Tonight’s EastEnders episode (airing at 7:30 p.m. on BBC One or now on iPlayer) delivers an emotional blow for Peter Beale and Lauren Branning, whose already fragile relationship completely falls apart under the weight of guilt, mistrust, and heartbreaking choices.

In recent weeks, the young couple have been barely holding it together after a devastating diagnosis: their newborn son, Jimmy, is severely sight-impaired. The news came as a crushing blow, and while both Peter and Lauren initially tried to process it as a team, it’s become clear that the weight of guilt and blame is tearing them apart.

Lauren has been emotionally unraveling since Jimmy’s diagnosis. She’s convinced that her past struggle with painkiller addiction during pregnancy is to blame for her baby’s condition. That inner guilt has only deepened with Peter’s growing distance. It was revealed earlier this week that Peter—while trying to hold it together—secretly harbored the same belief. Unable to look at either Lauren or Jimmy without being reminded of what could’ve been, Peter began withdrawing emotionally.

Everything came to a head when Cindy Beale and Kathy Cotton staged a tense intervention, trying to bring the couple together for Jimmy’s sake. But instead of finding resolution, the confrontation ended with Lauren storming out of the house—feeling cornered, judged, and increasingly isolated.

She made her way to The Queen Vic in a distressed state, ordering a drink and teetering dangerously close to relapsing. Thankfully, Linda Carter was behind the bar and immediately recognized the signs. Refusing to serve Lauren alcohol, Linda talked her down and gently encouraged her to find support elsewhere.

Later, Lauren encountered Zack Hudson, who could see she wasn’t in a good place. Offering a listening ear, Zack took her back to his flat where the two had a vulnerable heart-to-heart. As is so often the case in EastEnders, emotional intimacy soon gave way to physical temptation, and the pair shared a kiss. Though it didn’t go further, the damage was already done.

By the next morning, Lauren was wracked with guilt. She hadn’t slept with Zack, but she knew she had crossed a line by staying out all night—and she dreaded the fallout. Meanwhile, Peter had spent a sleepless night worrying, pacing at home with baby Jimmy in his arms and no clue where Lauren was.

When the two finally crossed paths at the café, Peter demanded answers. But instead of coming clean, Lauren lied—claiming she had stayed at a friend’s house. Peter could tell something was off. Frustrated and feeling more betrayed than ever, he left without pressing further and instead focused on his son, opting to visit a private hospital in hopes of getting clearer answers about Jimmy’s future.

At the hospital, Peter had a sobering conversation that made him reflect on the enormity of what lay ahead for their child—and the kind of support Jimmy would need. Armed with new resolve, Peter returned home seemingly ready to repair the damage between him and Lauren.

But any attempt at reconciliation quickly crumbled when he learned from Linda that Lauren had nearly relapsed the night before. Shocked and furious that Lauren had kept such a serious truth from him—not to mention lied outright—Peter lost whatever hope he had left.

He confronted Lauren, who finally admitted to almost drinking but stopped short of confessing the full truth about Zack. Peter, however, had reached his limit. Her dishonesty, compounded with the near relapse, pushed him to the breaking point. He told her flatly that he was done—this time, for good.

In a gut-wrenching scene, Peter began packing his things, telling Lauren that he was leaving and taking Jimmy with him. What hurt most wasn’t just that he was leaving—it was what he said as he closed the door on their relationship. Peter declared that he would dedicate himself to proving their children would be better off without her.

It was a brutal, emotionally raw moment—one that left Lauren shattered and viewers questioning whether this truly is the end of one of EastEnders’ longest-running family connections.

Despite everything they’ve been through—from teenage heartbreak to parenthood—Peter and Lauren’s relationship appears to have finally reached the point of no return. Whether time, reflection, and forgiveness can heal the deep wounds they’ve inflicted on each other remains to be seen, but for now, their story seems to have closed with one of the soap’s most painful breakups in recent memory.

The fallout from this explosive episode will no doubt ripple through Walford in the coming days. With Lauren facing a return to addiction, Peter setting out on a mission to prove himself as a solo parent, and Jimmy’s condition looming over both of them, EastEnders is once again showing that when it comes to emotional drama, no one does it quite like the Square.