The Return of the Watts: A Christmas Nightmare Unfolds in Walford

In a television landscape often defined by predictable holiday tropes, EastEnders has delivered a masterclass in suspense, culminating in a Christmas reveal that has left the nation reeling. After months of sinister messages and psychological warfare directed at Zoe Slater, the mask has finally slipped, revealing not one, but two architects behind the campaign of terror: the legendary villain Chrissy Watts and Zoe’s own estranged daughter, Jasmine Fischer.

The revelation, which aired during a high-stakes Christmas Eve episode, marks the return of Tracy-Ann Oberman as Chrissy Watts, nearly two decades after she was imprisoned for the murder of her husband, Den “Dirty Den” Watts. The twist seamlessly weaves together decades of soap history, proving that in Albert Square, the past is never truly buried.

A Legacy of Revenge

The roots of this vendetta stretch back to 2005, a year that saw the iconic Watts family implode in a cycle of betrayal and bloodshed. At the time, Chrissy manipulated a young Zoe Slater and Sam Mitchell into a plot to drive a wedge between Den and his daughter, Sharon. The scheme spiraled out of control when Den uncovered the ruse, leading to a violent confrontation where Zoe struck him over the head. Though it was Chrissy who ultimately delivered the fatal blow, Zoe has lived for years with the belief that she was a killer.

While Zoe was able to move on, eventually returning to Walford this past September, Chrissy spent nineteen years behind bars, festering in a “warped sense of justice.” According to Oberman, Chrissy views it as deeply unjust that she shouldered the legal burden for a death she believes Zoe was equally responsible for. In Chrissy’s mind, Zoe has never truly paid for her role in the destruction of the Watts family.

A Mother-Daughter Betrayal

The most chilling element of the reveal, however, is the involvement of Jasmine Fischer. The closing moments of the episode saw Jasmine spray-painting a threatening warning on the doors of the Queen Vic before retreating to a parked car. Inside, she confronted Chrissy, expressing a sudden hesitation and insisting that her mother “did not deserve such treatment.”

Chrissy’s response was ice-cold: Zoe was getting “exactly what she deserved.” It appears Chrissy has positioned herself as a surrogate mother figure to Jasmine, nurturing the young woman’s resentment over being abandoned by Zoe. This alliance of convenience and shared trauma has turned a simple stalking plot into a complex psychological siege.

A Secret Kept Under Wraps

The return of Chrissy Watts was a closely guarded secret, overseen by new showrunner Ben Wade. Tracy-Ann Oberman revealed that she and Wade engaged in lengthy discussions to ensure Chrissy’s motivations felt grounded in the character’s history. “In Chrissy’s mind, forcing Zoe to face accountability is the driving force behind everything she does,” Oberman noted, highlighting the character’s obsession with a perverted form of moral balance.

As the festive drama continues with two episodes airing on Christmas Day, the tension in Walford has reached a breaking point. With the iPlayer early-release schedule suspended for these “must-see” installments, fans must tune in to BBC One to witness the fallout of this historic reunion. For Zoe Slater, the return to her roots was supposed to be a fresh start; instead, she has found herself trapped in a nightmare two decades in the making. The road ahead looks brutal, and as Chrissy Watts herself might say, the reckoning is only just beginning.