It’s been one of the most talked-about Home And Away plot lines of recent times, and last night tension finally exploded between jilted Raffy (Olivia Deeble) and her ex-boyfriend Ty (Darius Williams) over his recent revelation that he is gay, and has feelings for Ryder (Lukas Radovich).
Feeling outraged that seemingly everyone in her life knew that Ty was gay before she did, Raffy exploded in fury over her sense of betrayal – blasting Ty, as well as guardians John and Marilyn, and threatening to move out of their home. Her emotional tirade even almost resulted in Ty being removed from John and Marilyn after his foster care case worker walked in on the dramatic confrontation.
‘Everyone lied to me, and decided I’m not allowed to be upset,’ said Raffy. ‘Why did you become my boyfriend?’
‘I just did what I thought I was supposed to do,’ replied Ty – his response leaving her less than happy.
‘I am mad at you, you’re a liar and a user. The day you arrived was the worst day of my life and it’s continually kept getting worse.’
With the drama finally culminating in a heart-to-heart between Raffy and Ty later that evening, she let her deepest feelings be known, telling him at the conclusion of last night’s episode, ‘You broke my heart’.
Replied Ty: ‘When we got together, I thought that’s what I wanted. Then I realised something wasn’t right, but I was too confused and gutless to say anything.’
What this means for the future of their friendship – and their shared living arrangements – remains to be seen.
Fans took to social media to take sides, with supporters of Raffy pointing out that she’s young and vulnerable, and Ty fans empathising strongly with the intense difficulty of his emotional journey, and what it must be like to come out of the closet, not knowing how people will react.
The emotionally fraught storyline has everyone talking today, with popular TV podcast Binge List doing a deep dive into the implications of the hugely popular storyline.
‘Most of the social media reaction from fans has been very positive,’ says Binge List host Matt Denby of Ty’s dramatic personal journey, noting how much he loves the storyline. ‘There has been a little bit of hate out there but I think it’s been drowned out by all the positivity.’
On the subject of the Raffy and Ty clash, Matt says: ‘Was he stringing her along? I think he was.’
But like a lot of fans, the Binge List team were deeply sympathetic to Ty’s struggle, and acknowledge he didn’t mean to hurt Raffy as he navigated his way through his feelings – and his way out of the closet. The coming out storyline – and Darius’ acting – earned plenty of praise. But notorious Home And Away grump Alf’s sympathetic reaction to Ty’s situation came in for special praise.
‘I loved the way that Alf (Ray Meagher) was so supportive, along with all of the characters, they really had Ty’s back,’ says Matt. ‘Alf seems to have really moved on like the rest of Australia.’
WHO TV expert and Binge List contributor Gavin Scott says Ty’s coming out storyline is great for the show, and for many fans.
‘It is nice that the show is showing there is a gay teenager in Summer Bay, and here’s what he’s going through.
‘I think for the audience, especially – because there will be gay teenagers watching this – having Ty’s journey play out for them on TV might help them sort out their feelings.’
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TV podcast Binge List this week features Jack Irish, Anne With An E, Home And Away, Ninja Warrior, GLOW, and JK Rowling’s CB Strike – plus we interview Wilmer Valderrama. Subscribe via iTunes http://po.st/syE3JF or OMNY http://po.st/OBos0a
