EastEnders ‘confirmed’ who Max Branning’s New Year bride is in a scene months ago
Speculation has been rife among EastEnders fans regarding the identity of Max Branning’s (Jake Wood) mystery bride after a special flashforward episode saw the legendary lothario prepare to walk down the aisle once more.
The unique offering, which hit TVs on New Year’s Day, was set one whole year in the future, meaning fans have 12 months to try and figure out which unlucky Walford lady will be saying ‘I do’ come January 1.
Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins), Chelsea Fox (Zaraah Abrahams) and Denise Fox (Diane Parish) were among the names offered up by the show as potential brides.
Linda, who cheated on soulmate Mick (Danny Dyer) with Max six years ago, feels like she might be the obvious choice for viewers given that the two recently reconnected – and Max even went so far as to claim that she could be ‘the one’.
But Linda doesn’t reciprocate such feelings, reiterating this week that romance is firmly off the table. Though it’s possible that passion will ensue between the two at some point in the year, there are already a number of pre-existing reasons why I think it’s unlikely that our L will be the bride.
So if not Linda, then who? Cindy, Chelsea or Denise? All possibilities, for sure. Cindy in particular is a strong contender, given that she and Max already slept together – and the chemistry between the two is palpable. What’s more, destruction and devastation are qualities they both share, making them perfect for one another.
The inclusion of Denise could be a red herring, given that she is fully committed to Jack (Scott Maslen) but family loyalty doesn’t really mean much when it comes to Max – and sleeping with his brother’s wife would make for quite the story. Chelsea, meanwhile, would provide similar stakes, with familial conflict in abundance.
However, despite compelling arguments for all four women being Max’s intended, there is also another possibility to consider.
When Stacey Slater left the show last September, star Lacey Turner confirmed she would be returning one day, while a BBC spokesperson said they’d plan her comeback with Lacey when ‘the time is right’.
Does a more perfect time exist than the culmination of a year-long mystery that had everyone talking?
As longtime fans know, Max and Stacey have been a constant presence in one another’s lives ever since their highly-lauded affair storyline – often considered EastEnders’ greatest – almost two decades ago.
No matter who they wind up dating, the former flames appear to understand one another in a way no-one else can and, despite Max’s recent claims that Linda is ‘the one’, it’s clear that he regards Stacey as the true love of his life.
However, despite their evident affection for – and understanding of – one another, Max and Stacey have never really given things a proper go.
Stacey thought their time had passed when the prospect of a reunion was last discussed but could this be all set to change? Could she return to Walford at some point during the year and rekindle things with Max, thus becoming the New Year bride?
I reckon there’s a pretty big chance. And if it does prove to be the case then EastEnders might actually have hinted at such an outcome last September.
Despite having decided to leave the Square in the wake of her grief over Martin Fowler’s death, Stacey’s exit scenes were almost entirely centred around Max, who had only just set foot back in Walford, which you could argue was a bit of an odd choice – unless bosses were secretly using her temporary departure to set something bigger up.
At the time, Max made it quite clear that he’d be open to the prospect of rekindling their passion but Stacey couldn’t have been less interested after she uncovered his romance with Zoe (Michelle Ryan).
Max tried to make things right so that they didn’t part on bad terms but Stacey had nothing more to say as she got in a black cab.
In her final moments on screen, instead of waving goodbye to her loved ones, Stacey was instead seen listening to a voicemail from Max, who pondered that maybe one day they would ‘see each other again’.
This left her with food for thought.
Upon retrospect, leaving the Max and Stacey strand open feels deliberate now that we know Max has a big year ahead.
What’s more, the Slaters and the Brannings have largely been at the centre of EastEnders over the past year so a union of this calibre would be the perfect way to solidify their status as the key clans of the current era.
With Lacey’s return a certainty and Max set to wed again, will Stace turn out to be the next Mrs Branning?