Fans of EastEnders were shocked to learn in the Christmas Day special that Keanu Taylor was the one who was taken advantage of by the six Walford women.
Viewers of EastEnders were eventually informed that Keanu Taylor, portrayed by Danny Walters, was the victim of Christmas Day murder following an extensive whodunit plot. The BBC soap opera has been revealing who will meet a grisly end since February of this year.
Fans witnessed a startled Denise Fox (Diane Parish), Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth), and Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) in the Queen Vic over a lifeless body in a flashforward scene. Residents of Walford Suki Kaur Panesar (Balvinder Sopal) and Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner) were also present at the crime scene.
Many men, including Phil Mitchel (Steve McFadden) and soap opera villain Nish Panesar (Navin Chowdhry), became suspects because they had no idea who was on the floor. Additionally under fire were Matt Di Angelo’s Dean Wicks and Aaron Thiara’s Ravi Gulati.
Following a confrontation, Nish appeared to be the one to die when Denise smashed a bottle over his head. But in an unexpected turn of events, Linda stabbed Keanu in the back, killing him, as he attempted to strangle Sharon.
Bosses have been hinting at the existence of clues and hints leading up to the tragedy ever since the Christmas Day death preview. This is a list of hints that viewers might have overlooked but which showed all along that Keanu would die.
Bernie’s outburst
Prior to his sister Bernie Taylor (Clair Norris) telling Phil everything, Keanu was scheduled to wed Sharon during the holiday special.
In an attempt to prevent Sharon from leaving Walford earlier this year, Keanu and his mother Karen Taylor (Lorraine Stanley) came up with a scheme.
After claiming to be Phil Mitchel’s son Albie, the couple kidnapped him and demanded ransom to ensure the toddler’s safe return.
After her lies were exposed, Karen chose to accept full responsibility and left the square.
Bernie, however, made the decision to tell Phil that Keanu was also involved in the hopes that her mother would be able to come back.
On the wedding day, Phil unexpectedly revealed everything to Sharon, while Keanu vehemently denied any involvement.
She cried out in front of the entire congregation, demanding that her brother stop lying: “You can’t lie your whole life, it will kill you!”
Kellie Bright interview
Cryptic message
Following custom, Keanu celebrated with his friends with a stag do before he married Sharon.
Before moving in with Sharon, the soon-to-be husband had a party where he enjoyed some alcohol and his final evenings of “freedom.”
However, observant spectators noticed a menacing message on a banner, providing him with a chilling preview of what was to come.
Behind Keanu was a sign that said, “Hello wife, goodbye life.”
Bell ringing
In the promotional trailers leading up to the much-awaited episode, there was a constant sound of bells ringing.
The EastEnders tagline, “For whom the bell tolls,” further suggested that this had significance for the murder victim.
It appears that there was always a hint that the soap groom would die while Keanu and Sharon were getting married in the holiday special, which featured bells that are frequently used in weddings.
East 17 track
Fans would have noticed that the East17 song Stay Another Day was playing in the background during the flashforward scene.
The song is associated with Keanu even though it’s typically played during the holiday season and could just be a coincidence.
Ben Mitchel (Max Bowden) gave Martin Fowler (James Bye) the order to kill Keanu in 2019, despite Linda appearing to agitate the situation.
Martin set fire to his clothing in an attempt to give the impression that he had complied with Phil’s request. The East17 song ended as he was doing this, hinting at his impending death four years later.
Soap star’s own words
Danny Walters, who plays Keanu Reeves, seemed to be keeping quiet about his plans for the soap opera, implying that he knew his character wouldn’t last very long.
“It’s not what I can tease, it’s what I can’t say,” he previously stated to The Mirror. For my character and the characters he interacts with, a lot is happening. I have so much I want to share with you in the near future. The female characters in the flash-forward are linked to and dependent on men in their lives, which makes it an intriguing read.
And anyone who is connected to or associated with those women—there is conjecture that this could include myself or any other male on the Square who is close to the women.
“I have confidence in the producers and whatever the person is, I know the plot will be amazing and will have people across the country talking and speculating.”