“Max Branning has made his return to Walford, though his granddaughter was not with him.”
“EastEnders veteran Max Branning, portrayed by Jake Wood, appears to have returned to Walford for good, though his granddaughter is notably missing, even though she is thought to be in his care.”
In Wednesday’s episode (December 17) of the BBC soap, viewers saw Max keeping a vigil at his son Oscar’s (Pierre Counihan-Moullier) hospital bedside after Oscar bravely ran into a burning No. 25 to save Zoe Slater (Michelle Ryan).
Max was eager to repair his relationship with his children, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that his daughter Lauren (Jacqueline Jossa) was hiding something from him.
Lauren appeared unusually close to her father-in-law, Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt), who seemed quick to defend her whenever the subject of missing charity funds was raised.
While talking to Oscar, Max mentioned his granddaughter, Abi Junior—also called AJ—highlighting her noticeable absence, reports OK!.
“I was going to bring AJ, but she’s staying with Tanya just while I’m here,” Max admitted, giving Lauren a guilty look.
After leaving the hospital, Max unexpectedly ran into his former love, Linda Carter (Kellie Bright), who seemed unsettled by his return. The two haven’t seen each other in five years, and Max is still unaware that he fathered her daughter, Annie, before he left.
When Max met his daughter Annie, he compared her to Abi Junior, casually saying, “She reminds me of AJ, they grow up so fast, don’t they?”—leaving Linda completely shocked.
Linda ended up sharing a drink with Max as they carefully navigated their complicated past. Still shaken by Oscar’s near-death experience, Max expressed his wish to rebuild relationships in Walford.
He confided in Linda, “I want to bring AJ back here,” before asking for a room at the Peacock Palace, which she agreed to.
Later in the episode, tensions rose between Max and Lauren, with the discussion once again focusing on AJ’s whereabouts.
Max tried to reassure his daughter: “I’m back now, I’m going to be there for all of you,” only for her to snap back: “Like you’ve been there for AJ?” She added, “I know she hasn’t been living with your dad, because unlike you, I actually talk to Mum. So you can drop all this redemption arc stuff.”
Who is AJ in EastEnders?
Abi Branning Jr, affectionately called AJ, is the daughter of Abi Branning (Lorna Fitzgerald) and Steven Beale (Aaron Sidwell) in EastEnders. Born prematurely on 29 December 2017, she was named by her grandfather, Max.
AJ was conceived during an affair between her mother, Abi, and Steven, who was at the time dating her older sister, Lauren.
Steven, desperate to keep Lauren from drifting towards Josh Hemmings (Eddie Eyre), collaborated with Abi to fabricate a story about having a brain tumour to prevent Lauren from leaving him.
As they schemed against Lauren, Abi and Steven grew closer, eventually beginning a secret relationship. When Abi found out she was pregnant, she kept it hidden until Steven was on his deathbed in the hospital.
Steven died in September 2017 after Max violently pushed him into a counter, causing internal bleeding that led to his death in the hospital.
Abi, who was pregnant at the time, was later declared brain dead after falling from the Queen Vic roof on Christmas Day 2017. However, AJ survived and was delivered via C-section
Abi had been on the roof trying to persuade Max, who was planning to take his own life. Her sister Lauren also fell but survived the incident.
When Abi’s baby was born, Max vowed to care for her and make amends for the mistakes he had made with his daughters. AJ is technically an orphan, as both of her parents have passed away.
Away from Albert Square, AJ was believed to be living with Max; however, it now seems she is staying with her grandmother, Tanya Branning (Jo Joyner). Could they return to Walford in the future?
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