A whole year has passed.
Hollyoaks spoilers follow.
Hollyoaks has had to adapt to big changes in recent months, with the Channel 4 soap being cut down from five episodes a week to just three, alongside lots of job cuts for both cast and crew.
But the show decided to use this setback to do something creative, and earlier this year it was announced that Hollyoaks would jump forward a year in time – allowing for off-screen exits amid the cast reduction.
In last week’s episodes, a motorbike accident and a car explosion left the village in turmoil, and this week viewers were reintroduced to the characters one year on from that fateful day.
Across the three exciting episodes this week there have been a host of shocks and surprises – births, deaths, survivals, new relationships, reunions, illnesses, engagements, and lots more. It was a lot to take in, so perhaps this is a good time to slow down and recap what we know.
Plus, there is much more still to find out about that missing year, so here are 10 huge questions that still need answering:
1. Will Mercedes survive?
The most heartbreaking reveal during Monday’s first time jump episode was that over the last year, Mercedes has been diagnosed with bowel cancer. While busy helping at Casa McQueen, she paused and took off her wig – a poignant moment that showed she is in the middle of chemotherapy treatment.
Mercedes was not seen much on screen in the first time-jump episodes, but she will soon take centre stage as her powerful story unfolds, starting next week. She will anxiously await her latest chemo results, and John Paul will be by her side as the hospital delivers the news.
It has been announced that Mercedes has already had surgery to fit a stoma and colostomy bag, as well as her chemotherapy. But she will soon find out the devastating news that doctors have found a secondary tumour. It’s a story that will raise much-needed awareness of the disease, and Jennifer Metcalfe delivers an exceptional performance in upcoming scenes.
2. Can Cleo escape Abe?
The biggest twist from the time jump involved Cleo, who was said to be enjoying herself in Bali, recovering from her abusive relationship with Abe. But it was later revealed that Abe has been keeping her captive in his flat for the last year, ever since they disappeared from the hospital.
Abe has convinced Cleo that the village hates her for causing the tragic accident, and she also thinks that his mum Marie died from her injuries – even though she is very much alive.
This week, Cleo decided to escape once and for all after finding out about Mercedes’ cancer. She stabbed Abe and made for freedom, but she didn’t feel able to leave the flat so returned to her abusive partner, who lashed out at her for injuring him. Will she be able to find a way out?
3. Will Peri find out about Abe’s abuse?
Abe, meanwhile, isn’t too popular in the village at the moment, after his abuse of Cleo became public. But he is in a secret relationship with Peri, and it was revealed that Marie had set them up. This week their secret was exposed to Leela and Joel who were furious with Peri, but she insists that Abe has changed.
But will Peri discover who Abe really is? She suggested that she moves in with Abe, and for obvious reasons, he did not want this to happen. Peri was concerned as to why Abe was being cagey, and she became more suspicious when she found one of Cleo’s T-shirts in the flat.
For now, Peri is putting this down to Abe not being over Cleo. But we can only hope that it is only a matter of time before she finds out the truth.
4. What has happened to Tony and Diane?
Tony was at the centre of the opening time jump montage, and rightly so. He had a smile on his face and a spring in his step as he reintroduced the show’s other characters. As viewers were anticipating what big changes they were about to face, the stability of Tony let them know what things were going to be okay.
But things are not okay in Tony’s world. Before the time jump, Tony and Diane’s marriage was on the rocks, and it quickly becomes clear that there is still tension between the couple – with Diane angry at Tony for something.
Diane made a comment about Tony’s commitment, so has he potentially had an affair? Regardless, the pair are clearly at a crossroads in their marriage, with Diane saying: “Ro’s asking questions again, and we can’t keep avoiding it. So, what are we going to do?”
5. Who will Prince choose?
When we left Prince, he was engaged to Dilly, while Zoe had just given birth to their child following their controversial one-night stand. But Prince and Zoe shared a kiss in the hospital, hinting that things might not be over between the pair.
Post-time jump, Prince and Zoe are now in a proper relationship, and they took a big step forward when Prince proposed in Monday’s episode. It isn’t yet known what happened to Prince and Dilly, but actor Malique Thompson-Dwyer has teased that we may not have seen the last of that relationship.
