WARNING: This article is full of spoilers for today’s EastEnders episode, which is streaming on BBC iPlayer now but has not yet aired on BBC One, as George Knight finally reaches breaking point with Eddie.
EastEnders viewers have been left reeling after Eddie Knight met a shocking end in a dramatic twist that brought all four episodes of ‘The Night That Changes Everything’ week to a close.
George sees Eddie hasn’t changed
The pressure has been building all week for the Knight family, with Gina struggling to comprehend why her dad is giving racist Eddie the time of day. George has tried to reason that Eddie is dying and trying to redeem himself, but Gina didn’t want to know.
Earlier this week, Eddie showed he hadn’t changed at all when he cruelly asked Harry what he was doing with ‘someone like Gina’. Harry stood up for his girlfriend and kept Eddie’s sickening words to himself.
However, yesterday saw Harry come clean to Gina about what Eddie said, and she was devastated.
Gina went to see George and tell him everything. He was horrified to realise that Eddie had hoodwinked him once again, and that he would never change.
George watches Eddie die in EastEnders
Today’s episode sees George confront his father, and the pair have a huge argument, with old tensions that have been buried for years bubbling to the surface.
As George questions his dad about his past, Eddie reveals that he doesn’t regret killing George’s biological dad in a racist attack, and that he would do it again in a heartbeat.
Eddie claims he killed George’s father to protect him, and after dropping yet another racist slur, George sees red.
As Eddie takes some painkillers, he starts to choke on the tablets. He begs George for some water, but finally having had enough of his father’s sickening ways, George ignores his pleas and watches as his dad chokes to death – drinking the glass of water himself, instead.
Fans share their views on Eddie
Although many viewers were pleased to see the end of Eddie, plenty were stunned by the way the character was ultimately killed off.
“I had an idea that Eddie might die this week. But I didn’t see it playing out like that,” one fan wrote on social media.
“I agree,” another replied. “That was brutal. I knew there would be one more twist!”
A third viewer commented: “I don’t think anyone will miss Eddie. But you can tell this is going to haunt George for the rest of his life.”
Meanwhile, a fourth fan said: “Good riddance, Eddie, what a vile human being he was. George played his part beautifully.”
While George might now be free from Eddie’s grasp, it seems this is only the start of trouble for the character as his father’s death plays on his mind next week. Can Nicola help him when he needs it most?
Read more: EastEnders spoilers for next week: First look as Denise’s future takes another bleak turn