20. Lou Beale's final moments

 

 

Walford's original matriarch left the show just a few years into its life, however she has made such an impact in the show's history. Her iconic final scene was done so well - Lou knew that she wouldn't make it through the next night, so she gathered her family to give them all a few words of advice. After slaying them all, she retired to her bedroom signalling "it's time for me to go now" and Lou sadly passed away during her sleep.

19. Tiffany's shock New Year death

 

 

After lying to the police that Grant pushed her down the stairs, causing a blood clot, he returns with a vengeance to sort out his wife and stop her leaving with Courtney. Tiffany is shocked to walk into the living room and see Grant holding Tiffany and after some words Grant makes a dash for it. Unfortunately, Frank happens to be driving round the corner at the same time and Tiffany is knocked over as the clock strikes midnight. Heartbroken Bianca stays with her best friend in her final scene as her life slips away.

The Tiffany one was my earliest memory of Eastenders. I've re watched it on several omnibuses when they were on UK Gold. Very very sad storyline :(

Edited February 16, 201510 yr by Rob S

Bubbly's in the fridge and you need slappin' dahn are definitely the two best comedy moments. I love Zainab singing too :lol: Also when Abi randomly went psycho tried to drown Lauren at Halloween, because it was just so random I couldn't help but find it absolutely hilarious for some reason!

 

Also Ben's dancing moment to The Promise and LoveGame with Louise :rofl: He did a tap routine to I Predict A Riot I remember as well!

18. Mark Fowler tells his parents that he his HIV positive

 

 

This was certainly quite a ground-breaking and important storyline at the time. In 1991, Mark returned to EE with a new head, and Diane Butcher learnt that he had become HIV positive. He initially kept this a secret for a few months, but he decided to finally break the news to Arthur and Pauline on Boxing Day. This sparked a quite harrowing storyline of Mark having to deal with his neighbours and friends backlash - most vocally from Peggy Mitchell who outlawed him from the Queen Vic. This iconic Peggy v Pauline scene shows Peggy at her lowest hour, before she finally apologises the Mark later.

 

If people thought storylines today were drawn out, they should take a look at the Mark's HIV story! :P But in all seriousness, I think it was very important to actually show that this was something you had to live with rather than go to the doctors and be cured. I can only imagine how life changing this was at the time.

 

This is another really iconic scene from this story and I think perhaps the most important:

 

Another great scene from this storyline. I love the way they handled it and the way the storyline progressed - naturally it was going to be drawn out because of the nature of it.

17. Chrissie murders Dirty Den

 

 

For EastEnders 20th Anniversary, they decided to kill off one of the show's most iconic characters. Den had made a few enemies in his return to EE; he conned Sam Mitchell out of the Queen Victoria, he manipulated Zoe Slater to keep Dennis away from Sharon and he cheated on his wife, Chrissie. The three scorned women joined together in a Macbeth style witchy secret meeting to plot the downfall of Den Watts. Things started off well with Chrissie revealing Den's true colours to daughter Sharon (a guest reappearance). However, Den turned violent and in the scuffle Zoe Slater hit Den to stop him from hitting Chrissie. As a result, the three women panicked as they thought he had died. However, Dirty Den was still alive and Chrissie then delivered the fatal blow to end his life.

16. Peggy and Pat's bitchfight

 

 

This has to be EE's most iconic bitchfight ever. Pat and Peggy had always been frenemies, but this particular scene has been well remembered many years later and used for many different hilarious remixes! It may not be a harrowing or iconic storyline, but the legacy of the scene earns it a #16 place on my countdown. Also little Peggy pushing aside the iamspamspamamitable to smack down Pat! *.*

I still remember that murder! I would only have been 8 so that might be one of my earliest vivid EE memories actually. It was so well done at the time, Chrissie is just the perfect soap bitch.

