Trigger warning: This article contains discussion of child sexual abuse.
Hollyoaks spoilers follow for Monday’s (August 19) episode that is now available to view on Channel 4 streaming. The episode in question will air on E4 on Tuesday August 20 at 7pm.
Frankie Osborne (Isabelle Smith) bravely opened up last week about how twin brother JJ (Ryan Mulvey) has been sexually abusing her.
Darren (Ashley Taylor Dawson) reeled but, despite the shock of his daughter’s revelation, he never doubted her for a second, which came as a shock to Frankie, who had been groomed by her twisted twin into thinking that no-one would believe her.
The aftermath of the scenes in question proved intense, with Darren confronting JJ in a heated showdown, berating him for his actions, asking what kind of a person would abuse their own sister.
Feeling like he’d failed her as a dad, Darren was determined to ensure that JJ was punished for his actions and therefore he summoned Suzanne to Basswood Road, where he told her what her precious son had been up to.
Suzanne, however, failed to believe Frankie, branded her claims ‘disgusting’. The confused mum took JJ to stay with her while Frankie broke down in tears, devastated that her mum didn’t believe her.
Darren, meanwhile, made it his mission to make Frankie feel safe, spending the night on her bedroom floor as her night terrors continued.
Frankie opened up about her accusation against Jack (Jimmy McKenna) earlier in the year, revealing that the innocent dance they shared left her convinced that she was going to be abused after what JJ had put her through. She recognised that Jack is a ‘good man’ and thus would never do something like that.
The teen also revealed that it was JJ who attacked her in June – not Nancy (Jessica Fox), who is currently facing a trial for such a thing. Darren insisted that Nancy must know the truth as she could be in trouble with the law but Frankie was insistent – no-one can know.
Suzanne, meanwhile, called over to see Frankie, reiterating that she thinks she’s lying. Frankie stood up to her mum and held her ground, recalling how she first told Suzanne that she’d been abused by JJ when she was just nine years old.
Such a thing left Suzanne shaken as Frankie informed her she had proof of JJ’s abuse, taking out her phone and reading aloud diary entires from earlier in the year which documented her ordeal at her sibling’s hands.
Suzanne fought tears, asking why Frankie never told her about what she was going through and, for a moment, it looked like the mother was starting to believe her daughter, as she held her in her arms in what appeared to be a touching moment.
But it turns out that it was all part of a plan to get her hands on Frankie’s phone. Frankie was devastated when she put two and two together, realising once more that her mum still doesn’t believe her.
At The Dog carpark, Suzanne binned her daughter’s mobile – determined to dispose of the diary entries and anything that could result in JJ’s arrest. However, she looked very conflicted while doing so.
Her efforts to stop JJ from getting into trouble with the police are apparent, but is she finally starting to realise that Frankie is actually telling the truth?
Hollyoaks streams weeknights at 7:30pm on Channel 4’s streaming platform, or catch episodes on TV at 7pm on E4.
