Next week on EastEnders, viewers will witness a harrowing sequence of events that starts with a paternity bombshell and ends in a watery nightmare. Zack Hudson’s dream of escaping Walford with young Barney takes a deadly turn, shaking the foundations of the Mitchell family and leading to one of the most terrifying crashes in recent memory.

The action kicks off when Zack, sensing the net closing in around him, approaches Ravi Gulati with a plea for help. He needs money to run—and fast. But Ravi, ever the realist, warns Zack not to cross Nicola Mitchell. He confesses that Nicola once asked him to help her hide a corpse—proving she’s capable of just about anything. Despite the chilling warning, Zack pushes forward, determined to get Barney away from Nicola’s influence.

Turning to someone he trusts, Zack shares his fears with Linda Carter. Her advice is firm: go to the authorities. Zack follows through, and Nicola is arrested. But as with many things in Walford, the truth is never simple or clean. When Harry Mitchell witnesses Nicola’s arrest, Zack feels the moment is right to reveal a long-held secret—he is actually Barney’s biological father.

This revelation is meant to rally Harry to his cause. Zack hopes that Harry, with the truth finally laid bare, will help ensure Barney’s safety. But things spiral even further. Nicola is released, and Harry, emotionally torn, drops a devastating truth bomb on Teddy Mitchell: Barney isn’t his son.

Nicola’s attempts to deny it fail under Teddy’s fierce interrogation. She is forced to admit the truth. The fallout is brutal. Teddy is heartbroken and furious. But just when the dust seems ready to settle, it explodes again. Desperate to stop Zack’s escape, Harry commits a shocking act—he abducts Zack, throwing him into the boot of a car and speeding out of Walford.

Teddy, frantic, cuts short Nigel Bates’ cinema outing and commandeers a car to chase after his son. It’s a high-stakes race against time—but tragedy strikes before resolution arrives. In a jaw-dropping twist, a car plunges into a lake. With passengers trapped inside, the scene is chaotic and terrifying as onlookers and survivors scramble to help.

Meanwhile, Vicky Fowler decides it’s time to come clean about a secret of her own. At Number One, she delivers shocking news that shakes young Barney to his core—has she told him that Zack is his father?

The emotional ripple effect of the crash reaches across Albert Square. Linda Carter, Phil Mitchell, and Vicky gather around Barney as he processes what he’s just heard and deals with the potential loss of a man he’s only just discovered might be his real dad.

In the background, Nigel Bates is caught up in the chaos. Hurt by what he believes is everyone forgetting his birthday, Nigel eventually agrees to a belated celebration with Phil, Honey, and Alfie. But before they can get very far, Teddy hijacks their evening to pursue Harry, dragging Nigel into the terrifying chain of events.

And amidst it all, a tender subplot unfolds between Barney and Avani Nandra-Hart. Still shaken by the fallout of the viral video involving Joel, Avani is bombarded with online abuse. Barney offers her comfort, and the two grow closer—culminating in an unexpected kiss. As romance blossoms in the shadow of tragedy, EastEnders reminds viewers that even in the darkest moments, hope can bloom.

But the biggest question remains: who survives the crash, and will Zack’s heroic efforts to protect Barney end in heartbreak?