CRASH! EastEnders, BBC One, 7.30pm
Like Liam’s recent death in Coronation Street, Max Branning getting run over in tonight’s EastEnders has been a complete non-secret for weeks. The real hook here isn’t that he gets run over, but, as with Phil’s shooting and Michelle’s pregnancy, the hook is a ‘whodunnit’.
There are several potential suspects: wronged wife Tanya, brother and rival Jack, former squeeze Stacey, son Bradley, hormonal teenage (and nearly teenage) daughters Lauren and Abi, although baby Oscar is likely to take his revenge on daddy several years down the line. Of course all of these are the obvious suspects, so who else could it be? Phil Mitchell, scared Max will get him in trouble for procuring a gun for him? Dot Branning in an act of revenge for him ruining her family? Jim Branning in a surprise return? Darren Miller getting out of control in his new car? One of Max’s other siblings, Suzie, Carol, April or Derek – just because? Sean Slater, because he sort of fancied Tanya once? It’ll probably turn out to be Jane Beale or Zainab Masood or someone equally bizarre, but we’ll no doubt have fun guessing over the next few weeks.
I don’t know whether Max will live or die, but the EE bad guys we love to hate (Ian, Phil, Nick Cotton, David Wicks, Grant etc) usually live to fight another day, especially if they have a family to take care of.
And whilst Charlie Clements, Lacey Turner and Jo Joyner get a lot of praise (rightly so) for their portrayals of Bradley, Stacey and Tanya, it’s also worth mentioning here that Jake Wood has been putting in sterling work as Max. Because he’s a villain, but not an out-and-out caricature of one, he often gets overlooked (much like Adam Woodyatt/Ian Beale) when it comes to praising the actors and award nominations, but he’s turned a complex, flawed character into something quite believable, and someone that feels and looks like a proper EE character.
Tonight’s episode is a whole hour long, so settle back and enjoy Max getting a taste of his own medicine… for now…
