Trouble follows Max Branning (Jake Wood) around like a bad smell and that EastEnders lothario is set to find himself facing some of his biggest challenges to date come January, after a flashforward episode teased a grim future.
Two months ago, a special offering of the BBC One soap previewed a future where everything – and I mean everything – goes wrong for Max as he prepares to walk down the aisle again.
In typical Max fashion, not only is there a new Mrs Branning on the horizon but also a mysterious pregnant woman, who he spends the evening prior to his nuptials sleeping beside.
Will he ever change?
Given he’s spent much of his comeback stint promising to do so and yet a little trip into the future proves that he’s about as Max Branning as Max Branning could be, I’m guessing not.
But the possibility of missing his wedding or getting caught out over a secret mistress will be the least of his concerns as he finds himself in a series of situations that could have life-altering consequences for all involved.
As viewers will recall, New Year’s Day 2027 sees Max carted off by the police down to the station, where he’s quizzed over a dead body.
As for who the identity of the dead body is, well that remains to be seen but, back in the Square, someone takes revenge on the schemer, with a gloved-hand assailant gaining entry to No. 25, where Lauren lives husband Peter Beale (Thomas Law), taking her hostage.
The villain also kidnaps Oscar Branning (Pierre Counihan-Moullier) too and delivers the cruelest of all of ultimatums, sending Max a text message telling him to choose between his two children.
In present day scenes, there had been little to indicate who could be to blame for Max’s torment – that is, until this week’s episodes as one character that could be to blame for his upcoming plight entered the mix.
Tim Walton (Tom Ratcliffe) has proven a real piece of work since rocking up in the Square last year. A face from the past who Johnny Carter (Charlie Suff) knew at uni, Tim offered Johnny investment in his new business.
It was all looking up for Johnny, who had lost his job prior to starting up on his own, but he soon suspected that Tim was after Callum Highway (Tony Clay). However, it turned out that Tim wanted Callum to use his police contacts to get information on a competitor – a ‘request’ to which Callum refused.
Enraged, Tim subsequently set Callum up, using his loyalty to Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden) to have him break into a flat in search of a USB that would allegedly prevent additional years being added to his ex’s sentence.
The whole thing was a scam and Tim used CCTV footage as a bargaining chip, threatening to destroy Callum’s entire world unless Johnny slept with him. Devastated Johnny was coerced into sex.
Max was horrified to learn of Tim’s actions and, in a bid to save Linda (Kellie Bright) any further suffering, he kidnapped the twisted businessman and locked him in he boot of his car, telling him that if he ever sets foot back in Walford, he’ll kill him.
The dust has since settled on the showdown and Tim seems to have stuck to his word in staying away. However, it does beg the question if this is really the last we’ve seen on him.
Tim doesn’t strike me as someone that’s used to hearing the word no and he certainly doesn’t like losing, so it wouldn’t be that surprising if he were to spend the next few months formulating a plan, striking back and hitting Max where it hurts on New Year’s Day.
Or perhaps instead he’ll get someone else to do his dirty work for him? That would certainly be in-character for the newcomer.
There is, of course, also the possibility that Tim is the dead body. If so, is Max prime suspect given his history with Tim?
We’ll just have to keep watching to find out.
