A long-awaited return
Dean Wicks has made his way back to Walford after seven years away, shocking Linda Carter who was left horrified to see her rapist back in town. Actor Matt Di Angelo has reprised his role as Dean Wicks, with his return being teased for several months. Dean came back during the soap's Halloween episode, but EastEnders boss Chris Clenshaw revealed that he has more on his mind than causing trouble. He's back for his daughter, Jade, who has cystic fibrosis. Viewers may recall that Jade appeared on the show from 2015 to 2016 and was the daughter of Dean Wicks and Shabnam Masood.
From wayward lad to family man
Dean Wicks, the half brother of Mick Carter, is the son of Shirley and Buster Briggs. When he initially arrived in Walford, he managed to convince his great aunt Pat Evans to take him in. Dean had plenty of unrequited crushes and was thrown behind bars for perverting the course of justice. Prison traumatised and changed Dean, and he ultimately rejected his loved ones before leaving Walford. But he decided to start afresh in Walford in 2014, reconnecting with his maternal family and finding himself a new girlfriend. However, his attraction to Mick's wife, Linda, turned into an obsession which led to a horrific event – Dean raped Linda.
A villain's downfall
After Linda revealed the truth about Dean's actions, he temporarily left Walford but returned to exact revenge on the Carters. He almost killed Nancy Carter by trying to set The Queen Vic on fire, but was stopped by Mick. Dean later found out he had a daughter, Jade, and tried to clean up his act, but his violent streak resurfaced. He became romantically involved with Roxy Mitchell and even attempted to rape her. Shirley, Dean's mother, intervened and tried to drown him, but he retaliated by trying to drown her during Linda and Mick's wedding. Dean was arrested and acquitted of attempted rape off-screen. Now, with his return to Walford, the question remains – what kind of trouble is he preparing for Linda? Could he have his own redemption arc, against all odds?
Is Dean at the center of a Christmas murder mystery?
Dean is one of the suspected characters to be at the core of the upcoming Christmas murder mystery. As EastEnders continues to unfold, viewers will have to tune in to find out if his days are really numbered.
EastEnders airs from Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One.
