For someone who has spent a great deal of his life destroying his family members in EastEnders, Max Branning (Jake Wood) can’t seem to understand why they’re struggling to let him back in.
A few years ago, after being wrongly imprisoned for Lucy Beale’s murder, Max returned to Walford and was hellbent on getting revenge on every single person who wronged him. If someone was even remotely suspicious that he might’ve killed Lucy, they went on his list.
This saga resulted in a variety of different horrific events in Albert Square. There was Max working with the Willmott-Browns, his fake relationship with Carmel Kazemi, manipulating Steven Beale into helping him, leaving Jane to die in a fire, strangling Ian Beale, and the ordeal that led to Lauren and Abi falling from the Queen Vic roof.
His middle name should be destruction, because it seems this is all Max is known for. When he returns to Walford in the lead up to Christmas, Max is determined to show his family that he’s changed – but he doesn’t do a very good job at it.
On Christmas Eve, Max’s latest actions make an enemy of himself amongst the Square. He decides to try and put things right with Oscar (Pierre Counihan-Moullier), but gets waylaid by Linda (Kellie Bright).
Stood up by his dad, Oscar drowns his sorrows in the pub. Max eventually finds Oscar, but the young man is drunk and ends up revealing a revelation to his dad that threatens to derail the Branning’s Christmas.
The Brannings and Beales prepare to eat Christmas dinner together on the big day. Things get off to a tricky start though as Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) returns, forcing Ian and Peter Beale (Adam Woodyatt and Thomas Law) to spring into action to try and keep her away from Max.
As the dinner begins, it’s clear Max is still brewing over Oscar’s revelation, and it’s not long before chaos ensues when more than one truth sparks fireworks at the table.
With 2026 looming, the Beales and Brannings attempt to put on a brave face to celebrate Jimmy’s christening.
Lauren (Jacqueline Jossa) and Peter’s attention is consumed by the prospect of Cindy and Max meeting for the first time, and they make a mutual decision to uninvite Max due to his behaviour at Christmas.
Later though, Lauren ends up changing her mind as she finds Max upset over not being involved.
By the time Cindy learns of this, she refuses to attend if Max will be in attendance. There’s no need to worry though, as Max clashes with Jack (Scott Maslen) and ends up uninvited again.
As 2026 dawns, a shocking flashforward episode will provide clues about what the future holds for Max as we find him and his family embroiled in drama on New Year’s Day – in 2027.
‘He’s obviously got history with Linda, who hasn’t told him that Annie is his daughter, and neither has his family, so I’m sure Max would be heartbroken to not only discover he’s been kept in the dark, and away from the chance of being Annie’s dad for the last four years, but that his family have played a part in it all’, actor Jake Wood shared, pondering over what’s ahead for Max.
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Hi, I’m Calli Kitson, Soaps reporter at Metro. I cover Emmerdale, EastEnders, Corrie and more.
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‘Then there’s Cindy, who blames Max for her son Steven’s death and his involvement with Lucy, and they’ve never come face-to-face before, so there has to be a showdown between the pair which we will see at Jimmy’s Christening.
‘I can’t say much at this stage, but they were great scenes to film. There’s also all the family stuff with Max, Lauren, Oscar and Jack, so there is a lot of unfinished business awaiting him when he returns.
‘There’s also lots going on with a lot of other big families in Walford, so it’s a good balance of high drama and chaos across the festive period! Watch this space.’
