In next week's EastEnders, Denise Fox's (Diane Parish) cancer battle continues, but a breakthrough emerges when Kim Fox (Tameka Empson) discovers Denise has a half-brother, Darnell Larson Jr (Christopher Colquhoun). Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) presses Darnell to see if he is a stem cell match for Denise, who is on borrowed time without a donor.
Denise's Condition Worsens
On Monday, August 24, Denise's condition worsens, forcing doctors to place her into a medically induced coma. However, Kim discovers Denise's half-brother through an ancestry website, offering a glimmer of hope. Meanwhile, Penny Branning (Kitty Castledine) reluctantly accepts Vinny Panesar's (Shiv Jalota) help in preparing for the baby's arrival, though her guilt deepens when Vinny also ropes in Harry Mitchell (Elijah Holloway) for help. Priya Nandra-Hart (Sophie Khan Levy) and Jean Slater (Gillian Wright) try to snag DNA samples from Max Branning (Jake Wood) and Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) for a DNA test, while Amy Mitchell (Ellie Dadd) learns of a development in Joel Marshall's (Max Murray) assault case.
Darnell Meets Denise
On Tuesday, August 25, the Fox-Truemans find Darnell, and he agrees to meet with them. However, when they reveal the real reason for getting in contact, he is left reeling. Upon meeting Denise for the first time, he flees after becoming overwhelmed. A warning from Howie Danes (Delroy Atkinson) puts an end to Denzel's (Jaden Ladega) plan to ask Amy out. When she makes a move, he turns her down, sending her to seek solace in the arms of Craig Ingram (Matthew James Bailey). Elsewhere, Eve and Suki Panesar-Unwin (Heather Peace and Balvinder Sopal) are floored to learn that Ria Virdi's (Aaria Sharma) mother could potentially seek custody of her, leading Suki to force a bitter clash with Vinny. Alfie Moon (Shane Richie) worries about Kat Moon (Jessie Wallace) when footage from Bert and Ernie Moon's (Cody and Elliot Briffett) school project visibly upsets her.
Alfie's Party Causes Chaos
On Wednesday, August 26, doctors bring Denise out of her coma, but the relief is short-lived when they tell the family the treatment still isn't working as hoped and the search for a stem cell donor is as urgent as ever. Denise is happy to hear of Darnell, but Jack tracks him down, leading to a clash between him and Darnell's daughter, Grace (Krysstina Frempong), after which he delivers the bad news to the family. In an effort to lift Kat, Alfie plans a Benidorm-themed party, and despite the Slaters questioning him over why he hasn't addressed the issue with her directly, Alfie is overjoyed to see Kat moved by his efforts. Max is left unnerved when Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) asks Oscar Branning (Pierre Counihan-Moullier) to organise his stag-do with Jack preoccupied.
Chaos and Custody Battles
On Thursday, August 27, chaos erupts in the square as the community enjoy Alfie's party, before a community support officer intervenes and shuts it down, threatening the Moons with a fine. As Alfie tries to settle Kat, things get worse when Ria is injured and, with a potential custody battle weighing on her, Suki threatens legal action against them. Meanwhile, Priya and Ravi reaffirm their love and pledge their future to each other.
