EastEnders fans were treated to a huge episode on Monday (June 16) when the first episode from new executive producer Ben Wadey aired after he took over the reins from Chris Clenshaw.
Not only did Zoe Slater make a huge comeback to our screens after 20 years away, but we also saw a current storyline involving newcomer Joel take a shocking turn.
However, since then, fans have become convinced that the two characters making waves in the same episode isn't a coincidence and that there is a chance Zoe could be Joel's long-lost mum.
The theory, which isn't wildly unbelievable considering the timelines work out, also matches up with the fact Joel has told his best friend Tommy Moon that his mum abandoned him when he was a baby, hinting at why he thinks so little of women.
Over recent weeks, Joel has been displaying worrying behaviour as he convinced Tommy to look at x-rated sites on Alfie's laptop and filmed himself having sex with schoolgirl Avani Nandra-Hart and later showed the footage to Tommy in a bid to impress him.
Things took an even more worrying turn when, earlier this week, Joel assaulted a woman on the London Underground and got Tommy to unwittingly film it. However, while Tommy was sickened by the whole thing, Joel still didn't seem to grasp the enormity of what he had done, even when TFL staff got involved.
But the biggest clue yet that fan theories about Zoe and Joel are correct came when Joel protested to his dad, Ross, that he regretted what he did on the tube, but Ross's partner, Vicky, didn't believe a word of what he said.
Throwing Joel against the wall, she told the teenager that nothing like this could ever happen again, and he retaliated by telling her 'You're not my mum, you can't tell me what to do," echoing the infamous 'you're not my mother' scene between Kat and Zoe many years ago.
Could this be confirmation that Zoe is Joel's mum, or simply a red herring?
While some fans are convinced Zoe is the mum who abandoned her son all those years ago, others think that maybe her friend Kelly Taylor from the 2001-2004 era of the show is Joel's biological mum. Kelly also has a link to Vicky, as she dated Spencer Moon back in the day, the ex that Vicky left for Ross back in Australia.
Either way, there is a strong chance that when Zoe and Joel come face to face, Zoe will recognise the teenager. What are your theories? Let us know in the comments below.
EastEnders usually airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One and from 6am on BBC iPlayer.
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