Matthew Rose (EastEnders)
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| EastEnders character | ||||||||||
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| Matthew Rose | ||||||||||
| Portrayed by | Joe Absolom | |||||||||
| Duration | 1997–2000 | |||||||||
| First appearance | 26 August 1997 | |||||||||
| Last appearance | 3 February 2000 | |||||||||
| Profile | ||||||||||
| Date of birth | 8 January 1981 | |||||||||
| Status | Single | |||||||||
| Occupation | Market trader, DJ | |||||||||
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Matthew Rose was a fictional character on the popular BBC soap opera television program EastEnders. He was played by Joe Absolom.
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[edit] Life in the Square
When Matthew arrived in August 1997 he started out as a sulky teenager. His father Michael Rose was a market inspector in Albert Square and his mother Susan Rose arrived later. Michael was divorced from her but he and Matthew ended up looking after her because she suffered from multiple sclerosis. Matthew eventually started his own market stall selling CDs. In early 1998 he became engaged to Sarah Hills just so he could sleep with her and later broke off the engagement. He also had a brief relationship with Mary Flaherty. He rarely had any other storylines over the rest of the year.
[edit] Accessory to murder
His major storyline came at the start of 1999 when he started working as a DJ for new e20 club owner Steve Owen. Steve Owen's past soon caught up with him when his obsessive ex-girlfriend Saskia Duncan arrived in the Square and started stalking him. Steve got Matthew involved and told him to keep an eye out for Saskia and not let her into the club.
On February 14th 1999, Saskia sneaked past the crowd into Steve's office and tried to strangle him with his tie because she was angry that he had dumped her. Matthew came in and tried to pull Saskia away from him but she pushed him away and continued to strangle Steve. Steve reached for the nearest object, an ashtray, and hit her over the head and she was killed instantly from the brutal blow.
Matthew witnessed it all and tried to run away from the scene but Steve threatened him and told him he was already involved and couldn't run away now or he would go to prison too. Steve and Matthew dumped Saskia's body into Epping Forest. Matthew was still worried someone would find out about Saskia but Steve assured him nothing would happen. Over the next few months, Matthew continued to be paranoid and was worried he would go to prison for Saskia's murder. Unbeknown to Steve, he kept the CCTV tape showing Saskia's attack against Steve and subsequent death, but did not dare destroy it. When his flat was burgled and the rucksack in which he had hidden the tape was stolen, his fear and paranoia was heightened. Steve tried to keep him in control.
In June 1999, Saskia's body was discovered and Matthew tried to run away from Walford with girlfriend Teresa di Marco to prevent himself from going to prison. He and Teresa went Nottingham to hide and used Steve's credit card to pay the expenses. He planned to go to Italy from there. Steve was hot on their trail and found them in a hotel. Matthew and Teresa managed to escape from Steve but Matthew was arrested on the way to the airport because Steve told the police Matthew had killed Saskia. Steve too however was arrested for helping dispose of Saskia's body. Matthew found life tough in prison but his cellmate toughened him up and told him he must never be scared of anyone.
[edit] Prison
At the trial in October 1999, Matthew pleaded not guilty. Steve meanwhile put up an act and told lies about how Matthew was obsessed with Saskia and killed her. In a cruel twist of fate, Matthew was the one found guilty of Saskia's manslaughter, and Steve walked away free. Matthew's dad Michael shouted in court that "He's innocent, my son is innocent!"
[edit] Revenge and departure
Matthew was released from prison in December 1999 and planned revenge on Steve. Over the following month in January 2000, he stalked Steve by trashing his flat, blocking the toilets in his e20 club and spraying graffiti on his house door saying "DEAD MAN WALKING" Steve tried to investigate who has been doing this and hired a detective to find out. The detective was unable to find out if Matthew was doing all this.
On 3 February 2000, Matthew finally confronted Steve. He came for a final showdown with Steve in the club where it all began with Saskia's murder a year earlier. Matthew revealed that he had been in the Square for weeks and that the detective Steve had hired was useless. He demanded £10,000 but Steve tried his bullying act on him and tried to throw him out but Matthew wanted to show him something. Matthew showed him a video of him planting light bulbs in Steve's flat. He made him realise that if his sister Jackie arrived home and turned on the lights they would explode. Steve wasn't buying it and taunted Matthew about how stupid he was and that's what got him into prison.
He pulled a gun on Matthew to try and scare him off. But Matthew was one step ahead and had the gun emptied beforehand. Steve was shocked and after a struggle Matthew hit him with a glass bottle making him unconscious. He tied Steve to a chair and threatened to set the club on fire. Steve was reduced to a helpless and emotional wreck which is all that Matthew wanted. He then revealed that the video with the light bulbs was fake and the petrol he used to threaten Steve was actually water. He had got his revenge which was to see Steve beg for mercy. He then left the Square for good and was not seen again.
When Steve died in a car crash two years later, flowers from Matthew saying "To Steve, rot in hell" were left on his grave.
