What happened to Lucas in EastEnders? Explained

Lucas Johnson emerged as one of the dangerous characters by the time EastEnders entered 2008-2010. Played by Don Gilet, Lucas was inducted into the show on April 3, 2008. The BBC soap opera has been running since February 19, 1985.

Lucas Johnson had three stints on EastEnders: April 3, 2008, to July 30, 2010; in 2016; and December 25, 2020, to March 18, 2021.

During his tenure, the character committed several chilling murders and was sent to jail on a separate charge, where he was thrashed by fellow inmates. There’s a chance he died but it remains unclear. However, in the end, Lucas was a reformed man and felt remorse for his acts.

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Lucas killed 3 people on EastEnders

One of the central characters on EastEnders, Lucas Johnson killed three people and attempted to eliminate five more during his time on the Julia Smith-Tony Holland-created TV show.

Trina Johnson: Her death happened on September 3, 2009, albeit via an accident that Lucas easily could have avoided. It so happened that Trina, in her bid to keep Lucas in her life, tried to seduce him but he pushed her away. Her throat got impaled by a rake and Lucas simply left her at that.

Owen Turner: Being Denise Fox’s obstinate former spouse, Owen already was on Lucas’ radar. But getting killed on the day Lucas and Denise were to marry, November 26, 2009, is unsettling. Before strangling him with a bow tie, he told the frightened victim:

“You see Owen, you were given a chance. I wanted you to take that chance, but you wouldn't. So now.... the judgment falls on you!”

Gemma Charleston: This happened in July 2010 when Lucas strangled her to make her look like Denise Johnson’s body. He had kidnapped Denise at the time and wanted the world to believe that she had died.

His attempted murder list includes names like:

• Ellis Prince (June 16, 2009)
• Stacey Slater (October 2, 2009)
• Jade (June 9, 2010)
• Denise Johnson (July 8, 2010)
• Caleb Malone (February 10, 2021)

By the time his third stint rolled, Lucas got arrested and was sent to jail on a drug dealing case. He took the fall to save his daughter Chelsea from the clutches of drug dealer Caleb.

The character also got thrashed up badly by the kingpin's minions after he turned them in. This happened on his final appearance where his fate was shown to be hanging in the balance.

Even though the character exited the show after that, Gilet mused a return while talking to Digital Spy in 2021. However, no official update on the same is available.

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Gilet told the character was ‘flawed’ but always wanted ‘to do the right thing’

Described as having "Jekyll and Hyde" aspects, the character always tried to pretend to be a guy with no dark side in front of his partner Denise Fox, played by Diane Parish.

Gilet told Digital Spy way back in 2009, around when his character was introduced on EastEnders as a reformed drug dealer and preacher, that he “enjoys playing a character who's flawed.”

In the interview, the 56-year-old pointed out that when Lucas’ past comes back to haunt his present day and “his world is threatened,” that is when the “complexity comes in.”

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