My ridiculously long thoughts on Ray..
I really hope they don’t keep the Celia/Ray storyline going for too long, because I just can’t bare it. Celia is pure evil.
However, I disagree (at this stage with people saying that Ray is too, because I think there’s so much more to him than just evil)
He’s an arsehole yes, but for now I’m still hoping Ray comes to his senses somehow and helps someone/turns on Celia. I don’t know what it might be that would finally cause that after all these years however and I don’t think he can be fully redeemed either. After the last two episodes, that have been awful, I don’t see that happening.
But I do see someone that has been through allot, completely groomed, abused and brainwashed from a very young age and that still makes me feel sorry for him a little bit.
I think he knows what he’s doing isn’t right and he doesn’t enjoy it, he’s shown that now and again when his mask slips, like at laurels for example. I don’t think that was all an act. He seems to crave something other than this life, something normal. If Celia were to die tomorrow, I’m not certain that Ray would stick around and take over. I think he does what he does because;
Let’s face it, he’s been basically imprisoned himself, out of fear from a child, He seems terrified of Celia and what she can do, he’s submissive like a scared little boy, not someone of his age.
He’s said over and over again that he owes her everything, that she saved him. He was 8 when he took him, so really the only family he’s ever known (except for memories of his grandad). He feels indebted to her, and probably does have very messed up ideas about what love and family looks like. He swings from defending her to being angry. I don’t think he knows if he hates her/loves her/ etc. if she’s mum, boss.
He seems to crave her approval and “love”. Like he said, he’s good at his job. And he’s probably had to be, to survive and also to get any form of care from her I suspect. He’s probably been reminded everyday since age 8 that he belongs to her and of the consequences of failure.
He’s as trapped as the rest of them, if he doesn’t do what she asked he knows full well he would end up like the poor people he’s tormenting or worse.
He’s been living this for so long he’s probably lost some humanity and been desensitised to it all. I’m still hoping just someone showing actual care or friendship to him and breaking a barrier, causing him guilt, might make him break away from Celia. Maybe laurel, April, bear. I think there’s hope he might turn.
It’s also interesting that he mentioned that celia didn’t like to apologise, that he would pay for it after. (Something like that) like she would take it out on him if she showed any form of vulnerability. He also took it out on bear the next day when he opened up and showed his vulnerability. He’s been conditioned not to do that, not to show emotion…