Fans of EastEnders have been left baffled by the ending of last night’s episode, in which Teddy and the Mitchells seemed to forgive and forget recent grievances to return home for a night in with Nicola.
Following a chaotic couple of days, there was a lot to unpack. Nicola was less than popular with her ex-husband and her sons, having lied about both Barney’s birth father and her part in the death of her other son’s girlfriend, Shireen.
Barney made his choice in EastEnders last night… sorry Zack
Still reeling from the news of Zack’s ‘death,’ Barney learned that Teddy isn’t his biological father (that would be Zack). Meanwhile, Harry finally got his mum to admit what she’d done to Shireen. As Zack washed up, very much alive, he made a play for his son – only for Barney to return home with his family.
As Nicola, Teddy, Barney and Harry sat down, the family enjoyed a relieved laugh as they settled in for a (very late) boardgame night. But something about the scene didn’t sit right with fans.
EastEnders fans confused by ‘weird’ ending as the Mitchells laugh it up
Taking to social media as the episode ended, viewers shared their dismay at how quickly both stories seemed to have been wrapped up.
“Imagine Teddy, Harry and Barney knowing their mum’s twisted actions and instead of dobbing her in, kicking her out, Barney going to his real dad. Instead, the whole family sits down at a table to play a board game, laughing and acting like nothing ever happened. I felt creeped the hell out, especially with the laughing. Whoever wrote the ending to this episode messed up,” wrote one fan on Reddit.
“Totally agree. I was pretty disgusted by the end of the episode. Absolute rubbish,” commented another.
“Today’s episode felt like a fever dream. What do you mean all the Mitchells are back together playing board games laughing away after everything that just happened,” a third said on X.
“Eastenders have lost the plot with today’s ending,” said a fourth.
“What a weird ending,” agreed another.
But is it really all water under the bridge?
Fans predict twist as Nicola’s secrets are out
It may have been all laughter as last night’s episode ended, but it’s unlikely to stop there. With the truth now out in the open, Zack is unlikely to simply back off.
Likewise, Barney may have been desperate to retreat back into ‘normality’ for now. But it won’t be long before the truth of the situation sinks in. And with Harry harboring a resentment towards Nicola for killing Shireen, he’s unlikely to stay cool for long either.
“This is obviously Barney trying to cling desperately on to his previous idea of his family and they’re relieved to go along with it. But it’s obviously not the end of the story,” wrote one fan on Reddit.
“It’s a soap – no way is this the end of the story. They did a great job showing a fake and forced happy ending that we’re meant to take as just that: forced,” another predicted.
But what does the future hold for the Mitchells?
EastEnders usually airs Monday to Thursday at 7:30pm on BBC One
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