EastEnders' Suki (Balvinder Sopal) and Eve Panesar-Unwin (Heather Peace) face turmoil next week when their new family life is thrown into chaos. The couple, who recently took custody of a young girl named Ria, are devastated when Ria's birth mother Harleen reveals she will contest their plans to adopt Ria permanently.
Following a meeting between them this week, Harleen's decision leaves Suki and Eve crushed. With a hearing about Ria's future imminent, actress Balvinder Sopal has teased that 'flashes of the old Suki emerge' as she and Eve fight for their family.
Suki's Guilt and Doubts
'Suki was already sceptical about meeting Harleen and, unfortunately, her concerns proved justified,' Bal reveals. 'The situation added more pressure at a time when everyone was trying to put their best foot forward.'
'Suki feels guilty about what happened, and that guilt drives her actions [next] week. We see flashes of the old Suki emerge.'
A Secret Goodbye
Suki agrees to let Ria see Harleen one final time behind Eve's back, but things don't necessarily go the way she expects, says Bal. 'Suki is torn between protecting what she wants and doing what she believes is right. The old Suki would have focused solely on the outcome she wanted, but she's changed. Her maternal instincts take over, and she recognises that Harleen deserves the chance to say goodbye,' she explains.
A Passionate Plea in Court
Later, Suki heads to court and makes a passionate plea at the hearing – but a happy ending looks unlikely. Bal notes that life in Walford is 'rarely that simple'.
Spoilers reveal that Eve is left giving her wife the cold shoulder in the aftermath of the hearing – something fans also caught a glimpse of in the soap's winter trailer earlier this month.
EastEnders airs these scenes from Monday 16th November at 7.30pm on BBC One or stream first from 6am on iPlayer.
