Archibald Lionel "Archie" Mitchell was the scheming, lying and nasty father of Ronnie Mitchell and Roxy Mitchell. Archie made his first appearance on the 8th July 2008 and he last appeared on 25th December 2009.
Archie Mitchell - 2009
Backstory 1939-1992
Archie was born and bred in East London to Philip and Sandra Mitchell On 16 March 1939. He suffered through an abusive childhood at the hands of his father. He was known to be a warm, charismatic man and intelligent man to those he came across, in particular his sister-in-law Peggy Martin, whom he helped when she suffered at the hands of his violent brother Eric. He lived in Romford London with his wife Glenda and their two daughters Ronnie and Roxy. Behind closed doors, Archie was shown to be a nasty man. He repeatedly had affairs, turning Glenda into a bitter and broken woman, and raped Ronnie when she was 13. After manny fights a rows with Glenda Ronnie rebelled against him by dating a boy in her class who she liked Joel Reynolds both were 14 Yrs old When he discovered Ronnie was pregnant at 14 years old, she told Joel and he said he be there for her and the baby or support her d to kept or not he told her to stay away from her boyfriend Joel Reynolds, but she refused. She gave birth to her daughter Amy in 1989. After the birth, Archie put her up for adoption, leaving his daughter heartbroken, resulting in her hatred for him. Glenda saw Archie manipulate Ronnie, and when she got pregnant with her third child, Danny, she left as she did not want Archie to manipulate another child. Ronnie disowned her father and walked out in 1992 and Archie had not seen or talked to her since. After his daughters moved out he moved to Weymouth.
Return of her Father
Archie gets a visit from Ronnie and Peggy. They are searching for Roxy, who has disappeared from Ibiza. Peggy knows that Roxy is staying with Archie in Dorset but does not tell Ronnie, worried that she will refuse to go. Ronnie is furious to see her father after 15 years, wanting nothing to do with him. Archie and Peggy catch up and he tells her he has survived cancer. Wanting to hurt Ronnie, Archie lies that Amy died 13 years ago but Ronnie guesses that he's lying and does not believe him. Roxy agrees to return to London if Ronnie and Archie make up but Ronnie whispers in her father's ear that she will kiss his gravestone when he's dead. Archie persuades Peggy to start a relationship while they can and tells Ronnie he will see her in London in a few weeks.
Archie On The Square
Now engaged, Archie and Peggy return to The Queen Victoria public house. Peggy realises she cannot trust him and tests him by sending texts from Suzy Branning's mobile but he postpones the wedding when he finds out. He begins controlling his daughters by persuading Danielle Jones to steal a letter from Joel that he later burns in front of Ronnie. He makes his dislike of Sean Slater, Roxy's partner, clear - feeling that he's not good enough. He causes trouble by manipulating both of them and stopping Sean from being there when Roxy gave birth to her daughter, Amy, prematurely. He also controls Peggy, changing how she dresses and distancing her from her friends. Worried about her daughter's paternity, Roxy has a DNA test done and Archie finds the results. On catching Suzy stealing from the Mitchells' safe, he tells her he will keep quiet providing she makes sure Sean finds the DNA test results, proving that he is not the father.
Archie realises that Danielle is Ronnie's daughter when he sees her locket and recognises it as the one Ronnie gave her baby before giving her up for adoption. He tells her Ronnie suffers from depression and to let him tell Ronnie that Danielle is her daughter when the time is right, wanting to protect himself from Ronnie discovering his lies. He tells Danielle that he will tell Ronnie but later plans to kill her. Unable to go through with it, he pays her to leave, saying Ronnie knows and wants nothing to do with Danielle.
