EastEnders’ Joel Marshall finally faces justice after his brutal attack on Vicki Fowler — explosive courtroom scenes set to shake Walford to its core.

In upcoming EastEnders scenes, Joel Marshall finally faces the consequences of his violent behaviour. The troubled teen arrived in Walford as Ross Marshall’s son, but his worldview quickly disturbed everyone around him. His hatred for women surfaced almost at once. He insulted Kat and Stacey in the pub, filmed a sexual encounter with Avani without care, and assaulted Isla on the tube. Each act pushed him deeper into misogynistic beliefs.

The storyline then reached a horrifying turning point in October. Vicki tried to confront his behaviour after he hacked a school computer and played extreme adult content to shock his classmates. Her words pushed him to reveal even more anger. He raged about women, blamed them for his failures and repeated toxic phrases he picked up online. First look pictures of upcoming scenes from EastEnders see Joel Marshall finally get his comeuppance for battering his stepmum Vicki Fowler

The Brutal Attack That Changed Everything

Vicki challenged him again at home. She refused to step back from his rage and called out his desire for control. Her words hit a nerve. They exposed how much he relied on cruelty to feel powerful. Joel snapped. He punched her to the ground and kept filming as she bled. His mocking tone made the scene even more shocking. He did not stop after one hit. He continued to attack her and walked out as if he had proved something.

Other characters appear around this moment as tension rises in the Square. Kat arrives in bold prints and bright boots. Avani shows up in a long black coat. Zack also moves through the area as the cast prepares for Joel’s next major step: the courtroom. In the sneak peek snaps, Joel looks angrier than ever walking outside of court in a black puffer jacket, while in another he can be seen looking out of the window in his school uniform

Courtroom Reckoning

New images show Joel waiting for his sentencing. His face is tight with anger as he leaves the court in a black puffer jacket. Another shot shows him staring out of a window in his school uniform. The contrast highlights how young he is, despite the violence he caused.

The attack has forced many residents to confront Ross as well. Jack, Denise and Priya demanded answers, yet Ross defended his son. Their conflict added emotional weight to the storyline and helped show the real harm of excusing dangerous behaviour. Shortly after moving to the Square in March, Joel's derogatory views about women became very clear

A Storyline Inspired by Real-World Fears

The plot draws inspiration from Adolescence, a Netflix drama that exposed the grim world of incel communities. EastEnders mirrors that fear by showing how online hatred can grow into real violence.

Fans will now watch closely as Joel finally learns whether the court will hold him fully accountable. The episode airs on BBC One and streams on iPlayer.