We've patiently waited and waited (and waited...) but EastEnders finally unleashed a huge, headline-grabbing storyline this week as Shakil Kazemi was tragically murdered in a brutal stabbing.

The soap's team has been working closely with the Ben Kinsella Trust on the highly topical story, which saw Shakil and his best friend Keegan Baker both get attacked by a dangerous gang.

The gritty and hard-hitting plot follows in EastEnders' long tradition of responsibly tackling difficult social issues – and if we're honest, the show is long overdue a story like this. While 2017 was the year when EastEnders made headlines for struggling to get much right, the first few months of 2018 have seen the show commit another Soapland sin – treading water with nothing going on.

While rival shows Coronation Street and Emmerdale seem to be getting bigger and bolder all the time – exploring important issues like male rape, suicide and acid attacks – EastEnders was starting to develop a reputation as the soap with no storylines. The old catchphrase of "everyone's talking about it" would be better suited to Weatherfield than Walford these days.

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Sure, there's been some drama with characters leaving and others returning, including the Slaters' hilarious comeback week. But aside from an overly complicated heist saga that everyone hated, little much else has been happening on screen since the show's impressive Christmas episodes.

Fortunately, this week's EastEnders episodes have given fans reason to feel positive again by putting the Kazemi and Taylor families at centre stage, with the end of the road for Shakil and the start of a big new journey for Keegan.

With knife crime in UK cities such a big talking point at the moment, EastEnders could have easily shied away from covering the issue for fear of a backlash. Instead, the show has bravely taken the bull by the horns by shining a light on the problem and not holding back when it comes to showing the vicious reality of senseless knife attacks.

Talented young stars Shaheen Jafargholi and Zack Morris have put in their best ever performances as Shakil and Keegan. Their on-screen agony this week has been genuinely uncomfortable and distressing to watch – as it should be.

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The show's sense of community has also been spot on, as we've seen wide-ranging reactions from the likes of Mick, Linda, Shirley, Denise and Ian alongside those of the Kazemi and Taylor families. Much like Corrie's recent suicide episodes, the soaps are at their strongest when they take one huge, life-changing event and explore how the ripples affect the wider neighbourhood.

Arguably, we don't necessarily need soaps to "raise awareness" of stabbings. The problem is on the news every day and it's been well-publicised that knife crime rose by 22% in England and Wales in 2017. But as Shaheen himself recently pointed out, the strength of EastEnders will be in showing the aftermath of what's happened.

While TV news will often stick to facts, figures, legal details and government policy, EastEnders is in a unique position to show the effects of knife crime on families and an entire community over weeks and months to come, four nights a week. The show won't be able to wave a magic wand to fix the real-life problem, but if it makes even one person think twice about carrying a knife, it's a storyline that was well worth embarking on.

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In soapy terms, EastEnders has also given its loyal fans plenty more to tune in for over the coming weeks. There are heartbreaking times ahead for Carmel in particular, who attempts to take her own life in tragic scenes next week.

There's also the big question of whether the Kazemis and the Taylors can help to bring Shakil's killers to justice, or whether Keegan will decide to take matters into his own hands.

The wider Walford community will also stay closely involved – in particular Mick, who struggles to cope with his guilt for missing a crucial chance to help Shakil.

The episodes this week weren't perfect – possibly their biggest weakness was not devoting more screen time to the knife story. It's testament to Shaheen and Zack's strong performances that many fans were frustrated each time the show cut to other scenes involving Hayley on the Tube, or Alfie's return.

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The shoe-horned in (and quickly-resolved) road cliffhanger for Mick wasn't needed either, so perhaps the EastEnders bosses needed to display more faith in their own storyline and their capable young stars by trusting that viewers would be gripped enough by Shakil and Keegan's plight alone.

Importantly though, EastEnders now has a sense of momentum again, with plenty going on for the first time in a few months. The show's team should embrace the warm response to its handling of the knife crime issue and keep in mind the audience's desire for bigger, bolder stories that are told well.

With the World Cup coming up, summer on the way – and no doubt endless more Emmerdale scheduling clashes – the show needs to up the ante to keep driving forward and avoid being lost in the crowd.

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Digital Spy Soap Scoop video – hit play below for all the latest EastEnders spoilers, as Carmel struggles to cope with Shakil's death and Hayley blackmails Kat.

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