In a whirlwind of betrayal, emotional reunions, and a dramatic escape that no one saw coming, EastEnders said a sudden goodbye to four long-running characters in a single explosive episode that left the Square shaken and fans deeply divided. Gone are Sonia Fowler, Bianca Jackson, and Sonia’s daughters Bex and Julia, who vanished into the Bali sunset after a bitter confrontation with Sonia’s estranged father — the man she had waited a lifetime to meet.

After weeks of speculation, Thursday night’s episode (April 17) finally delivered on the BBC’s earlier confirmation that Sonia would be leaving Albert Square. But fans were blindsided when her exit also included the sudden departure of her on-and-off sister-in-arms, Bianca, and both her daughters. The emotional weight of saying goodbye to these fan-favorites was compounded by the sense that something major had been rushed — and perhaps left unfinished.

The exit storyline centered around the long-anticipated arrival of Terry Cant, Sonia’s absentee father who vanished from her life more than three decades ago. What began as a heartwarming reunion quickly spiraled into chaos. Though he played the role of doting dad on the surface, Terry’s true motives came crashing down like a poorly built café wall — he was using Sonia to clean up his tarnished public image. Behind closed doors, he showed flashes of aggression, especially toward Bianca, making it clear he was no knight in shining armor. Instead, he was just another man pretending to care.

Despite only appearing in four brief episodes, Terry’s toxic presence triggered the final straw. The family had had enough.

In a shocking climax, Sonia, Bianca, Bex, and Julia turned the tables. Locking Terry in a garage, they stole his car, his boat — and even his plane tickets — using his resources to disappear for good. Their destination? Bali. Far away from London, far away from pain, and hopefully, far away from manipulative men.

But while the on-screen farewell was packed with energy, action, and classic EastEnders drama, the fan reaction was mixed at best. Many longtime viewers took to social media to express frustration over how quickly this major storyline was wrapped up. Over on Reddit, the fan forum lit up with disappointment.

One user lamented that it felt like “six months of storyline crammed into three episodes.” Others questioned why such an important part of Sonia’s emotional arc — her long-lost father — was reduced to a subplot that burned out within a week. For many, Sonia’s complicated history with father figures, especially in her bond with Rocky, deserved deeper exploration.

Another fan bluntly stated: “Too little, too late.” The emotional impact of seeing Sonia finally meet the man she spent her life wondering about was diluted by how quickly the narrative turned from reunion to escape mission. Some even described the exit as “panto-like” — dramatic for drama’s sake, without the payoff longtime fans were hoping for.

Still, the episode had its bright spots. The surprise return of Tom ‘Rocky’ Cotton, absent from the show for nearly two years, provided a dose of nostalgia — even if brief. His appearance was a bittersweet reminder of all the connections being severed in this episode, leaving some fans grateful just to see familiar faces again, no matter how fleeting.

But perhaps the most bittersweet element of all was how quietly EastEnders closed the curtain on two of its most enduring women. Bianca and Sonia first burst onto the screen in 1993, capturing the hearts of viewers with their fiery personalities and messy, real relationships. To see them pack up and leave — literally overnight — was a gut punch to many who had grown up watching them weather life in Walford.