Carter family (EastEnders)

Carter family

EastEnders family
Introduced by Kate Harwood
Dominic Treadwell-Collins
Duration 2006–
First appearance 2 January 2006

The Carter family is a fictional family in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. The family is headed by Stan Carter (Timothy West), but the first member of the family introduced was Stan's grandson, Dean Wicks (Matt Di Angelo) (then known as Deano), brought in by Kate Harwood on 2 January 2006. He arrived in the show's setting of Walford to stay with his great-aunt Pat Butcher (Pam St. Clement). He was soon joined by his sister, Carly Wicks (Kellie Shirley) and their step-father Kevin Wicks (Phil Daniels) the nephew of Brian Wicks (Leslie Schofield). Carly's husband Nico Pappas (Gerard Monaco) appeared for a short stint. Shirley Carter (Linda Henry), daughter of Stan, ex-wife of Kevin and mother of Deano and Carly, appeared in December 2006. Carly made a return on 6 September 2012 for two episodes.

In January 2010, Zsa Zsa Carter (Emer Kenny), the niece of Shirley was introduced as a character in the spin-off EastEnders: E20. Her stepfather, Andy (Steve North), was also seen in E20.

An expansion of the Carter family by new producer Dominic Treadwell-Collins introduced Shirley's sister and Zsa Zsa's mother, Tina Carter (Luisa Bradshaw-White), and Shirley's eldest son, Mick Carter (Danny Dyer), though he was believed to be her brother. Mick's partner Linda (Kellie Bright), and their children, Lee (Danny-Boy Hatchard), Nancy (Maddy Hill) and Johnny (Sam Strike) also arrived, followed by Stan, Stan's sister-in-law, Babe Smith (Annette Badland), her sister and mother to Shirley and Tina, Sylvie Carter (Linda Marlowe), Linda's mother Elaine Peacock (Maria Friedman), Shirley's childhood lover Buster Briggs (Karl Howman) and Tina's abusive girlfriend Tosh Mackintosh (Rebecca Scroggs). In 2015, Mick and Linda's baby Ollie Carter was born, and Dean's secret daughter Jade Green (Amaya Edward) also made her first appearance.

The Carter family have appeared heavily in the show from 2014, in high profile storylines including Johnny's homosexuality, the revelation that Shirley is in fact Mick's mother, Linda's rape at the hands of Dean and suffering from bulimia nervosa, Stan's terminal prostate cancer, the domestic violence Tina receives from her partner Tosh, Nancy's epilepsy, Sylvie's Alzheimer's disease, Lee's depression, the revelation that Dean has a daughter, Jade with cystic fibrosis, born after a one-night stand with Shabnam Masood (Rakhee Thakrar), and baby Ollie Carter's accident and potential brain damage.

Storylines

Backstory

Stan Carter (Timothy West) worked as a fishmongster at the Billingsgate Fish Market. He married Sylvie Carter (Linda Marlowe) in 1962 and they had two daughters: Shirley Carter (Linda Henry) and Tina Carter (Luisa Bradshaw-White). Stan neglected his family, whereas Sylvie abused Shirley when she was young. Shirley fell pregnant by Buster Briggs (Karl Howman), but Sylvie found out after Buster abandoned her. Sylvie pushed Shirley down the stairs to try to kill the unborn baby, however she was unsuccessful. She took Shirley to a caravan site with her sister, Babe Smith (Annette Badland), where Shirley gave birth to Mick Carter (Danny Dyer). However, to prevent a scandal, Sylvie pretended that Mick was Stan's son and he was raised as Shirley and Tina's brother. After Sylvie left, Shirley struggled with bringing up her son and her younger sister alone, so she tried to drown Mick in the bathroom. Stan saved him, but after they took Mick to the hospital, social services took Mick and Tina into care. Shirley grew distant from her father and married Kevin Wicks (Phil Daniels). They had one child, Jimbo Wicks, while Shirley had two further children, Carly Wicks (Kellie Shirley) and Dean Wicks (Matt Di Angelo). Carly was the result of a one-night stand named Daniel but she and Buster reconnected and he also fathered Dean. Kevin raised both children as his own. Shirley disowned Stan after an argument and did not speak to him for 25 years. Shirley walked out on her children when she divorced Kevin. She did not attend Jimbo's funeral, who died of cystic fibrosis at the age of 21.

