Linda Carter comes face-to-face with former lover Max Branning in EastEnders tonight (Wednesday, December 17) as the pair are reunited, five years on from their torrid love affair. And, with Max now stalking the streets of Walford once more, Linda’s thoughts soon turn to the massive secret she’s hiding from her old flame.

That’s daughter Annie, of course, who was born after Max left Walford. With Max unaware that Linda bore his daughter, she’s desperate to keep their child a secret.

But what happened between Max and Linda? And who else knows that Annie is his daughter?

Join us as we revisit Max and Linda’s affair.
Max and Linda had an affair in 2020 (Credit: BBC)

Remembering Max Branning and Linda Carter’s affair in EastEnders

With Linda going through a difficult time in her marriage to husband Mick, Linda began an affair with local love rat Max. As their affair progressed, the pair planned to leave Walford for pastures new, joining his daughter Lauren in New Zealand.

But, by New Year, Linda was experiencing second thoughts. She left Max heartbroken at the news that she was still in love with Mick, and called off the affair.

Max was determined to win Linda back and even blackmailed Phil into giving up the Queen Vic so that he could gift it to Linda. Meanwhile, Jack revealed to Max that Mick was abused as a child – causing Max to believe that Linda was only with Mick out of pity.

After Max told Linda that he knew about Mick, she issued a complaint to the police, getting Jack suspended. Realising that there was nothing left for him in Walford, Max departed – leaving baby Abi in the care of Rainie and Stuart.
Lauren met half-sister Annie in 2024 (Credit: BBC)

Who knows the truth about Annie?

In September 2021, baby Annie was born. Soon after, Jack discovered that she was the biological daughter of Max – but agreed to keep quiet after seeing how happy Mick and Linda were.

Years later, Lauren then learned that she had a half-sister when she returned to Walford in January 2024. Finding out the secret from Sonia, Lauren confronted Linda. She too agreed to keep the news from Max, after bonding with little Annie.

Earlier this year, Oscar became the third Branning to learn about Max’s love child. Although he insisted that his dad should know, he too agreed to keep schtum at Linda and Lauren’s behest.

The reunion of Max Branning and Linda Carter on EastEnders tonight stirs memories that many viewers never truly forgot, because their affair was never just a fleeting scandal but a storyline that cut deeply into the emotional core of the Square. It was a chapter filled with secrecy, guilt, desire, and destruction, one that reshaped relationships and left scars that lingered long after the truth came out. Seeing them share the same screen again reopens that history, inviting viewers to reflect on how far both characters have come and how some connections, no matter how buried, never completely fade.

When Max and Linda first crossed that line, the weight of what they were doing was evident from the very beginning. This was not a carefree romance or a calculated manipulation. It was messy, impulsive, and driven by loneliness on both sides. Linda was struggling under the pressure of her marriage, the Queen Vic, and her own internal battles, while Max was once again drifting through life, carrying his familiar mix of charm, bitterness, and unresolved pain. Their affair emerged from moments of vulnerability, making it all the more uncomfortable and compelling to watch.

What made the storyline resonate so strongly was how believable it felt. EastEnders has always excelled at portraying affairs not as glamorous escapades, but as emotionally fraught situations where no one truly wins. Max and Linda’s connection was fuelled by stolen moments and loaded silences, where every look carried risk. Viewers could sense that this was not something that could end well, yet the inevitability only heightened the tension. Each encounter felt like another step closer to collapse.

Linda’s guilt was palpable throughout the affair. As someone who valued loyalty and family, her actions conflicted sharply with her self-image. The internal struggle played out on screen in subtle ways, through hesitation, emotional distance, and moments of visible self-reproach. She was not portrayed as a villain, but as a flawed, overwhelmed woman making choices she did not fully understand herself. That complexity allowed viewers to empathise with her even as they condemned her actions.

For Max, the affair fit into a long-established pattern, yet it also revealed something more vulnerable beneath his usual bravado. He has always been written as a man drawn to chaos, often seeking validation through relationships that promise intensity rather than stability. With Linda, however, there were glimpses of sincerity, moments where his defences slipped and his loneliness became apparent. This did not excuse his behaviour, but it added layers that made the storyline richer and more unsettling.

