The return of Sam Mitchell continues in tonight’s EastEnders (Monday, December 8) as news of her comeback begins to spread around Albert Square. As she attempts to steal from brother Phil, Kat and Zoe also learn that Sam’s back.
And she doesn’t exactly get a warm welcome, between Zoe accusing her of being her stalker, and Kat shouting abuse in the street.
But what’s the beef between Sam, Kat and Zoe? Read on for our lowdown on the feud between Sam and the Slater women.
Murder, prison and surprise return – a history of Sam and Zoe
Zoe might have cause to suspect Sam of stalking due to their shared history. This includes the murder of Dirty Den, a crime which they both tried to cover up, along with his wife, Chrissie Watts.
Den’s murder occurred in The Vic, when Zoe struck him over the head in defense of Chrissie. Den didn’t die from this initial blow though. It was actually Chrissie who delivered the fatal blow, as Den lay on the floor.
Regardless, it was Sam who took the blame, when Chrissie framed her for the murder. Sam was then locked up, until Phil and Grant managed to exonerate her for the crime.
While Chrissie was ultimately arrested and imprisoned, Zoe never faced consequences for her own part in the crime. It’s reasonable to believe, then, that Sam could be harboring a grudge against Zoe for her time behind bars.
Is Sam tormenting Zoe? Or is the timing just a massive coincidence on the the soap’s part?
Sam and Kat’s EastEnders feud explained
Sam was responsible for breaking up Kat’s marriage to Phil Mitchell. Or at least, in so far as she exposed his affair with Emma Harding, humiliating Kat at her own birthday party.
That also explains why Phil’s not too keen on his little sister, either.
Before then, the pair shared a long-standing feud after Sam attempted to expose Zoe as Den’s killer. This would have spelled a stint behind bars for her daughter, which was out of the question for protective Kat.
Their intense rivalry continued when Kat positioned herself as the head of the Mitchells due to her marriage and relationship with Phil. She also clashed with Sam after she endangered her family as a result of her dodgy dealings. This included a smoke bomb being lobbed into the Mitchell household while Kat’s family were inside.
Sam was also responsible for a shooting at Peggy’s Bar (now Harry’s Barn). Sure, she was the one who took the bullet, but it had all been part of Sam’s scheme to frame Sharon Watts and disrupt things for the Mitchell so that she could reclaim her crown as top dog.
When the truth came out, this resulted in a physical confrontation between Sam and Kat, where things came to a head in a brutal Katfight… sorry, cat fight.
Read more: EastEnders confirms Teddy Mitchell’s exit from soap as star Roland Manookian is axed