged into the sea, taking Linda with her.
Mick, who was terrified of water and couldn’t swim well, raced into the sea. He saved Janine and their unborn baby before going back in for Linda.
However, what he didn’t realise was that Linda had already got to safety. Mick was never seen again, and after almost four years missing, he has been presumed dead.
Where is Mick Carter in EastEnders?
This is the million-dollar question. If he wasn’t in the coffin like Janine claimed, then he could well still be alive.
While it has been believed that he died at sea, could he have survived somehow but ended up in a coma or with amnesia?
It seems unlikely that if Mick survived, he wouldn’t have got in touch with Linda and their children. However, could he have lost his memory? Stranger things have happened in soapland – just look at what happened to Harold Bishop in Neighbours!
Is Mick Carter coming back to EastEnders?
While there has been no official announcement about Mick’s return, all this talk of the character has led to speculation amongst fans.
Some think the character, played by Danny Dyer, could be the New Year gunman. Other fans think he will be the one to expose Max’s sickening lie.
With Kellie Bright, who plays Linda, set to leave EastEnders in the coming months, it only seems fitting that Danny might reprise his role, even if only for one episode.
For now, though, we will just have to wait and see.
Fans think they have worked out when Mick will return
Fans are convinced that Mick is coming back to Walford. And, if their theories are right, we don’t have long to wait.
They’re convinced he will come back for Christmas or as part of the New Year flashforward. So we could be just weeks away from a Mick and Linda reunion…
“I knew it,” said one fan on X. “Watch Mick reappear at Xmas.”
Someone else agreed: “It’s obvious Mick Carter’s return is being saved for the Christmas/New Year period!”
A third viewer added: “I think Linda will find out the truth before she marries Max. That will send her over the edge, and then Mick returns to save her on Christmas Day.”
Another fan thinks Mick is the New Year gunman. “What if it comes to light that Mick is still alive, then Janine tries to have him killed but fails. Then she pins it on Max, and Mick comes back as the gunman and takes his revenge?”
Whether Mick really is about to walk back into Walford remains to be seen. But after everything that’s happened, it seems viewers haven’t given up hope of seeing him and Linda together again.