Growing up it happened to a friend of my mother's. Her son started college and had a child with his girlfriend. When she got pregnant again he had a breakdown and went missing for a number of years. It was very hard on all concerned. He eventually came back but was never quite the same and never really connected with his kids.

That's awful. I can't even begin to imagine what families go through when a member just disappears. Heartbreaking.

Yes, it was.

I think it is the worst way to lose someone because you never stop wondering and hoping.

It would actually make a heartbreaking s/l, especially for new mum Whitney. Just imagine not knowing the why and where. And as you say, whether he is even alive.

I wonder if his soldier friends that turn up as his wedding play a part...

Lee could end up more interesting gone than when he's here.😊

I think seeing how the family reacts would be so interesting. Whitney would never know if it was 'okay' to move on because she's still married to him, and she would always feel tied to the Carters. Linda could possibly go into denial and convince herself he's just living round the corner and will pop home any day. Mick would internalise it all and blame himself for not listening to Lee properly when he was depressed and needed help. Johnny would probably be quite practical and try to find him but I could see his studies suffering as a result

It really would be a good story to tell. Just simple, moving and effective, and then you'd get all the feelings of hurt and anger if he did come back in the future.

The more I think about the statement about Lee's axing, saying that sometimes characters had to be axed for new stories to be created, but this wasn't necessarily the last we'd see of Lee, the more I think this is what they're going to do.

The irony is that Lee has been much more interesting and likeable of late

But then they do that a lot with characters don't they, develop them a bit after years of sidelining them, just before they leave! Either that or turn them into caricature villains

But it would free Sharon from being the drab Mitchell matriarch so I'd still take it.