EastEnders airs violent callback to iconic Little Mo Slater moment for son Freddie
Like mother, like son...
This article includes a discussion of rape, sexual assault, and domestic abuse that some readers may find upsetting.
EastEnders aired a violent callback to an iconic moment in the soap's history tonight as Freddie Slater (Bobby Brazier) had a violent encounter with his former tutor Theo Hawthorne (William Ellis).
In Tuesday's episode (3rd October 2023), Freddie had a terrible day following his encounter with biological father Graham Foster (Alex McSweeney) - who lied that Freddie's mum Little Mo Slater (Kacey Ainsworth) had not been raped by Graham and had lied about this.
As Freddie spiralled, including getting into an altercation at Peggy's nightclub, he eventually vowed to be there for his cousin Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) and returned to the Slater house to find Theo attempting to rape her.
Stacey recently was unsuccessful in her legal action against Theo for stalking and tormenting her but on Tuesday. he entered her home and attempted to rape her.
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Freddie fought Theo off of Stacey and hit him, but soon Theo responded by hitting Freddie before attempting to chase after Stacey again.
However, Freddie seized the iron on the kitchen counter and then struck Theo with it before he fell to the floor and Freddie began to beat him repeatedly until he appeared lifeless.
A horrified Stacey exclaimed to a distressed Freddie: "Freddie, what have you done?"
The moment was distressing and certainly set social media alight with reactions, but the episode was also a stark parallel to episodes during New Year 2001/2002.
Scenes in those classic episodes saw Little Mo struggle with being continually domestically abused by her sadistic husband Trevor Morgan before she snapped and struck him on the head with an iron and then hit him once again, fearing she had killed him.
Trevor has been physically, psychologically and sexually abusing Little Mo for some time and this was the dramatic climax of his actions.
In the aftermath, Trevor survived, with Little Mo being prosecuted and charged with attempted murder. However, Trevor later did not give evidence against her when Little Mo's sister Kat (Jessie Wallace) agreed to not give evidence against him assaulting her in turn.
Trevor would later die in a fire at the Slater house in 2002 after having held Little Mo hostage and terrorising her one last time.
The episodes where Little Mo struck Trevor with an iron were penned by long-running EastEnders screenwriter Simon Ashdown - who returned this week to write Tuesday night's episode, as well as Wednesday's.
So, the parallel between mother and son fighting back against abusers is stark.
We feel like Freddie really could do with his mum's support right now.
Viewers who identify with Stacey's story can contact the National Stalking Helpline on 08088020300, or visit suzylamplugh.org. You can also visit Safeguarding Hub.
If in need of support, visit the website for Rape Crisis and also contact by calling Rape Crisis's 23/7 support line on 0808 500 2222.
Read more:
- EastEnders' Lacey Turner on Stacey's humiliating court fight with Theo
- Danny Dyer candidly explains EastEnders exit: "I'd f***ing had enough"
- Is Rocky Cotton the dead body in EastEnders at Christmas? All the clues and theories
- EastEnders’ Lacey Turner reveals new Christmas murder mystery theory
EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and from 6am on BBC iPlayer. Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. If you're looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide and Streaming Guide.
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