Fans accused him of violence and coercion
Fans of EastEnders are labeling Phil Mitchell a “abuser” and criticizing the program for defending him. Steve McFadden has played the notorious Walford criminal since 1990.
Phil has been a part of nearly every crime in the Square during his time on EastEnders. His father had been abusing him since he was a young child, and the torture only ended when he punched back.
Phil has a difficult beginning in Walford, which includes killing a homeless man inadvertently in a fire and slipping into alcoholism. Eventually, Phil turns to crime. He and his brother participated in an armed robbery, and later, after firing a gun at him for having a girlfriend, he causes him to crash his car.
Additionally, he mistreated Lisa Fowler, who later left him despite becoming pregnant with his child. After being shot in the back at a wedding, Phil’s biggest storyline to date—Who Shot Phil—took place.
Phil has been abusive to many people in his vicinity while he was on the show. His violent tendencies have led to the intentional and accidental murder of 15 people.
He has also made numerous murderous attempts on other people. He nearly ran his own brother over during an argument and assaulted Dennis Rickman with a brick when the latter claimed he had slept with Phil’s wife, among numerous other incidents.
On a Digital Spy forum, fans are now debating his time on the program. When a supporter questioned “Is Phil Mitchell an abuser?,” the conversation started.
“Since killing a tramp in the car lot fire, which turned him into an alcoholic and brought back memories of his abusive upbringing, it appears that he has been a coercive, physical, emotional, and violent abuser who gaslights many people around him.
“He has repeatedly destroyed the lives and self-worth of his family members, Ben, and lovers. However, they all return for more… such as victims. He has been the worst to whom?
But why is it that people like him, Trevor Morgan, Doctor Yusuf Khan, or Gray Atkins, for instance, are always viewed as anti-heroes?
Fans immediately agreed and labeled Phil an abuser. One person merely stated, “Yes, he is. And yet, EastEnders write him so he always comes out on top. Very strange.
One more joked “”Phil wasn’t brought in to be a villain – he was brought in to be a hero, a protagonist for the audience to root for, and so all acts will be written as though they are justified and heroic,” as one exclaimed. “Is the Pope Catholic?”
“Since Phil is a genuinely well-liked and well-known character, they want to keep him in this position rather than confront his abusive behavior for what it is because doing so would limit Phil’s potential for future storylines, much like how we all knew Gray was finished the moment he punched Chantelle.
Same reason they won’t knock him down a peg or two like they used to: they wouldn’t want to admit he’s an abuser because that would mean they couldn’t really use him for the old storylines he’s always had because that would mean admitting he’s done something that needs punishing.
The violence committed by the designated villain of the Square is an unacceptable level of domestic violence, but the violence committed by popular characters like Phil is an acceptable level of domestic violence, so in a nutshell, EastEnders chooses when to call out abuse depending on whether it’s one of their favorite characters or not.
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