(Monday 1^st – Tuesday 9^th June 2020)

I’ll be upfront with you.  This past fortnight in Hollyoaks has been truly devastating.  I wept.  So, I’ll first write about the other stories and then get to the main plot: the death of Kyle Kelly.  And just to be warned, this tackles the subject of suicide and may contain some triggering material.  There were some complaints online this week that the show had spoilt the story by revealing the plot.  However, I completely disagree.  It would have been completely irresponsible for the show not to have pre-warned viewers of what was to come, considering the subject matter.

So, concerning the rest of The Village…  Sylver and Mercedes had their vow renewal and it was all very lovely, including John Paul inviting PC George Kiss to be his date, until Sylver’s secret daughter (he didn’t even know about her) crashed the wedding.  At first, Sylver denied that she was his but then everything fell into place and he had to admit the truth.  It was all a bit awkward as he had previously said that Mercedes was the only woman he had ever been with.  Hasty script rewrites, anyone?

Apparently this girl’s mother had been a dental nurse in the prison and they’d had a bit of a fling.  Nine months later, Cher (yes really) had come along.  Now, she has had a big row with her Mum who is taking the kids abroad with her and leaving Cher to get to know Sylver and his family.  And probably Romeo who is desperately in love with her.  Just like he was recently in love with Celeste.  And just like he was in love with Lily before her.  He is so fickle.  But what looks like it will be a lovely relationship is the one between Cher and Mercedes as Mercedes is already training the young woman up to be a true McQueen, the most fabulous soap family since The Slaters!

Meanwhile, deluded Peri really thought her relationship with vile Jordan was actually going somewhere, little realising that he was far more into her Mum.  Now, I confess that it had actually escaped me that their relationship had been kept a secret so, I apologise.  I did think it was a bit weird that Leela had been happily flirting away with Jordan when he was dating her daughter but now, it’s all clicked into place!  Jordan broke up with Peri, explaining that he couldn’t, in good conscience date her when Leela had been kind enough to allow him to live in the house.  Just the idea of him having a conscience is laughable, really!  Especially as he then promptly made a move on Leela who put up the weakest piece of resistance anyone has ever put up ever.  I am getting flashbacks of Rhys sleeping with Sarah’s mother behind her back from years gone by!  Well Jordan, he didn’t end up with either of them and he’s dead now, so…

And so… to Kyle…  Last week began with Kyle begging Darren for help in winning Nancy back but with Mandy so worried about Darren’s own mental health, she persuaded him to abandon his friend in order to get well himself.  Despite his own misgivings, Darren ignored Kyle’s pleas for help and completely cut him off, something that would later come back to haunt him.  When Darren continued to refuse to see a Doctor, Mandy went to the GP on his behalf who suggested she found a friend for him to talk to himself.  Overlooking Kyle, who desperately needed Darren, Mandy asked Luke to be there for Darren, which turned out to be a massive mistake.  Luke said the absolute worst thing someone could possibly say to someone suffering with depression.  He told him he had nothing to be depressed about, compared his situation to his own and literally told him to man up and get on with it.  Really helpful, Luke.  Really helpful.

Kyle was able to get things back on track with Nancy without Darren’s help eventually.  It was actually Oscar who resolved things between them via his family tree project.  He included Kyle on his family tree, labelling him as the ‘best step-dad ever’.  Both Kyle and Nancy were overwhelmed by the inclusion, allowing Nancy to thaw and hear Kyle out as he promised no more drugs, even offering to hand over full control of his finances so he would have no capability to buy any.  She agreed to give him another chance but it’s during this scene that I wonder if he decided to end his life, when Nancy wondered aloud if she and the kids would be better off without him.

It’s the ultimate question, isn’t it, for someone who already wonders if their life is worth living?  So for the woman he loves to suggest that she may be better off without him, when he is already on the precipice of severe depression and suicide, it feels like it could be the thing to push him over the edge.  And it’s so sad because if only Nancy knew and understood what he was going through, we all know that she would have been there for him.  All she understood in this moment was that he had let her down and he smoked too much weed.  She thought he was a raucous, naughty boy.  She had no depth of understanding of everything he was going through and so many of the uncaring things, the criticisms and harsh words she has delivered to him over these weeks are going to come back and haunt her for years to come.  And that, amongst many things, is a tragedy.

This Monday (on E4), we saw Kyle arrange one last perfect day for Nancy and the boys, calling in sick to school for them.  They had a lovely day at home watching films before he took Nancy out for a romantic dinner at The Hutch, just the two of them.  He had also booked a holiday for the family to Disneyland Paris.  At dinner, Nancy still couldn’t quite trust that everything will go right for them, although they did have a good time.  The script is just brilliant as Nancy told him she needed someone she could rely on and he replied that he knew what was expected of him.  Knowing what he was about to do, that line is just heartbreaking; the idea that he truly feels he has no choice.

While Darren tried and failed to contact Kyle, upset about Luke and regretful of rejecting his friend, Kyle and Nancy’s evening was cut short due to the kids.  Nancy left Kyle to clear up, both saying I love you before she left.  In the most devastating moment of the episode, Darren found Kyle in The Hutch.  Hollyoaks were very good about not actually showing anything but it was enough just to hear Darren’s voice, saying his friend’s name in absolute shock and devastation before he ran out of the building and phoned for help, explaining that his friend had killed himself.

The next episode solely covered the aftermath of Kyle’s death, beginning with Darren and the police visiting Nancy and breaking the news.  Nancy was understandably in shock.  She had no idea of any of Kyle’s mental health problems and was heartbroken, devastated and furious to discover that Darren had known about it, was also suffering from depression, had confided in Mandy and nobody had bothered to tell her anything.  Suddenly, Kyle felt like a stranger to her.

Jack was equally distraught to learn that his son had been suffering with depression alone for so long and hadn’t told him.  Their conversation was so moving.  With the phone number of Kyle’s parents in his pocket, he begged Darren to get help.  He did not want to be the recipient of the same phone call one night.

They also had to tell the children what had happened.  Ollie was a wonderful support to Brooke and also had kind words for Nancy.  And by the end of the episode, all three children – Brooke, Charlie and Oscar were all huddled up in bed together for comfort, with Nancy curled up at the end.  But not before Jack had to break the news to Kyle’s parents and Nancy finally listened to Kyle’s heartbreaking voicemail from the week before, breaking down and begging her for help.

The episode was so perfectly paced, not rushed or overdramatic.  It followed this cloud of shock and grief as the family began to attempt to deal with this suicide that seemingly came out of nowhere.  I wept from beginning to end.  I have to heap so much praise on the writers, the whole cast and everyone involved in this.  This story took me completely by surprise.  When they began it, it seemed to be about Darren and of course, it still is but the introduction of Kyle’s story has been so overwhelming and so moving.  It’s been done amazingly well.  Yes, it’s potentially triggering, which is why I think it was very important that they pre-warned everyone about what was going to happen.  But it has been sensitively handled with so much patience and compassion and for personal reasons, this story has touched me more than any story has in a very long time.

Due to the Coronavirus, Hollyoaks has had to suspend filming

Hollyoaks now airs Mondays & Tuesdays, 6:30pm on Channel 4 (sneak peek on E4, 7pm)

These reviews are based on the E4 episodes

In place of normal episodes, Hollyoaks airs ‘Hollyoaks Favourites’, Wednesdays-Fridays, 7pm on E4