EastEnders has had a pretty special 2016, don't you think?
From bagging Best Serial Drama at the NTA's back in January to Bobby Beale FINALLY getting the justice we all thought he deserved.
Despite a few hiccups along the way and having to say goodbye to one of the best executive producers the show has ever seen (Dominic Treadwell-Collins) - the show is flying high and we're still obsessed with tuning into EastEnders four nights a week.
And it's not over yet! We've still got three months left of twists and turns in 2016 to look forward to...
Max Branning’s return
Oh the devilish and naughty Max, how we’ve missed you so!
After being sent down for the murder of Lucy Beale (one crime he definitely didn’t commit), Max Branning is coming back to Walford and he’s only after one thing: revenge.
We last saw the notorious lothario in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it snippet in a taxi way back in July – after he the murder charge against him dropped.
Max hasn’t been seen since…
When Jaqueline Jossa, who plays his on-screen daughter Lauren Branning, was quizzed on whether we’d be seeing Max back in Walford soon, she replied: "Very soon."
She even hinted that we’ll definitely be seeing Max seeking revenge on a few Walford residents.
She said: “You'd hope so. Max is good when he's bad. And Lauren, of course, knew who murdered Lucy and let Max sit in prison.”
Ooooooo.
Lee Carter’s downward spiral
EastEnders viewers were left feeling shocked and terribly sad when popular couple Whitney Dean and Lee Cartersuffered a heart-breaking miscarriagethat saw Whitney make the decicion to take some time out away from the square with Bianca in Milton Keynes.
And it looks like the devastating news will directly effect both Whitney and Lee’s future – especially as we see Lee tumble straight back into a dark place as his depression and anxiety resurface.
Actor Danny-Boy Hatchard, who plays Lee, confirmed his exit from the soap back in August, with bosses stating that ‘it was an incredibly hard decision’ but sometimes you have to sacrifice characters to the sake of amazing storylines.
Could Lee and Whitney be pulled apart by even more tragedy? Will things get too much for Lee?
Linda Carter’s exit
Our second favourite Queen Vic landlady (after Peggy Mitchell, obviously), will be taking a six-month break from EastEnders to have a baaaaaby in coming months! Kellie Bright has already assured fans that she’ll 10000% be back but has yet to divulge the rumours surrounding her exit storyline.
Will Mick and Linda take a break from each other or will they leave together?
Kim Fox’s ‘huge’ storyline
Tameka Empson, who plays loveable Kim in the soap, teased her ‘huge and emotional autumn storyline’ back in August, telling Inside Soap:
“Kim has a rocky road ahead of her with a story coming up in the autumn.
“It’s going to be hard to play, as in real life I’m very good at the thing Kim is going to be doing – but Kim is not!
“I’m hoping the nation will be behind her new journey, because while it will be emotional for her, the audience might find it funny.”
Has this all got something to do with Kim being able to pass her driving test or is it something way more sinister? A huge car crash that puts various characters’ lives on the line? Or will it all revolve around the custody of Denise Fox’s baby?
Who knows, but all the hype has us expecting very big things.
Ben saving his old Dad’s life
In coming months, we’ll see Ben Mitchell trying his hardest to move on from the devastating murder of his beloved boyfriend Paul Coker.
Setting his sights on planning his future and preparing for the liver transplant that might save his dad’s (Phil Mitchell) life – we’ll definitely be seeing more of the kind-hearted Ben this winter.
But being EastEnders, twists and turns will always try and ruin anyone’s chance of happiness. Will a transplant be enough to save Phil’s life? Will Kathy’s meddling have deadly consequences?
The demise of Stephen Beale
After the infamous Stephen Beale bounded back into Walford with Lauren Branning by his side - we all seemed to believe that he was a changed man. We all blissfully forgot about the time he held his adpotive father hostage, tried to kill poor Pat Butcher and shot his stepmum Jane (subsequently making her unable to carry her own children.)
However, the 'nice guy' act is slowly fading as Jane will discover that he's been fiddling the books at the Beale burger empire. Will even more secrets start to emerge?
Christmas!
With so many characters leaving EastEnders (struggling to keep up? Check out our handy guide) veeeery soon, there's SO MUCH that could happen in a pretty short space of time - pathing the way for some epic EastEnders action this christmas.
Who will be featuring most in the sure-to-be-dramatic the dramatic Christmas storylines? The Beales? The Mitchells? The Carters? The Fowlers?
**What are you most excited for? Let us know over on Facebook and Twitter (@CloserOnline). **
Read more:
EastEnders spoilers: Is Belinda Peacock hiding a DEVASTATING secret?
Jacqueline Jossa talks post-baby body: "I've felt down recently,"