EastEnders fans were left horrified at last night’s episode, after Gray Atkins planned to kill his own children in a heart-wrenching murder-suicide plot.
After killing wife Chantelle in shocking scenes that aired last month, the soap villain (played by Toby Alexander Smith) started to feel his conscience catch up to him as he contemplated blowing up his house with both himself and his two children still inside.
Asking his children whether they “wanted to see Mummy again”, Gray was then seen disconnecting the boiler’s gas pipes before reaching for a lighter.
The shocking scenes saw viewers take to Twitter to express their shock at what Gray was evidently about to do.
Many called for Gray to have second thoughts.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">No gray don’t kill the babies pls 😭 <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EastEnders?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-4571815-https://twitter.com/hashtag/EastEnders?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-vars-event-id="c23">#EastEnders</a> — ❄️🍜 (@its_minnie3) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/its_minnie3/status/1316814668023967746?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-4571815-https://twitter.com/its_minnie3/status/1316814668023967746?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-vars-event-id="c23">October 15, 2020</a>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Is Gray gonna kill himself and Mack and Mia? <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EastEnders?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-4571815-https://twitter.com/hashtag/EastEnders?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-vars-event-id="c23">#EastEnders</a> — Kate (@AuntieKaty) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/AuntieKaty/status/1316812837021454342?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-4571815-https://twitter.com/AuntieKaty/status/1316812837021454342?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-vars-event-id="c23">October 15, 2020</a>
Others were left in disbelief.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">NOOOOOO GRAY DON'T YOU DARE DO WHAT I THINK YOU'RE GONNA DO!! <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EastEnders?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-4571815-https://twitter.com/hashtag/EastEnders?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-vars-event-id="c23">#EastEnders</a> — kayleigh 🦊🧙♀️🕷️🏳️🌈 (@kay_rox90) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/kay_rox90/status/1316812876863229953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-4571815-https://twitter.com/kay_rox90/status/1316812876863229953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-vars-event-id="c23">October 15, 2020</a>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Is Gray planning the unthinkable? <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EastEnders?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-4571815-https://twitter.com/hashtag/EastEnders?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-vars-event-id="c23">#EastEnders</a> — Walford Weekly Podcast (@WalfordWeekly) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/WalfordWeekly/status/1316812990243577859?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-4571815-https://twitter.com/WalfordWeekly/status/1316812990243577859?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-vars-event-id="c23">October 15, 2020</a>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Gray is actually terrifying me. <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EastEnders?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-4571815-https://twitter.com/hashtag/EastEnders?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-vars-event-id="c23">#EastEnders</a> <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://t.co/ewaTYOe6MM" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-4571815-https://t.co/ewaTYOe6MM" data-vars-event-id="c23">pic.twitter.com/ewaTYOe6MM</a> — Monty (@Monty11061087) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/Monty11061087/status/1316813718471225344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-4571815-https://twitter.com/Monty11061087/status/1316813718471225344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-vars-event-id="c23">October 15, 2020</a>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Is Gray losing it? How are the kids gonna see her again? Unless he plans on killing them all and joining her. <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EastEnders?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-4571815-https://twitter.com/hashtag/EastEnders?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-vars-event-id="c23">#EastEnders</a> — Ĵuαŋі© (@Juani983) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/Juani983/status/1316831119870955520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-4571815-https://twitter.com/Juani983/status/1316831119870955520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-vars-event-id="c23">October 15, 2020</a>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">NOOOOOOOO!!!!!! Please don't say Gray is going to do what I think he is <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Eastenders?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-4571815-https://twitter.com/hashtag/Eastenders?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-vars-event-id="c23">#Eastenders</a> — Sheena milburn (@Sheenamilburn2) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/Sheenamilburn2/status/1316812988196810752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-4571815-https://twitter.com/Sheenamilburn2/status/1316812988196810752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" data-vars-event-id="c23">October 15, 2020</a>
However, before Gray got the chance to inflict any damage, the day was saved by a drunk Shirley Carter (Linda Henry) who realised what he was going to do.
“When you're not thinking straight, you do stuff that makes your blood run cold when it's over,” she said.
EastEnders comebacks
“Put that down and we'll act like this never happened.”
She then forced him to look at a picture of his kids and he dropped the lighter and became emotional.
Gray has been in the centre of a long-running storyline focused on domestic abuse.
Speaking about the harrowing scenes on Loose Women, actor Toby Alexander Smith explained how the soap has worked closely with Women’s Aid throughout the plot.
“It was a massive eye-opener,” he said. “we all think we know something about domestic abuse, but in what capacity?
“Initially it was very difficult, I didn’t quite prepare myself for when you see the first clip of inside the house and when you see who he really is.”
If you have been impacted by this storyline, call Refuge for free on 0808 2000 247 or visit https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/
EastEnders continues weeknights, except Wednesdays, on BBC One.