Speaking to Digital Spy, he revealed: “I think Prince still has a lot of feelings for Dilly. And I feel like in the future, Prince might actually cheat on Zoe with Dilly. That’s not confirmed, but I feel like that’s coming!”
6. Who’s the dad(s)?
On Monday, it was revealed that Leah was heavily pregnant, and by the end of that episode, she had given birth to her baby boy. It was reported last month that actor Ela-May Demircan will soon exit the show, and this week Leah told Ste that she was going to university in America and wanted him to look after the baby.
This just leaves the question of who the father of Leah’s baby is. Nancy and Leela seem convinced that Charlie is the dad – though it was confirmed that he has now gone to trade school and won’t be returning to the show.
When Leah went into labour, Dillon seemed particularly concerned, and Leela praised him for being such a good friend during the pregnancy. But is there more to it than that? The truth will be revealed next week, and the father will be left worried about their partner finding out.
This may not be the only baby bombshell to be revealed, though. Leela is also pregnant, some happy news after her tragic baby loss earlier this year. At the hospital, Joel was excited about their baby’s future arrival but Leela looked concerned, and she walked away from him in tears. Is Leela’s baby Joel’s – and if not, who is the dad?
7. Can Rex make amends with Ste?
Speaking of Ste, in this week’s episodes Ste was brought round from the coma he had been in for the past year. He was told the heartbreaking news that his husband James died in the explosion, as well as that Leah has had a baby, and Lucas is in young offenders for attacking JJ.
He also found out that Rex has spent a lot of time at his bedside, in a bid to make amends for his actions. Over the past year, Rex has found out that he and Grace are half-siblings (wild) and he wants to prove he is a changed man. But Ste isn’t convinced and wants to make him suffer for what happened to James. Will Rex be able to win him round?
8. How will Ethan leave?
Sienna and Ethan fans are in luck, as after the time jump it was revealed that the ex-couple are not only back together but are now engaged. However, it doesn’t look like their happily ever after will be straight forward. Vicky is now in an unexpected relationship with Robbie, but she still holds a torch for Ethan, who she previously had a fling with.
Anna Passey told Digital Spy that there could be some twists on the horizon for Sienna and Ethan and said: “I think we’re going to start to see snippets of what happened in the year that we missed. And that will maybe give people a different idea of the relationship.”
It was reported back in June that Matthew James Bailey would be leaving his role of Ethan, and fans theorised that he would depart during or after the dramatic stunt week. So it was a pleasant surprise to see Ethan still in the village post-time jump, and involved in a major storyline. Just how will Ethan exit the show, and is there heartbreak ahead?
9. Will Frankie get justice?
One of the most powerful soap plots in recent memory is the sibling sexual abuse storyline involving twins Frankie and JJ. Viewers have seen Frankie finally open up to Darren about her abuse, and JJ was arrested.
After the time jump, and the tragic death of the twins’ mum Suzanne, it is explained that Frankie ended up going to dance school but is said to have fallen apart while she was in London and returned home. She has started drinking heavily and staying out late, as JJ’s trial approaches.
But in scenes that will air next week, JJ’s plea hearing takes a frightening turn when he collapses in court and is rushed to hospital. Will JJ be okay, and will Frankie still be able to get justice?
Executive producer Hannah Cheers said on Frankie’s story: “The most important thing for Frankie is that quest for justice, and for JJ to publicly acknowledge what he did to her. Things are no less intense a year on, the trial is looming, but there is a big twist which adds a whole layer of difficulty.”
10. Will Dave ever be found?
In last week’s episode, Dave and Warren had a dramatic showdown in the woods, which resulted in Dave getting shot and Warren fleeing for a new life on the run. It was later revealed that Dave was still alive, but that didn’t last long, as he then was shot and killed by none other than Robbie – who had found Cindy’s note that said Dave was Blue.
A year on from this day, there are still missing posters up in the village for Dave, something that Robbie is very much aware of. Did Robbie leave Dave’s body in the woods or did he move it somewhere else? This may or may not be addressed in the new era, but the posters surely hold some significance.
Unless, in true Warren style, Dave was wearing a bulletproof vest and is somehow still alive. It is Hollyoaks after all…
Hollyoaks airs on Mondays-Wednesdays with its Channel 4 streaming premiere at 7am, then an E4 broadcast the same night at 7pm. Full episodes are also released on YouTube a week after their Channel 4 release.
