Ryder Hawkins (Felix Uff) came out as gay to Nicola Mitchell (Laura Doddington) in emotional EastEnders scenes on Thursday, October 8, but a sinister development quickly followed.
Nicola had bonded with Ryder, who was struggling with his dad Ned (Jamie Bamber), who continually undermines and belittles him. Nicola herself was also finding Ned's presence overwhelming, as he had essentially blackmailed his way into co-owning Harry's Barn using a secret from the past as leverage.
Nicola's support
Picking up on the tension between Ryder and Ned, Nicola took Ryder under her wing, showing him the ropes of working a bar. After Ned undermined him again, Nicola took Ryder out for lunch.
Ryder later approached a girl in the park and took her back to Harry's Barn, where he publicly kissed her, hoping his loved ones – namely dad Ned – would be nearby to witness it. Nicola was taken aback and told him that she doesn't mind who he sees, which left Ryder with food for thought as he later asked for a moment of her time.
Knowing exactly what was on his mind, Nicola proved supportive, asking him if he's gay. Ryder bravely nodded, with Nicola opening out her arms and telling him that she loves him.
Fear of Ned
Ryder revealed that he's never told anyone in the family as he didn't want to put mum Gemma (Patricia Potter) – who would be super supportive – in an awkward position. Because Ned, he assured Nic, would not be okay with it.
Nicola wasn't so sure but Ryder was adamant, revealing that his dad made comments in the past that suggested such a thing. As Ryder revealed that he'd been messaging someone online, Nicola encouraged him to give the guy a call.
Ned, meanwhile, was inquisitive about what Ryder's plans were for the evening, which seemingly spooked Nicola.
Sinister turn
The situation then took quite a turn when Ned, offering support to Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) on his doorstep, spotted Ryder in the Square kissing a man. The expression on his face would certainly suggest that Ryder's theory about his dad being unsupportive of his sexuality was correct.
The question is: just what will he do? And is there danger on the cards for Ryder?
EastEnders airs Mondays to Thursdays at 7:30pm on BBC One or streams from 6am on BBC iPlayer.
