EastEnders kicked off 2026 with a bang as its New Year's Day flashforward special offered a glimpse into 2027, teasing a series of dramatic events including Max Branning's wedding and a murder. Six months on, some storylines are becoming clearer while others remain shrouded in mystery.
Serial romantic Max Branning is set to marry for the fifth time on January 1, 2027, but the bride's identity remains unknown. The day kicks off with Max in bed with another pregnant woman, followed by a police raid, a window escape, betrayal by his daughter, arrest for solicitation to murder, and a return home to find a gunman holding his two children hostage, forcing him to choose which one dies.
Meanwhile, Jack Branning appears to have custody of a baby named Ethan, whose parentage is unclear. Theories suggest Ethan could be Penny Branning's son, with Vinny Panesar falsely believing he is the father, but the real father being Harry Mitchell. Alternatively, Suki Panesar-Unwin may have had Penny killed, leading to Ethan being with Jack.
Lauren Branning is at odds with her father Max, attending the wedding but with tension. She receives mysterious texts asking to meet in a 'usual place' and is later confronted by a gunman, confirmed as Mark Fowler Jr. It is heavily teased that Lauren and Mark are having an affair, and Max knows about it. The gunman's identity remains unknown, but speculation points to Phil Mitchell or Ravi Gulati.