Secrets and Lies
On his wedding day, Archie is angered by Peggy's decision not to wear the suit he chose for her. When challenged by Peggy, he decides he loves her regardless and the ceremony proceeds. At the reception, Ronnie sees Danielle about to snatch Amy and she tells her the truth. Danielle realises Archie has lied to her but Archie claims Danielle is mentally ill. Danielle tries proving herself but Ronnie believes Archie and throws Danielle out, later finding the locket. Realising Danielle has told the truth, she goes after her, despite Archie's attempts to stop her, disgusted at his lies. Peggy is equally disgusted and yells at the wedding guests to leave. Archie's schemes and lies are revealed and the Mitchells are stunned by the news that Danielle is a relative and that she has been killed in a car crash. Archie is thrown out of the Vic and disowned by his family. Peggy orders her son Phil to kill Archie, so he kidnaps him and threatens to bury him in cement. Archie begs for his life, offering Phil money. However, the cement mixer only contains water. Phil tells Archie to leave, saying if he returns, he will be killed.Archie leaves in a black cab back to Weymouth.
Return 10 July 2009- 25th December 2009
Archie returns months later,in July 2009 wanting Peggy back, and reconciling with Roxy. He refuses to leave and reveals he has moved into a house nearby. Archie asks Roxy to pass on a gift to Ronnie: the baby blanket she bought for her daughter when she was born. Peggy eventually agrees to talk to Archie and believes he is sorry for his past actions. Phil sees him, breaking into his house with a gun, but sees him and Peggy kissing. Peggy tells Phil that Archie has changed, but Phil tells Archie to stay away from his family and drops a bullet into his glass. Phil later tells Archie he's going to kill him, but is stopped by Ben. Peggy goes on holiday and when she returns, Archie begs her to take him back, but she refuses.
Roxy invites everyone to Archie's housewarming party, but Ronnie organises a party at The Queen Victoria so nobody turns up. Janine Butcher tells Ronnie that Archie paid her to spy on her and Roxy and Ronnie tells Roxy, who - furious with her father - moves out. He buys the car lot from Jack Branning, upsetting Ronnie further. Danielle's biological father, Joel Reynolds comes to Walford, and he and Ronnie rekindle their relationship, irritating Archie but Archie takes action by paying Joel to leave Walford and never return. Joel refuses, saying he can stand up to him now so Archie blackmails him about his family and Joel leaves until Ronnie conforts him and tells her father that Joel is back and there nothing he can do about it. And that their going to start dating again.Because they still have feelings for each other.
Destroying The Mitchells
Archie's niece, Sam, returns from Brazil despite being on the run. Roxy and Sam have never got on and Roxy is furious to learn that Sam's return has been kept from her. Archie sees Roxy in the Square, following a row, and she tells him. He also learns of Sam's engagement to Ricky Butcher and gives them a gift, but it is declined. When Sam is arrested, Archie puts up her bail money on the condition he can have his family back. He and Peggy celebrate but Ronnie, Roxy, Billy, and Phil return the money, disowning him for good. He vows to get revenge by taking The Queen Victoria from them, with Janine's help. His plans to burn the pub down and frame Billy does not work as Peggy sees through his lies. He insists that she's wrong and they kiss briefly. Archie convinces Sam to flee so the Mitchells lose the bail money. Phil got a loan from a loan shark but after being beaten up for not meeting the repayments, gets a loan from Ian Beale, secured on The Queen Victoria. If the money is not repaid in two weeks, Ian will get The Queen Victoria. Archie tries convincing Ian to sell him the loan but Ian declines so Janine plans to seduce Ian and blackmail him to sell the loan to Archie. Not pleased with this idea, Archie proposes to Janine, trying to stop her but she ignores him and goes ahead, later accepting his proposal. Billy hears them talking about their engagement and their plans to take The Queen Victoria. Realising they've been overheard, they convince him to let them make him an offer to get him on their side and he agrees when they persuade Honey to let Billy have the children over Christmas and New Year. They then blackmail Ian to sell them the loan, which he does, reluctantly, worried about his half-brother, Ben.
