*THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR EASTENDERS*

EastEnders fans are left with their jaws dropped after the soap took a huge unexpected twist that saw Dean Wicks accused of Keanu Taylor’s murder.

After first hinted at in early 2023, the storyline surrounding the six – Sharon, Suki, Linda, Stacey, Kathy and Denise – reached its climax on Christmas Day, when the identity of the murder victim was finally revealed in the extended Christmas episode. With just minutes to go, all signs pointed to Nisha meeting his maker after being hit with a glass bottle by Denise. But instead, Keanu was killed by Linda after confronting Sharon about the paternity of her son Albie and attempting to strangle her.

The six worked together to hide Keanu’s body under the cafe floor. Their actions remained secret until last week when the floor collapsed and Keanu’s body was discovered. Sharon was arrested by police because she clearly wanted to get rid of him, while her accomplices desperately tried to figure out what to do next.

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And years after raping Linda, it is now Dean who has been framed by The Six for Keanu’s murder, with Stacey planting the murder weapon, a meat thermometer, in his flat. Dean’s death played out in scenes broadcast on EastEnders on Thursday, as eager fans rushed to watch the programme on iPlayer, hours before it aired on BBC One.

When police informed him that Linda had told them she had seen him lugging “something heavy” into the cafe just before midnight on Christmas night, an angry Dean claimed she was trying to get revenge – even before he was informed that the thermometer had been found in his kitchen and was being taken there for examination.

EastEnders viewers were furious that Linda didn’t get justice after the rape and were now happy to see Dean get back on his feet. One wrote to X: “Dean is getting shit thrown at and can’t deny or explain any of it. WE LOVE TO SEE IT,” and another wrote: “Dean deserves everything he deserves.”

Others, however, have identified a clear “problem” with the plot: Dean had no motive whatsoever to kill Keanu, fueling speculation that he would escape from prison after all.