Tina gave birth to Zsa Zsa Carter (Emer Kenny) at the age of 19 with a man named Mark Reynolds, who was six years her senior, but could not cope with bringing up a child at a young age. She often indulged in alcohol and drugs, leaving Zsa Zsa to bring herself up. Zsa Zsa's father later died. Tina also married a man named Andy, but left him for a man named Miguel and went to Spain. She later began a lesbian relationship with firefighter Fiona "Tosh" Mackintosh (Rebecca Scroggs). They shared a volatile relationship; Tosh was violent towards Tina.

Tina remained close to her brother Mick (without knowing that he is really her nephew). Mick met a local girl called Linda Peacock (Kellie Bright) when he was six years old and they went to school together. In their teens, Linda fell pregnant by Mick, three months after the death of her father, and gave birth to their son Lee Carter (Danny-Boy Hatchard). Two years later, they had a daughter, Nancy Carter (Maddy Hill), followed by the difficult birth of their youngest son, Johnny Carter (Sam Strike). When a customer flirted with Linda and tried to kiss her, Mick attacked him severely and he ended up in hospital seriously injured. Shirley burnt down their first pub which led to Mick being estranged from Shirley and they lived with Linda's mother, Elaine Peacock (Maria Friedman).

2006–12

Shirley is the first Carter to be introduced, in 2006, as the ex-wife of pre-established character Kevin Wicks and mother of his two children, Carly and Deano. Shirley fails to reunite with her family due to her abandonment of them and Jimbo especially. She clashes with many Walford residents, including Denise Fox (Diane Parish) and Pat Butcher (Pam St. Clement), but has support in her best friend Heather Trott (Cheryl Fergison). She continues to try to win over Carly and Deano, but both leave Walford on bad terms with their mother. Shirley eventually begins a relationship with Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden), over their mutual tendency to drink too much.

The second Carter introduced is Shirley's niece Zsa Zsa, Tina's daughter. Zsa Zsa flees her mother and step-father to Walford, and moves in with Shirley and Phil. After Phil becomes addicted to cocaine when his relationship with Shirley ends, Zsa Zsa supports her, but later moves to France, remaining on good terms with her aunt. Shirley continues to try to help Phil escape his addiction, and they reunite when he manages to do so. She provides a false alibi for him when his uncle and step-father, Archie Mitchell (Larry Lamb) is murdered, strengthening their relationship. Shirley shows her maternal skills for the first time since she abandoned Deano and Carly in mothering Phil's son Ben Mitchell (Joshua Pascoe), as he is neglected by Phil due to being gay. She is devastated when Heather is murdered, and, just as she begins to recover, the discovery that it was Ben that killed her and Phil hid this drives Shirley back to being a mess. She ends things with Phil, and sees Ben sent to prison for what he has done. To help her mother recover from Phil's betrayal, Carly returns to Walford and reunites with her. She introduces Shirley to her grandson, Jimmy, named for Jimbo, and Shirley departs Walford with her.

2013–

Shirley returns to discover that Phil is trying to take custody of Ben and Lola Pearce's (Danielle Harold) baby Lexi, and warns Lola not to trust Phil. She later challenges Carl White (Daniel Coonan) when she realises that he is manipulating Phil and taking control of the Mitchell empire following a car accident that has put Phil in hospital. When she discovers that Carl caused the car crash, she disappears, and several months later Carl takes Phil to see Shirley, revealing she has been staying with Tina at her flat in another part of London. Tina has recently broken up with Tosh as she had been abusing her. Phil convinces them to return to Walford and they move in with him for a short while, before he kicks them out.

