EastEnders fans have been left utterly devastated by Zoe Slater’s shocking death in tonight’s episode, with viewers watching the heartbreaking scenes early on iPlayer.
We all knew Zoe’s death was coming, but watching it happen proved even more upsetting than many fans expected. Some viewers have also been left frustrated by how little time they felt they had to prepare for the tragic exit.
Her death plot had been building in the background this week, but many fans now feel the Walford legend deserved a much better exit.
Zoe Slater dead in EastEnders
Earlier this week, Zoe and Kat decided to buy a taxi that once belonged to Kat’s late father, Charlie. However, when Zoe had to go alone, she decided that without the money, she would simply steal it.
But things quickly took a turn when Zoe tripped while running away from the owners, resulting in a nasty bang to the head. Although she acted as though it wasn’t a big deal, EastEnders fans immediately realised this could be how she would die.
In tonight’s episode, Zoe’s head got worse. Kat pleaded with her to get it checked out, but Zoe promised that if it was still sore the following day, she would. Sadly, by then it was too late.
There was one final surprise twist when Zoe spotted Max and Linda together after his wedding to Cindy. Desperate to keep her quiet, Max followed Zoe into her room.
He knew something was wrong with her, and Zoe begged him to help her. But Max turned and walked out, making him the last person to see Zoe alive.
In the middle of the night, Kat woke up and immediately felt the need to go and see her daughter. In a devastating twist, she found Zoe lying on her bed, already dead.
EastEnders fans heartbroken
Numerous EastEnders fans watched the episode on iPlayer and have already reacted to the death of Zoe Slater.
While viewers agreed the scenes were extremely upsetting, many also felt Zoe deserved a better exit. Some were left particularly annoyed that her death became part of Max’s ongoing storyline.
One fan penned: “Can’t even put into words how heartbroken I am right now. I love her so much. Both Zoe and Michelle deserved so much better than this. The fact that in the end, all she wanted was her mum. She didn’t even get to say goodbye to her family.”
Another commented: “Gutted that EastEnders killed off a legacy character in that way. Zoe deserved better. What was the point in bringing Michelle back for this?”
“As much as killing off Zoe Slater and the lack of build up around it has been ridiculous, her actual death scene was really sad. She was just fruitlessly calling out for her mum. Based on Kat’s reaction to finding Zoe’s body, Jessie Wallace’s performance next week will be powerful,” a third EastEnders fan wrote.
Another heartbroken fan commented: “Just watched today’s episode. What a horrible way for Zoe to die. Absolutely devastating for Kat to find her like that. My face went cold when she made the discovery. And of course it had to feed into Max’s storyline somehow. She deserved her own separate exit.”
Has Michelle Ryan commented on Zoe’s death?
Michelle Ryan recently broke her silence on the death of Zoe Slater in EastEnders, which had been rumoured for months.
She admitted to Radio Times that when she heard the news, she felt it made the most sense for her character to die, rather than running away again.
Michelle explained: “I think that when we came to look at where Zoe was going, it just seemed like a natural conclusion for her to die. Because for her to run away again would have gone against everything she’d fought for; for her children. So as sad as it was to hear that Zoe was going to be killed off, I was like, ‘I completely understand that.’
“And I’d always felt that I would be going back for a year because I really do like the variety I have with my career and playing different parts. But it was such a gift to be able to go back and have a year of playing her and getting to see all my old friends.”
Read more: EastEnders fans predict trouble ahead for Priya as Cindy makes shock discovery