Max Branning (Jake Wood) uncovered the identity of the man Amy Mitchell (Ellie Dadd) has been seeing in secret in Thursday's (October 22) episode of EastEnders, but his own financial troubles may stop him from acting on the discovery.
Former detective Craig Ingram (Matthew James Bailey), who was sacked after multiple complaints regarding inappropriate relationships, has been grooming Amy – daughter of ex-colleague Jack (Scott Maslen) – for months. Amy believes she is in love with Craig, who has been emotionally manipulating her.
Craig's Manipulation Intensifies
Earlier this week, Craig sent intimate pictures of Amy's ex Denzel Danes (Jaden Ladega) to his family after blackmailing him out of a grand, as punishment for his feelings for Amy. He then convinced Amy to take the blame for the incident, knowing the police would not be involved if she were the culprit given that her dad is a detective. When Amy was hesitant, he used her role in Joel Marshall's (Max Murray) attack to coerce her.
After Amy agreed, she suggested that she and Craig leave Walford together – and the mention of her inheritance money left Craig intrigued. To get early access to the cash, Amy needed help from one of the signatories. With Jack out of the equation because of his disappointment over her admission about Denzel's pictures, Amy instead tracked down uncle Max Branning for assistance.
Max's Dilemma
Max, who has significant money worries, was confused about why Amy wanted early access to her inheritance, disbelieving her claim that it was for college. But with Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) threatening to tell Kat Slater (Jessie Wallace) that he was the one who left Zoe (Michelle Ryan) to die unless she got a large amount of cash, Max's apprehension waned when Amy offered to loan him the money if he helped her gain access to her inheritance.
Max said he would think about it and, as Amy walked away, he followed for a moment – and spotted her getting into Craig's car. Horrified, he tracked down brother Jack to reveal the news. However, upon spotting Cindy – who reminded him that time was running out to pay – Max put himself first, refraining from telling Jack about the danger his daughter is in.
What's Next for Amy?
Instead, he called Amy and said he would help access her inheritance in exchange for the loan – but that Jack must never know. As Craig's grip tightens, the question remains whether Max will reconsider and put Amy's welfare above his own, or whether Amy will be saved before they flee the Square.
EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One or streams from 6am on BBC iPlayer.