Hard up, Tina convinces Shirley to come with her to visit their estranged brother, Mick, at his pub in Watford. Mick is out on their visit, and they clash with Mick's wife Linda, who blames Shirley for burning down their pub fifteen years ago. When Linda refuses to help, Tina steals from their pub, but when Shirley finds out what she has done, she returns to them, and reunites with Mick. Phil decides to sell The Queen Victoria, and when the new owners move in, they are revealed to be Mick and Linda, along with their son Johnny and family dog Lady Di (Hot Lips). Shirley and Tina move in with them as well, to Linda's chagrin.

Johnny hides an invitation to his sister Nancy's wedding to Wayne Ladlow (Malachi Kirby), but when Mick and Linda find it they decide to go along. However, unable to see Nancy marry a man he hates, Mick kidnaps her from the ceremony and brings her back to The Vic. In a family argument, Nancy reveals that Johnny is gay, and he confirms this to Mick after trying to hide it. Linda struggles to accept his sexuality.

The Queen Vic is revealed to have huge damp problems, costing the Carters money they don't have. Mick and Tina decide to try to get the money from their father, Stan, but Shirley is unhappy with the idea, blaming Stan for giving them up as children. Mick and Tina visit him alone, but he tells them that he will only give them the money if Shirley asks herself. She eventually does, and he gives them the money. Shirley, Mick and Tina's maternal aunt, Babe, also visits regularly, at one point suggesting that the Carters get involved with her drug dealing business to soothe their financial issues. Tina reunites with Tosh when she returns to Walford, to Shirley's fury, and eventually moves out of The Vic to live in an apartment with Tosh, market inspector Aleks Shirovs (Kristian Kiehling), and Jake Stone (Jamie Lomas).

On hearing that Stan is ill, Mick visits him, only to be attacked by an intruder. He later discloses to Max Branning (Jake Wood) that he thinks the intruder was his eldest son, Lee, who is serving in Afghanistan. Stan is revealed to have broken his ankle, meaning he has to come and stay at The Vic, to everyone's displeasure. One night, he sets the curtains on fire with a cigarette, but is saved by a mysterious hero, who is revealed to be Lee. Lee reveals that he has fled from the army after his best friend was killed, but Mick convinces him to return. Before he goes, he has casual flings with Lucy Beale (Hetti Bywater) and Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty); on the day before he is due to leave, Lucy is murdered by an unknown assailant (see Who Killed Lucy Beale?). Lee makes a statement before returning to the army.

Shirley learns that Deano, now known as Dean, is back in England after living in Australia, and Stan, who is in contact with him, brings him to the Vic to try to reunite him with his mother. He is reluctant, still very angry at Shirley, and clashes with Mick over his bad relationship with his mother. Seeing he is unhappy with his job at another salon, Stan pays for him to open up his own salon in Walford, unaware that he is planning to scam him by taking all the expensive products in the salon and sell them before leaving again. Stan catches wind of the plan and stops him, convincing Dean to stick around for good. Dean begins to develop feelings for Linda when she counsels him over his issues with Shirley, and Lee returns from the army permanently in time for Linda's birthday. That night, Dean overhears a conversation between Mick and Linda, revealing they are not really married.

Distraught over Dean refusing to reconcile with her and an argument with Mick, Shirley confesses to Phil that she still harbours intense guilt about her bad relationship with her son. Phil tries to talk Dean around, only to realise that Shirley means Mick; she is secretly Mick's mother. She discloses to him how her mother, Sylvie, hid her pregnancy and then posed the baby as her own. Phil agrees to keep her secret, but later uses it to blackmail Shirley for money.

