If there’s one thing that EastEnders viewers can be certain of, it’s that no matter how good things are going, Max Branning (Jake Wood) will always, always manage to muck it up.
The sad part is that, more often that not, he genuinely has good intentions. It’s just that his mouth, his temper and his hormones tend to override his brain, and it always costs him.
When he says he has genuine feelings for Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), we do believe him, but his shoe bill must be astronomical after how often he’s been putting his foot in it recently.
We also believe he genuinely wants to mend things with his daughter, Lauren (Jacqueline Jossa), but the cracks in the foundations of their relationship run so deep, and with all we know of New Years Day 2026, it’s clear that this year won’t be the year things are totally mended.
This week sees Lauren absolutely shaken to learn that car lot owner, Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick), is selling the business, potentially leaving her with no job. Mired in panic, she’s buoyed somewhat by Penny Branning’s (Kitty Castledine) suggestion that she purchase the gaff, and she heads off to the bank to organise a business loan…in which she’s soundly rejected. On the advice of Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt), she turns to Max…
…and is soundly rejected again, until Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) steps in.
Max makes a u-turn after Cindy sticks her beak in and agrees to buy the car lot for Lauren. Unfortunately for her, though, her illusions of running the business by herself are soon shattered when Max makes it perfectly clear that he won’t be acting as a silent partner and will be taking over the day-to-day management of the place.
The drama soon takes a darker turn, though, when Lauren is attacked and a classic car that she’s attempting to sell to Mark Fowler Jr (Stephen Aaron-Sipple) is stolen.
Next week sees Mother’s Day arrive in Walford, and Lauren and Peter are planning to share a special lunch with Ian and Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth).
At work, Lauren desperately tries to nab a sale before she heads off for the lunch, though a pushy customer insists on a test drive. As the customer continues to push their luck, Max steps in and defends his daughter, leaving her heartened and offering him a spot at the lunch table.
It’s all going well, with Peter Beale (Thomas Law) organising a special surprise for his beloved wife. The peace is temporary, though, as Max quickly manages to nark off the other guests and ends up having it on his toes, lunch ruined.
Heading to the Vic, he crosses paths with Linda, who’s miserable in her own right, having son Johnny (Charlie Suff) remain distant from her and being forced to endure a sniping match between Elaine Peacock (Harriet Thorpe) and Bea Pollard (Ronni Ancona).
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With tensions running high, the two end up exchanging harsh words, left with a ton of bad feeling between them.
Can Max fix things? Potentially. Will he mess them up again not long after? Definitely.