EastEnders spoilers follow.
EastEnders’ Max Branning showed his dark side tonight, ahead of his arrest for solicitation to murder on New Year’s Day 2027. Max, who has been desperate to get on Linda Cater’s good side, took things to the extreme to protect her and Johnny from evil Tim Walton.
Thanks to January’s flashforward episode, fans know that Max will be arrested on New Year’s Day 2027 as he prepares to marry a mystery woman.
Since his return to the Square, viewers have seen Max grow closer to Linda, even after she kept the secret of Annie’s paternity from him.
Last month, Max and Linda shared a kiss as he lent her support when she found out her son Ollie was being bullied.
BBC
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But Linda soon regretted the kiss when she realised Max had been protecting his grandson Louie by not revealing he was Ollie’s tormentor.
She later told Max they could never be together as it was too much of a risk for both her and Annie.
Meanwhile, Linda’s son Johnny has found himself at the mercy of sinister Tim, who has invested in his business.
Tim, an old associate of Johnny’s, first appeared last year and seemed unusually keen on Johnny’s new boyfriend Callum.
Recently Tim asked Callum to dig up some dirt on a competitor and when the policeman refused, Tim set him up by faking a message from Ben.
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This led to Callum, Kathy, and Ian breaking into Tim’s house, with their escapade being caught on video. Tim then threatened to give the video to the police, potentially ruining Callum’s career.
He then coerced Johnny into sleeping with him to stop him from handing the video over to the police.
When Linda found out what happened to her son, she spilled all to Max who decided to take matters into his own hands to help her.
On tonight’s episode Linda watched as Max, posing as a cabbie, drove off with Tim. Linda frantically told Johnny what happened, saying she was scared Max would kill Tim.
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But when Callum overheard, Johnny was forced to confess that he had slept with Tim.
Meanwhile, after driving Tim away from the Square, Max stopped the car saying he had a flat tyre and needed help. When Tim went to look in the back, Max pushed him inside the boot and shut the lid.
Back at home, Johnny explained to Callum that he didn’t sleep with Tim by choice, instead he was coerced into it in order to get the incriminating video of Callum deleted.
Johnny then blamed Linda for what had happened, telling Callum she knew that Tim had set him up and wanted to test his loyalty to Ben.
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Callum ended up comforting Johnny, telling him: “Whatever Max is up to I hope he kills him.”
Max was then shown with Tim still in the boot of his car, taunting him by pretending to pour petrol over it.
When Max opened the boot he told him: “You hurt a mate of mine. I want you to stay away from Johnny and stay away from Linda.”
Tim then called Linda “deranged” and Max shut the boot again as Tim pleaded for him to stop.
Max then told him: “You’re going to pay that money, even penny and then you’re going to stay away from them, stay away from Walford or else I’m going to kill you.”
He then threw Tim out of the boot and gave him a kick before driving off.
BBC
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When Max returned home to the B&B he told Linda he’d just had “a chat” with Tim and he wouldn’t be bothering the Carters again.
Linda told him she’d ruined everything with Johnny but Max assured her it would all be okay as Oscar eventually forgave him.
Later, Linda saw Johnny and Callum on the Square but when she tried to apologise Johnny told her he was moving out and they were “done”.
Do Max’s actions tonight hint that he will only become darker as we get closer to New Year’s Day?
And with Linda now having lost her son, will she be pushed back closer to Max after he proved his willingness to protect her at all costs?
EastEnders airs on Mondays-Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast.
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