Mark Fowler Jr (Stephen Aaron-Sipple) has made a dramatic exit from Walford in Thursday's (August 6) episode of EastEnders, sacrificing his own happiness after Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) pleaded with him to leave. The departure, which aired at 7:30pm on BBC One and was available to stream earlier on BBC iPlayer, comes less than a year after Mark's explosive debut on the Square.
Lauren, who has been growing increasingly close to Mark since they went into business together earlier this year to win a bet against her father Max (Jake Wood) and secure a stake in the car lot, ultimately decided that their budding romance was too risky. Despite months of resisting the undeniable chemistry between them, Mark and Lauren shared passionate kisses and even contemplated taking their relationship further. However, Lauren pulled back, fearing the fallout an affair would have on Peter Beale (Thomas Law), who had already started to suspect something was going on.
Peter's discovery and Lauren's ultimatum
When Peter interrupted a tense moment between Lauren and Mark earlier this week, Lauren attempted to cover her tracks by confessing to a lesser transgression: selling dodgy motors with the former gangster. The revelation left Peter stunned, and he subsequently asked Lauren for space to decide whether their relationship had a future.
Meanwhile, Lauren took matters into her own hands, meeting with Mark and issuing an ultimatum: if he truly cared for her, he would leave Walford immediately. Mark was torn, but after witnessing the emotional impact that Peter and Lauren's falling out had on Lauren's son Louie, he resolved to honour her request.
Emotional farewell and a temporary goodbye
In heart-wrenching scenes, Mark said an emotional goodbye to his sister Vicki (Alice Haig), who was devastated by the news, before climbing into a cab and leaving the Square for good—or so it seemed. EastEnders fans will know that this exit is not permanent, as Mark is set to feature in the events of New Year's Day, teased in the flashforward episode earlier this year. This suggests his departure is only temporary, and the question remains: will his feelings for Lauren play a pivotal role in his eventual return?
Viewers will have to keep watching to find out. EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One, with episodes available to stream from 6am on BBC iPlayer.
