WARNING: The article below is packed full of spoilers for EastEnders today, which is already available to stream on BBC iPlayer, but has yet to air on terrestrial television, and sees Max and Linda kiss.
Just as romance starts to blossom for Max Branning and Linda Carter ahead of Valentine’s Day, EastEnders delivers a twist that could shatter it all.
Max and Linda grow closer in today’s episode, even sharing a kiss, but with Elaine on high alert and Bea circling, happiness might be short-lived.
Max and Linda may be finding comfort in one another, but not everyone is raising a glass to the potential new couple.
Determined to spare her daughter any more heartbreak, Elaine once again tells Max to keep his distance. She makes it clear she does not trust him with Linda’s fragile heart.
Max, however, is not in the mood to be lectured. He reminds Elaine that Linda is perfectly capable of making her own choices and does not need her mother fighting her battles.
But Elaine is not the only obstacle standing in their way.
Bea stirs up trouble
Bea is lingering in the background, seemingly ready to pounce the moment someone else finds a flicker of joy.
At breakfast in Peacock Palace, she is acting stranger than ever. Trying to stir the pot, she asks Max whether he has a Valentine’s date lined up. He brushes the idea off as commercial nonsense, refusing to bite.
Undeterred, Bea turns her attention to Linda. She claims she would never bring a man back to the B&B because of its garish decor. Linda is understandably offended by the dig, but Bea seizes her chance.
Deliberately twisting Linda’s reaction, Bea pretends she is being thrown out and dramatically heads off to pack her bags.
Left stunned, Linda worries she has overstepped. Max quickly reassures her that she has done nothing wrong.
Later, Max overhears Bea telling Honey that Linda has kicked her out of the B&B. Furious, he confronts her. But Bea can see exactly what is happening. Max is falling for Linda, and that knowledge gives her power.
Max hides the truth
Things take a more serious turn when Linda receives another call from Ollie’s school. He has been hit again, and she rushes to collect him.
Max knows the culprit is Louie, but he says nothing to Linda.
Instead, he pays a visit to Lauren and Peter, telling them their son has been bullying Ollie. They initially struggle to believe it, but Louie soon admits the truth, confessing he is jealous of the attention baby Jimmy is receiving.
Lauren is horrified and tells Louie he must take responsibility and apologise to Ollie.
Max, however, is keen to keep Linda in the dark about the fact that his own grandson is involved. He urges Lauren not to say anything, clearly worried it could ruin his chances with Linda.
Bea, unfortunately for Max, overhears everything. Armed with the truth, she now has exactly what she needs.
Max and Linda kiss
Hoping to lift Ollie’s spirits, Max has the superhero costume Mick bought him framed. Ollie is delighted, and Linda is visibly touched by the thoughtful gesture.
Later, she offers to cook Max dinner as a thank you. Over the meal, Linda opens up about how tough she is finding solo parenting. Max promises he will always be there for Annie and admits he is very fond of Ollie.
It is enough to melt Linda’s heart.
Caught up in the moment, she leans in and kisses him. For a brief second, it looks like Linda might finally have a shot at happiness.
But with Bea sitting on a secret, it feels like only a matter of time before everything explodes.
Fans aren’t convinced about a Max and Linda romance
Despite Linda deserving some romance in her life, fans aren’t sure that Max is the right man for her. Especially as they have all noticed he is still not being entirely honest with her…
“Max and Linda are something I didn’t want,” said one fan on Reddit.
Someone on X agreed: “Max and Linda have always worked better as platonic friends because they share each other’s trauma. Never seen them romantically.”
Another viewer added: “Max, as usual, puts his own wants and needs before his family. Still the same old selfish Max. As for him and Linda. It’s a no from me.”
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