Tina and Tosh decide to use IVF to have a baby, but worry about how to gather together enough money to do so. Desperate for cash after her boss Ian refuses to give her a raise, Tina turns to Babe and starts dealing drugs from the café where she works. Carol Jackson (Lindsey Coulson) discovers what she is doing, and when her grandson Liam Butcher (James Forde) takes some of Tina's hash brownies to school by accident, she reveals Tina's drug dealing to Tosh and the rest of the Carter family. Tosh ends things with a devastated Tina, while the Carters angrily demand that Babe disposes of her cannabis now she has got them involved. To make it look like she is going through with their demands, Babe enlist Dean's help with storing it at the salon, but Shirley catches wind of their plan, and, trying to keep Dean out of prison, she steals the drugs and burns them. As revenge, Babe threatens to reveal Shirley as Mick's mother, but decides not to after Shirley pleads with her. Despite telling her family at a family dinner that she hasn't seen Sylvie for years, she returns home and begins speaking to someone off camera, hinting that Sylvie may be living with her.

Mick is accused of kerb crawling and pleads guilty to cover for his friend Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt), who is hiding that he saw the prostitute, Rainie Cross (Tanya Franks), on the night of Lucy's death. He reveals the truth to Linda, who pleads with him to reveal the truth when Rainie's mother, Stan's girlfriend Cora Cross (Ann Mitchell), exploits his actions to the whole pub. Mick convinces her to keep quiet and lies to Stan that he did really see a prostitute, although Stan works out that Cora knows the prostitute involved when he questions her granddaughter, Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa).

Dean makes another move on Linda, but she firmly rejects him, leading him to go out with Lauren on the rebound. Mick and Linda briefly separate when Ian's partner, Denise, discovers the truth. When an explosion occurs at the Slater household, Johnny dashes into the burning building with Peter Beale (Ben Hardy) to try to save a trapped Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace), but the pair escape with minor injuries and do not manage to save Kat. In October, Dean's obsession with Linda comes to a terrifying conclusion when he rapes her on the kitchen table. Linda keeps her rape a secret from Mick. She discovers she is pregnant and intends having an abortion. Babe discovers Stan has terminal prostate cancer. She reveals this at Lee's 22nd birthday. As a result of this revelation, Mick and Dean head off to find Shirley and alert her of the news. They find Shirley hiding in their caravan. In spite of their telling her that her father has terminal cancer, she refuses to return home. Early the following morning, Mick and Dean tow the caravan to Walford, to find Buster Briggs inside. Shirley arrives on Buster's motorbike, revealing her long-standing relationship with Buster. Dean realises that Buster is his father and the two begin to bond. Buster is on day release from prison but intends going away with Shirley and Dean. Mick alerts the authorities and police arrive at the pub. Buster is arrested for not reporting back after his day release. Buster then realises that he is the father of Mick as well. Linda later discovers that she is pregnant, but does not know whether the father is Mick or Dean.

Shirley is angry when Babe returns to The Vic with a battered Tina and that Tosh is responsible. When Tosh arrives at the pub the following morning, Shirley attacks her and orders Tosh to leave Tina forever. Shirley and Mick then discover that it was Babe who had shown Tosh Sonia Fowler's (Natalie Cassidy) watch, thus prompting her to beat Tina, believing that they were having an affair. They drive to Babe's house to confront her where they find Sylvie and it is later revealed that she is suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Mick is upset when Sylvie tells him that she never had a son. Babe and Shirley then convince Mick not to pursue a relationship with Sylvie.

