When Vicki Fowler returned to EastEnders, naturally we were curious about the breakdown of her long-term relationship with Spencer Moon.
To our surprise, he received more than a cursory mention. Kat Slater ensured that an off-screen Spencer had the chance to expose Vicki’s affair, while his protective big brother Alfie Moon was shown keeping in touch with him beyond this bombshell.
Rather harshly, Vicki told Sharon Watts that she had become bored and fed up with Spencer. As Tommy Moon labelled his uncle a loser and Bianca Jackson branded him a wet blanket, all this judgement felt unfair for someone whose perspective we haven’t seen for two decades.
But these repeated references left us hopeful that EastEnders could be paving the way for his homecoming. And, if that’s not the case, the campaign to bring back Spencer starts right here.
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From what we’ve heard, Spencer is still as sweet and kind as when we first knew him, played memorably and wholesomely by Christopher Parker.
Soaps needn’t always focus on manipulative characters and explosive, chaotic entrances. If the BBC soap were to veer away from this, even if a recast was necessary, a break from this theme is exactly what Spencer could offer us.
We’d love to see him give Vicki and her beau, his former friend Ross Marshall, a shock by turning up announced. Unlike so many messy love splits in soap, there would be no malice or revenge. A glimpse of a dignified Spencer, smiling as the pair look on, would be enough to set the tone.
There’s no doubt a family reunion would go down well with loyal Alfie and Kat, giving Alfie a close male confidant after his struggle with the side effects from prostate cancer.
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Let’s not forget, the only relatives surrounding Alfie at the moment are his offspring. He even lost an opportunity to catch up with cousin Jake last year, when the latter paid a fleeting visit to Walford before driving off into the sunset with lover Chrissie Watts.
Meanwhile, Spencer is the ideal candidate to strengthen the Moon dynasty. He’s currently living alone in Australia, so why shouldn’t he join his loved ones in Albert Square?
Spencer had a daft, cheeky side that worked well alongside Alfie’s original antics, and it would be fun to see how they fare as a more mature, but just as lovable double act, also reviving the touching, sentimental side of Alfie and Spencer’s old dynamic.
Although the idea of Kat and Alfie remarrying was met with some reluctance from the pair, we can’t help but feel another wedding is inevitable down the line, and Alfie will need original best man Spencer by his side when the time comes.
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Meanwhile, Tommy notably commented that he has never met Spencer, and this is something that deserves to be remedied. The teen’s attitude is still in need of some adjustment after his harrowing spate of violence towards his parents, and Spencer would surely make the perfect antidote to nephew Tommy’s nasty streak.
Imagine an older, wiser Spencer, far from being a “loser” and now able to stand up for himself. With Kat understandably struggling to let go of her unease now that Tommy has moved back home, who better than Spencer to instil a positive influence as the mentor that Alfie was for him twenty years ago?
Alfie’s phone call, filling Spencer in on his old friend Martin’s funeral, also reminds us that Spencer has local links outside of Vicki and Alfie, from Stacey Slater who blackmailed him over their fling, to former boss Ian Beale.
The fact that Spencer is already known to several Walford favourites adds to the appeal of a potential comeback, as they’re likely to be more receptive – and not just out of guilt for treating him poorly!
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We’re also missing the steady, salt of the earth presence of Martin Fowler, and while no one could ever replace him, a gentle soul like Spencer would inject some warmth and humour, giving the locals a boost as they recover from recent, tragic events.
With new blood like devious Nicola Mitchell and the secretive Ross making their mark, and Kim Fox and Mo Harris spinning another insensitive moneymaking scheme, an everyman like Spencer could bridge the gap left behind by community-minded Martin.
With a golden reputation that precedes him, we could certainly see Spencer winning the hearts of a whole new generation of fans and characters, just by being himself.
Linda Carter is tentatively open to a new romance, and she’ll be in need of some light to offset the darkness that’s blighted her life. Spencer would certainly fit the bill, while Chelsea Fox, who has a history of dating villains, could also enjoy spending some uncomplicated time with the straightforward Spencer.
Innocent and without agenda, but with Walford roots and a family who could benefit from his calming presence, re-investing in Spencer Moon as a permanent fixture could be the sprinkling of joy that EastEnders really needs right no
