EastEnders airs Lauren Branning arrest twist in return episode

Joe Anderton

1 January 2024 at 3:00 pm·2-min read

EastEnders spoilers follow.

EastEnders has kicked off 2024 with the much-anticipated return of Lauren Branning to Albert Square... except that she didn't even make it to Walford before getting herself arrested.

The episode began in Paris, as Lauren brushed off an interested local man at a party and tried to keep Louie out of trouble, while cousin Penny watched on in amusement. Back in the Square, a miserable Peter texted her "Happy New Year" while he admitted to Cindy he was really missing them.

As Lauren mentioned to Penny, Louie was really missing Peter as well, although she herself absolutely didn't.

penny branning, lauren branning, eastenders — BBC

"He lied to me, for months," she said when asked why. "And not just a little white lie. He forgot to mention his mum rose from the dead... Do I really want Louie to be brought up around that?"

Soon, a French woman named Juliette approached Penny and they exchanged a few comments about nearly landing in prison and it being an "occupational hazard", and how Penny owed her.

Meanwhile, Lauren called up Peter (who had just finished hooking up with a girl he met at the bar) and said she was thinking of coming home for a few days to see Jack and Whitney, but warned him that she didn't want any more secrets as she still hadn't forgiven him.

Lauren and Penny then went to check on Louie in bed and found Juliette talking to him. She said Louie had been telling her about Jack's job as a detective, and said it must be why Penny was so good at keeping secrets. She made some barely concealed threats against her if she disappointed her again.

After Juliette left, Penny asked Lauren if she could join her on the flight.

Cut to the airport, and a police dog approached Lauren and started sniffing her bag. She sent Louie and (a guilty-looking) Penny on ahead, thinking it'd be fine, but the officer pulled something Lauren didn't recognise out of her bag and placed her under arrest.

Just what is Penny up to? And how will the residents of the Square react to Lauren's eventual return?

EastEnders airs on Mondays - Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer, where most episodes drop early at 6am ahead of their TV broadcast.

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