EastEnders villain Gray Atkins has made a sensational return to the BBC soap, but fans are left scratching their heads over a major plothole involving his connection to grandmother Sheila. The character, played by Toby-Alexander Smith, was last seen in Albert Square in 2022 when he was imprisoned for murdering his wife Chantelle Atkins (Jessica Plummer), Kush Kazemi (Davood Ghadami), and Tina Carter (Luisa Bradshaw-White).
Gray's Return and Sheila's Role
Gray is currently serving a life sentence but requires the help of his grandmother Sheila (Sheila Ruskin) to reach his ex-wife Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams) following a traumatic mishap involving their son Jordan. The executive producer, Ben Wadey, stated: "We're delighted to welcome Toby-Alexander Smith back to the role of Gray Atkins. Although his character remains in prison, it will soon become apparent to viewers that Gray's physical separation from Walford is no match for his levels of manipulation."
Discussing his return, Toby-Alexander Smith said: "It's been very surreal returning to EastEnders and stepping back into Gray's shoes. He's one of the most complex characters I've had the opportunity to play and revisiting him after several years has been an exciting challenge to get my teeth into. Exploring who Gray is now has been fascinating, and I'm excited for the audience to see this version of him and watch the storyline play out."
Fan Confusion Over Plothole
Despite the buildup, some viewers have pointed out inconsistencies. One fan wrote: "It's weird to me how they made it seem like Sheila was still in contact with Gray with the way she was stroking his photo in her wallet as she kept in contact with him even though he murdered 3 people. But then when we actually see Gray he says she hasn't visited him in the 4 years he's been locked up."
Another added: "I was a bit confused by this. I thought they would be building toward a story where she's a bit obsessed and thinks that he's done nothing wrong. Maybe under his spell, doing what he wants, and maybe seeing him in Jordan. Instead, it seems more like she just wants her grandkid and is going to use him to help her along."
A third shared: "This confused me too. The impression I got is that they were always in contact and maybe she was going to try and convince Chelsea to let Gray [see] his child. Sheila trying to get Gray to get Chelsea to let her see the kid is strange."
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday on BBC One and iPlayer.
