EastEnders fans demand Joel redemption as he wakes from attack ordeal
Fans want the character to do a 180
EastEnders fans are desperate for Joel Marshall to have a redemption arc now that the character has survived his attack.
Earlier in the week, Joel was attacked by somebody and left for dead outside. He was then discovered by a group of Walford teens.
Now that he’s woken up in hospital, fans are desperate for the character to be redeemed.
Joel attacked in EastEnders
This week in Walford, Amy and Avani invited Joel to a gathering in the park, pretending they wanted to put the past behind them. Reassured it wasn’t a trap, Joel agreed to attend. Although things started peacefully, the teens soon carried out their plan, tying Joel to an outhouse, pouring liquid over him and filming the ordeal. While the others continued partying, Avani appeared uneasy about how far things had gone.
When the group returned around 45 minutes later to untie Joel, they discovered someone had already released him. Moments later, they found Joel nearby with a serious head wound, leaving everyone fearing the worst.
At the police station, the teens gave witness statements as Avani handed over her jacket and the blood on her hands for forensic testing. Meanwhile, Joel regained consciousness in hospital.
The soap then delivered another twist when Barney secretly met Harry and asked him to retrieve a hidden hammer. Barney broke down in tears as Harry demanded to know what he’d done, raising fresh suspicions over whether Barney attacked Joel or is simply covering for the real culprit.
EastEnders fans call for Joel redemption arc
Now that Joel’s back on the Square following his time in young offenders for grievous bodily harm, voyeurism, and producing and distributing indecent images of a child, fans are calling for a change to be made.
Fans of the BBC soap are hoping that the character can be redeemed this second time around.
One fan on X commented: “Max Murray is one of the strongest young actors in the cast right now and I’m fully defending a redemption arc for Joel whilst still addressing he’s made mistakes etc.”
Another person shared: “So…. imma play devil’s advocate for once. If Bobby can change and get his redemption arc after what he did to Lucy and Jane, why can’t Joel?…”
A third viewer added: “I hope Joel is not dead and stays around redeemed, good actor. This is out of character for Barney, he and his brother suffered because of Ravi and nothing was done.”
Read more: Who’s leaving and who is returning to EastEnders this year?
