Joel Marshall (Max Murray) was one of the most brutal villains to ever set foot in Albert Square, with EastEnders using his character as a way of highlighting the impact of toxic masculinity and the ‘manosphere’ on teens today.
Joel arrived in Walford alongside dad Ross Marshall (Alex Walkinshaw) and his girlfriend, Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig), and it was a while before his deeply disturbing true nature eked it’s way out.
While searching for a cash loan that Vicki thought would be used to pay Ross’ divorce settlement, she learned that the money was to be used to pay off the family of a girl Joel had ‘upskirted’ to keep him out of trouble with the police, and that their hasty departure from Australia was also part of the agreement.
Joel went on to film himself having sex with Avani Nandra-Hart (Aaliyah James) without her consent, then shamed her for it online, before introducing Tommy Moon (Sonny Kendall) to extreme pornography and a deeply misogynistic influencer, leading up to him sexually assaulting a commuter on the tube.
As the story reached a crescendo, Vicki, took Joel to task for his disgusting world view and behaviour, and he responded by brutally attacking her. Though he hid at Tommy’s for a short while, he was eventually found by the police and arrested.
Joel attempted to make his trial as torturous as possible for both Vicki and Avani, though he did eventually decide to plead guilty, but the damage he inflicted on the outside world was still being felt, as his actions had ultimately destroyed Vicki and Ross’ relationship.
Though they’ve since reunited, Vicki’s kiss and subsequent night with Zack Hudson (James Farrar) and her ever growing attraction to him isn’t the only thing standing in their way when next week, Ross receives an update about Joel…
While converting Martin Fowler’s (James Bye) old shed into a man cave alongside Zack and Harvey Monroe (Ross Boatman), Ross begins to open up about his paranoia over her behaviour, and tells the group that she’d slept with someone else while they were apart.
Eaten up with guilt, Zack brave-faces, before heading to give Vicki the heads up, but they’re interrupted by the man himself with news of Joel’s sentencing.
As they deal with what they’ve learned, both vow to deal with the situation as a couple, but as the reality of what could lie ahead sinks in, Vicki is hesitant about her promise.
On Zack’s advice, Vicki decides to be open with Ross about how she feels, which she does, leading to a massive bust up when Ross makes an incredibly insensitive comparison.
Though Ross pleads with her to stay, Vicky’s had enough and storms away, putting their future in doubt once again.
Has Joel’s reign of terror destroyed their relationship for good? Or can they find a way back together? Can Vicki really keep a lid on her planet-sized crush on Zack?
