Sam Mitchell's (Kim Medcalf) latest EastEnders stint has shown her grow to be more caring, more willing to be vulnerable and more loyal than ever before. 'The old chaotic, manipulative Sam is still very much there, just evolved,' Kim said, and Max Branning (Jake Wood) is about to discover just how devious the Mitchell Princess can be.
Max's Suspicious Car Lot
Max's suspicions are raised next week about some potentially dodgy goings on at the car lot. Of course, he's quite right to be suspicious, because Mark Fowler Jr (Stephen Aaron-Sipple) is funnelling stolen motors through the place. When Max discovers a ruck of vintage cars from his premises have been found burnt out in a quarry, he questions his daughter-cum-business partner, Lauren (Jacqueline Jossa), over what's going on.
Being well aware of Mark's propensity for car-related crime, Lauren immediately heads for him and asks him if he's involved. Luckily for Mark, aunty Sam is on hand to provide a sturdy – but false – alibi.
Sam's Protective Instinct
'She's a Mitchell; she's not turning into Mary Poppins overnight,' Kim explains. 'This week, her survival instinct kicks in, and as a mother she understands exactly what buttons might influence Lauren and how to use that to help Mark.' Why is Kim so determined to protect her newly-discovered nephew? 'Sam really understands Mark. She sees beyond the bravado and the lashing out to his vulnerability underneath, and she recognises how abandoned he's felt by Grant.'
No stranger to parent-child tiffs, having abandoned her son, Ricky (Frankie Day) on a number of occasions, she has some expertise in the subject which she's willing to share with both Mark and Grant. 'She's never judgmental with him – she tries to support Mark, while also helping Grant understand that it's not about big promises, it's about simply showing up. At his core, Mark just wants to be loved by his dad, and that anger comes from everything Grant wasn't there for.'
Lauren Turns Against Max
Sam's manipulation turns Lauren firmly against her dad, who she accuses of adding a criminal element to their legitimate business. Max is deeply wounded by his daughter's accusations while, outside of the car lot, Mark continues to attempt to coerce Lauren into joining forces in a car scam. Having worked his magic on her, a stolen car arrives at the car lot the following day, but Max is sceptical, and turns to his copper-brother, Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) to investigate Mark. Jack does manage to unearth some shady information, but convinces Max to withhold what he knows from Lauren for the moment.
Max Under Pressure
With Max under serious pressure from his former criminal gang to repay his debt, he enlists Priya Nandra-Hart (Sophie Khan Levy) to gain access to the car lot safe, but decides against it, not before dropping his keys, though. When Max finds the keys later in the week, he too turns to Priya for answers. Will Sam be forced to intervene again on Mark's behalf?
