This. Also there's the fact both shows exist in different continuities. One doesn't follow the "law" of the other. Tracey Barlow has nothing to do with EastEnders.

Tracy's release is not plausible in the slightest.

And a lot of people seem to have forgotten she was a murderer or have decided she's innocent. Her family, even though Tracy admitted everything to Deirdre the night before her sentencing and whenever Tracy attacks someone else they never throw the "murderer" tag back at her.

It's as though the entire plot has been forgotten.

Only thing I found unrealistic was both Kat and Stacey not noticing Jean is obviously on the verge of a relapse. Unless that's part of the story and guilt is what makes Kat's waters break and Stacey change her mind about appealing.

This. There's also Whitney, who is her Aunt. I'd rather see Whitney looking after Lily than in an on/off relationship with Lee Carter. Lily would also be close enough to Kat to see her from time to time, so she wouldn't be completely uprooted to relatives she's never met in that case.

Yep there was no way Tracy could have got off. Who ever that producer was didn't think much of her character at all. I surprised they didn't kill her off.

You can't blame them for wanting to forget it. By making Tracy plan to murder Charlie in cold blood, not to mention then doing it, it ended her characters life span. She wasn't innocent at all.

Some viewers however still have long memories

Kat definitely noticed Jean was on the verge of a relapse. Kat was clearly worried that, with Jean unwell again, she and Alfie would have to take care of Lily as well as their own three children.

This whole situation could have been avoided if they had sent Stacey down when she left the show in 2010. But of course, Kirkwood lacked the foresight to see that there was no plausible way Stacey could get away with murder, and then return to the show like nothing happened. She HAD to go to prison at some point.

If they sent Stacey to prison in 2010 instead of letting her swan out of Walford she could have been out by now, saving us this tedious, implausible storyline.

You're probably right. I guess I missed stuff. Alfie distracted from all their scenes because he was acting like a prick.

Convictions do get over turned if the evidence is found to be unreliable or proper legal procedure wasn't followed and that is what happened in Tracy's case. Yes we know she is guilty but sometimes the law doesn't reflect the truth and this is such a case. She got off on a technicality. It isn't perfect but it was about the best way they could find to get her back.

I agree about her family turning a blind eye to it, especially Deardre but I think it is mentioned by other characters as much as it can be given she is legally 'innocent' and a victim of a miscarriage of justice so she could sue people for slander if they allude to it all the time - and she is the type that would.

People like Norris do mention it and she generally just replies that the conviction waas over turned.

The point still remains that we the audience are not supposed to view her as a heroine or be on her 'side' whereas with Stacey I think we are.

Surprising Alfie wasn't trying to get rid of her - he must remember what happened the last time an unstable Jean was around a heavily pregnant Kat. Kat ended up finding Jean trying to drown herself something like 2 days before Tommy was born.

Yes, her leaving by going to Prison then would have been a much better way of writing her out - both for the stated 'morality' of the show and also to allow for her return in a few years which was always a possibility.

Yes I thought about Whitney. It would even be a legitimate reason to keep her in Walford if she were to get temporary custody of Lily but want her to be near the rest of the Slater family as an extended support network.

Exactly. Only a few months after she was revealed as the murderer she was getting Julia's Theme for Lilly's birth. The notion of Stacey as the pepetual victim who must be shown in a sympathetic light doesn't work anymore. Her exit should have been prison rather than another Julia's Theme as she fled Walford having ruined another marriage. I don't care how good the actress is the characer deserves her punishment. As you said she could easily returned having been released from prison 4 years later rather than the nonsense they're having to write now.

It seems to me the writers are enamoured with the actress and have let it seap into how they write the character. A testament to the actress's talent and likability off screen but not such a good thing for the show.

I didn't agree with the Julia's theme for Lily's birth and by the same logic, I don't think Ronnie should get one either. I don't think she should have a baby at all, she is far too much of an unhinged control freak.

That's not what happened. Someone involved in her case was found guilty of something so all cases he was involved with had to go through some form of retrial.

Funnily enough, four years on Tracy still hasn't had this retrial.

She would get child benefit automatically.

He needs something that isn't rubbish it really can't be that hard to give him a proper job, why did they get rid of the burger van after one episode now that was ridiculous.

tbh I think Alfie is done as a character, Kat can stand on her own.


Jean is Lily's closest relative, The other Slaters are second cousins like Kat and wasn't that close to Stacey minus Little Mo in the first place...next people would be Sean or Whitney if Ryan couldn't be found.

Why the story around it isn't the best, I guess they just going to go down the easier route as much as possible as they've done enough damage to her character and a few others as it is, we know she out by September anyway.

Whether people like Stacey or not she is a commodity to the show.

A strange stated "morality" when Ronnie gets away with murder and concealing a body. And where Phil gets away with moist things without any comeback.

The Mitchells are untouchable

The big difference between Stacey Slater and Tracy Barlow was there was actually a lot more logic behind Stacey's murder of Archie than Tracy's killing of Charlie. Tracy killed an innocent man while Stacey killed a man who raped her and she thought he had impregnated her. There was absolutely no way she could prove that Archie had raped her as it was only her word against his.

Was it wrong? Yes certainly! No one EVER has the right to take away the life of another person. But I can see why the producers thought there was a lot of reasoning behind Stacey's killing of Archie. While with Tracy, she had killed a innocent man on the basis that he had cheated on her.

From my recollection, somebody involved in the Forensics was found to be corrupt so all cases that he handled had their convictions overturned pending a review of the evidence. I assume that the CPS decided that without the forensic evidence which was no longer admissible, they didn't have enough to charge Tracy for a retrial.

I agree with you but I suspect that ronnie's story at least is not over.

For the record, I don't have a problem with killers remaining in the show as not all killers do end up in Prison. It's just I want some acknowledgement within the show that they have done something wrong (as there is with Phil, Janine, Ronnie and has been with soap killers on other shows like Barry Grant) and not to be presented as a heroine or victim. Also that it goes against EE's ethos that all killers will get their just desserts, either Prison (even if for a different crime) or death.

But that was one EP, times do change.

I'm not defending Tracey - it wads cold blooded, pre meditated murder and there is absolutely no excuse for it - i' just saying she isn't presented as a heroine or victim.

I can understand and sympathize with Stacey's feelings of hatred and need for revenge on Archie - of course I can and if it had happened immediately after (or during) the rape i'd say there were def mitigating circumstances to. Justify her being given a suspended sentence. But it did,kt, it happened weeks later when she was in her 'right' mind which makes her being portrayed as a heroine who shouldn't be in Prison a little off. But that's just my take on it.

Ronnie's is an ongoing storyline though. I expect when her exit arrives she'll likely die.

All of which was not mentioned within the show because they wanted to gloss over it.

I honestly wouldn't mind the plot if it was to keep hold of a half decent character, but even the actress stinks.

I never fan if Alfie , I still love Kat , Stacey and Jean

I think they should bring belida or what ever her name , we don't know much about , she was still feel like new person,

I think little mo might pop up this year, to see the twins