Eventually, Stacey Branning (Lacey Turner), who has begun a relationship with Dean, notices Linda becomes scared when Dean is around, and when she confides in her about her own rape, this prompts Linda to admit what Dean did to her. Stacey then ends her relationship with Dean and encourages Linda to tell Mick, however she is adamant not to. She later meets with Stacey and tells her that she is going to tell Mick about her rape soon, with Dean watching them. Johnny then announced he is leaving Walford to travel the world with his new boyfriend, and leaves just before Christmas. Later that night, Dean reveals to Lee and Nancy that Mick and Linda are not really married, realising that Linda has been talking to Stacey. On Christmas Eve, Linda is adamant that Dean stays away from The Queen Vic on Christmas Day, upsetting the entire family. Dean then confronts Linda in the pub cellar and threatens to tell Mick that her baby could be his if she does not persuade Stacey to reunite with him. She agrees, however Stacey is not interested and at a Christmas Carol concert in the Square, Mick reveals to Dean that he is going to propose to Linda on Christmas Day. On Christmas Day, everybody - particularly Stan - is stunned when Mick arrives with Sylvie and reveals she is going to have Christmas dinner with them. Mick then sends Dean home when he implies that Linda is a slut. Mick then calls Linda upstairs and proposes to her, however she declines and reveals that Dean raped her. She relives the ordeal to explain to Mick exactly how is happened, and then they go back downstairs and act normal. However, Mick reveals the truth to Shirley, who refuses to believe it and confronts Dean, who states that Linda wanted to have sex. When Shirley and Dean later arrive, Mick violently attacks and beats Dean, but stops when Shirley screams that she is his mother. Mick then throws Shirley out, and Babe storms out after an argument with Stan, leaving Sylvie with the Carters. Linda is devastated to hear Mick telling Stan and Tina that Dean raped her, so she packs her bags and leaves her engagement ring on the table. Mick then completely wrecks the pub and throws all of the customers out, before breaking down.

Linda returns the following day with Elaine, and she and Mick manage to rebuild their relationship. They then leave for Watford, leaving Lee and particularly Nancy suspicious. Shirley takes over running The Queen Vic, allowing Dean into the premises, however the pair of them are thrown out when Mick and Linda return. Nancy does not believe Mick when he makes up a story over the Christmas drama, and is extremely hostile towards Linda. Linda then decides to report her rape to the police, while Dean continues to tell Shirley lies about how Linda had been leading him on for months. When Mick and Linda return from the police station, they tell a devastated Lee and Nancy the truth, leading to Mick and Lee nearly coming to blows in the pub cellar. When Lee attacks Dean in the street, they are interrupted when Babe reveals that Stan has collapsed outside the pub while attempting to whisk Sylvie off on holiday. Shirley then reveals to Mick all of the wicked things Stan, Babe and Sylvie did while she was pregnant with him, leading to Mick exiling Shirley and Dean from the family and sending Babe and Sylvie home. Tina attempts to persuade Mick to forgive Shirley as she has always looked after the pair of them, however when Mick tries to talk to Shirley, she ignores him to concentrate on Dean.

In February 2015, Mick decides that he has had enough of Dean so abducts him from his salon, worrying Shirley and Denise. Dean continues to lie that Linda wanted to have sex with him, however Mick is not fooled and pushes him up against a tree, threatening to kill him if he does not tell the truth. Mick then returns to the pub and reveals that Dean is gone. Later that month, during Ian and Jane Beale's (Laurie Brett) wedding celebrations, Dean breaks into the pub cellar and pours petrol everywhere. When Nancy enters, he puts his hand over her mouth and takes her hostage, but Mick hears her screams and also enters. Dean reveals that he does not want to hurt anybody but just wants revenge by burning the pub down. Mick then attacks Dean and pushes his foot on Dean's throat, leaving him unconscious. Mick and Nancy then leave the cellar in shock, and Mick warns her not to go back into the cellar. Linda then proposes to Mick and he accepts. The following day, Nancy confronts Mick, asking whether he killed Dean and disposed of his body. Mick ignores Nancy and returns back to the bar. Not knowing what to do, Nancy reveals Mick and Dean's deadly showdown to Linda, who then confronts Mick. He swears that he did not kill Dean, and to calm Nancy's nerves, Linda lies that she rung Dean and spoke to him. However, when the police arrive later that night and reveal that somebody resembling Dean has been discovered in a burned out car, Nancy realises that Linda has lied. Nancy accompanies Shirley to the hospital, where it is revealed that the person was not Dean. With the stress mounting, Nancy suffers a seizure in the middle of the Square, just as she is about to tell Shirley what Mick has done. The following day, Mick, Linda, Lee and Elaine go to Linda's five-month pregnancy scan, where she confides in Elaine that she believes that she will not love her baby like she did Lee, Nancy and Johnny.

