So, is Casualty really marking its 30th anniversary by killing off Connie Beauchamp?
Casualty superfans will get the answers they've been desperate for this week as the show's feature-length birthday special explores the devastating aftermath of Connie's terrible road accident, which saw her drive off a cliff with her young daughter Grace in the passenger seat.
Just as keen for some clues as you guys, we recently caught up with Amanda Mealing, who plays Connie, to see if she'd give anything away. Even one tiny hint?
Did you expect such a big reaction to the Connie cliffhanger?
"The reaction was outrageous, wasn't it? I kind of thought there'd be a reaction because it's literally a cliffhanger, but I thought the defence of Connie was quite funny.
"The funniest response I saw on Twitter was a picture that someone had put up of a girl screaming in another TV show. The person who'd put it up captioned it with: 'I have been watching Casualty since I was 7 years old, you can't do this to me!'
"It was really interesting. One to see how long people have been watching Casualty for, but also how popular Connie was. People were in floods. I even had a message from Russell T Davies saying: 'If Connie's dead, I'll be livid!' It was lovely - really nice."
Jacob has come to Connie's rescue before. Could he do it again here?
"Well, he's got to use those muscles, hasn't he? He spends enough time in the gym! Jacob does try to come to the rescue. He's the one who works out something is amiss. He's oblivious initially and even suggests to Charlie that he might propose to Connie.
"Then a call comes in for someone else and Jacob realises there might be something wrong, because Connie's not answering her phone. So he goes out with the guys and makes them go out searching."
© BBC Alistair Heap
What were the most challenging aspects of filming this storyline?
"For me it was a challenge all the way through. The 30th anniversary episode is an incredible ensemble piece. It starts by answering the question to the cliffhanger that we've just had, so it doesn't start in a good place. It starts in quite a stressful and tearful place - and doesn't get any better!
"I've also still got scars over me due to the conditions. Of course, I'm not digging for coal, am I? But in terms of Casualty and what would usually be asked of someone, I think everyone went to the extremes of how far they could go with it."
With that in mind, did you get much advance warning of what was in store for you?
"We don't get the finer details until we get the script, but I knew the general idea of what Connie was going to go through. I knew it wasn't going to be a barrel of laughs!
"I got very much in the zone. Usually the most dramatic or sexy scenes turn out to be the most hysterical to film, but I think everyone was really serious and focused with this one. No-one wanted to let the side down, because it's a huge thing to do - and a lovely thing to do for the audience.
"That's important because the audience have been there for a week, two weeks, or 30 years. It's a nice way to celebrate those 30 years, so everyone was very serious."
© BBC Adrian Rogers
Was it hard to switch off when you went home to your family?
"I was just emotionally drained, really. I'm lucky that my husband is a writer and he knows how things are. My boys have also grown up with me doing this, so they're used to it and they're very sweet. They knew what we were doing, so they were very supportive. I had a candlelit bath waiting for me."
Did you get to do a lot of stunts yourself for this storyline?
"Yeah, I did as much as I could. I think there's personality in someone's physicality. I can tell when it's a stunt person and when it's not, even if most people probably wouldn't. Plus I love doing all that stuff, so I will always take it as far as I can.
"I didn't sit in the car when it went over the cliff, obviously. I thought I'd leave that one, as they could do it with special effects! But we did hinge the car on this massive thing and flipped it forward. That's as close as going over a cliff as you possibly can get. It was a little bit scary."
As this is a feature-length episode, could there be a higher death toll?
"I can't answer that one! I think not necessarily more deaths. Even though there's bigger things that happen, it's quite rightly more about the impact. I always think the drama is the impact it has on those who are left behind.
"As a viewer, I want to see the impact on my favourite characters and how this has affected them, so they've quite rightly and cleverly done that. So the body count's not too high."
© BBC Adrian Rogers
How do you find filming so many romantic scenes with Charles Venn, who plays Jacob?
"They are the most unromantic thing you could be involved with, quite honestly, when you've got six or seven burly sparks standing there scratching their backsides saying: 'What time's lunch?'
"You also have to choreograph it, so it's so unspontaneous. You have a director saying: 'Can you just tilt your head slightly to the left?' It's really not sexy, so there's no chance of getting carried away, but it's good fun to film!"
What is the key to Casualty's success?
"We always keep pushing the boundaries of what we can do. If you think about it, a lot of the scenes in Casualty end up with people around a bed. How can you maintain that for 30 years, if you simplify it to that? It's interesting, isn't it?
"But we find different ways to tell stories and to shoot those stories. I think it's also about having a really good cast. You've got a cross-section of characters who anyone can follow and identify with, and the writers make them interesting and believable. So I think that's how they do it. I've also just directed an episode, so I hope I keep pushing the boundaries!"
© BBC Adrian Rogers
Lots of people are worried about Connie, but how bad will things get for Grace?
"It's bad for Connie - and it's bad for Grace too!"
So could this have long-term consequences in the show?
"Yeah, it could be far-reaching, which will have a knock-on effect for a long time. I can't say any more. I've even surprised myself by being so covert about everything! I'm such a blabbermouth, they usually don't let me do any interviews!"
Casualty airs its 30th anniversary special on Saturday (August 27) at 8pm on BBC One.
Love many, trust few, always paddle your own canoe
Casualty Spoilers 27th August 2016
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