Tensions are running high in EastEnders next week as Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig) finds herself completely out of her depth when Joel Marshall (Max Murray) takes another worrying turn… and it’s a familiar face who steps in to offer a surprising lifeline.
It all kicks off when Vicki is left fuming when she discovers Joel has skipped school to attend a live podcast recording with Tommy Moon (Sonny Kendall).
Determined to stop him, she ropes in Kathy Cotton (Gillian Taylforth) to help track the boys down and drag them home, much to Joel’s horror.
Back in Walford, Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace) is quick to give Tommy a proper scolding, but Vicki’s concerns run much deeper.
This isn’t just about skipping school. Joel’s attitude has been getting darker for weeks, and now Vicki’s starting to see the cracks.
Worried and unsure of what else to do, she turns to Julie Bates (Karen Henthorn), hoping for some guidance and maybe a little help reining in her increasingly wayward son.
And it turns out she may have made the right call.
Julie wastes no time in sitting Joel down and confronting some of his more troubling behaviour, in particular, the misogynistic comments he’s been making both at home and online.
She handles it with calm but firm honesty, refusing to let him shrug it off.
It’s a moment that could go one of two ways: will Joel open his eyes to the damage his views are causing, or retreat further into defiance?
This is a big turning point not just for Joel, but for Vicki, too. While she’s tried to stay strong and authoritative, the strain is beginning to show.
What’s clear is that Joel’s behaviour isn’t just about teenage rebellion. His increasingly toxic outlook suggests something deeper, perhaps a mix of insecurity, peer pressure and exposure to harmful content online.
And while Vicki’s quick to react with discipline, Julie’s approach is refreshingly different, not shouting, not blaming, just trying to get Joel to think.
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Of course, Joel isn’t the only one under scrutiny. Tommy, who tagged along to the podcast event, gets a sharp lecture from Kat, but will he learn from it? Or will the influence of Joel pull him further into murky waters?
Can Julie’s intervention help Joel see the error of his ways? Or has the damage already been done?
With Joel pushing boundaries, Vicki hitting her limits, and Julie stepping up in a way no one expected, things are only going to get more intense from here.
