EastEnders fans slam soap for forgetting key storyline as Beale brothers fight for their lives
WALFORD residents are reeling in shock after the local café was engulfed by a huge fire, making two casualties.
But as Peter and Bobby Beale fight for their lives, diehard EastEnders fans are shocked the BBC One soap forgot a huge detail.
Nine years after the shocking murder of her daughter Lucy Beale, Cindy Beale runs the risk of losing another child.
Thursday’s instalment of the London-based program ended the week with Rocky Cotton setting fire to his wife Kathy Beale’s café.
After spotting the flames while on a snack run to the Minute Mart, Bobby Beale (portrayed by Clay Milner Russell) bravely ran into the café – but he made things worse by causing a massive explosion.
Later on, as a crowd gathered outside the café, his half-brother Peter (Thomas Law) realised Bobby was in danger and faced the fire to save him.
Both brothers, along with Rocky, were brought to hospital and their lives are hanging in the balance.
The storyline quickly reminded one soap viewer of another storyline aired in 2017 – which ultimately ended with Steven Beale’s death in hospital.
“The Beales boys don’t have much luck with fires”, this fan wrote on a Digital Spy forum.
“I wonder if they’ll remember that this is how they lost Steven.”
“I’m disappointed that there is a lost legacy of Cindy Beale that sadly has been brushed under the carpet. One little mention of Cindy Jnr’s existence isn’t going to cut it I’m afraid.”
“I hope in 2024, Cindy remembers that she has another Daughter and two grandchildren that she hasn’t bothered to meet!”
Fellow fans quickly jumped in to respond with one commenting: “they’ve mentioned Steven a few times since Cindy’s been back and with Max off the show there’s really nothing to do with Steven’s death.”
“As for Cindy Jr, that’s going to come to fruition at some point but again with her off the show and uncertainty as to whether or not Mimi Keene will return there’s not much to do there yet either.”
Another went on: “EE has got much better at remembering things and people when they should be, so I’d be surprised if we didn’t get a Steven reference next week, probably in the form of Cindy lamenting how she wasn’t there for him and Lucy when they needed her but she will be for Peter.”
“Poor forgotten Steven though. Yes he was persona non grata after he died, with the entire family boycotting his funeral and all the rest of it, but all those years struck out of existence altogether when we’ve barely gone a week since Good Friday 2014 without Lucy being mentioned.”
Steven was Cindy’s first-born child, fathered by Simon Wicks but he was raised by Ian who took him in as his own.
When Ian and Cindy’s marriage turned sour, she fled the Square with Steven and younger brother Peter in tow.
After a rocky patch with Ian and an explosive showdown once he returned, Steven left the Square but came back once again in 2016 with Lauren Branning and her son Louie by his side.
While he tried to build bridges again, his devious nature made a return as he not only had an affair with Lauren’s sister Abi but he also lied to Lauren about suffering from a brain tumour.
Jane Beale and Max Branning were both in the know about Steven’s lies and the latter blackmailed him into starting a fire for him.
Steven was then left in disbelief when Jane revealed to him that Abi was pregnant and he set fire to the restaurant to kill her.
Both Steven and Max had a vendetta against Jane, most notably for her involvement in Lucy’s death as she covered for Bobby Beale.
But when they believed Lauren was trapped inside, Max and Steven rushed into the flames to try and save her.
While there, Max urged Steven to kill Jane but he had a change of heart, leading to him being attacked.
As fans will recall, Max violently shoved Steven into the side of a table, severely injuring him.
Steven was then brought to hospital, where he apologised to Abi for his wicked deeds but he tragically died following a heart attack in early September, 2017.
His baby daughter Abi Branning Jr. was then born on the 29th December 2017 by a C-section after her mum had fallen off the roof of the Queen Vic.
Could history repeat itself?
EastEnders airs from Monday to Thursday at 7.30pm on BBC One.