This week I found myself not missing any single episode of Isidingo and the ganging up on Cherel de Villiers-Haines-Kumar-Cooper-Holmes-le Roux had nothing to do with it. It all has to do with Roodney’s corrective rape of former police officer’s daughter Charlie Holmes.
The sudden sexual orientation change that didn’t result in any sexual identity crisis or rather confusion is not the thesis for this article. I shall shelf that topic for some other time.
Charlie just got raped by Roodney, who is a “friend” of hers and her girlfriend Suzie. When Roodney arrived at Horizon Deep, he was fascinated by bad girl Charlie and we almost thought he was in love with her. Well, some of us did, until his true colours emerged. When he discovered that Charlie and Suzie are gay and in fact lovers, he pretended to empathise with their sexual orientation and “never judged” them. However, his bigotry ways are not verbal. He in fact uses his dickhead to express disapproval of homosexuality.
In a country where corrective rape of homosexuals and homophobic murders are a part of daily news in major newspapers and online news agencies, it was about time one of the soapies confronted this issue which is deeply rooted in society. As we have seen and read in the news in the past couples of years, especially this year, homophobia is taking its toll and those who are gay and living in traditional communities, they find themselves endangered simple because of what they do in the bedroom. As we have seen in the news, homophobia knows no race and some European pope or whatever his religious role is, just expressed his disapproval of homosexuality. Such acts could be believed to fuel homophobic assaults, murders and corrective rapes.
Going back to Isidingo, Charlie has just had a flashback on the night of her partying where her drink was spiked by Roodney and in the flashback, she saw his face. Meanwhile, Calvin is locked up in jail for Charlie’s rape. As the situation stands, there is mounting evidence against Calvin which points him out as the prime suspect. Yes, Roodney has done a perfect job framing him. While Calvin is paying up for a crime he didn’t commit, a rapist is roaming free on the streets of Horizon Deep.
Roodney is enjoying his freedom so much so that he has even identified his next prey and the prey is none other than Suzie. In a real drama filled episode on Thursday 7 June, Roodney almost date-raped Suzie in one of his so called corrective rape plots. After a night out in the small town of Horizon Deep, Roodney ensured Suzie was drunk. After the drinking spree, the “friends” headed to Roodney’s hotel room at The Duncan where the bustard spiked Suzie’s drink so he could “make her straight by raping her”. However, Charlie’s frantic concern put an end to Roodney’s intentions, for now that is, I think.
It is very likely that Roodney spiking his victims’ drinks will be one major piece of the evidence that can set Calvin free. However, that can only be done if the drug he uses is conclusively found to be the one that was used to drug Charlie.
While Charlie is busy trying to go back to her normal daily life before she got raped, friendships are at the verge of collapse as Calvin, is the son of investigative journalist Frank Xavier who is friends with former police officer Eddie Holmes. Throw in the mix Frank’s ex-girlfriend who is the chief investigating officer on this case, things are getting messy.
Though Frank and Eddie have all the necessary resources to start investigating the scourge on their own, they are not doing so. We can safely assume it is because they cannot be taken as partial as they both seek justice for their children’s victimisation.
But detective Priyanka Kumar is set to start investing Roodney. We are keeping our fingers crossed that the bustard gets locked up and poor Calvin be freed.
If history is anything to go by, Isidingo is about to do it again as we all know they have a tendency of pre-drama, the drama and post drama.
However, after I tweeted about my intention to write this story this morning, @officialtvsa retweeted my tweet and it emerged that there are those who feel the storyline isn’t told well as seen in the imaged below.
Back to what my opinions: Very true to corrective rape or any rape for that matter, is the fact that indeed rapists are people who know their victims and are very close with them. Charlie and Suzie believe Roodney is one of the caring guys ever and very understanding of their sexual orientation.
This storyline is bringing the best out of the actors involved in this storyline. Charlie is doing a good job as the raped gay girl and Roodney is so good as an actor that one cannot ask to be forgiven for believing he is indeed a real-life rapist. His cunning smile says everything. I am of the opinion that Charlie and Roodney are giving this very important storyline their all and that their performance is award-winning material. But you all should not count on the Saftas rewarding their performance because as we all know, there awards are allegedly corrupt and much floored!
Big ups to Isidingo for another preachy yet spell-binding storylines. I am looking forward to more of this storyline.
Follow me on Twitter: @TheRealMakisto