It has been a love story that has kept EastEnders fans hooked for well over a year, and finally it seems that Suki Panesar and Eve Unwin (Balvinder Sopal and Heather Peace) will get to be together.
It has been a long road for the couple, who have had countless obstacles to overcome, but the wait has been well worth it.
With a storyline of this nature, it has been so important not to rush things, and EastEnders has done an impeccable job of staying true to life, especially given Suki’s circumstances.
Over the past three years, we have seen Suki embark on a journey of self discovery, as she has tried to come to terms with her sexuality. This, as every member of the LGBTQ+ community will know, is not something that happens over night.
‘Coming out’ is not just about telling other people your sexual orientation. It is a long, exhausting and, for some, quite frankly traumatic process that takes a lot of courage and self-acceptance to get through.
Often, the most difficult part is not telling other people how you feel, but being able to accept it yourself.
In recent scenes, viewers have seen Suki reach this stage of her coming out process, as she revealed to son Vinny her true feelings for husband Nish (Navin Chowdhry).
During their conversation, Vinny asked Suki if this was about Eve, and Suki’s powerful response resonated massively with those who have had similar experiences.
‘I think it’s about me.’
@BalvinderSopal, you continue to amaze and surprise me with how much HEART you put into your portrayal of Suki.
“I think…it’s about me.”
This line was so pivotal in Suki’s journey. She’s ready to be her true self, and I’m here for every moment of this storyline!! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/VSwlwM2M8v
— #JessIsAHumanRainbow🇵🇸 (@JessicaJoyful79) November 21, 2023
who’d have thought a british soap would have the most intricate, heart-wrenching, beautiful lesbian coming out & relationship story on TV ever
— alex • the marvels spoilers (@lesbiunwin) November 21, 2023
In that one line, it became clear just how far Suki had come. To some people, this may not have seemed like anything special, but the underlying meaning of those five words said so much.
Over the years, we have seen Suki battle with internalised homophobia, and seen how scared she has been of being her true self. In that beautiful, powerful line, it was clear that she had finally come to accept who she really was.
Amid all of this, paired with the threat of backlash from killer Nish, it is not surprising that Suki waited until now to reveal her true feelings. Unfortunately, this made things difficult between her and Eve, who had been seeing new love interest Tessa.
With Tessa, Eve had a relationship that was transparent, out in the open and something she could shout about. Something that she had always wanted with Suki.
As Suki watched Tessa and Eve together, it gave her a glimpse into what her life could be like, and helped her to find the strength she needed to finally leave Nish and start fresh.
With her new found courage, Suki headed out to find Eve in a bid to ask her to come with her, and we once again got to see Suki fully embrace her authentic self.
‘You wanted me to shout it from the rooftops? I will, right now. Because this is who I am. This is me.’
And so, after almost two years of wanting, waiting and struggling, Suki was finally free, and fans of the couple couldn’t be more thrilled.
still after 5 hrs and several rewatches. this little lesbian is very happy for their favourite little fictional lesbians x
— bee 💌 top tier lesbian (@lqvingsuki) November 23, 2023
🤩 who knew eastenders could be so romantic
I mean I love my Bollywood 🎥 romance but we don’t get that these days, so #Sukeve are truly filling that void 🙏🏾
Amazing job again ladies.. 💪🏽👌🏾💥
— WealthISmyRIGHT 🇬🇧🇮🇳 (@Paisakyahai) November 23, 2023
i need to go back to sleep. i am sO OVERWHELMED FRom tonight’s ep. 𝗪𝗘 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞. sukeve nation, we 𝗪𝗢𝗡
— ᴀᴍʏ ʜᴀʀɢɪᴛᴀʏ-ᴠɪsᴀɢᴇ ∞ (@itsamy_xo) November 23, 2023
The time, care and attention to detail that has been paid to making this storyline as authentic and true to life as possible has been nothing short of exceptional.
Actress Balvinder Sopal has truthfully portrayed the intricacies of emotions that LGBTQ+ people experience during our coming out journeys with astounding accuracy, and has touched a lot of fans with her powerful performance.
Wow wow wow @BalvinderSopal the way your telling suki's story is absolutely phenomenal xx
— Emma Turner (@EmmaTur93533490) November 21, 2023
Tonights ep WOW#markstevenson wrote an incredible episode, the dialogue is unbelievably powerful and emotional. Thankyou @heatherpeace @BalvinderSopal seeing these pivotal moments played out with such passion, care and authenticity is amazing. The love story continues… ❤️
— Jane Martin ⚘️ (@jmar19871) November 23, 2023
We are all witnessing an absolute acting masterclass from Balvinder Sopal 👑 #eastenders pic.twitter.com/jtiisSR97e
— Charlotte 💙 (@bal_sopal_fans) November 21, 2023
Everything from the writing, to the direction, to the clear research that has been undertaken, has made this coming out storyline one of the best examples of LGBTQ+ representation in British media.
We can’t wait to see where it goes next.
