In upcoming EastEnders episodes, teenage Oscar Branning (played by Pierre Moullier) makes a startling discovery just as his father, Max Branning (Jake Wood), prepares to return to Walford this autumn. Oscar’s secret sets the stage for one of the biggest family revelations of the year—and not everything will end peacefully.

It begins when Linda Carter finally confesses to Oscar that Annie—his younger half-sister—is actually Max’s daughter, conceived during their brief affair before he left the Square. Oscar had known only that Mick was Annie’s father, but this bombshell disclosure sends him reeling with emotional and ethical dilemmas. He immediately insists that Max deserves to know the truth—he can’t keep it to himself any longer. However, Linda panics, realizing that if Max finds out, it could ruin her fresh start and shatter her relationships. She turns to Lauren, Oscar’s sister, and begs her to kGuideeep him from revealing the secret. Lauren is torn: loyal to her mother, but increasingly sympathetic to Oscar’s moral outrage. The Sun+15Digital Spy+15TV Guide+15

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Meanwhile, Max Branning is already set to return to Walford this autumn, a move confirmed by actor Jake Wood. His return is expected to be explosive. The fact that Annie—who he has never met—is his daughter raises the stakes even higher. Max’s arrival will inevitably collide with Oscar’s impending revelation.

Oscar’s journey back onto the Square is anything but smooth. Initially welcomed through Lauren and Peter’s kindness, he quickly reveals layers of complexity—oblique comments, shady behavior, and a sense of unfinished business towards his family. Oscar even resorts to emotional manipulation, feigning innocence while testing loyalties. Still, his insistence that Max knows the truth about Annie marks a pivotal moment in the Branning saga.

Jack Branning, as both detective and uncle, grows wary of Oscar almost immediately. He senses that Oscar isn’t quite who he appears to be and warns him to stop causing trouble for Lauren and Peter. But Oscar pushes back, hinting at family secrets and unresolved trauma. Will he speak up before Max’s arrival—or wait until everything is in place? Dailygossip+3What to Watch+3Digital Spy+3

As the tension builds, viewers will see Oscar grappling with loyalty, fear, and a deep need for truth. Linda’s attempts to keep Annie’s paternity hidden only strengthen his resolve. Oscar threatens to call Max himself, believing his father has the right to know what’s been kept from him. But the timing is delicate: if the truth emerges after Max’s return, the fallout could be even more devastating. TV Guide

With Max’s return episode scheduled for later in 2025—promised to be thunderous and transformative—the secret Oscar holds threatens to topple alliances. Will Oscar break and tell Max directly? Or will Linda manage to delay the revelation long enough that Max learns on his own terms? Either way, the conflict is set up to reshuffle loyalties within the Branning-Carter families and redefine relationships on Albert Square.

This storyline is a masterclass in slow-burn unveiling. Oscar’s purely moral insistence clashes with Linda’s fear of disgrace, while Lauren wrestles with divided loyalty. Max returns to a world he no longer recognizes, and Oscar stands at the eye of a brewing storm. When the secret inevitably spills, betrayal will sting—and no redemption arc will come easily.