1 month ago
5 
Max Branning’s (Jake Wood) takeover of the car lot in EastEnders has hardly been smooth sailing.
He and daughter Lauren (Jacqueline Jossa) share a fractious relationship at the best of times, and both of his most recent returns caused her colossal headaches.
His first re-emergence at her surprise wedding to Peter Beale (Thomas Law) saw people scramble to keep him apart from a vengeance-thirsty Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) before he threw a grenade in the lives of the Slaters.
His second comeback saw him engage in an anonymous Christmas bunk up with the previously mentioned Cindy, a punch up with his brother, Jack (Scott Maslen) and a christening that blurred the lines between family party and MMA showdown.
Still, when Lauren learned that Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) was planning to sell the car lot she relied on for an income, she was left with very few options but to ask her dad for some financial support.
Though he initially turned her down, some gentle prodding from Cindy saw Max bust a u-turn and decide to invest in the business, guaranteeing she’d keep her job.
There was further friction, though, when it became incredibly clear that Max wouldn’t be standing back as a silent partner and allowing Lauren to run the business as she’d so hoped; he’d be running the day-to-day operations as her boss.
They continued to butt heads as co-workers until Oscar Branning (Pierre Counihan-Moullier) stepped in with a challenge for the two, pitting them against each other to see who could secure the most sales. Max raised the stakes again by offering her half of the business if she could sell £80,000 worth of cars, a challenge that’s still ongoing.
Next week sees Max deeply troubled when he learns that cars from the car lot have been found, burnt out in a quarry. When he turns to Lauren with questions, she heads straight for Mark Fowler Jr (Stephen Aaron-Sipple), who’s previously tried to ensnare her in a dodgy car racket.
Mark denies all knowledge, and with the aid of his aunty Sam Mitchell (Kim Medcalf), manipulates Lauren into believing Max is behind what’s happened. When Lauren accuses her dad, he’s deeply hurt, having been prepared to sign over the promised share of the business.
Lauren, though, is determined to earn it, and when she later hears from Peter Beale (Thomas Law) that a space for Jimmy has opened up at the specialist nursery that they’ll struggle to afford, she tells Mark that she’s all in on the stolen car scheme.
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Meanwhile, Max has his copper brother, Jack Branning (Scott Maslen), investigate Mark, who digs up some dirt, but recommends he not confront Lauren just yet. Mark later attempts to empty the car lot safe, but a text from Lauren convinces him not to, and he drops his keys before leaving.
Later in the week, Max honours his deal when Lauren presents him with the £80,000 from selling Mark’s stolen cars, but gently enquires as to where the cars she sold came from, pleading with her to be careful. He then finds Mark’s keys and presses Priya Nandra-Hart (Sophie Khan Levy), who Mark had previously drafted in to help, for answers on what’s going on.
With a feud bubbling between Max and dodgy Mark and Lauren stuck in the middle, is there serious trouble ahead for the Brannings?
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