Fans of EastEnders were moved to tears by a special two-hander episode that focused on Lola Pearce’s storyline as she went on a beach vacation with her soulmate Jay Brown.
As viewers are aware, Lola has a tumour and is terminally sick; in more recent scenes, she was informed that she had less than six months to live.
Things took a devastating turn earlier this week when Lola’s doctors revealed that her most recent round of palliative chemotherapy had failed and that she now only had a few weeks to live.
The BBC One soap opera departed from tradition on Thursday, May 18, by focusing only on this plotline, which had Jay escorting Lola out of the hospital for a special excursion to Margate after she voiced her wish to see the beach.
As Lola confessed in her husband that she’s thinking about killing herself before the consequences of her cancer truly start to manifest, Jay serenaded her with a devastating version of their wedding song, Wonderful Tonight.
However, Lola changed her mind and told Jay that she planned to ‘die naturally’ so that she could be with her daughter Lexi till the very end. The episode ended with a unique dream sequence with Lola and Jay casually jogging over the waves while enjoying the fun of their life.
You’re sobbing, not you.
You’re not alone if you were in a state of disbelief at the episode’s finale, as many fans took to social media to express their opinions on the outstanding episode.
One viewer called it “one of my favourite episodes of the year so far.” A genuine expression of love, loss, and stolen joy. I really do want to give everyone involved all the honours.
Another fan cried, “You could feel the raw emotion!” while another added, “The episode was phenomenal.” I believe I understand every message. How an illness can steal away a person’s grin is so awful.
One fan even referred to Lola’s plot as “the saddest” that EastEnders has ever presented.
Next week, there will likely be more upsetting moments as Lola’s mood plummets as her speech gets slurred and the reality of her diagnosis settles in.
On Monday, May 22, at 7:30 p.m. on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, EastEnders will recommence.