Stan's health begins to deteriorate, and is later told he will never walk again when he learns the cancer has spread to his spinal cord. The situation forces Shirley to become more involved with the family, and eventually Nancy reveals that Mick may have killed Dean. Shirley then angrily confronts Mick, Nancy and Linda, and threatens to phone the police on the three of them. However, Dean and Buster then enter, and tell Shirley that they are her new family and that they do not need the others. The three plan to leave Walford for Greece, but first Dean is determined to visit Stan before he dies. When Mick throws Dean out for giving Stan alcohol, Dean assaults a police officer, after Shirley called them on him. When Buster finds out, he leaves Shirley, but returns to her later that day when he realises how much he loves her. Stan is later placed in a hospice when he begins to experience more pain, and eventually peacefully dies in Shirley's arms as they reminisce and their lives. When Shirley reveals the news to the family, they are devastated, and shun Shirley when she continues to protect Dean. She and Buster then tell Dean that Stan has died in prison, leading to him crying and the other prisoners laughing at him. Mick puts pressure on himself by stating he is determined to match Shirley and Buster's contribution to the funeral, however Linda manages to knock down the price after negotiating with Pam Coker (Lin Blakley). On the day of Stan's funeral, Linda is stunned to learn that Dean has been released, and so confronts him at his home. As he is about to confess to raping Linda, Mick storms in and collects Linda, banning Shirley, Dean and Buster from the funeral in the process. After the funeral, Mick, Linda, Nancy, Lee, Tina and Babe are furious to see Shirley, Dean and Buster at the bar of The Queen Vic, stating that they are not going to miss the wake. Babe later leaves and visits Sylvie in her care home. She slaps Sylvie when she makes a remark about her appearance, so Sylvie bites Babe's neck when she tries to comfort her. Sylvie then reveals that Babe broke the law in Ramsgate, but Babe threatens Sylvie to keep quiet.

Babe begins to socialise with Shirley, Dean and Buster as well as the rest of the family. She even attends an event at Dean's salon, however a brick is thrown through the window with the word "rapist" on it. It is later revealed that Babe paid somebody to throw the brick through the window, and is intending on sabotaging Dean's business for what he did to Linda. When Shirley and Buster discover Babe's meddling, Buster throws a trifle over her head, leading to Mick and Linda learning the truth. They exile Babe from the family, so she leaves Walford. Shortly after this, Mick confides in Linda that he feels heavily depressed over her rape, and as she tries to comfort him, he storms off in a rage. As Linda follows him, she trips on her dressing gown rope and falls down the stairs. When she awakens from unconsciousness, she realises she has fallen on her stomach and that her waters have broken. Sonia and Kat get Linda to hospital, while Carol finds Mick and tells him that Linda has gone into labour. She gives birth to a baby boy, later named Ollie. Dean tried to visit Ollie and Linda in hospital and tries to rename him "Kevin", convinced that Ollie is his son after raping Linda. Mick has a blood test to see if he matches Ollie's; he does. He asks Dean and he is revealed not to be a match, meaning that Mick is Ollie's biological father. Dean is secretly heartbroken, and when confiding in Shabnam Masood (Rakhee Thakrar), she reveals that she had a daughter with Dean seven years ago. Dean attempts to pursue Shabnam into telling him where their daughter is, however Shabnam - not wanting to reconnect with her child - lies that she died shortly after birth. Shirley later learns that truth and tells Dean, who ruins Shabnam's engagement party to Kush Kazemi (Davood Ghadami) in revenge. Shirley and Shabnam's father Masood Ahmed (Nitin Ganatra) decide to find the child, who is revealed to be named Jade Green (Amaya Edward), and it is revealed that she is suffering from cystic fibrosis in a foster home. When Shirley and Buster tell Dean, he breaks down as this is the disease which killed his older brother Jimbo. Shirley and Buster decide they want to adopt Jade, however Shabnam will not give her consent to allow them to do so. They later convince her to and begin building a strong custody case. Meanwhile, Lee has developed depression as he struggles to cope with Linda's rape and Ollie's birth, only confiding in Nancy and his girlfriend, Whitney.

