The cobblestones of Albert Square have always been soaked in a unique brand of historical trauma, but the latest developments in EastEnders suggest that the ghosts of the past are no longer content to simply haunt—they are coming for blood. In a shocking Christmas cliffhanger that has left viewers reeling, the long-standing mystery of Zoe Slater’s stalker has been revealed as a dual threat: an unholy alliance between Zoe’s estranged daughter, Jasmine Fischer, and the iconic villainess Chrissie Watts.

A Masterclass in Secrecy

The return of Tracy-Ann Oberman as Chrissie Watts marks a significant achievement for the BBC’s soap opera machine. In an age of social media leaks and constant paparazzi surveillance, showrunner Ben Wade managed to keep Oberman’s return entirely under wraps. Coming off the back of a heartbreaking, nostalgia-heavy episode centered on Nigel Bates, the re-emergence of Chrissie serves as a stark, aggressive pivot toward high-stakes psychological thriller territory.

For Oberman, who briefly reprised the role in a prison-set storyline with Sharon Watts last year, the decision to return was driven by the character’s unresolved sense of grievance. “Chrissie has always felt it’s very unfair she spent 20 years in prison and has never really been able to move on from the trauma of Dirty Den,” Oberman remarked. This isn’t just a cameo; it is a calculated reclamation of power by one of the Square’s most formidable figures.

The Justice of a Villain

The core of Chrissie’s motivation is a twisted sense of “moral” responsibility. In her mind, Zoe Slater escaped the consequences of Den Watts’ murder—a crime they committed together but for which Chrissie bore the ultimate legal burden. To Chrissie, Zoe has remained “an irritating little girl” who never truly paid for the part she played in destroying the Watts family dynasty.

What began as a “game” for Chrissie has evolved into a dangerous obsession. By discovering and grooming Jasmine Fischer—Zoe’s daughter who felt abandoned by her mother—Chrissie has found the perfect weapon. Oberman notes that Chrissie views Jasmine as “the daughter she never had,” creating a bond rooted in shared resentment. By empowering Jasmine to seek revenge, Chrissie is effectively outsourcing her own vengeance, forcing Zoe to finally take responsibility for a lifetime of avoidance.

The Sins of the Mother

The revelation of Jasmine’s involvement adds a layer of familial tragedy to the suspense. The betrayal of a daughter partnering with her mother’s greatest enemy is a narrative masterstroke that explores the themes of abandonment and the cyclical nature of trauma in East London. As Zoe faces the “dark truth” of her stalker’s identity, she is also forced to confront the wreckage of her own parenting and the consequences of the secrets she kept decades ago.

A New Chapter of Shocks

As EastEnders moves into its 40th anniversary year, the return of Chrissie Watts signals a show that is deeply in touch with its own legacy while remaining fearless about its future. The question now is no longer who is watching Zoe, but how far Chrissie and Jasmine will go to ensure her total destruction. With the cliffhanger setting the stage for an explosive 2026, it is clear that in Walford, the past is never buried—it’s just waiting for the right moment to dig itself out. For Zoe Slater, the reckoning has finally arrived, and the architect of her downfall is a woman who has had twenty years of prison walls to sharpen her resolve.