Yahoo News EastEnders star explains Sam Mitchell's return story
EastEnders spoilers follow.
EastEnders' Sam Mitchell is back next week, and as always, trouble isn't far behind.
Upcoming scenes will see Sam return to Walford after seven months away, but it's clear that her time in Spain hasn't all been plain sailing.
She also has a lot of making up to do when it comes to her son Ricky Jr, who has become a teenage dad in the months that Sam has been absent.
Here, Kim Medcalf – who plays Sam – explains Sam's dramatic return, and reveals what the future holds for her.
Sam arrives back in Walford in dramatic fashion this week – what happens?
"It’s typical Sam Mitchell chaos! Sam is thrown out of the back of a van and collides with Phil. She tries to make a joke about it, as she always does, and tries to brush it off, but we pretty soon find out she’s in a lot of trouble. Sam’s done her usual trick of taking an easy route, and it’s all gone wrong and backfired on her."
What has Sam been doing in Spain?
"When we last saw her, she was about to head up a cool new business venture as the manager of a swanky hotel. But something has gone wrong, and Sam’s lost has her way again."
Things go from bad to worse when Camillo tracks her down. What happens next?
"Sam is really scared and doesn’t know quite how to handle this – she’s completely out of her depth. Camillo is not a man to be messed with, and that’s why Sam is so scared because there’s no bluffing this one out."
Kat sees what’s happening and sounds the alarm. Is Sam surprised that Kat, Phil and Billy rush to her aid?
"Yes, she’s gobsmacked that Kat rallies around and that Phil and Billy are there so quickly. It’s that whole ‘blood is thicker than water’ thing. At the end of the day, there’s a guy there about to take Kat’s sister-in-law away, and it’s just instinct for her to protect Sam."
Does Sam feel bad about dragging Phil into this?
"I think she’s just relieved. She has such respect and belief in her brother. To Sam, Phil is made of steel. So, she thinks this isn’t such a big deal to him, although paying out that amount of money hurts. After Camillo leaves, Sam doesn’t want to think about it and wants to move on. That’s how Sam gets through life – she doesn’t spend a lot of time looking back over things."
She leaves it a long time to go and see Ricky and meet baby Charli – why?
"I find that more understandable because she’s dealing with this major crisis. It’s the only thing she can think about because it’s self-preservation. Sam needs to get herself sorted, and then she can go to do the mum and granny thing. She tells Ricky that she had stuff going on that she didn’t want him getting involved in, but now she’s here for him."
Does she understand why he’s so upset?
I think she really does. It doesn’t look good, and she’s defensive when Kat says that if it had been her new grandchild, she’d have been straight over there. It doesn’t look right, but Sam’s doing what she can to get through this.
What is her reaction when she meets baby Charli?
"She’s completely smitten. I absolutely know that Sam adores Ricky, and she’s proud of him. I think that makes for a lovely relationship between the two of them. If she was just a bit more stable, she would be an amazing mum in many ways. When she sees Charli, she’s just gaga over her. Although she doesn’t like to be called ‘Granny’."
Does Sam want to be there for Ricky and Charli?
"Sam knows she has let Ricky down and not been the most conventional mum. But she does want to do the right thing. It’s a big deal to see her son with this little baby and trying to cope with being a dad, so she does want to support him as much as she can."
Sam usually causes mayhem and leaves a trail of destruction whenever she returns. Do you like playing a character who always makes an impact?
"I do enjoy her being a whirlwind. It’s fun to have the opportunity to play a character like that because you go in at 100mph, and it is full throttle. The writers and Chris Clenshaw are so brilliant at creating that Sam drama – she never just turns up, instead she’s thrown out of the back of a van!
"Sam is a joy to play – although she does say things that you read on paper and you think, ‘Oh my god, really? You are really going to say that, Sam?’ But the reason I love this character so deeply is that I don’t think she’s a nasty person.
"She doesn’t think about things, and she’s got very little filter. She will defend herself, and if someone goes for her or her family, she’ll go for them. She’s strong like that. She’s made some really stupid decisions, but I believe she’s a good person and capable of being really empathetic."
EastEnders airs on Mondays - Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer.
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