EastEnders threw a MASSIVE twist in the works this week that shocked fans to the very core.
Before we knew it, spoilers were flying around that Ben Mitchell, played by Harry Reid, is soon to breathe his last breath - the result of a horrific accident.
And whilst we normally relish a shock EastEnders twist, we're definitely not a fan of this one. At all.
Here's why Ben Mitchell's time on Albert Square simply can't be up...
What will happen to Paul?
Of course, all the talk of 'Ben dying from his horrific injuries' could mean that his injuries are so bad that the gut-wrenching task of identifying his body could lead to a heartbreaking twist – that it’s not really Ben at all.
But who could it be? Paul? A stranger? Another Walford resident? We all know Johnny Labey, who plays Paul Coker, is leaving the soap very soon and while opening the door for Paul to return is the nicer option – the grizzly world of soap is a cruel mistress.
Another Mitchell CAN'T die
Can EastEnders really justify killing off TWO Mitchell’s in the space of a few months? Peggy was more than enough to send our emotions into overdrive, we still can't think about Phil reading that letter from his 'ma without a tear forming...
Plus, Ian has been through the mill with Lucy Beale being killed, his son finally going down for murder and Jane being paralysed.
It’s time to give the Mitchell’s a break? No?
**How will Abi Branning and Jay Brown cope? **
Let’s face it, Abi Branning and Ben have a lot of history – not all of it pleasant – but they’ve grown up together and she would definitely feel the blow of his death.
We all know what Abi is capable of; remember her incident with Lucy Beale last year? Can we really risk sending Abi over the edge again?
And even though Jay and Ben aren’t brothers by blood, their bond is closer than any other in EastEnders – we’re not sure we could see Jay go through even more pain.
His death could lead to more deaths
Phil falling back into drink, Les Coker’s heart not dealing with the stress of it all, Paul being so heartbroken that it could tip him over the edge…
He’s the next Phil Mitchell
We all like to think that Phil is invincible as a character, that he can weather every single storm - he's been shot twice, escaped a car that plunged into the Thames, survived being beaten to a pulp by his maniac brother, survived setting the Queen Vic on fire and beat an addiction to crack.
And like Voldemort learnt in Harry Potter, immortality isn’t real. Phil Mitchell is going to meet his maker one day and he needs someone to take his place.
His only son, Ben, can't fill that role if he's dead, can he?
**He’s got so much more to give as a character **
Ben’s character development has come in leaps and bounds recently: from meeting Paul to standing up to his old man – he’s a STRONG character – and he shouldn’t just be mercilessly killed off.
**His fan base is increasing **
Fans of Ben Mitchell were understandably DISTRAUGHT when the spoilers revealed Phil Mitchell and Ian Beale go are to hospital to be told that Ben is dead.
And, out of the four previous Ben Mitchell's, this one is definitely the best.
Listen to your audience!
**There’s been no official announcement that Harry Reid is leaving the soap **
Of course, this doesn’t necessarily mean that his character can’t die suddenly; there’s just been no official statement, no sign of new projects on social media and no new characters announced.
Fishy…
**The Square’s young guns are the best they’ve ever been **
Don’t you think? From the Carters, Louise Mitchell, Lauren Branning, Paul Coker, Stephen Beale, and even Denny. The current young EastEnders cast are outstanding and we want to see even more of what they have to offer.
Young actors should be given the chance to properly shine and soap is the PERFECT platform.
Maybe we’ll never find out…
One thing's for sure, I definitely couldn't cope with a Ben Mitchell free Walford.