Max Branning has antagonised not one but two supposed love interests (Picture: BBC/ Shutterstock)
Max Branning (Jake Wood) wouldn’t be Max Branning if he didn’t offend at least one EastEnders character a week with his lying, cheating and scandalous ways.
The serial philanderer has something of a penchant for putting his foot in it at the most inopportune of moments and usually when he’s on the cusp of romance with someone he claims to be ‘the one’.
In Max’s case, this is something of a regular occurrence, having had several love interests over the years who he thought to be his one true love.
Despite claims of having turned over a new leaf, the lothario will be up to his old tricks again in the year ahead, with a flashforward episode confirming that he’s getting married on New Year’s Day 2027 – all the while having a pregnant woman sleeping in his bed.
The identity of the bride is thus far unknown, though Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins), Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams) and Denise Fox (Diane Parish) were showcased as possibilities.
If we’re going by what’s on screen at the minute, Linda feels like the obvious choice given that Max just days ago branded her – wait for it – ‘the one’.
As viewers will remember, Max had an affair with Linda six years ago when she feared her marriage to soulmate Mick (Danny Dyer) was on the rocks. At the time, L unaware that Mick had just discovered he’d been abused at 12.
Linda is fed up of being messed around and lied to by Max (Picture: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
When she found out what he was going through, she swiftly discarded Max, who proceeded to declare his in love with her, claiming that what she had with him was more real than her decades-long relationship with Mick.
Linda didn’t agree and branded him the ‘biggest mistake’ she’d ever made, reuniting with her one true love instead.
But with half a decade of grief under her belt since following the loss of Mick and her role in a murder, Linda was willing to give Max a shot but, in typical Max fashion, he mucked it all up when he kept shtum about the identity of her son Ollie’s (Harry Farr) bully.
It was a betrayal Linda couldn’t see a way back from as she reiterated that nothing romantic will ever transpire between the two, which has seemingly ruled her out as the bride come January 1.
The former pub landlady wasn’t the only potential love interest Max offended during the week in question either, as he became aggressive with Cindy when he discovered that she’d nicked Jasmine Fisher’s (Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness) phone from his room.
Cindy has seen Max’s true colours (Picture: BBC/Jack Barns/Kieron McCarron)
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Cindy, as fans will recall, despised Max before she even met him given the role he played in the demise of her son Steven (Aaron Sidwell) – which made things pretty awkward when she realised that she had unknowingly slept with him at Christmas!
The chemistry between the two troublemakers was palpable and the prospect of all the mayhem they could cause together made Cindy the best option of the four Walford women.
But despite the fact that the foes somehow managed to put the past behind them and move on, Max’s behaviour during Thursday’s (February 19) episode has opened Cindy’s eyes once more to the type of man that he is, thus seemingly severing the chances of her becoming the next Mrs Branning.
Who will Max marry? (Picture: BBC/Kieron McCarron)
But if not Cindy and Linda, will Denise or Chelsea walk down the aisle to wed Max?
Former mainstay Libby Fox (Belinda Owusu) stages an unexpected comeback on January 1 – which implies a family-related event on the day in question – so is she there to see her mum or sister marry Max, or is her return simply a red herring to make us think such a thing?
There is plenty of time left so perhaps Linda and Cindy will find themselves back in the mix? Or perhaps another character entirely (*cough* Stacey Slater *cough*) will be added to the line-up of potential future brides?
One thing is for sure: There will be plenty of twists and turns to keep us guessing into the festive season and beyond!
EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One or stream from 6am on BBC iPlayer.
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