3 days ago
5 
The Mark Fowler Jr (Stephen Aaron-Sipple) who returned to EastEnders recently is a million miles away from the one who left in 2016.
Besides the whole ‘new face’ thing, in his time away from Walford, he’s become quite the villain.
Up to his neck in organised crime, he crashed back onto the Square on the orders of his shadowy ‘boss’ with one mission: to expose the grass in their drugs gang, else his sister, Vicki (Alice Haig) gets the horses-head-in-the-bed treatment.
Mark isn’t a heartless guy, though, and upon learning that the leak in the operation was Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara), he struggled with what he’d have to do after bonding somewhat with the troubled trapster.
Ravi’s fast-unravelling mental state led him to expose himself to Mark and drive him into the woods, before goading him into attacking, using the ensuing vicious and bloody beating as an extension of his self harming.
The arrival of Vicky, Priya Nandra-Hart (Sophie Khan Levy) and Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) brought an end to the battering, with Vicki utterly horrified by what her brother has gotten involved with.
Rather than apologise for traumatising her, though, he railed at both Vicki and Ross Marshall (Alex Walkinshaw) for getting involved in his business.
Phil steps in to help
Even more chillingly, when he still wanted to turn Ravi over to the gang to be dealt with, in a manner we presume would be permanent, Vicki turned to the oracle when it comes to all things ‘gangster’, Phil Mitchell to help.
Phil’s withering glare and gravelly pearls of wisdom broke through Mark’s bravado and, when given the opportunity to possibly escape the drug conglomerate and, therefore, not have to deliver Ravi to his death, Mark was more than happy to accept uncle Phil’s help…
…and help he did. Phil managed to detangle Mark from the messy criminal web he was so deeply ensnared in with a few words to the drugs boss. There was caveat, though: Mark now owed the gang £100k.
This, of course, led Mark to take stock and look at the direction his decisions have taken his life. Stepping back, he endeavoured to pay off his debt with good, honest work and never dip his toe back into the gangland pond again.
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Syke.
He decides to get involved in a car theft racket!
Lauren rails at Mark
After a spot of flirting with Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) in which he took a high-end, classic car she’s trying to sell out for a spin, she found herself the victim of a mugging in which said car was stolen. This was all a part of Mark’s plan, of course, and when he tells Lauren they can make some major cash by selling luxury cars, she’s seduced. Business-wise, of course.
Well, for now, anyway.
Lauren is chuffed when she flogs one of the cars, dismissing dad, and new car lot owner, Max’s (Jake Wood) worries of the legitimacy of the vehicles. While she brushes him off, she’s shaken when the po-po, in the form of Callum Highway (Tony Clay), arrives and reveals that the car that was stolen has been found and, in actuality, is one of many boujie car thefts in the area.
Heading straight for Mark, Lauren finds him with the creep that mugged her and everything slots into place for her.
Today’s trip to Albert Square saw Lauren rail at Mark for involving her in his slimy scheme, but Mark was undeterred.
Threatening Lauren with dragging her into the mess should she involve the police, he changed tack and played on her financial concerns. Leaving her to marinade, he asks for an answer later that night.
As Lauren and Peter Beale (Thomas Law) met with a fellow parent of a visually-impaired child to discuss a specialist nursery and the reality of the costs became clear, Lauren was clearly tempted by Mark’s proposal. She floated the idea of breaking the law to Penny Branning (Kitty Castledine), who confirmed that, if it meant supporting her family, she’d do it.
At drinks with Max, Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) and Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt), each pledge to help out with the fees despite their own money issues. When Peter later told Lauren that he’d resume personal training in his hours outside of work, she was floored at his dedication to their family and her decision was made.
Tearing into Mark again, Lauren made it clear that she wouldn’t be partaking in his scheme, and as she told him to stay away, Max watched from the shadows.
Unaware of the context, Max simply saw an aggressive Max locked in verbal combat with his beloved daughter. While Max hardly boasts the criminal contacts Mark does, he’s no slouch in the enemy department. Manipulative, resourceful and ruthless, this is the man who almost had Albert Square bulldozed.
Has Mark jumped from a frying pan straight into the fire?
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