I still remember that murder! I would only have been 8 so that might be one of my earliest vivid EE memories actually. It was so well done at the time, Chrissie is just the perfect soap bitch.

Same! I remember the whole episode so well and I loved the whole storyline - Kat and Zoe's confrontation followed by Zoe's exit, Dennis and Sharon's wedding with Sam digging up Den's body and punching Tracy in the face(!!), Peggy slapping Chrissie into Den's grave, the return of the Mitchell brothers and Sharon's power slap on Chrissie just before her arrest!

 

Peggy and Pat's fight really is one of the most iconic EE scenes. I loved when they re-created it during Frank's funeral week.

The whole Dirty Den return storyline was when I first got into Eastenders properly and was watching it all the time! I watched it regularly for a few years after that but have slowly drifted away in recent years :kink:

 

I'll be watching this week for sure though!

The whole Dirty Den return storyline was when I first got into Eastenders properly and was watching it all the time! I watched it regularly for a few years after that but have slowly drifted away in recent years :kink:

 

I'll be watching this week for sure though!

 

Same for me, I was so hooked on Eastenders when Dirty Den returned, the whole Dennis-Sharon-Zoe storyline and Chrissie's revenge (GOSH what an evil harpy she was, not much better than her husband) was my favourite EE storyline I think (I think it was the last big one before I got a bit tired of it). And Dirty Den was such a fantastic character, even if it's kinda creepy that the actor bares a lot of similarities to the character (:/).

 

 

15. Phil Mitchell is shot on his doorstep

 

 

One of EE's greatest ever whodunnits - 'who shot Phil' was the question of everyone's lips across the country. At the time, the storyline sparked the biggest ever media and betting response to a whodunnit, and has been widely remembered as one of EE's most iconic moments in its history. Of course, King Phil recovered (and was shot again haha) and eventually forced Lisa Fowler to admit that it was her who shot him. 22 million viewers tuned into watch Lisa's confession in 2001.

14. Stacey Slater is sectioned

 

 

This episode was perfectly written and acted by Lacey Turner. The attention to detail and performance throughout the episode were amazing and it was very upsetting to watch. During the episode, Bradley was planning to leave with his new girlfriend Syd. However, Stacey begged him to stay due to her being unwell. When she returned home, he was sectioned after Jean called for help from the doctor and police. If you haven't seen the whole episode, it really is worth watching!

April I'm absolutely loving this countdown so far, reminding me why Eastenders is one of my favourite ever shows. Legit almost cried at the Stacey being sectioned clip, incredibly powerful! Lacey and Gillian were PHENOMENAL together, I do hope she returns one day.

Thank you Jade (and I forgot to thank Joseph earlier, so thanks Joseph too)! :heart: Stacey being sectioned was so emotional and has always stuck with me.

:heehee: No problem! :heart:

 

Stacey being sectioned is something I remember quite clearly actually, really powerful scene. Lacey and Gillian need more screentime together, hopefully Gillian returns either full-time or for a few appearances here and there in the future!

Stacey's bipolar storyline is another which I wish I was old enough to properly appreciate as looking back on the scenes, it was a really powerful, well handled story. Her sectioning really does make you want to weep, especially when you hear Stacey's voice going when she's shouting for Bradley. There's also a scene earlier in the episode where she takes a load of pills that she's been hiding which is really hard hitting too.

 

I really loved the episode that ends with Stacey looking into her mirror and telling herself she was normal. All the dialogue in that episode was perfect.

 

13. Bradley falls to his death and Stacey confesses she killed Archie

 

 

16 million viewers watched Bradley Branning fall to his death in the EE's first ever live episode back in 2010. Just moments after her husband died, Stacey finally confessed that it was she who killed Archie Mitchell back on Christmas Day to Bradley's father and her ex-lover Max. The death of Bradley came as a great shock and of course Stacey wasn't one of the most obvious suspects for Archie's murder. The whole live episode and its duff duff was one of the most iconic EE moments ever.