EastEnders Ian Finally Faces Chelsea Over Jordan’s Accident
EastEnders sees Ian finally reach out to Chelsea as he confronts Jordan’s accident and the events that led to his prison sentence.
Ian’s return to EastEnders brings him back to the person at the centre of the event that ultimately sent him to prison, as he prepares to speak to Chelsea about the night Jordan was seriously injured.
Ian was jailed for drink-driving after his car struck Jordan earlier this year. The collision left the youngster badly hurt and began a chain of events that affected both Ian and Chelsea long after the night itself.
Chelsea has also carried guilt because Jordan had run off following an argument with her before he was hit, something she later admitted when the full circumstances surrounding the accident came out.
Ian’s own punishment went far beyond losing his freedom. While serving his sentence, he encountered Gray, Jordan’s imprisoned father, and eventually stabbed him during a confrontation in order to save himself.
Ian is now released and back in Walford, but returning home does not mean he has left those experiences behind.
Why Ian Reaches Out to Chelsea
Ian struggles after coming home and initially finds it difficult to talk about what happened.
Ned eventually helps him confront the trauma surrounding Jordan’s accident, encouraging Ian to stop shutting everything away and deal with the part of his past that is still weighing heavily on him.
That leads Ian to Chelsea. Their conversation is significant because both have carried different forms of guilt since the night Jordan was injured, even though Ian was the person prosecuted for driving after drinking and causing the collision.
Chelsea previously admitted that she felt partly responsible because of what happened immediately before Jordan ran away.
Ian now has to face the woman whose child was injured by his actions, while Chelsea is confronted again with a night that has affected her entire family.
The meeting could become an important step in Ian adjusting to life outside prison.
He cannot undo what happened to Jordan, but finally speaking openly with Chelsea means he is no longer simply trying to bury everything connected to the accident.
EastEnders continues on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Images: BBC
