EastEnders fans, brace yourselves—Linda Carter’s next chapter is anything but calm waters. Though she only recently set sail from Walford, leaving behind the Queen Vic and all its ghosts, Linda’s return is already being teased—and it’s bound to detonate the Square like never before.

After years of heartbreak, betrayal, and battles behind the bar, Linda (Kellie Bright) finally made the painful decision to walk away. Handing the keys to Kat Moon and heading off on a cruise with her children, Linda was looking for peace. But Walford doesn’t let anyone rest for long.

Enter Oscar Branning—Max’s son, and a ticking time bomb in the middle of a quiet street. He showed up in Walford completely unaware that he had a younger sister living nearby: Annie, Linda’s daughter from her secret affair with Max Branning back in 2021. Even Max himself has been kept in the dark.

That secret’s survival is now hanging by a thread. Oscar, bitter and burning for drama, hinted he would love to see his father’s face when he finds out the truth. While Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) managed to talk him down—for now—viewers know the truth has a nasty way of surfacing in Albert Square.

But here’s the twist no one saw coming: Max is coming back. Confirmed by showrunner Ben Wadey, the infamous womaniser (played by Jake Wood) is set to make a shock return to EastEnders this year, bringing a “checkered past and unfinished business.”

And that’s not all—rumors are swirling that Max and Linda may have already crossed paths… at sea.

Yes, as Linda embarks on her cruise to escape the pain of Walford, it’s entirely plausible she runs into Max and his granddaughter Abi Jr.—possibly while their children, Annie and Abi, unknowingly bond in the kids’ club. Imagine the fallout if Linda returns to the Square… with Max on her arm.

Could reconciliation be on the cards? Could Walford’s most explosive affair reignite beyond British shores?

Of course, producers are keeping Linda’s precise return date a secret. Jake Wood has reportedly returned briefly to shoot scenes, with a full-time return later this year. But fans are already speculating: will Max return before Linda, throwing her back into chaos the second she sets foot on Bridge Street? Or will she bring him home herself—unleashing shock, betrayal, and chaos?

One thing is certain—the Branning family is back in the spotlight, and their tangled web of lies, estrangement, and unfinished love stories is about to send shockwaves across Walford.