Trouble is brewing behind the bar at The Queen Vic, and not just in the beer taps. Next week on EastEnders, viewers will witness one of the most emotionally charged showdowns of the year as the tension between Elaine Knight and her daughter Linda Carter reaches a boiling point — with devastating consequences.

What began as a family feud over pub ownership escalates into a story of betrayal, suspicion, and collapse — both emotional and physical. Elaine Knight (Harriet Thorpe), who strutted into Walford with a polished smile and commanding presence, is now a woman unraveling before our eyes. Her glittering confidence is replaced by confusion, paranoia, and heartbreak, culminating in a dramatic collapse that could change everything.

Let’s rewind and unpack the tangled web that led here.

Ever since Elaine’s separation from George (Colin Salmon), she’s seemingly abandoned all sense of responsibility — especially where her daughter Linda (Kellie Bright) is concerned. While Linda struggled with the weight of running the Queen Vic alone — a task already burdened with painful memories — Elaine was busy hosting extravagant parties, dishing out cash like Monopoly money, and irresponsibly serving underage teens.

The consequences came quickly and sharply. After a group of local teens raided the bar’s punch, passing it to younger children, the fallout was immediate. Police intervention, community backlash, and the looming threat of losing the pub’s license sent shockwaves through the Carter family. But what hurt Linda most wasn’t the legal implications — it was the emotional toll of watching her mother choose selfishness over solidarity.

For Linda, the Queen Vic is a monument of trauma and resilience. Eleven years of pain, loss, and survival echo in every brick. So when she announces she’s ready to walk away and sell her half, it’s a moment of liberation as much as surrender. But the fallout from that choice sends Elaine spiraling into a paranoia-fueled meltdown.

When Linda confides in George at the café about her decision, it’s an honest moment of vulnerability. George, now more of a confidant than ex-husband, offers support and even gently encourages Linda to think of Elaine’s side. It’s a rare, touching moment — but it’s twisted entirely out of context when Elaine spots the two talking from a distance.

Rather than hearing concern, Elaine sees conspiracy.

Believing George and Linda are plotting against her — perhaps to oust her entirely from the Queen Vic — Elaine races to salvage what she can. She storms into the bank, desperately seeking a business loan to secure her standing. But when she’s turned down, she pivots to a desperate plan: recruiting her grandson Johnny (Charlie Suff) as a silent partner.

But Johnny isn’t buying what she’s selling. He stands firm with his mother, urging that it’s time for them all to let go of the Vic — a place that has become more battleground than home. His rejection, though gentle, is a final blow to Elaine’s unraveling composure.

And then comes the collapse.

Emotionally and physically drained, consumed by betrayal and a crumbling future, Elaine collapses — a haunting image of a woman pushed to her breaking point.

It’s a moment that will no doubt shake Walford to its core.

This isn’t just another fall in the Square. This is the potential fall of a Queen — of the Vic’s matriarch — and of a family that has long defined the beating heart of EastEnders.

But the big questions remain:

• Will Elaine recover from this terrifying collapse?

• Can mother and daughter find their way back from the brink?

• And what does this mean for the future of the Queen Vic itself?

For longtime viewers, the Queen Vic isn’t just a setting. It’s a symbol — of legacy, of identity, of survival. Watching it fracture under the weight of internal strife is as painful as any death in Albert Square. And with George gearing up for a divorce battle, Linda withdrawing emotionally, and Elaine physically faltering, it’s starting to feel like the iconic pub may never be the same again.

In many ways, this storyline is a powerful reflection of EastEnders at its best — exploring generational trauma, miscommunication, and the slow unraveling of families bound not just by blood, but by business, grief, and pride.

As we await next week’s explosive episodes, one thing is clear: in Walford, trust is fragile, love is messy, and nothing — not even the Queen Vic — is safe from collapse.