EastEnders Max return ‘confirmed’ in Annie kidnap twist as Lauren makes shock discovery
EastEnders fans have been longing for the return of Max Branning and now that Lauren has discovered her dad has another daughter in the Square, his comeback is looking more likely
EastEnders fans have “confirmed” the return of Max Branning after Lauren Branning made a surprise discovery.
During Monday’s instalment (January 8) of the BBC soap, Lauren (Jacqueline Jossa) officially returned to the Square. Lauren was delighted as she was reunited with her son Louie following time in police custody after they found drugs in her possession.
Lauren’s former flame and Louie’s father Peter Beale (Thomas Law) begged her to extend her stay, to which Lauren agreed. But it wasn’t long before Lauren changed her mind, finding out that her cousin Penny Branning (Kitty Castledine) was behind the drug operation and that Peter was also aware.
Deciding to turn her back on Walford once again, Lauren packed up her things and headed to the coach station with her son. But their journey was interrupted by Sonia Fowler (Natalie Cassidy), who dropped a bombshell.
She said: “I don’t know if I should be doing this, but I want you to know, in fact you need to know you have got another sister in Walford.” Fans of the soap will recall Max (Jake Wood) and Linda (Kellie Bright) had an affair and she fell pregnant with a baby girl.
However, after realising there was no hope for him and Linda, Max left Walford in early 2021, unaware that Linda was carrying his child. Now, after Lauren discovered Annie’s true identity, fans believe it is just a matter of time before Max returns.
Sharing their thoughts online, one wrote: “About time the Annie stuff came out. Just need Max back on the Square now. #EastEnders”. A second added: “YES SONIA!! About time Lauren and hopefully Max finds out about Annie. #EastEnders”.
Another declared: “Max and Tanya mentions coming out left right and centre I need them back NOW.” Someone else agreed: “Finally! Now please let Max find out about Annie #EastEnders.”
With fans speculating about a possible return for the character, Daily Star has quizzed one of the world’s most popular artificially intelligent “creative” tools Bard AI to see whether he could attempt to kidnap Annie once he discovers the truth.
The program responded: Max has a history of going to extreme lengths to protect his children, even if it means breaking the law or crossing moral lines. Linda’s current state of vulnerability could make it easier for Max to try to take Annie.”
It added: “Her alcoholism and recent traumatic experiences could be used by Max to argue that she’s not capable of providing a stable home for Annie. Max is known for making rash decisions, often driven by emotion rather than logic. If he feels strongly that Annie would be better off with him, he might act impulsively to take her.”
Bard AI went on: “EastEnders is known for its dramatic storylines and unexpected twists. Max returning to steal Annie would be a shocking storyline that would certainly captivate viewers.”
