Christmas 2017 focuses on a "huge" storyline for the Branning family, involving the return of Tanya Branning, the death of Abi Branning and departures of Lauren Branning, Fi Browning, James Willmott-Brown and Hugo Browning respectively. The episodes leading up to New Year and continuing on afterwards focuses on the aftermath of Christmas and the culmination of Aidan JP Maguire's gang plot, leading to a shooting.
The episodes ran from December 21, 2017 to January 4, 2018.
The episodes aired from December 25th to December 26th were both set on Christmas Day, whilst the episode which aired on December 29th was set on New Year's Eve.
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Schedule and viewing figures[]
Viewing figures are underlined. Episodes were broadcast on the following dates:
- Thursday 21 December 2017 (7.30pm, thirty minutes)
- Friday 22 December 2017 (8.00pm, thirty minutes)
- Sunday 24 December 2017 (8.00pm, thirty minutes) 5.2 million
- Monday 25 December 2017 (9.00pm, one hour) 6.3 million
- Tuesday 26 December 2017 (7.30pm, thirty minutes) 5.9 million
- Thursday 28 December 2017 (8.00pm, thirty minutes; 9.30pm, thirty minutes)
- Friday 29 December 2017 (8.00pm, thirty minutes)
- Monday 1 January 2018 (8.00pm, one hour) 6.6 million
- Tuesday 2 January 2018 (7.00pm, one hour) 6.0 million
- Wednesday 3 January 2018 (8.00pm, thirty minutes) 6.2 million
- Thursday 4 January 2018 (7.30pm, thirty minutes) 6.3 million
- Cancelled on Friday 5 January 2018]
Bulleted summary[]
The downfall and demise of the Branning family and Max is exposed[]
- Max Branning strangles Ian Beale with Christmas lights as Lauren Branning walks in
- Max invites Lauren and Abi to a meeting in the Albert, however they leave, disgusted at him.
- Max goes round to each of his daughters houses with a present. Abi rejects him, but takes the present anyway, whilst Lauren tells him she thinks he needs professional help.
- Abi later comes to the Fowler household and shares Christmas dinner with Max and the Fowler family.
- Tanya returns, and accidentally lets slip to the Beales that Lauren is planning to move to Glasgow, which Lauren later backtracks on. Tanya then tells her that she isn't staying in Walford and that if she doesn't go to Glasgow then she has to come back to Exeter with her.
- Tanya is shocked to discover Abi is sharing Christmas dinner with Max.
- Tanya forces Lauren to pack a bag.
- Tanya comes back to collect Abi, and is shocked to discover that Max and Stacey are having an affair.
- Tanya tells the entire Fowler household and Abi that Max killed Steven.
- When Ian finds out, he tries to kill Max, but the Brannings intervene.
- When Phil finds out, he takes the gun supposed to be used for Aidan Maguire’s raid, and goes to find Max. He beats Max up. He threatens Max with the gun, and shoots a rail, leaving Max lying in the Square, laughing.
- As Tanya is leaving the Square in a taxi with Lauren, Abi and Louie, Max goes to the edge of the roof of the Queen Victoria, and Tanya, Lauren and Abi watch on in horror.
- Stacey runs out of her house and tells Max not to.
- Lauren and Abi run up to try and stop him, and climb to the edge threateningly saying if he goes, they will too. He reluctantly climbs down.
- Lauren slips, and grabs Abi. They fall.
- The girls are found to be alive.
- Max is arrested on suspicion on GBH
- Abi’s baby is revealed to be alive
- Max is released from custody
- Stacey admits to Martin that she slept with Max
- Abi goes through an x-ray
- Lauren suffers from a potentially fatal bleed
- Max tries it on with Tanya
- A nurse approaches Max and Tanya with news about one of the sisters
- Max tells Sophie that Abi has a catastrophic brain injury
- Max is told that Abi is brain dead and will not regain consciousness
- The nurses take Abi's baby out. It is a girl.
- When Max realises Abi can‘t be treated, he drops the deeds for Walford and lets them blow away.
- Lauren is seen taking her first steps, as Josh and Jack watch on.
- Max lies to Lauren saying Abi is fine.
- It is revealed Lauren has discovered Abi’s condition.
- Lauren slaps Max.
