Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan) was killed off in EastEnders last month, 26 years after her first appearance. The character arrived on Albert Square in 2000 with the rest of the Slater clan and featured in some of the BBC soap's biggest storylines, including the revelation that Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace) was her mother and the murder of Den Watts (Leslie Grantham).
Zoe returned to Albert Square last June for the first time in 20 years, initially with a fleeting appearance before a full-time comeback. Estranged from Kat, Zoe had to navigate a difficult reunion before taking a bullet – and that was just the beginning.
How did Zoe Slater die?
In recent scenes, Zoe found Charlie Slater's (Derek Martin) cab for sale and headed out to buy it by herself when Kat got waylaid. Things didn't go to plan: while attempting to steal the cab, Zoe tripped and banged her head on a pile of rubble. Although she was bleeding, she pulled herself up, hurled bricks at the men selling the cab, and drove off – but the fall had left her with a brain bleed that ultimately claimed her life.
After a clash with Kat saw the mother and daughter find peace and exchange their final 'I love you's, Zoe's condition worsened through the night. As her injury caused serious agony, she headed downstairs in search of paracetamol, instead finding her ex-fling Max Branning (Jake Wood) in the arms of Linda Carter (Kellie Bright). Zoe pleaded with Max for help, but he dismissed her, under the impression she was drunk, ultimately leaving her to die alone.
What has been the fallout?
The Slater clan, particularly Kat, have crumbled in the aftermath. Kat has been desperate for answers about what happened to Zoe on the night she lost her life. As the rest of the Slaters gathered to plant a memorial tree in Zoe's honour, police told Kat that Zoe had made an incoherent 999 call, with the only words the emergency services could make out: 'He left me'.
Armed with this information, Kat has turned her focus to discovering who left Zoe to die, first accusing Zack Hudson (James Farrar), before discovering that Zoe had called Max on the day of her death and heading to interrogate him. Though Max managed to placate her, it may only be a matter of time before she discovers he did see Zoe before she died and left her alone in her time of need.
Why did Zoe die?
According to Michelle, Zoe's return was never going to be longer than a year, and she understands the decision to kill her character. Speaking to Radio Times, she said: 'My agent and I sort of discussed from the outset that it would be a year, and I think that when we came to look at where Zoe was going, it just seemed like a natural conclusion for her to die, because for her to run away again would have gone against everything she'd fought for; for her children.'
'So as sad as it was to hear that Zoe was going to be killed off, I was like, “I completely understand that”. She took responsibility for any fan-backlash: 'I know some people are upset that Zoe is going to be killed off, but I feel like it's the right time, and I think it's better that there's a conclusion rather than it being open-ended.'
'They're very passionate, so I understand when sometimes they don't respond to certain storylines, or they feel a bit cheated if a character's leaving too soon, but that's probably down to me, in the sense of I always anticipated a year [on the show].'
