EastEnders airs dark Lauren Beale and Mark Fowler twist as she's attacked in early BBC iPlayer release
Warning: Contains spoilers for Thursday's episode of EastEnders, which airs at 7:30pm on BBC One or can be streamed now on BBC iPlayer.
Lauren Beale's (Jacqueline Jossa) new business venture at the Albert Square car lot has already turned sour in EastEnders.
Earlier this week, Lauren heard that owner Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) had decided to sell the showroom, which could potentially leave her jobless. Fortunately, after some persuasion from Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins), her dad Max Branning (Jake Wood) stepped in and coughed up the cash.
However, it quickly became apparent that the two had very different ideas about how the operation would be run.
Max wanted to take charge and rename 'Square Dealz' to 'Maximum Motors', something Lauren was firmly against. He also reckoned that she was wasting her time by trying to flog a flashy vintage motor, and she accepted the challenge to get rid of it within 24 hours.
What she didn't bargain on was the car being stolen in a brutal robbery on Union Street.
There was some initial interest from Mark Fowler (Stephen Aaron-Sipple), who asked if he could take it for a quick spin around the block. Lauren explained that she wasn't prepared to hand over the keys, but would be happy to accompany him on a short drive that afternoon.
He told her to give him 30 minutes while he sorted something out and grabbed his licence.
Later, on the drive, Mark explained that he couldn't afford the vehicle and was just enjoying the ride out. Lauren was disgruntled, and said that he'd not only wasted her time but had also missed her lunch.
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In a bid to make it up to her, Mark wandered into the nearby cafe to grab her a sandwich and told her to check out the crack on the boot. She was insistent that the car was unscathed, and while she was checking it out, a man punched her to the ground and grabbed the keys.
He sped off into the distance as Mark cried out for him to stop.
Lauren was mortified that the day had gone so badly, while Mark was also unimpressed with the turn of events. In a darkened Edward Road, he thanked the thug for stealing the car, but was furious that he'd injured Lauren.
It became quickly apparent that he had orchestrated the theft so that he could pay off the drugs gang that had forced him to track down a police informant within their group. As viewers of the BBC One soap know, the 'grass' was none other than Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara).
Ravi had concluded that his game was up, and goaded Mark into a fight. When their respective families found out what was happening, they ordered Mark to retreat and think of another solution.
Fortunately for Ravi, Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) knew a contact within the gang who agreed that if Mark could find £100k, the debt would be settled.
Is Mark about to commit even more crimes to secure the cash?
Read more:
- 6 EastEnders spoilers next week: Zoe Slater's son arrives and Bea Pollard commits fraud
- EastEnders confirms Holby City legend cast in pivotal role alongside Zoe Slater's long-lost son for trial storyline
- EastEnders reveals why Clare Bates is estranged from Nigel as she returns after 18 years in BBC iPlayer release
- EastEnders' Max Branning makes reckless move to show commitment to Linda Carter in early BBC iPlayer release
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Authors
Michael Adams is the Soaps Editor at Radio Times, covering all of the hot gossip and spoilers from Weatherfield to Walford, Emmerdale to Hollyoaks and everywhere in-between. He joined the team from Metro, where he spent two years as a Soaps Reporter and previously worked on the sets of both Coronation Street and Emmerdale.
