EastEnders airs ominous cliffhanger for Karen and The Six in early BBC iPlayer release

Karen was back in Walford for son Keanu's (Danny Walters) funeral, reuniting with daughter Bernie (Clair Norris) as they prepared to say their last goodbyes.

But while Karen believed that evil Dean Wicks (Matt Di Angelo) was guilty of Keanu's murder, she had no idea that his demise was really down to Linda Carter (Kellie Bright).

Co-conspirator Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) still loved Keanu despite covering up the truth, and she left the house dressed in black to pay her respects.

Her first run-in with Karen came outside, as Karen ordered Sharon to tell son Albie (Arthur Gentleman) that Keanu wasn't his real father.

Karen blamed Sharon for jilting Keanu at the altar, which she believed led to Dean killing him. She banned Sharon from the funeral, insisting she must mourn her boy in peace.

In the café, Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) comforted Karen as she lamented her family's absence for the occasion, as well as the locals ignoring her presence due to her role in Albie's kidnapping last year.

Kat offered to go to the service, and the mourners gathered at The Queen Vic.

Meanwhile, Linda and Kathy Cotton (Gillian Taylforth) held a private memorial for Keanu in The Arches so that Sharon could remember him in her own way.

The sight of Keanu's mechanic overalls were too much for Sharon, and as she fled, she was heard speaking of her guilt by a passing Kat.

At The Vic, Sharon appealed to Karen to allow her to join them and handed over Albie's card. Karen discarded it, and the pair's furious row turned physical - until Kat and Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy) dragged them into the back.

Kat relayed Sharon's overheard words, but luckily for The Six, Kat was unaware of their true meaning. As Kat urged Karen and Sharon to be there for each other, the women shared a hug and Karen invited Sharon to go to the funeral after all.

Karen was touched when the residents of Albert Square gathered near the hearse in a last-minute show of support.

Karen's words of pain, anguish and fury could be heard at Keanu's send off. The on-screen action, however, panned across the anxious faces of members of The Six in turn - Denise Fox (Diane Parish), Kathy, Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner), Suki Panesar (Balvinder Sopal) and Linda - with Sharon later confirming that Keanu had been cremated and their troubles were now all over.

Or so they thought, as during the wake, Karen paid a visit to Dean in prison. After Karen expressed a wish to strangle Dean with her bare hands, Dean once again protested his innocence.

He urged Karen to ask Linda why she was lying about Dean's guilt, but will Karen take him seriously?

Read more:

• EastEnders' Sharon Watts makes big decision in early BBC iPlayer release
• RadioTimes.com Soap Awards reveals 2024 nominations
• EastEnders cast: Who is joining, leaving and returning to the soap?
• 5 EastEnders spoilers: Callum Highway and Phil Mitchell grow suspicious over Keanu’s murder
• EastEnders’ Tony Clay on ‘lost’ Callum’s suspicions of The Six and Ben’s absence

EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One and from 6am on BBC iPlayer.

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