Mick, Shirley and Tina later realise that Babe stole Stan's ashes when she left Walford following their argument, so travel to Ramsgate to find her and scatter his ashes. They find her, and Shirley is confused when she finds a photo album filled with young girls and dates on the back of them. She later realises that Babe and Queenie used to go searching for young pregnant girls and sell their babies to parents who could not have children. Shirley is disgusted to learn that they were going to do the same to her with Mick, however Babe changed her mind after seeing Mick. Babe later sets her caravan on fire, and Shirley, Mick and Tina allow her to move to Walford with the rest of the family. The following month, Linda's mother Elaine and her new toyboy lover Jason Adams (Scott Neal) arrive and announce their engagement. However, the next night, Mick and Linda catch Jason in a state of undress with Babe. Linda orders Babe to get Jason to leave, so she records Jason trying to persuade her to help him con the Carters, and plays it to the entire pub. Elaine, hurt and humiliated, slaps Babe. When explaining herself to Elaine and Linda, Babe reveals that she is a virgin and just wanted to know what it felt like to have sex, leading to Elaine pitying her and Linda throwing Jason out. Linda then informs Mick that she has booked their wedding day for New Year's Day 2016.

When Lee is sacked from his job in the army for punching his former boss, his depression worsens, leading to Mick and Babe finding out. Mick takes him to the doctors' surgery, where he is formally diagnosed with clinical depression and prescribed medication, which he refuses to take, but he changes his mind after conversations with Linda and Babe. At Stacey's Halloween party, Lee attempts to fix her plug socket, but does it incorrectly, leading to a heavily pregnant Stacey being electrocuted and her boyfriend, Martin Fowler (James Bye) punching Lee. This sends Lee on a downward spiral, but he feels better when he is informed that Stacey and the baby are fine. Meanwhile, Dean begins a relationship with Roxy Mitchell (Rita Simons), angering her sister Ronnie Mitchell (Samantha Womack) and she does everything in her power to split them up. Firstly, she attempts to persuade Mick to help her murder Dean, but after Mick decides against helping Ronnie in her plans, she tries to poison Dean. Shirley and Buster arrive just in time, however are furious to learn that Mick knew what Ronnie was planning, resulting in Buster punching Mick. Shirley, Buster and Jade spend Christmas dinner with the Carters, infuriating Dean, which results in his throwing a jug at Roxy, which cuts her face. Roxy attempts to leave Dean, but he is extremely apologetic and she forgives him. The next day, after Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) points out that Roxy's feisty personality has gone since she began dating Dean, she tries to leave him and end their relationship. Dean attempts to rape Roxy, but is stopped when Shirley enters, hearing Roxy's cries. Roxy flees, while Shirley finally sees Dean as a rapist. Roxy then bumps into Linda and Elaine, who encourage her to report the matter to the police, which she does. While Dean is having a bath, Shirley attempts to drown him, but she is unsuccessful and Dean strikes her as Linda enters. During an argument over Roxy, Dean admits that he raped Linda in Shirley's presence, and then goes into hiding from the police.

