'Horrendous' Joel attack should have aired after watershed, slam shocked viewers

Viewers were shocked by the extent of Joel's attack on Vicki
Joel Harley
By Joel Harley

Shell-shocked EastEnders fans have registered their horror at Joel Marshall‘s attack on Vicki Fowler last night (Thursday, October 9) – with many asserting that these scenes should have aired after the 9pm watershed.

Joel’s story came to a head last night as Vicki confronted him over an incident at school. Having sent a raging Ross out of the house to decompress, Vicki gave Joel a piece of her mind, sharing in no uncertain terms what she thought of her stepson.

Emboldened by the toxic nonsense he’d seen online, Joel snapped, and unleashed a violent attack upon Vicki. As she lay semi-conscious on the kitchen floor, Joel continued to beat and batter her, recording the attack.

Truly disturbing scenes from EastEnders – but has the soap gone too far?

Vicki unconscious on the floor after Joel Marshall's attack in EastEnders
Joel’s unleashed a terrible attack on Vicki (Credit: BBC)

Joel attack should have aired after watershed, EastEnders fans demand

As these scenes aired, viewers registered their horror on social media. And while many appreciated the importance of the story, some felt that the soap had crossed a line.

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“Soaps going to [sic] far,… what happened to watershed.. horrendous..” wrote one fan on X.

“Disgusted they showed this before 9pm young kids are watching,” said another.

“There should be a warning about tonight’s Eastenders! Being shown before 9pm watershed. The final scenes should definitely not be seen by young children at 7:30pm!” a third said.

A fourth agreed: “That episode really should have come with a content warning. More explicitly violent than I was expecting.”

Did last night’s episode need to come with a warning? Or was the fact that it aired pre-watershed the whole point – thereby sparking important conversation where this particular storyline is concerned?

Tommy looks guilty on EastEnders

Joel puts Tommy in an awkward situation (Credit: BBC)

Ross and Tommy cover for Joel in EastEnders spoilers next week

As the story continues next week, a seriously injured Vicki takes refuge at The Vic. Tommy sneaks away to meet up with Joel, who begs for help.

Downplaying his attack, Joel demands that Tommy hide him. Tommy lets him stay in the Slaters’ garage, attracting Zoe’s suspicion when she realises that he’s hiding something.

Meanwhile, shocked Ross tries to suppress rumours that Joel was responsible for Vicki‘s attack. At the hospital, he’s relieved to hear that she’ll be okay, but tensions simmer to the surface when they discuss Joel.

How will he react when he learns what Joel has done?

Read more: Who’s leaving, joining and returning to EastEnders? Complete list of cast exits, arrivals and returns.