Every week, we think Max Branning (Jake Wood) can’t possibly sink any lower in EastEnders – and then that’s exactly what he does.
Desperate to embed himself into Linda Carter’s (Kellie Bright) family, Max allowed her to believe he had seen Mick Carter’s (Danny Dyer) body, despite having uncovered Janine Butcher’s (Charlie Brooks) scam to pass off another man’s remains as his.
Max’s motive? To ensure that Linda moves on from Mick once and for all and fully commits to him.
Mick’s real fate remains unconfirmed, yet the Carters now think the devoted family man survived his plunge into the sea in 2022 and purposely abandoned all his children before dying only recently, and fans are furious with the despicable Max.
His other shocking sins include risking niece Amy Mitchell’s (Ellie Dadd) safety to get his hands on her inheritance, having yet another affair and ignoring a dying Zoe Slater’s (Michelle Ryan) pleas for help – and that’s just this year.
But what if taking Max to such extremes, garnering such a strong reaction, is leading to a permanent break of the cycle? The stage is set for a Max-centric New Year’s Day, so is EastEnders about to do the unthinkable and kill him off?
Here at Radio Times, the flash-forward episode itself fuels our fears that Max is not long for this world.
In the futuristic scenes, Max enjoys a loved-up phone call with his mystery bride – and he’s never looked happier. As they’re set to get engaged, Linda is most likely the woman in question (though Bright’s imminent exit confirms it will be short-lived). But unguarded joy can often foreshadow a catastrophic event – and we already have the promise of disaster.
Remember poor Martin Fowler’s (James Bye) own soppy smile after his romantic reunion with Stacey, only for him to perish on the show’s live, 40th anniversary edition? No, we’re still not over it.
Like Martin, Max has had a lot of screen-time in the lead up to this big episode. Obviously, he had to have a starring role for the flash-forward arc to even make sense, but Max has clocked up more episodes than any other character in 2026, so it’s as good a time as any to don our detective hats and question whether we’re watching Max’s greatest hits tour.
Along with some softer, reflective scenes with daughter Lauren (Jacqueline Jossa) and son Oscar (Pierre Counihan-Moullier) of late, there have been some notable nods to Max’s historic misdemeanours. Most recently, Sean Slater (Rob Kazinsky) enjoyed reminding him that decades on, he still hasn’t changed.
EastEnders could simply be acknowledging the rewriting of history because it would be odd to ignore it – or maybe it’s leading to Max’s ultimate salvation, as he sacrifices himself to save Lauren and Oscar from the gun-wielding assailant that served as the flash-forward cliffhanger?
This would turn the whole story on its head and potentially change the hearts and minds of fans, while allowing side-lined Oscar to understand that his notoriously unreliable dad has always loved him.
