In a heart-stopping New Year's Day episode, EastEnders plunged the Branning family into their darkest nightmare yet. A mysterious gunman has taken Max Branning's two eldest children, Lauren and Oscar, hostage, presenting their father with an unthinkable choice: he must decide which one of them will die.
The Terrifying Ultimatum
The chilling scenario unfolded in a flashforward episode set on New Year's Day 2026. The unknown assailant, dressed entirely in black, first appeared arriving at The Queen Vic in a dilapidated white van, with a gun clearly visible in the glove box. The figure later reappeared to ambush Lauren Branning as she stormed out of her house after receiving a cryptic text message on her phone.
Meanwhile, Max Branning, who had just been released from police custody after an arrest on suspicion of soliciting a murder, received his own horrifying message. It was a video showing Lauren and Oscar bound, gagged, and with a gun pointed at them. A text accompanying the video delivered the brutal instruction: "Lauren or Oscar. CHOOSE."
Who Is The Mystery Gunman? Key Suspects Emerge
The identity of the kidnapper remains concealed, but several prime suspects have motives strong enough to orchestrate such a twisted plot. The episode laid compelling groundwork for a number of Walford residents who might want to punish Max or test his loyalties.
Tanya Branning, Max's ex-wife and the mother of Lauren and Oscar, is a leading candidate. Her deep-seated hatred for Max is well-documented, and she has been frequently mentioned since Oscar's return in 2025. Tanya believes Max is a terrible father who prioritises his romantic pursuits over his children. With Max preparing for his fifth marriage, could this have been the final straw for Tanya? Is she the one forcing Max to prove he will never truly be there for his kids?
Another possibility is one of the "shady people" Max claimed had set him up. Earlier in the episode, while begging Lauren to help him hide from the police, Max insisted he had been framed by dangerous associates. Walford is no stranger to criminal figures, and Lauren herself has been dealing with an unknown contact. The text she received just before her abduction, stating it was "making your mind up time," could have been a precursor to the physical threat.
Finally, Peter Beale, Lauren's husband, has shown visceral hatred for his father-in-law. He refused to attend Max's wedding and, in an episode airing on 31 December, stated he wished he could "get rid" of Max. Could this be Peter's extreme method of removing Max from Walford forever, and if so, what would it cost his marriage?
A Family Torn Apart
The episode served as a devastating payoff to the simmering tensions within the Branning family. Both Lauren and Oscar ended 2025 proclaiming their hatred for their father. Now, their lives literally rest in his hands. The flashforward cleverly subverted the typical wedding drama, replacing it with a life-or-death moral dilemma that promises to define the year ahead in Albert Square.
Adding another layer of mystery, the phone number that texted Lauren was different from the one that contacted Max, suggesting the gunman may be using multiple devices or that an accomplice is involved. This detail throws further suspicion on Lauren's own mysterious dealings and opens the door to even more complex conspiracy theories.
As EastEnders kicks off 2026, one question hangs over Walford: which child will Max Branning choose, and who will make him pay for that decision?
