Once in a while an episode comes along that explains why so many viewers tune in night after night to the soaps.  An episode that (almost) justifies the time you spend sitting in front of turgid rubbish, regurgitated storylines and unbelievable plots.  Or even worse: comedy, which EastEnders attempt at with the Ian Beale in the wardrobe storyline was roundly panned by this week’s Shelly Vision.

No, tonight’s visit put all that to shame with some truly outstanding acting from Jake Wood (Max Branning), Charlie Clements (Bradley Branning) and Lacey Turner (Stacy Slater) – who I’ve long thought is one of the best actresses on TV right now.

With the bombshell of Stacy’s pregnancy dropped, Bradley has bottled it and gone to hide in his bedroom.  Max has some fatherly advice for both Stacy and Bradley and while he’s busy delivering it, Sean is trying it on with Tanya.  The fatherly advice thing could so easily have come over trite and plodding, but both the writing and the performances from all concerned lifted it well out of the mundane.  It’s taken a while for Jake Wood to drag Max Branning out of the Pit of the Cardboard Character, but tonight he finally did it and the results were both dramatic and moving.

For such a well-worn topic – unexpected pregnancy and what to do, or not do about it – Simon Ashdown’s writing had a freshness and a reality about it that was both surprising and most welcome.

Meanwhile Robert Kazinsky did an excellent job of unmasking the dark and lecherous side of Sean Slater and opposite his come-on Jo Joyner’s Tanya was a fabulous mixture of flattered, flustered, flippant, flirtatious and flinty.  Top episode.  Some nights I despair at the depths to which EastEnders can sink.  Tonight I marvelled at the highs it can reach.