BBC Share By Kerry Barrett Dec 20 2025 By Kerry Barrett Dec 20 2025 EastEnders review: Jasmine is Zoe's daughter! Max is back! Linda's back! And a fire RAGED through the Square! Well, if you can call a smouldering teddy bear a raging fire, that is... Jasmine Fisher Max Branning Zoe Slater Share By Kerry Barrett Dec 20 2025 By Kerry Barrett Dec 20 2025 Our EastEnders review this week is half confusion, half joy. Because we are slightly baffled by the whole Jasmine thing, but we’re delighted that Max Branning is back where he belongs. And Linda Carter, come to that. We’re so glad to have her home. But we’re still puzzled over Lily being left to fend for herself. And of course we’re totally underwhelmed by the fire. Here’s everything we thought of the action in this week’s EastEnders review. Jasmine is Zoe’s daughter (Credit: BBC/Composite: EI) Jasmine is a Slater after all – and we’ve got questions This week we were treated to the truth about Jasmine. She’s not a Ford – she’s a Slater! Which was actually what we thought back when she first arrived. Article continues below Read all the latest spoilers But then we were distracted by her obsession with Cindy, the way she didn’t so much as look twice at Zoe, the fake National Insurance number, the weird fruit basket and get well message in hospital, the fact that she didn’t ask any questions about Zoe, talk to Zoe, speak to anyone else about Zoe… In fact, she’d barely said two words to Zoe until this week. Anyway, we’re actually glad Jasmine’s Zoe’s daughter and not a Ford, because we do not care about the Fords and we don’t want to see Cindy bashed round the head again. But it is a bit odd, right? And talking of Cindy – Jasmine may not be a Ford, but she did actually push poor Cindy down those stairs, remember? Though the police didn’t seem to care about that. Like we say, odd. Zoe’s been lying to Anthony all along (Credit: BBC) And she’s also a Trueman! Then there’s the way Zoe assured Anthony that their romance was “years before” her pregnancy. She said it very casually and without so much a soapy furrowed brow or bitten lip to suggest she might be lying. And Anthony accepted it without saying “but there was that one time…” or similar. Except now it turns out Zoe actually was lying, and Anthony had clearly just forgotten hooking up with his ex, several years after their relationship ended. We’re old enough to remember Zoe and Anthony’s (also odd, admittedly) romance back in the day. Like Zoe said, it was over way before the whole Zoe/Dennis/Den stuff began, and Anthony had left the Square. He did return very briefly for his brother Paul’s funeral at the start of February 2005, but Zoe was already pregnant then – with Den Watts’s baby. And that was too early anyway for Zoe to have given birth in 2006. So we are left to assume that in late 2005, dull, boring Anthony took time out from doing his Good Work in Cambodia, where he’d gone to live. And he hopped on a plane to party in Ibiza with Zoe, who he’d hardly spoken to for years. We admit, grudgingly, that stranger things have happened in EastEnders. On and off screen! Zoe was in terrible danger as the fire ranged through a teddy bear! (Credit: BBC) The SHOCKING fire! Not long after we learned that Jasmine is Zoe’s daughter, Zoe was plunged into MORTAL DANGER when a fire raged through the Branning/Beale house. Well, it didn’t so much rage as smoulder. And it was less through the house than through a teddy bear. Why Zoe didn’t cover the fire with the duvet instead of herself? We’re not sure. We’re also not sure how Oscar ended up at death’s door when he was in the fire for about 10 seconds, while Zoe strolled away without so much as a scratch. BUT we are not complaining, because Oscar’s brush with death brought Max back to the Square! Max is back and we are happy (Credit: BBC/Composite:ED!) EastEnders review: Merry ChristMax! Max Branning is always a joy. We are so pleased he’s back in Walford. We love his relationship with Linda because they just make sense together, whether romantically or just as friends. And we’re really glad she’s told him the truth about Annie – can’t wait to see how that plays out. We also really liked to see him being a dad for once, sticking up for Lauren, and forcing everyone to be a grown up. So hooray for Max Branning. He’s our favourite Christmas present so far. Sam had some wise words for Linda (Credit: BBC/Composite: EI) EastEnders review: Sam’s friendships Now Sam’s back to normal and not swindling poor Nigel out of his life savings, we’re enjoying having her back. We always liked her friendship with Zack, and we also really enjoyed her giving Linda a pep talk. Though as philosophical sayings go, we think Sam could do better. “Cancer either kills you or it doesn’t” made about as much sense as Kat comparing Harvey to Pat Butcher. Lily’s trying to cope all alone (Credit: BBC) Lily and Jean Poor Lily continued to struggle this week, despite the support of Kat and Alfie. And that made us wonder what the family finances are like. Remember how Stacey inherited cash from Martin and gave it to Kat as a deposit on the Vic? Did she not keep some back for her kids? Or make an arrangement to get some of the profits from the pub? And what about Jack and Denise, and Ricky? Are they contributing to Charli’s upkeep? It’s all a bit baffling. Anyway, we firmly feel that now Lily’s family have basically left her to fend for herself, social services need to step in here. #savelily Read more: Who’s leaving, joining and returning to EastEnders? Complete list of cast exits, arrivals and returns. Share Good to Know Share By Kerry Barrett Dec 20 2025 By Kerry Barrett Dec 20 2025 Previous Story Next Story
