EastEnders tonight: Heartbreak on the Square as TWO couples are forced apart!

EastEnders logo
(Image credit: BBC)

*This article contains spoilers for tonight's (Thursday, August 22) episode of EastEnders on BBC iPlayer and is yet to air on TV*

There's heartbreak in EastEnders tonight as a two couples are forced apart - but are they over for good or is there hope for them?

First up, Jean Slater leaves Albert Square, waving goodbye to partner Harvey Monroe after his terrible mistake with baby Charli.

And that sad separation is followed by shocking scenes as innocent Sonia Fowler is carted off to prison, leaving guilty partner Reiss Colwell free as a bird!

Jean and Harvey chat

Jean's disappointed when she overhears Harvey (Image credit: BBC)

Jean was understanding when the family get back from the hospital with little Charli, who was thankfully unscathed by her time stuck in the hot car, while Harvey had a nap. 

But finding it hard to deal with Harvey's lies, she arranged for him to spend the night at Alfie's. 

In today's episode, though, she's unimpressed to overhear him complaining about how Alfie's sofa isn't good for his back. 

Jean points out that she's been working all week with a bad back and she tells him she's too angry with him to listen to anything he has to say.

"I'm so disappointed in you," she says. Ouch! 

Jean and Harvey say goodbye

Jean says goodbye to Harvey - but will she be back?  (Image credit: BBC)

After sharing his woes with Kathy, though, Harvey decides to fight for his woman, and he heads back to the Slaters' house determined to win Jean back.

But he's too late! He catches Jean about to leave the Square with her cases packed.

She's off to son Sean's.

"He's promised to look after me," she says.

Harvey begs her to stay, but Jean's not budging.

"I do want to forgive you," she says. But she adds she needs to judge people by their actions, not their words.

Poor Harvey's devastated as Jean leaves - is it over for the pair?

Reiss Colwell looking nervous outside his house

Reiss is guilty, but free as a bird, while innocent Sonia is behind bars (Image credit: BBC)

Meanwhile, at Walford Police Station, Sonia wakes in a cell having spent the night behind bars, charged with murder!

Her guilty husband Reiss has been released, but the residents of Albert Square are already suspicious that he could be the one to blame.

Jack Branning - Walford's finest detective, and Sonia's uncle - listens to the locals' chatter about Reiss and promises to find out more.

And after an emotional moment with his niece he manages to get Reiss into her cell.

Jack Branning looks suspicious

Is that a glimmer of suspicion on Jack's face? (Image credit: BBC)

Jack's there watching as Sonia asks her fiance if he killed Debbie.

But murderer Reiss lies without hesitation. "I didn't kill her," he says.

Poor Sonia's left apologising for asking!

But is that a glimmer of suspicion on Jack's face? Hmm.

And there's more heartbreak in store for Sonia, as an officer arrives in her police cell to take her to prison to wait for her trial. Sonia begs Jack to intervene, telling him she's scared, but his hands are tied.

Sonia looks scared as a police officer takes her away

Sonia begs Jack to help, but he can't (Image credit: BBC)

As Sonia's dragged away, Reiss promises he'll do everything he can to get her out.

Except confessing to murder himself, clearly.

And the pair shout: "I love you!" as the officer takes Sonia to prison.

Aww! It would be sweet, wouldn't it? If Reiss wasn't the one who killed his wife!

What's next for pregnant Sonia?

EastEnders airs tonight at 7.30pm on BBC One. Check our TV Guide for more information.

Kerry Barrett
Freelance writer

Kerry is a writer, author and editor with a lifelong love of the soaps, a passion for TV drama of all kinds, and an obsessive devotion to Strictly Come Dancing. 

She was features editor of All About Soap magazine for more than a decade, covering every bit of excitement from all the UK soaps and the Aussies and still writes about all the juiciest gossip from the Street, the Square and the Dales whenever she can.

Kerry’s also an author of historical fiction, and her two jobs collided when she got the chance to write two novels based on Emmerdale, and the Sugden, Tate and Dingle families, during WW2.