Does anyone know if Johnny will appear tonight?

Nope, not tonight but he's in it tomorrow.

Just posted this in the "should Johnny be recast" thread but figured it would get better discussion in here!

After letting the upsetting news of Sam's departure sink in I would support a quick recast. I have loved him as Johnny but I think the character has so much untapped potential and DTC must have had big plans for him so I say let him go off to Italy and come back in 6 months with a new head. The Carters will just feel so incomplete without him, like they have lost their heart and soul. Looking at the recently released Christmas image without Johnny just made me feel sad.

I wish Sam had done at least one more year for selfish reasons but I also think professionally he should have stuck it another year as it doesn't look great to come in as a member of the flagship new family in your big break and then not even last a year onscreen. I am sure he had his reasons which we will never know and I wish him all the best for his career and future.

So what do we all think now it has well and truly sunk in? Do you guys think he should have stayed for one more year to get really established? Or was he right to go if he wasn't happy?

I think he should've stayed a little longer. He's not only in the biggest shows on TV but a member of their newest (and probably now the biggest) family in the show. Another year would've been wonderful. But as an actor he hasn't had much to do lately so I sort of get why he left.

I still am totally against a recast though. I'll never be able to take anyone else seriously as Johnny. Sam Strike is the one and only Johnny Carter!

Does anybody know if any of The Carters are in tonight's episode? Linda?

I think they should have had all the key Carters tied down on 2 year contracts anyway. I always thought Danny Dyer would leave first, never would have thought it would have been my little Sausage

Nope, it's a very small cast tonight, no Carters.

The cast list for the 11th December has been put on the BBC site and Johnny is still there then. I think it's likely that the following week will be his exit week.

I agree that the Carters will feel incomplete with Johnny and that as a character there is still a lot they can do with him. The ideal situation would of course be for Sam to come back after about a year but if this doesn't happen (and I don't think it will) then I agree that, for me, I'd prefer a recast to just not having Johnny at all. I do think they'll struggle to find someone who has such good chemistry with the rest of the family but hopefully there's someone that would fit the bill.

As for Sam leaving, like you said we don't know his reasons but I'm sure they were valid in order for him to make this decision. It couldn't have been easy for him to walk away from a decently paid, secure acting job and I hope that whatever the reason for it was, it won't affect his future opportunities.

I hope it doesn't affect him in a negative way too. I wonder if in the industry it is "frowned upon" to leave a high profile job like this so quickly. I just hope Sam got good advice before making his decision.

I heard that sitcom he was in is now on iTunes - was he only in that one episode? Might have to download it to get over my Johnny withdrawals...

I hope that, if his reasons were valid, someone on EE will act as a positive referee for him when it comes to looking for new work. I truly believe something big and possibly out of Sam's control happened to leave him feeling like he needed to leave (and like you say, hopefully he'd have had good advice.) Hopefully he was supported by DTC, and that there are no bad feelings there.

As far as I'm aware he was just in the one episode. He was great in it, very funny and cute.

Yes, he's just in one episode (episode #2). But I would download the whole series - it's very funny (although it was this thread that made me watch it!)

It still doesn't seem real that he's leaving. I still have a tiny worry that he could be killed (I just want something to be confirmed already)

The whole series of 'Give Out Girls' is hilarious! I watched it because of Sam but the whole show is 'top banana' :P

Sam is brilliant in it! He's a really good comedy actor too

Sam posted a little vid on his instagram account

http://instagram.com/p/v2BkoGwQBJ/?modal=true

Not sure what is going but it is a nice close up of Sam's lovely face

I will still post here to follow Sam's successful career!

Some good news Johnny is on the Cast list for 8, 9 and 11 December as well 1 and 5 December we already knew. Cast list for 12 December is not out yet but hopefully it is a full week

Detailed spoilers are out next week for w/b 8 December so we might knew a little more about what might happen (assume it is fall out from the birthday leading to the exit)

We best enjoy these these last scenes before Johnny leaves the week after

It still doesn't seem real when you put it like that. In a weird way I just want him to leave now so we can all get closure and move on. Is that bad?

No I feel like that as well

Deep down I am still in denial that he is going. I think it won't be until I see the last scenes when he his saying his goodbyes and then leaves when it will really hit me he has gone.

As you say we need the closure and then you can move on

Well that was a lot more Johnny that I was expecting. Really pleased that we got to see him working at the Albert and he looked so fine in that white shirt. We even got a longer than normal pause on Johnny

The Ben/Johnny scene was a bit of let down. Felt rushed and the nearly kiss did not make a lot of sense

The only downer was Johnny talking to Sharon about Christmas which reminded me of what we are going to miss

Johnny was indeed looking mighty cute tonight. In a way I am glad we are being spared the Johnny/Ben romance as he could do so much better!

Spoiler pic shows Johnny dressed as a Elf helping out at the opening of the Vic's Santa Grotto He looks so cute

and Sam has had his hair cut quite short http://instagram.com/p/v9Ky3kQQCd/?modal=true

Wonder if it is for a new role?

I love his hair like that. So pretty.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/soaps/s2...oWZwF5JvAwMnWY

Mention in this article that Johnny falls off his moped.

I wonder what Maddy's tweet to Sam yesterday was about?

On 9 December the spoilers say Johnny falls off his moped and tries to sneak into the Vic but Linda catches him. There is scene between them as she looks after him.

Still nothing to indicate why Johnny leaves but it looks like it will be very quick between deciding to go and leaving maybe even in the same episode. Everything looks normal on the 18th with the Christmas stuff dressing up as an elf and he then makes a life changing decision and he seems he goes pretty quickly after that maybe even that episode!

Still so sad he is leaving!! He deserves an excellent career.

Eastenders Ultra did a poll on their website this week to ask who is the favourite member of the Carter Family. Out of 4500 votes submitted Johnny came third with 21% not far behind Linda and Mick and way ahead of the rest. Poor old Lee only got 1%!

It does show how popular Johnny is and how much he will be missed by viewers. I hope that Sam is aware of an what an impact he has made. I hope DTC has noted the reaction to Johnny's departure and how popular he is with viewers and will bring back Johnny.

My gut feeling is that after a year out of work Johnny will be making a comeback.