Fans had to say goodbye to Sonia Fowler and three other characters(Image: BBC)
EastEnders fans have admitted that the exit story for four major characters felt ‘rushed’ and ‘could have been something worthwhile’.
On Thursday night (April 17), viewers said goodbye to Bianca Jackson, Sonia Fowler, and her daughters Bex and Julia in an emotional episode.
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It had been confirmed by the BBC that Sonia’s exit would take place, but fans were unaware that Bianca would be leaving with her.
The onscreen sisters, who both initially debuted on the BBC soap in 1993, announced back in January would be departing.
In an episode that saw Tom ‘Rocky’ Cotton return for the first time in two years, the family fled to Bali in the wake of Sonia meeting her dad Terry Cant.
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Despite appearing to be friendly and wanting a relationship with his daughter after 30 years away from her life, it emerged that Terry wasn’t all that friendly.
On top of being physically aggressive with Bianca, the wellness business owner only wanted to have a have a relationship with Sonia to boost his reputation.
Sonia’s final episode left fans feeling divided(Image: BBC)
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Locking Terry in a garage, Sonia, Bianca, Bex and Julia stole his car and speedboat and used his plane tickets to move to Bali.
After over three decades of wanting to see Terry, viewers had to make do with him being in just four episodes.
Taking to the EastEnders Reddit page, some fans felt that the exit storyline moved too fast and missed out on fleshing out Terry’s character.
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@guiltySignificance0 said: “I feel like the ‘estranged father’ plot was a story they’ve wanted to tell but always kept on the back burner for Sonia. So when Natalie Cassidy left, they quickly squeezed it into her exit storyline while they still could.” @2uiet-Interview3916 added: “It was too little too late to bring her father into it now.”
@greeniron84 wrote: “To me it was like they rushed 6 months of storyline into three episodes. It could have been something worthwhile if they brought him in 6 months ago.” @goalLower posted: “Feel like it could of been extended at least a week longer, hate all these exits where they just pack up and leave the next day.”
@big_white_fishie commented: “Felt quite panto? If that makes sense. But we got Rocky. So I’m happy.” @chewinggum250 stated: “Terry should have arrived two weeks before Sonia left, to flesh it out a bit more. Sonia not knowing her dad was a major part of her character and was a huge storyline with Rocky, but this started and ended within a week.”
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Meanwhile, Bianca actress Patsy will find out on Friday night (April 18) if she gets to stay in Celebrity Big Brother for another few days.
The fan favourite actress is up for eviction against Olympian Daley Thompson, marking the second time in a row that her fate is in fans’ hands.
