Joel Marshall (Max Murray) has introduced EastEnders teen Tommy Moon (Sonny Kendall) to p.o.r.n.o.g.r.a.p.h.y after he expressed his desire for a relationship.
Troublesome Joel jetted into Albert Square last month with dad Ross (Alex Walkinshaw) and Vicki Fowler (Alice Haig) to attend Martin Fowler’s (James Bye) funeral.
It became clear that the trio were hiding a few skeletons in their closet, as Vicki began looking for a cash source.
She told sister Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) that Ross was in $50,000 worth of debt following his divorce settlement, unaware that there was a further secret bubbling under the surface.
During a quiet chat between father and son, Ross asked Joel not to land himself in any more bother… he was the one who had racked up the sum.
Crikey!
Despite the bombshell – which looks set to be exposed next week – Joel has settled into Walford life fairly well, striking up friendships with his neighbours and even flirting with Avani Nandra-Hart (Aaliyah James).
One of his most notable new mates is Tommy, who spent months living with Zack Hudson (James Farrar) after abusing his mum Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace), and later developed a concerning bond with an AI chatbot.
Joel asserted that he didn’t care about the fictional friend, and later convinced Tommy to delete the app.
In tonight’s episode, it transpired that Joel may have worrying views about sexual relationships that could easily influence naive Tommy.
Avani was upset after learning her complaint against the police officers who strip searched her had been dropped, and asked parents Priya (Sophie Khan Levy) and Ravi (Aaron Thiara) if she could hold a small gathering.
The teens gathered at the Panesar-Unwin residence for a chilled out evening, but it didn’t take long for the vibe of the night to change.
Joel and Tommy strolled into the house with a bottle of vodka, much to the delight of Ricky Branning (Frankie Day) and Denzel Danes (Jaden Ladega).
Avani and Amy Mitchell (Ellie Dadd) declined to join in, though the lads relished in the booze and quickly became drunk.
The topic of conversation moved onto dating, and Tommy admitted that he had never kissed a girl.
The lads goaded him over the comment, and he retreated to the kitchen. Joel quickly followed and asked him if he wanted some advice – and then offered his own troubling words of wisdom.
Whipping out his phone, he suggested watching p.o.r.n to better understand how to behave with a woman.
Deeply disturbing.
Tommy was stunned, but soon became intrigued by the video on Joel’s screen.
Is he leading Tommy down a dark path?
