EastEnders fans are convinced they have worked out why Max Branning is arrested on New Year's Day 2027, with many believing dodgy copper Craig Ingram will be the murder victim.
Thanks to January's flashforward episode, viewers know Max (Jake Wood) will be arrested on January 1, 2027, as he prepares to marry a mystery woman. The love rat is now set to tie the knot with Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) as the lovers cannot wait to dedicate their lives to one another. However, in true Max style, he has been having an affair with Priya Nandra-Hart (Sophie Khan Levy) following her split from Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara).
Priya's pregnancy shock
Priya is now pregnant and regretting her secret romance with Max as she rekindles her relationship with Ravi, bringing their family back together. On Thursday (August 28), Priya's life became more complicated when she learned that Max was the father of her unborn child. She tested both men with a secret DNA swab, and it wasn't the result she'd hoped for. The news appeared to confirm that Priya is the mystery pregnant woman who appeared in the New Year's Day flashforward.
Elsewhere, dodgy copper Craig Ingram (Matthew James-Bailey) continued to groom Amy Mitchell (Ellie Dadd), exploiting the teenager's vulnerabilities to win her attention and affection. This week, Amy met up with the suspended detective for a drink, as the pair continues to grow dangerously close. Craig bought Amy double measures of alcohol without her knowledge to get her drunk, and later, the pair went to a quiet area and shared a shocking kiss. In the latest episode, Craig suddenly pulled away from the kiss and told Amy to forget what had happened, then left her standing, confused.
Jack discovers the truth
Amy returned home upset, but when Jack came back from the hospital, he quickly realised that his daughter had been drinking. His suspicions then grew when he spotted a text from Craig on Amy's phone. Jack found Craig in the café and confronted him about texting Amy. He demanded the truth, so Craig decided to reveal the other major secret and told him that Amy is the person who attacked Joel Marshall (Max Murray).
EastEnders fans are now convinced Craig is the person who is murdered, with Jack's brother Max taking the blame on New Year's Day. Though some viewers think returning Sean Slater (Robert Kazinsky) could also play a part in the plot to protect Amy, who he once thought was his biological daughter.
Fan theories on Reddit and X
Taking to Reddit, one viewer wrote: "I’ve finally come up with a theory for why Max is arrested on New Year's. My theory is that something happens with the new police officer (I can’t remember his name) and Amy, meaning that he and Jack end up murdering him, but Max takes the fall!"
A second agreed: "I thought the same today after Jack found out. Max has already done dodgy stuff this year, locking Johnny’s harasser in the boot, getting vengeance on that copper could be misconstrued as solicitation, as he’s released that day, only a few hours later." A third chimed in: "Nah, if anything, I think Sean would murder Craig, but ends up framing Max because he still doesn't like him."
On X, another asked: "Will Craig's death be what leads to Max being up for 'Solicitation to Murder' during the Flashforward?" As another fan echoed the sentiment: "Craig will be killed off. Max will be accused of his murder in the New Year's flashforward episode. That's the plot #EastEnders."
EastEnders airs Monday to Thursday on BBC One and iPlayer.