The secrecy surrounding the affair created a sense of claustrophobia that seeped into every scene. The Queen Vic, usually a place of openness and community, became a backdrop for deception. Glances exchanged across the bar, hurried conversations in quiet corners, and the constant fear of being discovered gave the storyline a relentless edge. Viewers were drawn into that tension, aware that exposure was inevitable but uncertain about when and how it would happen.

The fallout, when it finally came, was devastating. EastEnders did not shy away from showing the emotional wreckage left behind. Relationships fractured, trust was shattered, and the consequences rippled outward, affecting far more people than just Max and Linda. Mick’s pain, in particular, grounded the storyline in heartbreak. His sense of betrayal was not only about infidelity, but about the loss of the partnership he believed in so completely. The aftermath reinforced the idea that affairs are not isolated acts, but explosions that damage everything around them.

Linda’s downward spiral following the affair was one of the most powerful elements of the story. Her struggle with shame and self-loathing intensified, contributing to the battles she would later face more openly. The affair became a turning point, not because it was sensational, but because it exposed how deeply she was struggling beneath the surface. EastEnders allowed her journey to unfold slowly, showing that the consequences of such actions do not resolve neatly or quickly.

Max, too, was left changed by the experience. While he has always been a character shaped by poor decisions, the affair with Linda added another layer to his history of regret. It reinforced his reputation as a destructive force, yet it also highlighted his inability to escape cycles of loneliness and self-sabotage. The storyline did not redeem him, but it deepened understanding of why he so often ends up isolated, even when surrounded by people.

What makes tonight’s reunion so compelling is the knowledge of everything that remains unspoken between them. EastEnders thrives on history, and Max and Linda share a past that cannot be erased, no matter how much time has passed. Their shared glances, pauses in conversation, and emotional restraint are loaded with meaning for viewers who remember what they once were to each other. The tension lies not in whether they will repeat their mistakes, but in how that history will shape their present interactions.

Both characters have changed significantly since the affair. Linda has endured loss, grief, and profound personal challenges, emerging more self-aware but also deeply scarred. Max has been away, returned, and carried the weight of his past with him, shaped by absence as much as by action. Their reunion brings together two people who are no longer the same versions of themselves who once made such destructive choices, yet are still defined by them.

The power of EastEnders lies in its refusal to treat history as disposable. Storylines echo across years, resurfacing in unexpected ways. Max and Linda’s affair is one such echo, a reminder that emotional connections do not simply vanish because circumstances change. Tonight’s scenes tap into that long memory, trusting viewers to bring their own recollections and emotions into the present moment.

There is also a sense of reckoning in their reunion. Not necessarily a dramatic confrontation, but a quieter acknowledgement of shared responsibility and lingering consequences. EastEnders often finds its most powerful moments not in shouting matches, but in restrained exchanges where everything is felt but little is said. The weight of what Max and Linda once shared hangs in those silences, inviting viewers to reflect on how people live with the worst decisions they have made.

The affair also serves as a reminder of how EastEnders portrays morality. Rarely are characters painted as entirely good or entirely bad. Max and Linda’s actions were wrong, but the show took care to explore why they happened, without excusing them. This moral complexity is what keeps the soap grounded and emotionally resonant. Viewers are encouraged to judge, but also to understand, creating a more honest portrayal of human behaviour.

As they reunite on screen, there is an undercurrent of sadness as well as tension. The affair did not lead to happiness or fulfilment; it led to loss and regret. That knowledge tempers any spark that might still exist, replacing it with caution and reflection. Their shared past becomes something heavy, something to be managed rather than indulged.

Tonight’s episode also highlights the enduring impact of love and betrayal within the EastEnders universe. The Square is a place where relationships are constantly tested, where secrets rarely stay buried, and where the past is always close to the surface. Max and Linda’s reunion fits seamlessly into that tradition, reminding viewers why their story mattered in the first place.

For long-time fans, remembering the affair is not just about reliving scandal, but about revisiting a period of intense character development. It was a storyline that pushed both Max and Linda into new emotional territory, forcing them to confront uncomfortable truths about themselves. Those truths continue to shape who they are today, making their reunion feel earned rather than gratuitous.

