Inside EastEnders’ Sam Mitchell and Sharon Watts’ explosive long-term feud
SAM Mitchell is coming back to Walford and her motives remain unclear.
However, as EastEnders spoilers have confirmed, Sharon Watts will be less than pleased to see her again.
Tensions are nothing new for the pair, respectively played by Kim Medcalf and Letitia Dean.
While Sam is most known for her continuous clashing with Bianca Jackson, she has also never managed to create a long-lasting bond with Sharon, despite the latter being romantically involved with her two brothers.
Their feuding has led to multiple confrontations, notably in the Vic as the two have been squabbling for decades like real siblings.
Here's what you need to know.
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Family feud
Sam made her first appearance in the BBC One programme in July, 1990, five years after Sharon made her debut in the show.
While many soap characters may fight over a love interest or simply to avenge their friend for an unfair death, things are completely different in the case of Sam and Sharon.
Tensions only arose between their respective families - the Mitchells and the Watts - started to squabble between 2002 and 2005 but both characters were far from at odds with one another.
After being brought back to Walford by Peggy who had found her penniless in a lap-dancing club in Spain, Sam gets closer to several men in the Square.
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One of these flings include Dennis Rickman, who also happened to be one of her brother Phil's archenemies.
Dennis sacks Sam from her job at his family's club and takes offence to her flirting with his illegitimate father Den Watts - Sharon's adoptive dad. played by Leslie Grantham.
This leads to tensions escalating and Sam was even used as a pawn by crime kingpin and Den's dear friend Andy Hunter in a bid to control of the Mitchell family's assets during their marriage.
When her marriage with Andy eventually falls apart, Sam decides to get revenge and teams up with Den's wife Chrissie and their neighbour Zoe Slater, another victim of Den.
All three women confront Den in the Queen Vic over his misdeeds, shortly after the pub is closed up and, surprisingly, Sharon played an important part in this plan.
As Den taunts Sam and her unlikely conspirators over their weakness, it turns out Sharon was actually overhearing the entire conversation after Chrissie had planned.
Following this, Sharon disowns her adoptive father - which is what Chrissie was hoping for to get revenge.
However, shortly after, Sharon leaves Walford as Sam and Chrissie congratulate one another for their plan.
EastEnders fans may know this eventually led to Den's brutal death as Chrissie and Zoe both hit him over the head with Pauline Fowler's iron doorstop when he tried to attack them.
Sam is a witness to the crime and helps Chrissie bury Den's body under the concrete of the Queen Vic floor.
This leaves her with no other than to keep quiet about the ordeal while Chrissie takes over the Vic and Zoe flees to Ibiza.
Sam's escape from justice
Like many secrets in Walford, Chrissie's crime didn't stay a secret long and only deepened the wedge between Sharon and Sam.
While she tries to move on from her turbulent marriage with Andy, Sam finds out Chrissie plans to sell the Vic and leave Walford, making her determined to expose her as the killer.
To do so, Sam smashes up Den's grave and digs him up after heavily drinking but her plan backfires.
All evidence points to her and Sam is thrown behind bars.
Her mother Peggy decides to get her own revenge by proving Chrissie is guilty and, following an intense confrontation at Den's funeral, another feud was ignited almost instantly.
Once again, Sharon is a key element for Sam's release as Peggy progressively loses hope to get her out of prison.
The truth about Den's murder finally comes to light for both Sharon and Dennis and they work with the Mitchells to free Sam.
This involved a fist-fight with villainous Johnny Allen who had a videotape of Chrissie confessing to Den's bludgeoning to her boyfriend Jake Moon.
Chrissie is caught up by the police and arrested at the airport for Den's murder - but things are far from over for Sam.
Despite being released from custody, Sam still faces a charge for perverting the course of justice as well as a prison sentence for up to four years.
Terrified, Sam flees Walford in 2005, while on bail, leaving time to allow Sharon to forget about her involvement in Den's death.
Old wounds remained
But regardless of the time that went by, neither Sharon not Sam would ever get along.
Although she escaped justice, Sam couldn't stay away from prison forever and becomes the prime suspect in the "Who Killed Archie Mitchell?" storyline.
Phil, Peggy and Ronnie then decided Sam should take the blame and, furious when she finds out their intentions, she turns herself in before being sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Sam is seen again in prison by her mother Peggy, heavily pregnant with Jack Branning's child - a son named Richard (and nicknamed Ricky).
After trying to leave the Square with Minty, she decides to start a new life in Portugal, where her brother Grant also happens to live.
She doesn't bump into Sharon until June, 2016, when she returns to Walford for Peggy's funeral alongside her son (Danniella Westbrook's last appearance as Sam in the show).
During her brief appearance, Sam revealed Grant would not be attending the funeral, winding up Sharon in the process.
"You should ask Sharon, she seems to know my brothers better than anyone", Sam tells a stunned Ben who wonders where Grant is.
EastEnders fans know well that Sharon was married to both Grant and Phil in the 1990s and from 2014 to 2020 respectively.
However, Sharon and Grant kissed in 2016, during his brief return - and just as she had been married to Phil for two years.
Sam resorts to her scheming tactics, eventually causing Sharon to reveal she had kissed Grant.
But what could happen next for the two long-term foes?
Imminent reunion
Six years after their last tense encounter, Sam and Sharon will meet again in upcoming scenes of the BBC One soap.
However, once more, nothing will go smoothly between the two.
As spoilers announcing Sam's return have confirmed, things will be taking a turn as Sharon sees red when she finds out Sam's true motives for coming back to Albert Square and reigniting old rows.
She will even go as far as to throw a glass of water in her former sister-in-law's face?
But what could make her so upset?
Is Sam back with a vengeance for her brother Phil, as viewers have suspected?
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Or could she be trying to help her nephew Ben as he recovers from a homophobic attack?
EastEnders airs from Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One.