Willmott-Brown revenge & downfall and demise of the Willmott-Brown family[]
- Sophie reminisces to James about how he was always at his work parties on Christmas Eve
- Sophie tells James that she believes Kathy’s story
- James fires her and has her forcibly removed from the building
- James visits Kathy with flowers and reveals his cancer is in the liver
- James offers Kathy his estate
- Kathy grabs James’s balls and says no and threatens to cut his penis off and serve it in a sandwich
- Sophie snoops round James’s office and looks longingly at the safe which holds the documents which could end James
- James notices that Sophie has taken the documents in his safe as the police knock at his office door
- As James tries to shred the documents, he appears to have a heart attack and is hospitalised.
- Sophie offers the Carters the chance to buy the freehold back but they lAugh her out
- Sophie gives Kathy the cafe back
- Sophie disowns James at the hospital to die alone
Storyline end.
Ahmed comeback[]
- Masood can be seen driving Mariam and Arshad down the motorway, telling them what a pleasant and safe community Albert Square is.
- When Mick reaches his position for the heist he is involved in , an unwitting Masood drives through, and talks to Mick. Mick, in the politest way possible, asks Masood to drive on.
- It is revealed the goods the heist plans to steal are the incoming Ahmed’s belongings.
- As the heist is in full swing, Mariam and Arshad watch as guns are waved about.
- Arshad tells Masood he doesn’t want to live in Walford.
- Mariam assists Mick in the pub .
- Mariam decides to stay living in the Square.
Aidan Maguire's heist[]
- Linda Carter finds Mick Carter's gun, and tells him to pull out and that she will take Ollie Carter and leave him if he doesn't
- Mick tells Aidan he is pulling out, and gives him his gun back. Aidan appears to threaten him, and later hands Billy Mitchell the gun which Mick gave back to him and leaves.
- Aidan wraps up a new gun and gives it to Whitney, who unknowingly puts it underneath the Carter's Christmas tree.
- Mick is confused when Aidan calls the police, reporting a harmful weapon in his pub. Aidan explains, smugly.
- The police arrive, and Mick manages to find the gun in a box of crisp packets. He gives the gun to Billy, and tells him to give it to Phil.
- Phil later uses the gun to threaten Max and shoots a rail to scare him.
- Aidan tries to get Mick back on the job and Mick says no
- Mick tries to get back on the job, but is replaced by Billy.
- On the day, Aidan explains the job to his gang, as Bernadette listens in.
- Shirley locks Mick in the cellar in order to prevent him from participating in the heist
- It is revealed that their targets are armed with loaded guns
- The signal for the heist members to get in position is set off, whilst Vincent is doing the doo with Kim and Mick is locked in the cellar
- When Aidan discovers Mick is late, he loads his gun
- Keanu takes over Mick‘s job as the driver. Keanu is unlicensed.
- Mick tries to get Keegan to open the cellar door from outside. Keegan points a box of flares at the door and lights it. It doesn’t work, and causes a large explosion of Christmas decorations.
- Keegan eventually manages to bust Mick out.
- Shirley calls on Linda and they pursuit Mick in the car.
- When Mick reaches his position, Masood drives through, and talks to Mick. Mick, in the politest way possible, asks Masood to drive on.
- Mick and Keanu successfully divert the car with the goods in it.
- It is revealed the goods the heist plans to steal are the incoming Ahmed’s belongings.
- The van is in position right outside the Archers. The gang strike. Mariam and Arshad watch on as guns are waved about.
- Linda and Shirley arrive.
- Mick is shot by the men in the back of the van as Linda and Shirley watch on.
- It is revealed that Vincent sent down Aidan’s brother, who killed hImself in prison. Aidan turns a gun on VinCent. Phil bundles in and turns a gun on Aidan.
- It is revealed Halfway shot Mick.
- Mariam assists Mick in the pub, as the police raid the van.
- A woman named Ciara Maguire is revealed to have coordinated the operation which involved the men who shot Mick. She gets rid of the police, and realises a cigarette on the floor is Aidan’s. Aidan is seen watching on, hidden.
- Keira chats with Aidan.
- It is revealed Ciarais Aidan’s ex-wife.
- Aidan whispers something to Phil and he develops a horrified expression on his face.
- Ciara blackmails Aidan into giving her the money back
- Vincent tells Linda that Aidan is capable of murder
- The money is found to be missing
- The gang go grave robbing to reclaim the money
- Vincent tries to clobber Aidan over the head with a hockey stick, but Phil stops him.
- Aidan and the rest of the gang run when the police arrive, leaving Phil to face the music.
Taylor reunion & Kandice saves the Taylors[]
- Bailiffs take the Christmas presents and demand £1,000 before 12:15 the following day
- Bernadette forces Karen to ask Kandice for help
- Kandice agrees to give Karen £1,000
- After Karen kicks off when Kandice called her fat, Kandice says she won’t give them the money
- Bernadette pleads to Kandice to help them
- Kandice gives Bernadette £20 and leaves
- Keanu wins £1,000
- Keanu discovers it was only £10
- Kandice gives Karen £1,000 and they make up
Storyline end.
