EastEnders airs dystopian Patrick Trueman scenes as he talks to dead son Anthony in BBC iPlayer release
Warning: Contains spoilers for Thursday's episode of EastEnders, which airs at 7.30pm on BBC One or can be streamed now on BBC iPlayer.
If you're tuning into EastEnders today, you may well confuse it for an episode of Black Mirror.
The notion of speaking to the deceased long after their passing was the central theme to the 2013 instalment Be Right Back, and was deemed somewhat far-fetched and futuristic at the time. However, 13 years on, and with significant advancements in technology, it's now very much a reality.
Whether you like or or loathe it – artificial intelligence has become a part of our everyday lives, from those asking ChatGPT to help with homework, to deepfake duplicates of high-profile celebrities scamming innocent people out of thousands.
For someone like Albert Square's Patrick Trueman (Rudolph Walker), it's probably something he never thought he'd utilise.
Enter youngster Denzel Danes (Jaden Ladega), who is well-versed in the technology. He was inspired by mate Tommy Moon (Sonny Kendall) to create a chatbot version of the late Anthony Trueman (Nicholas Bailey) to help Patrick combat his grief.
Anthony was murdered at Christmas, just hours after dad Patrick told him that he wished he'd died rather than his eldest son Paul (Gary Beadle).
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Patrick was left guilt-ridden over his comments, only intensified when he discovered that his granddaughter Jasmine Fisher (Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness) – someone he'd welcomed into his own home – was the killer.
He's spent his days in his pyjamas, knocking back rum and refusing to leave the house.
Denzel hoped that his idea would be a great way for Patrick to let off some steam and to confess his inner thoughts to Anthony – and be able to receive some words of reassurance back. However, when he initially presented the device to him, he was horrified.
Patrick rushed off into the bedroom in tears, and his wife Yolande (Angela Wynter) was deeply concerned. She warned Denzel not to intervene again, and to let Patrick grieve at his own pace.
Later that night, Patrick emerged from the bedroom and asked to speak to 'Anthony'. The two shared some jokes, as Denzel and Yolande stood outside intrigued.
It's clear that she's sceptical about the use of AI, but how will she feel when her husband becomes increasingly dependant on it?
Read more:
- 5 EastEnders spoilers next week: Clare Bates's emotional return and Max Branning seeks revenge
- EastEnders finally confirms emotional return after 18 years for Nigel’s dementia storyline
- EastEnders' Callum Highway fears for his future after incriminating Ben Mitchell scam in BBC iPlayer release
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Authors
Michael Adams is the Soaps Editor at Radio Times, covering all of the hot gossip and spoilers from Weatherfield to Walford, Emmerdale to Hollyoaks and everywhere in-between. He joined the team from Metro, where he spent two years as a Soaps Reporter and previously worked on the sets of both Coronation Street and Emmerdale.
