EastEnders is set to confirm the fate of teenage incel Joel Marshall (Max Murray) next week as his trial gets underway.
At the tail end of last year, the twisted teen violently attacked his stepmum Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig) in their family kitchen and left her for dead, as his misogynistic behaviour took an even darker turn.
Since then, Joel has been held in custody at a young offenders institute, and after pleading not guilty to the charges against him, he has been awaiting trial.
His day in court will finally arrive in scenes to air on the BBC soap next week, with Vicki set to be put through further trauma in the courtroom.
On Monday, Vicki confides in Zack Hudson (James Farrar) about her anxiety surrounding the case.
With the chemistry between them still bubbling following their unexpected kiss back in November, he invites her round to his flat while he practises some new recipes for The Vic. It proves to be a welcome distraction for Vicki, who is also dealing with the shock reappearance of her brother Mark Fowler Jr (Stephen Aaron-Sipple) in Walford.
But when the day of the trial arrives, Vicki’s head is all over the place, but once again, Zack is there to support her in her hour of need.
In court, Joel sits in the dock and puts on a troubling front as his former friend Tommy Moon (Sonny Kendall) gives evidence against him.
This unnerves Vicki, who then takes to the stand before being blindsided by Joel’s defence barrister’s attempts to discredit her.
Their underhand tactics cause Vicki to flee the court in distress, leading to a pause in proceedings.
During the recess, Joel’s dad Ross Marshall (Alex Walkinshaw) refuses a request to meet him, sparking a twist when Joel then asks to see another Walford local instead…
Emotions are still running high when court is back in session, but after Joel’s meeting with the mystery figure doesn’t go to plan, the trial takes an unexpected turn…
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With actor Max Murrary confirmed to be leaving EastEnders, will Joel be sent down, giving Vicki the justice she deserves?
EastEnders airs these scenes from Monday 26th January at 7.30pm on BBC One or stream first from 6am on iPlayer.