Archie and Janine - Evil United
When Archie and Peggy's divorce papers come through, Archie tells Peggy that he still loves her and wants her back. Peggy's employee and Janine's flatmate Ryan Malloy overhears them and tells Janine. Janine then shows her engagement ring to Peggy and Peggy recognises it as it belonged to Archie's mother. She confronts Archie, annoyed that she fell for his lies again. She signs the divorce papers and the Mitchells celebrate in the pub. Ryan alerts them to the fact that Archie and Janine are behind the bar, and the Mitchells are angry to discover that Ian sold them the loan and the pub is now theirs, as the deadline has not been met. The Mitchells vow to carry on as normal, but Archie has Peggy's name as licensee replaced with his and tells them that they are now trespassing on his property. Ronnie stands up to him and he pushes her into the bar and Roxy angrily reveals Ronnie's pregnancy but, thanks to Archie, Ronnie has a miscarriage. Peggy tells Archie that he has killed another of Ronnie's children, warning him to stay away but later invites Archie and Janine to The Queen Victoria during a Christmas Eve party and gives them the keys.
Archie Downfall Murder at Christmas
On Christmas Day, 25th December 2009 Archie tells Ian the CD of the recording is under the tree for Jane, but Ian fails to find it. Archie convinces Janine to skip Christmas dinner as he has a surprise treasure hunt for her. She eventually finds an envelope containing a one-way ticket to Poland and Archie throws her out, after telling her he knows that she and Ryan planned to double-cross him. Archie is then visited by a number of people: Jack threatens to kill him if he hurts Ronnie again, he finds Ian searching for the CD and tells him that it is on his laptop and he can make copies at any time, threatening to phone Jane, before evicting him from the pub. Sam attempts to confront Archie but he shuts the door on her. Ronnie tells him that he will not make her care for him and she would not care if he died. Archie throws her out, reminding her that of the exact spot she pushed Danielle onto the night she died. Peggy threatens him, telling him that she is not just a sweet, innocent old lady and that he has no idea who he is messing with. She tells Archie if he does not leave the pub that night he will regret every cruel and evil act he has ever done. In return, he threatens her that unless she returns, he will have the pub converted to flats, becoming emotional when he says that he will be waiting for her as she leaves. Bradley Branning walks in and punches Archie, loosening one of his teeth but punches the bar too, leaving blood. He warns Archie to stay away from Stacey Slater because she told him that Archie raped her while she was ill, and Bradley leaves. As Archie picks up the snowglobe from the floor, the bust of the Queen Victoria is pushed from the bar, by Stacey Slater and it hits him over the head. Moments later, Ronnie finds him and he struggles to say his final words, "Veronica, I'm sorry," before dying. His body is taken away the next day Ronnie says it means nothing before he dies. Several people leave floral tributes for Archie and the police say that many people have spoken lowly of him.
Archie's will is read, revealing that he has left:
- Billy his "stool" at the bar and his room in the Queen Vic, as a place for him to live where he cannot be thrown out;
- Peggy a silver framed photo of their wedding;
- Amy, and Ronnie's "first surviving child", £100,000 each to be held in trust until their 21st birthdays, Ronnie is unhappy seeing this as Archie controlling her from beyond the grave but is not allowed to decline legally;
- Phil his father's "real" boxing trophy, which they had a fight about earlier regarding Archie giving fake ones;
- Roxy his antique fountain pen which she always wanted as a child, as well as the residue of his estate, including his house, car, an engagement ring, The Queen Victoria, the car lot and £3 million;
- Ronnie his signet ring (as well as a note regarding him expecting her to not take any substantial gifts from him);
- Janine his Newton's cradle, "in the sure and certain knowledge it will drive her absolutely nuts."
A pathologist's report shows that Archie had terminal cancer and only had weeks to live anyway. His funeral takes place on 28 January 2010. On 19 February 2010, the killer is revealed to be Archie's rape victim Stacey, however, the court finds Bradley posthumously guilty of murder.