Jane's voicemail[]
- After Karen discovers the phones which Chatham and Riley stole from half the Square, she makes Keegan take it back to Stacey's house. He posts the phone, which contains evidence of Max's killing of Steven, it through the letterbox as Max and Stacey hook up.
- Max manages to delete the voicemail, however Tanya arrives and makes Stacey play the other voicemail from Jane. She tells the Fowler household that Jane told her everything about Max, and Max killed Steven. Abi overhears.
- Abi tells Lauren and Ian.
- Ian tries to kill Max, but the Brannings intervene.
- Phil beats Max up and shoots a rail to scare him, leaving Max lying in the Square laughing.
- As Tanya is leaving the Square in a taxi with Lauren, Abi and Louie, Max goes to the edge of the roof of the Queen Victoria, and Tanya, Lauren and Abi watch on in horror.
- Stacey runs out of her house and tells Max not to.
- Lauren and Abi run up to try and stop him, and climb to the edge threateningly saying if he goes, they will too. He reluctantly climbs down.
- Lauren slips, and grabs Abi Abi falls to her death and dies in hospital, Lauren survives the fall and lives
Storyline end.
Carter vow renewal[]
- Linda Carter threatens to leave Mick Carter after finding his gun, but forgives him.
- On the day, Linda thinks Mick is having second thoughts
- Linda breaks down whilst trying to make her speech, however they eventually manage to exchange vows.
- A party commences.
Storyline end.
Stacey and Max reignite their affair[]
- When Stacey sees Max alone at a bus stop, she takes him in and they look at each other longlingly.
- Stacey and Max hook up as the phone containing the voicemail which reveals Max as Steven's killer is posted through the letterbox
- Stacey tells Max that the idea of “them” is mad, as Max desperately tries to make her think it is a good idea. She says it is a bad idea. Max calls her "mine", to her horror.
- After Christmas dinner, Stacey tells Max she feels the same as Max and they kiss.
- Tanya guesses that they have restarted their affair
- When Tanya comes over and tells everyone Max killed Steven, he tells Stacey it isn’t true. The whole Fowler household and Abi has heard Tanya.
- Later Max confesses all to Stacey and she tells him she wants nothing to do with him.
- Stacey admits to Martin that she slept with Max.
Storyline end.
Aftermath of Stacey and Max’s affair[]
- Stacey is seen at the train station with Lily and Hope leaving Martin a message saying she is leaving Walford.
Other[]
- Kathy grabs James’s balls and threatens to cut his penis off and serve it in a sandwich
- It is finally revealed that Max was the one who told Phil to tell Jay that Phil killed Jase
- Kim tells Denise that she lost her baby
Who lives where[]
- 18 Albert Square - Ben Mitchell, Jay Brown, Abi Branning, Donna Yates
- 20 Albert Square - Patrick Trueman
- 23A Albert Square - Joyce Murray, Ted Murray
- 23B Albert Square - Karen Taylor, Keanu Taylor, Bernadette Taylor, Keegan Baker, Riley Taylor, Chatham Taylor
- 25 Albert Square - Dot Branning, Sonia Fowler, Robbie Jackson
- 27 Albert Square - Jack Branning, Amy Mitchell, Ricky Mitchell, Ingrid Solberg, Max Branning
- 29B Albert Square - Kush Kazemi, Denise Fox, Carmel Kazemi, Shakil Kazemi
- 31 Albert Square - Rebecca Fowler, Stacey Fowler, Martin Fowler, Lily Fowler, Arthur Fowler, Whitney Carter, Hope Fowler
- 41 Albert Square - Masood Ahmed, Mariam Ahmed, Arshad Ahmed
- 45 Albert Square - Ian Beale, Kathy Beale, Louie Beale, Lauren Branning
- 46 Albert Square (Queen Victoria) - Mick Carter, Johnny Carter, Tina Carter, Shirley Carter, Linda Carter, Ollie Carter, Callum Highway
- 55 Victoria Road - Louise Mitchell, Dennis Rickman Jr., Sharon Mitchell, Michelle Fowler, Phil Mitchell
- 53A Turpin Road - Billy Mitchell, Janet Mitchell, Will Mitchell, Honey Mitchell
- Other - Ciara Maguire, Abi Branning Jnr, Tanya Cross, Aidan Maguire, Josh Hemmings