EastEnders has left fans ‘in bits’ after airing the heartbreaking aftermath of Zoe Slater’s death, with viewers praising the ‘harrowing’ episode despite the huge backlash over her exit.
Friday night’s (September 11) episode delivered the devastating news to Kat that her daughter Zoe was dead. Tonight, the rest of her family were forced to face the heartbreaking reality, as Zoe’s body was finally taken away.
And while Zoe’s exit has caused plenty of anger among fans, many have now praised the soap for the way it handled the aftermath of her death.
*WARNING: Spoilers follow for Monday’s episode of EastEnders (September 14) that has not aired on BBC One yet, but is already available to watch on iPlayer.
Zoe’s death was discovered in EastEnders
Kat had woken at 3am on Friday with the horrible feeling that something was wrong, only to discover Zoe’s cold, lifeless body. But when today’s episode began, she still hadn’t told anyone what had happened. She even made Zoe a cup of tea to ‘warm her up’.
It was Alfie who eventually made the chilling discovery, after Kat struggled to find the words to tell him. “Dear God, no,” came the cries from Zoe’s room.
The episode stayed almost entirely with the family as they dealt with the devastating news. Kat blamed herself, Mo sobbed with Jean in The Vic toilets and Tommy cried alone in the empty pub. Alfie attempted to hold everything together, while Josh was there to support Jasmine, who was particularly badly affected.
Then came the heartbreaking final scenes, as Zoe’s body was removed from The Vic and the residents of Walford realised what had happened. Kat ran after the car in her pyjamas, sobbing that they had taken her baby.
The episode ended with the unmistakable sound of Julia’s Theme, a piece of music reserved for some of the soap’s biggest and saddest departures.
EastEnders fans react to chilling Zoe death scenes
Zoe’s exit from the Square has faced huge criticism, particularly because she has only been back for a year and has made relatively little impact during that time. However, today’s episode appears to have changed the mood for some viewers.
“As sad as I am with the way Zoe was killed off considering she’s such a huge legacy character – tonight’s episode was heartbreaking and felt like the perfect send off for such a significant character who created one of the most ICONIC moments in Albert Square history,” shared one fan on social media.
Another wrote: “It’s unfortunate that Zoe died after only being back for such a short time but the immediate aftermath of her death was very well done. I was in tears throughout and hooked to the screen. What a brilliant episode.”
A third said: “I know we’ve all been taking the [bleep] out of Zoe’s exit but genuinely that episode has left me in tears, once again this shouldn’t have happened. There were other ways to write her out that didn’t involve death, I don’t care if it was Michelle’s decision.”
Praise for Jessie Wallace
Much of the praise was reserved for Jessie Wallace, with one fan writing: “Actual chills. Jessie Wallace the woman you are.” Another agreed: “Wow tonight’s episode was emotional. I’m in bits.”
“Well that… was truly harrowing. Jessie Wallace is an absolute powerhouse, the Julia’s theme, it is too much for a Monday morning,” another viewer said.
A seventh fan added: “Oh my EastEnders I’m still in bits after today’s episode. Both Jean and Kat were fantastic and I was crying uncontrollably throughout the episode and for a good five mins after. EastEnders needed an episode like this to remind us how good it can be after a dire summer!
Another added: “Jessie Wallace, your performance was outstanding and Gillian Wright nailed that monologue at the end. Plus Julia’s theme hits me like an arrow through the heart every time!”
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