There is also a sense of inevitability to their shared presence on the Square. EastEnders often brings characters back together not to repeat the past, but to explore how people change in its aftermath. Max and Linda’s reunion offers an opportunity to examine growth, regret, and the possibility of forgiveness, even if that forgiveness is never spoken aloud.

As viewers watch them interact tonight, the memories of their affair add depth to every exchange. A simple conversation carries layers of meaning, enriched by years of history. This is storytelling that rewards long-term investment, trusting the audience to remember and feel alongside the characters.

Ultimately, remembering Max and Linda’s affair is about more than revisiting scandal. It is about acknowledging how deeply flawed people collide, how moments of weakness can alter lives, and how the consequences of those moments never fully disappear. Their reunion brings all of that back into focus, offering a reminder of EastEnders at its best: emotionally honest, morally complex, and unafraid to sit with discomfort.

As the episode unfolds tonight, viewers are not just watching two characters share scenes again. They are witnessing the convergence of past and present, of mistakes made and lessons learned, of emotions suppressed and memories that refuse to stay buried. Max and Linda’s affair may belong to the past, but its shadow remains, shaping every moment they now share on the Square.

As Max Branning and Linda Carter stand in the same space again, what hangs between them is not temptation in its simplest form, but memory in its heaviest. Memory of who they were, of what they did, and of the quiet damage that followed long after the shouting stopped and the doors closed. Their reunion is not charged because viewers expect another affair, but because everyone knows the cost of the last one. That knowledge settles into every pause, every sideways glance, every carefully chosen word. It is the kind of emotional weight EastEnders has always understood how to carry.

There is a particular ache that comes from seeing two people who once crossed an irreversible line now forced to coexist in its aftermath. Max and Linda are no longer driven by secrecy or adrenaline. They are driven by restraint. The tension lies in what they refuse to say, not in what they declare. Their shared past has matured into something solemn, a reminder that moments of weakness can echo for years. In their reunion, the drama is quieter, but no less intense.

Linda, especially, carries the visible imprint of everything she has survived since that affair. Grief has reshaped her, sobriety has tested her, and loss has hollowed and strengthened her in equal measure. When she looks at Max now, there is no softness, no illusion. There is recognition. Recognition of someone who once saw her at her lowest and became part of her fall. That awareness does not spark longing; it sparks caution. Her strength now lies in boundaries, in knowing where she cannot go again.

Max, too, stands differently than before. The man who once leaned into chaos now seems more aware of its consequences, even if he does not always escape them. His presence is quieter, more guarded. When he meets Linda’s gaze, it is not with entitlement or charm, but with something closer to remorse. Not redemption, not absolution, but an understanding that some mistakes define how you are seen forever, no matter how much time passes.

Their reunion forces both characters to confront a version of themselves they might rather forget. EastEnders excels in these moments, where the past is not revisited through flashbacks, but through emotion. The affair lives on not because it is mentioned, but because it changed them. It altered how Linda sees herself, how Max is perceived by others, and how trust operates in their world. That kind of change does not fade.

There is also a sense of grief woven through their shared history. Not romantic grief, but moral grief. The grief of knowing they became people they did not want to be. For Linda, the affair represented a fracture between her values and her actions, a fracture that fed her self-loathing and shame. For Max, it reinforced his role as the destroyer, the man who arrives and leaves damage behind. Their reunion brings that grief back into focus, reminding them of the versions of themselves they struggled to forgive.

What makes tonight’s scenes resonate is the maturity of the storytelling. EastEnders does not ask viewers to root for them as a couple. It asks viewers to remember them as people. People who failed, who hurt others, and who must now live with that truth. This is not about rekindling desire; it is about accountability. About what happens after the consequences, when life moves on but the emotional ledger remains open.

Linda’s silence speaks volumes. In earlier years, her emotions spilled out in anger, tears, and desperation. Now, she holds herself together with deliberate effort. Her restraint is not coldness; it is survival. She has learned that some conversations reopen wounds that never fully heal. Facing Max again is not about closure, because closure is rarely real. It is about coexistence. About standing in the same space without unraveling.

