What EastEnders can learn from its exceptional standalone episodes this year

2026 has been a very busy year in Walford, with births, deaths, marriages, betrayals and secrets aplenty – though there has been a mixed response to Albert Square’s latest offerings.

The first months of the year were plagued by the aftermath of Anthony’s Christmas Day death, with Zoe wrongly jailed and Jasmine eventually acquitted for the violent crime. The various affair stories haven’t quite kept viewers gripped, and the two separate ‘who’s the daddy’ plots have arguably caused unnecessary drama for multiple popular couples.

Plus, the New Year’s Day flashforward, with Max at the centre, has been the main driving force for much of the action this year, and it remains to be seen whether or not the ambitious storytelling device will pay off this festive season.

But within this mixed bag of a year, there have been some totally brilliant moments in the Square – and most have been tied to some impressive standalone episodes.

The first couple of these special episodes surrounded much-loved character Nigel, whose young on-set dementia was explored sensitively and powerfully for 18 months.

In March, Nigel moved into a care home after being looked after by best friend Phil for over a year. Nigel’s loved ones, including his returning daughter Clare, gathered in The Vic to give him a proper send off, in a beautiful community-centric half hour.

The episode carefully tackled Julie and Clare’s fractured relationship, Nigel’s violent response to his new surroundings, as well as Julie and Phil’s individual struggles to accept that they couldn’t care for Nigel on their own anymore.

Then in April, EastEnders dedicated two episodes to Nigel’s heartbreaking death and the immediate aftermath. With Phil and Julie by Nigel’s side as he passed away, the standalone episode gave enough space to end this long-running story in a poignant and peaceful manner.

Appropriate space was also given to Denise’s acute myeloid leukaemia back in June, when after she finally told her family about her diagnosis, a special episode followed the iconic character as she officially started her life-saving treatment.

The night before she went to hospital, Denise opened up about her concerns about treatment – concerns that many viewers would deeply relate to – and the show properly dug into her relationships with husband Jack and sister Kim in the hours before her first round of chemotherapy.

The most recent examples relate to Zoe’s sudden death, a huge creative decision that has proven controversial amongst viewers. While Michelle Ryan’s final scenes were deemed rushed, last month’s standalone episode where the Slater-Moon family discovered Zoe’s death was a simple yet hugely compelling piece of drama.

The episode’s action rarely left The Vic, making for a claustrophobic half hour that explored every character’s reaction to this unexpected tragedy. Jean delivered a devastating monologue in her final words to Zoe that was a celebration of the iconic Slater family.

Then this week, the attention returned to the pub’s current owners, as Kat’s spiral of grief left her and Alfie’s marriage hanging by a thread. While it looked like their marriage was over, when Alfie realised his wife was in danger, he headed into the woods to save her and the pair reunited.

The standalone episode was a reminder of why Kat and Alfie are one of soap’s most celebrated partnerships, with Jessie Wallace and Shane Richie having played this love story for nearly a quarter of a century now. The scene in the woods where Kat looked up at the moon was a beautiful, symbolic moment for fans who have rooted for Kat and Alfie since 2002.

It can be argued that these special instalments are not only the best episodes of EastEnders this year but are among the strongest episodes across all the soaps in 2026 – which is why bosses need to learn from this.

Of course, this is not to say that every episode should be standalone, as it’s the multi-strand format that defines the soap genre.

But what links all these strong examples is the fact that the episodes are all led by character rather than plot.

Plot twists and outlandish stories are always welcome in soap, but what loyal viewers care about more than anything are characters and relationships. It’s when EastEnders slows down to examine and pick apart these characters and relationships that the show shines brighter than ever.

The Six flashforward in 2023 was such a success not because of the bold narrative technique, but because the ominous scene in February set into a motion a year of excellent storytelling with six powerhouse women at the centre.

It’s difficult to invest in a soap couple if their relationship is rushed or progresses off screen, and it’s impossible to be gripped by a storyline that feels over before it’s even begun.

The way we consume media today is more fast-moving than ever, but unlike other TV shows, soaps have the unique opportunity to set their own pace and put in the groundwork in their storytelling.

The overwhelmingly positive reaction to this week’s Kat and Alfie episode, and the other standalone episodes this year, proves that viewers are calling out for more of the same from EastEnders – to take a breath, to look around, and to honour the Square’s rich and complex characters.

EastEnders airs on Mondays - Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast.

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