You learn a lot in life
and one of the things you learn is that not all paedophiles are someone that
stands out from the crowd – in fact, some of them can be a Real Mr Nice Guy. You know the types – the ones who do the shopping
for the old lady in the street, perhaps drive your kids to school or comes over
for car advice and tinkers with the old engine or two while making small talk –
winning the family over – all the while hatching little plans that go
unnoticed. He’s the guy who can win over anyone with a friendly smile.
When Buster Smith first
appears on the scene it’s after Damon’s Mum has been laid to rest and the boys
are going through the bucket list, and call up the mobile number, which is
answered ironically by the guy entering The Dog in the Pond, at that exact
moment. From then on, it’s that winning smile, that talkative man that can win
over Marnie Nightingale, and not be too phased by the fact she has a tag on her
ankle. He can flirt with any woman in the bar and leave them feeling flattered that
anyone showed them attention for that briefest of moments. He is the perfect gentleman.
But then we see how Brody
reacts the moment Buster enters the bar. Something hidden behind the eyes. The
fear. The old memories come flooding back and you hope that it’s not what you
think it is – hoping that we can get beyond Paedo Pete – knowing that was a
storyline and a half that kept us glued to the screen – how can you top that?
Can they dare bring another paedo into the Village?
Seemingly they can – but where
Paedo Pete kept his control of the McQueen family Buster moves in a slightly
different manner, and it’s only when the mention of Luke Morgan’s ordeal at the
hands of a bully from his past, that Buster finds his way into Ollie Morgan’s
life.
The love of football and
what it meant to Luke at the time and knowing that his son has a talent that
shouldn’t go to waste, is helped by the football academy run by, yes, you’ve
guessed it, Buster Smith. Buster himself is a known football celebrity, and
suddenly you start thinking of the real life coach who was charged for
assaulting many of the boys in his care on the news quite recently and suddenly
you can see where this is going.
However, Digital Spy and
the Hollyoaks camp posted up Spoilers a month into Buster’s story so nothing
came as a surprise after that.
What happened to suspense
to keep you guessing the whole summer???
Young Morgan has been
abused but we don’t know how, but we can imagine plenty and to be fair, given
the time slot of this soap, it is handled very well to not upset any younger
viewers – however, we all know what goes on behind closed doors, right???
Ollie threatens to tell
his Dad – but his Dad is consumed with rage about his new wife cheating on him
with someone – and he’s back on the grog – and football means a lot to Luke,
and seeing his son achieve goals that he could only dream of, makes Ollie
realise that telling his Dad about the abuse he’s receiving from Buster, could
tip him over the edge, and break his heart. Having already discovered that his
Dad only wants the best for Ollie and is proud of him already – how can he
destroy what could keep his dad off the booze?
On top of that, after
encouraging Imran to buy booze on his Mum’s credit card but is caught and punished
for it, Ollie stands to lose more than his pocket money for a fortnight – he could
also lose his place in the training academy and his captaincy with the team.
Buster is going to make him pay and in ways that are likely to include more
time in the football locker room.
It will be interesting
over the coming weeks to see how far Ollie can be pushed before he’s forced to
say something – and who he talks to about it. Would he tell Imran, already
causing grief to his own family, or would he confide in Brody, when perhaps
Brody sees the tell tale signs. Only time will tell I suppose.
If you’ve been the victim
of abuse in the past, watching the online story may bring back memories that
you’re unsure how to handle. These days, there are people who you can talk to
and not feel any shame for the abuse you’ve received.
Survivors Manchester helps
young men and boys who have been affected by sexual abuse and rape. Follow the
links below to get in touch with someone who will help you. Don’t filter your
feelings, talk to someone.
You can copy and paste or
click on this highlighted link
http://www.survivorsmanchester.org.uk/ or phone the helpline number on 0161
236 2182.
For male and female
survivors go to www.thesurvivorstrust.org.
In an emergency, please dial 999.
No comments:
Post a Comment