EastEnders Fans Say ‘Can’t Believe It’ as One Walford Resident Leaves Them Baffled
EastEnders has delivered a distressing new episode in which newcomer Ryder Hawkins is brutally attacked after his father, Ned, orders the assault. In recent episodes of the BBC One soap, Ryder (Felix Uff) opened up to his aunt, Nicola Mitchell (Laura Doddington), about being gay. However, he wants to keep his sexuality a secret from his parents.
Ned (Jamie Bamber) later caught his son kissing another man in the Square and reacted angrily. On Monday, October 12, Ned secretly tried to push Ryder’s life in a different direction, just as Ryder was preparing to come out to his mum that evening.
Meanwhile, Ned discovered Mark Fowler (Stephen Aaron-Sipple) in bed with Lauren Beale (Jacqueline Jossa) and quickly came up with a new blackmail plan. He warned Mark that Ryder’s life could be heading down the wrong path and asked him for a “favour” in exchange for keeping his affair with Lauren hidden.
In a disturbing turn of events, Ned asked Mark to frighten his son and make him realise how dangerous the world can be. However, Mark was horrified by the request and immediately refused to do what Ned wanted.
Ned later returned to the club to join his family. When he realised Ryder was about to have an important conversation with his mum, he handed his son some money and encouraged him to spend the evening with his friends instead.
Meanwhile, Ned followed Mark home, poured them both a drink and tried a different approach. He told Mark that if he wanted Lauren to leave her husband, Peter (Thomas Law), he would have to continue their affair. Ned also promised to let Mark know where and when he wanted him to carry out the attack on Ryder.
Later in the episode, Ryder was standing outside a gay bar when he received a visit from Mark, who was wearing a balaclava. As Mark approached him, Ryder called his mum, leaving viewers wondering what would happen next.
In a brutal scene, Mark attacked Ryder, who initially tried to defend himself. However, Mark overpowered him, leaving him badly beaten and lying in the road. Harry Mitchell (Elijah Mitchell) later discovered Ryder covered in blood and quickly took him back to No. 1.
Ryder’s mum, Gemma (Patricia Potter), was heartbroken by what had happened, while Ned suggested that his son had been attacked because he was outside a gay bar.
The shocking scenes left EastEnders fans puzzled, particularly because Mark is usually portrayed as a strong-willed character. As the son of Grant Mitchell (Ross Kemp) and the nephew of the formidable Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden), viewers struggled to understand why Mark followed Ned’s demands instead of standing up to him and protecting Ryder.
Taking to Reddit, one viewer commented: “The son of Grant Mitchell pandering to Ned? Look at him, he’s younger and twice the size, just put Ned on the floor, and tell him where to go!”
Another viewer commented: “Yeah, Mark is awful. Lauren clearly didn’t realise Ned was asking for something this dark. I’d like to think she wouldn’t have agreed to it, and I don’t really understand what Ned hopes to achieve by having Ryder beaten up.”
A third fan wrote: “Omg, Mark!! You’re related to the original Mitchells! Just stand up to that horrible, interfering and manipulative Ned! He’s half your size!”
Another viewer added: “Mark is disgusting. He didn’t have to do this and only went along with it because he thinks Lauren will leave him if their affair is exposed.”
Meanwhile, one fan expressed their disbelief, saying: “I can’t believe Phil’s nephew and Grant’s son would allow himself to be blackmailed by a sleazy man like Ned over a woman. How is Mark going to explain his bruised knuckles tomorrow?”
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