#tonyking

Thursday 13th March 2020

Part 2

So, the first blog has been posted, now to focus on the second episode of the evening. It seems as if the episode focused on two main stories ... Whitney and Chantelle & Gray.

So, let's start at the very beginning ... THAT WAS SO CREEPY!!!! But so fantastically done! So Whitney has reached the point where she's beginning to hallucinate! The guards seem to have given up asking her to eat something, they removed her food without even asking her to take just a mouthful!  I'm going to start talking about Whitney first as it's so vivid in my mind! I just want say what a phenomenal performance from Shona McGarty, this story-line has got to win her an award, surely!

When Kat went to see, it was if she didn't recognise who she was to begin with. I'm thinking she wanted to know how Kat "Won!" Its as if she needs to know how she went through it, she needs to know someone else's experience so she knows how to get through it herself, does that make sense?! When she was talking to herself and singing to herself, she's clearly replaying memories over and over in her mind, she's actually speaking to herself, almost as if she's possessed! Once she looked up and saw her younger self sitting opposite her, she knew she was speaking to her younger self! I found it really sad to watch, telling herself not to fall for Tony's lies, but seeing the look of the younger version of Whitney's face, it was just mesmerising! Young Whitney believing what was happening was all truth, it was sad seeing Whitney try to convince her younger self it was all lies!

Then it got worse as she began to hear Tony's voice! That was creepy, but again, very well done! Am I right in thinking it was the same actor's voice who played Tony King? I know it was a few years back now, but, from what I remember, the voice sounded almost completely identical to the same actor, if so, then i'm pleased they got him back to do this! Its amazing after so long, we're revisiting a story which without a doubt has become one of EastEnders most gripping story-lines, I remember everyone was talking about it when it was first aired, it really gripped the nation, and for good reason! Tony was a creepy man, his appearance, his voice, it was just so cleverly done!

You have to admit, the make-up team have done a fantastic job in making Whitney look dazed and completely run down ... baggy, red eyes, very chapped lips ... gives her the look of her barely sleeping and actually entering the stage of insanity! When she was looking up telling her younger self "It's tonight!" that was clearly the night she meant that Tony sexually abused her for the first time! Telling her younger self exactly how the night would go, how Tony would react and what would do to her and trying to make her see that it's not normal! I found it even more mesmerising that her younger self didn't talk back, just listened! And then the singing started .... Oh my! That was creepy! Who knew that "Whole Again" by Atomic Kitten could be sung in such a creepy way?! How that scene and episode ended was really clever also, from Whitney hugging, from what she saw, her younger self, to then the realisation there was nothing there to collapsing, overall it was very well done and Shona McGarty was absolutely fantastic through-out the entire episode!

Onto the second main point of the episode tonight, Gray ... Oh my god, I shuddered when Mitch let slip to him about Chantelle wanting more hours at the salon! It was clear Gray instantly thought that Chantelle had told her Dad, just in that moment, I knew it wasn't going to look good for Chantelle! Gray has completely got the wrong end of the stick and assumed she told her Dad everything! Once again, he took his anger out on Chantelle and physically beat her! I was desperate for her to shout at him and shout that she hadn't done anything and that he was wrong, but Gray wouldn't have had any of it would he? She tried and he accused her of lying! THEN he was dragged into the Vic and actually being praised for being a "Hero" and trying to save Whitney, after he's just beat his wife up! Ooooo if only the rest of the Square knew what he was really like! Mitch is NOT going to be happy once he knows what Gray's been doing to his daughter! Did anyone else see that look of pure shock and guilt once Gray knew he'd been wrong after Mitch told him he called his office?! I was like "YES! YES YOU KNOW YOU'VE DONE WRONG!"  ... Its amazing how he can sit there and have people praise him after what he's just done! For a moment, I thought he was going to rape Chantelle, as he was taking off his blazer and undoing his tie, I actually thought he was going to go that much further and sexually assault her! How is Chantelle going to hide this from her family? Gray can not get away with this! But ... again, he'll realise he's done wrong and he'll break down into tears and beg her for forgiveness and beg her not to leave! How long can this pattern go on for? I know it's something that people are living with every day, there are people out there who are stuck in domestic abuse relationships and cant find the strength to speak, so applaud EastEnders for portraying this story-line, for some, it must be really hard to watch. Again, more acknowledgement to Jessica Plummer and Toby Alexander-Smith for their portrayal of Gray and Chantelle in this story-line! I'm sure the majority of you have seen the new hashtag that EastEnders are supporting ... #spEEkout #StandWithChantelle ... please, if anyone is suffering with domestic abuse, please don't hide behind closed doors and live in fear, speak out and seek help!