Max, in turn, seems to understand that there are no words that can soften what they did. Apologies would feel hollow, explanations unnecessary. His awareness of this creates a tension rooted in helplessness. He cannot undo the past. He cannot rewrite how Linda suffered or how others were hurt. All he can do is stand there and accept the version of himself that history has recorded.

For long-time viewers, this reunion is emotionally layered because it mirrors real life. People rarely get neat endings to their worst decisions. More often, they are forced to encounter them again in unexpected ways. A shared room, a chance meeting, a conversation that never quite happens. EastEnders taps into that truth, allowing discomfort to exist without resolving it for the sake of drama.

There is also an unspoken understanding that both Max and Linda have paid dearly for that affair. Linda lost trust, stability, and a sense of self that took years to rebuild. Max lost credibility, relationships, and any remaining illusion that his actions did not define him. Their reunion is not a reminder of passion, but of cost. And that cost lingers in the air between them.

The Queen Vic itself feels like a silent witness. It was the stage for so much of their secrecy, the place where smiles masked betrayal and normality disguised chaos. To stand there again, older and more broken, is to confront the truth that places remember even when people try to forget. EastEnders uses space as memory, and in doing so deepens the emotional impact of their reunion.

Linda’s journey since the affair has been about reclaiming agency. About choosing herself, choosing sobriety, choosing honesty. Seeing Max again tests that progress, not because she wants him, but because he represents a time when she felt lost. Her ability to face that without collapsing is a testament to how far she has come. The pain remains, but it no longer controls her.

For Max, the reunion underscores a familiar loneliness. He has always existed on the fringes of redemption, aware of his faults but often unable to escape them. Facing Linda does not offer him comfort or connection; it offers reflection. And reflection is not kind to him. It shows him a man who repeatedly sought intimacy without responsibility, and who must now live with the wreckage of that pattern.

EastEnders resists the temptation to dramatise this reunion with confrontation or confession. Instead, it allows emotion to sit quietly, trusting the audience to feel it. This restraint is what gives the storyline its power. It acknowledges that some relationships do not explode again; they simply ache. They exist as reminders of who we were when we made our worst choices.

As viewers watch Max and Linda navigate the present with the past pressing in, there is a shared sense of melancholy. Not because something might happen, but because something already did, and it can never be undone. That sadness is mature, grounded, and deeply human. It reflects a soap willing to let consequences matter long after the plot has moved on.

Their reunion also invites reflection on forgiveness, or the lack of it. Forgiveness is often portrayed as a necessary step toward healing, but EastEnders allows for a different truth. Some things are not forgiven, but they are survived. Linda does not need to forgive Max to move forward. Max does not need forgiveness to acknowledge his guilt. Their coexistence becomes a form of uneasy peace, one that respects boundaries rather than erasing history.

The emotional resonance of tonight’s episode lies in its honesty. It does not pretend that time heals everything. It shows that time changes how pain is carried, not whether it exists. Max and Linda’s affair is over, but its imprint remains, shaping how they see each other and themselves.

For viewers who remember the affair vividly, this reunion feels like reopening an old wound and discovering it has scarred rather than healed. The scar is strong, protective, but still sensitive. That sensitivity gives weight to every interaction, reminding us why EastEnders’ long-form storytelling matters.

In the end, remembering Max and Linda’s affair is not about nostalgia for scandal, but about confronting the emotional truth of consequence. Their reunion is a quiet reckoning, one that does not seek redemption or romance, but recognition. Recognition of harm done, of growth earned, and of the reality that some connections exist only as lessons.

As the episode draws to a close, there is no dramatic resolution, and that is precisely the point. Life rarely offers one. What remains is understanding. Two people sharing a space, bound by a past neither can erase, choosing restraint over repetition. In that choice lies the most powerful statement of all: that they know what they lost, what they damaged, and what they cannot afford to repeat.

Max and Linda’s affair may belong to the past, but its emotional truth lives on in the present. And in allowing that truth to surface without spectacle, EastEnders once again proves its strength. It tells a story not about passion, but about aftermath. Not about betrayal, but about living with it. And that, more than any explosive twist, is what makes their reunion unforgettable.