The heartbreak only intensifies (Picture: BBC)
It’s an accepted part of EastEnders lore: the roof of the Queen Vic is not safe territory for the Brannings, particularly those born to Max (Jake Wood).
After the death of Bradley Branning (Charlie Clements) in 2010, which saw him fall from the pub roof, EastEnders’ 2017 Christmas Day special saw a Branning showdown in the same spot, from which both Abi (Lorna Fitzgerald) and Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) also fell.
Max had ascended to the top of the pub to commit suicide, leading his desperate daughters to follow him and plead with him to reconsider. Though Max came around, Lauren slipped on the wet floor and, in trying to catch her sister, Abi was pulled off the roof alongside her.
Brannings! Stop going up there! It won’t end well!
While Lauren recovered, Abi didn’t, and after being declared brain dead in hospital, her life support was removed and she passed away.
Lauren and Oscar are planning a memorial for Abi (Picture: BBC/Jack Barns/Kieron McCarron)
In the years since, the immediate family have been anything but a united force. While Lauren and Oscar (Pierre Counihan-Moullier) are incredibly close and the merger of the Branning and Beale families has proved successful, Max has been left out in the cold.
He returned to Walford last year for a brief stint as a surprise guest at the surprise wedding of Lauren and Peter Beale (Thomas Law), before doing what he does best: causing carnage.
He returned again a few months later, though the discovery that Lauren, Oscar and Jack (Scott Maslen) had kept shtum about his secret daughter with Linda Carter (Kellie Bright) lead to further drama, and this was before he slept with Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) and ruined Lauren and Peter’s son, Jimmy’s christening.
Next week sees Lauren andcome together to discuss a memorial for their departed sister as the anniversary of her death approaches. Though things are still frosty between the Branning brood and their dad, Oscar reaches out to Max to meet them and discuss plans, and Max, eager to reconnect with his kids, agrees to attend.
Max is always gonna Max, though, even if not intentionally, when he ends up on a (accidental) date with newcomer Bea Pollard (Ronni Ancona) which renders him incredibly late for the meeting. His tardiness means his kids have further fuel to their ‘our dad is rubbish’ fire and they’re both fuming with him.
Lauren tells Max he’s not invited to the memorial (Picture: BBC/Jack Barns/Kieron McCarron)
She makes it clear that he’s not to attend (Picture: BBC/Jack Barns/Kieron McCarron)
As the memorial approaches, the Branning and Beale clans combine to prepare for the occasion, though Lauren is still ice cold toward her dad and tells him that he’s not welcome to attend, leaving him absolutely wounded to be excluded.
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Later, an emotional Max approaches Lauren and Oscar and gives them a piece of paper. He tells them that it’s a speech he’d planned to read at the memorial and asks if one of them could perhaps read it in his place.
Will Max’s words do anything to soften Lauren’s stance, or will things remain strained between them? After that flashforward episode, surely anything involving Max will be highly scrutinised, and with Max and Lauren on bad terms both in 2027 and now, will it remain that way for the rest of the year?
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