On New Year's Day 2016, Mick and Linda prepare for their wedding at a hotel, but Shirley feels too ashamed to attend after believing Dean over Linda. After being instructed by Linda to attend, Shirley goes, but is furious to see that Tina has brought Sylvie to the ceremony. Dean then arrives and attempts to gatecrash the nuptials, however Shirley takes him outside, leading to an explosive argument by a nearby lake over Linda, Roxy and Shirley's murder attempt on him. When Mick becomes curious of Shirley's whereabouts, Jade informs him that she is arguing with Dean outside. As Mick leaves the hotel, he witnesses Dean throw himself into the lake, taking Shirley with him. Mick dives in to save Shirley, as Dean is trying to drown her, which leads to a fight in the water and Dean floating face down in the water. As Shirley is taken to safety, Linda, Buster and Tina watch in horror as Mick goes back under the water to save Dean; he is successful and Dean survives after being resuscitated by Mick. Dean is then arrested for the attempted rape of Roxy, and Mick and Linda then marry with their friends and family around them.

While Mick and Linda are on their honeymoon, Lee and Nancy are shocked when Whitney asks them whether her fugitive half-brother, Ryan Malloy (Neil McDermott), can stay the night. The pair reluctantly agree, however after Whitney and Ryan argue after Whitney suggests that Ryan hands himself into the police, Ryan steals a large amount of money from the pub and flees. This results in a catfight between Whitney and Nancy as Nancy attempts to call the police on Ryan, however Mick and Linda enter and demand to know what is going on. Whitney fears that she will be kicked out, while Nancy and Babe are confused as to why Mick and Linda have not called the police. The following morning, Ryan contacts Whitney, asking to meet her in the park. She does so, but takes Mick with her, and they manage to retrieve the money and persuade Ryan to give himself up. Later, an emotional Whitney kisses Mick, leaving him stunned. Mick later informs Linda, who is intent on throwing Whitney out, but decides against it when she sees how much she means to Lee. Linda later warns Whitney off Mick, and encourages her to be patient with Lee when he feels depressed. Nancy and her boyfriend of seven months, Tamwar Masood (Himesh Patel) later begin a new business venture into Indian cuisine. Tamwar manages to hire the launderette to hold their first event, however Tamwar leaves due to Shabnam's failing marriage to Kush. Nancy, rushing due to stress, trips over and drops a pan of curry. This results in her suffering an absence and wetting herself, humiliating her. The following day, Nancy is devastated, and refuses to speak to Tamwar for leaving her on her own. Shabnam later visits Nancy to encourage her to forgive Tamwar, however Tamwar ends the relationship, shattering Nancy. Shirley later visits Dean in prison, pleading with him to admit that he attempted to rape Roxy at his upcoming trial. However, Dean pleads not guilty, and he is remanded in custody.

Nancy is offered a job in another pub, but Lee also applies and gets the job. Babe notices Whitney's attraction to Mick, and pushes her to tell Lee, leading to him attacking Mick. Whitney decides to leave Walford, but Lee stops her and proposes marriage. Lee admits that he got the job by telling the landlady of the other pub that Nancy has epilepsy, so Nancy moves out. Lee quits his job at the other pub and Mick and Linda give him Nancy's old job, so she accuses him of stealing two jobs from her and being treated unfairly by her parents. Nancy and Lee fight, and she pushes him, which causes Ollie to fall from his cot. Linda refuses to take him to hospital but later she finds him not breathing and then he suffers a seizure. They are told that Ollie has a bleed on the brain from a severe head injury and he could have brain damage. Mick blames Nancy, while Linda is in denial about Ollie's condition.

Family members

The Carter family tree includes all characters who are descended from Stan Carter. His grandfather, Reginald William Carter, has also been mentioned. Linda Carter also took the surname "Carter", before actually marrying her partner Mick Carter in 2016.

Sylvie's sister Babe Smith is also considered to be a part of the family unit, though not related by blood to Stan. Linda's mother, Elaine Peacock, is also heavily involved with all aspects of the family, as is Lee's girlfriend Whitney Dean.

Reception

The Carters were named Best Family at the 2014 Inside Soap Awards.[1]

References

  1. ↑ Cregan, Michael (1 October 2014). "The winners of the Inside Soap Awards 2014, sponsored by Iceland!". Inside Soap. Retrieved 1 October 2014.

External links

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