Caption: EastEnders character dead in stabbing in shocking early BBC iPlayer release
credit: BBC
Okie Okyere’s (Aayan Ibikunle Shoderu) reign of terror is set to be brought to a violent, bloody end, as the EastEnders drug dealer, exploiter, and all around wrong’un will die at the hands of Harry Mitchell (Elijah Holloway) in tomorrows episode, as the nightmarish ‘cuckooing’ plot comes to an end.
Okie emerged in Albert Square when Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara), having lost his families fortune when Bernie Taylor (Clair Norris) cleared out the Panesar-empire bank accounts before fleeing, turned to Nicola Mitchell (Laura Doddington) for a drugs contact to make some quick cash.
Despite Nicola’s warning that the people she knew weren’t to be trifled with, Ravi set about establishing a drug syndicate and after putting Okie in line, he made him his lieutenant.
Things darkened for Ravi and Okie as their original base was raided by the police. Knowing they had Harry firmly under their thumb after he tried to protect Kojo Asare (Dayo Koleosho), who’d unwittingly flushed the drug stash, the two turned their attention to Kojo himself.
Kojo, who, as an autistic man, would be particularly vulnerable to the cuckooing process. Masking their blackmail and manipulation under the guise of genuine friendship, they infiltrated Kojo’s flat and made it the base of their operation, while also turning Kojo into a drug runner.
A real life issue
Okie and Ravi formed a dangerous alliance (Picture: BBC/Jack Barns/Kieron McCarron)
Cuckooing refers to the practice whereby criminals take over a person’s dwelling (often the home of a vulnerable person) to use it for illegal activities.
Speaking on the storyline, EastEnders boss, Ben Wadey said: ‘At EastEnders, we’re proud to tell stories that reflect the real challenges people face, and Kojo’s cuckooing storyline is one that feels especially important.’
He added: ‘Cuckooing is a form of exploitation that too often goes unseen and hasn’t featured on EastEnders before.
‘Through Kojo’s experience we hope to have shined a light on how easily vulnerable people can be manipulated and isolated – something that can happen in any community, but feels particularly resonant in a city like London, where people live side by side and yet can still slip through the cracks.
‘Working closely with experts and charities, our aim has been to tell this story with care and authenticity, and to raise awareness as to how to identify the signs of exploitation and the importance of reaching out for help.’
Ravi and Okie had cuckoo’d Kojo (Picture: BBC/Jack Barns/Kieron McCarron)
EastEnders has worked alongside both Causeway and National Autistic Society, as well as experts in the field on the cuckooing element of the storyline.
Helen Ball, CEO of Causeway, a modern slavery charity said: ‘Causeway are proud to have supported EastEnders on this important and timely storyline. Cuckooing is a cruel and dehumanising form of exploitation where the home of someone vulnerable is taken over by criminals.
‘We were grateful to EastEnders for the opportunity to work with their team on the research behind this storyline and we hope that by shining a light on cuckooing, EastEnders can help raise awareness of the issue and help people spot the signs of grooming and exploitation around them.’
Okie masked his manipulation with false friendship (Picture: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
Dr Judith Brown, Head of Evidence and Research at the National Autistic Society also commented on working with the ‘Enders bosses to carefully and truthfully portray the story:
‘It’s a privilege to work with the EastEnders team on such a painful yet significant storyline about Kojo’s ‘cuckooing’ or home takeover. We thank the entire EastEnders team for focusing on a genuine issue that impacts the lives of autistic people.
‘The awful truth is that autistic people are more at risk of abuse, victimisation and exploitation than non-autistic people. Because autistic people can find it hard to interpret social cues, emotions and inferred meaning, some may not always recognise manipulative or dangerous behaviours from others.
‘We hope this storyline encourages any autistic person or parent of autistic children to learn what abuse and exploitation can look like.’
Okie’s downfall
Ravi and Okie held Harry hostage when he tried to free his best friend (Picture: BBC/Jack Barns/Kieron McCarron)
When Harry desperately sought a way out, Nicola stepped in to protect her boy and cut a deal with Ravi in exchange for her sons freedom. Harry couldn’t bear to leave Kojo to be exploited by Ravi and Okie, though, enlisting his dad, Teddy Mitchell (Roland Manookian), to help free him, too, with the aid of a secret camera.
Upon discovering the scheme, Ravi and Okie held Harry hostage. Though Harry disclosed everything needed to shut the hidden camera down, Ravi was forced to make a quick escape upon learning that drug kingpins were hunting him down after he’d begun selling on rival turf.
Leaving Okie in charge of the entire operation in his absence, Ravi’s final order to his second-in-command was to free Harry – an order that Okie firmly ignored, chaining him up in Kojo’s spare bedroom, denying him food and encouraging him to take drugs to make the situation more bearable.
Kojo was desperate to free his friend (Picture: BBC/Jack Barns/Kieron McCarron)
Okie attempted (and failed) to convince the rest of the square that Harry and Kojo had taken a holiday to Cardiff, while continuing to use Kojo as a drugs mule.
Kojo, terrified at the worsening state of his best friend, hatched an escape plot, being forced to leave a desperately unwell Harry behind, rushing home and informing George of the situation they’d found themselves trapped in. As Kojo, George and Teddy headed across the square to rescue Harry, they found Okie preparing to take him away in a van, only dropping his lifeless body when police sirens began to approach.
Kojo finally got to go home, but ran straight into Okie (Picture: BBC/Jack Barns/Kieron McCarron)
Okie’s hungry for revenge (Picture: BBC/Jack Barns/Kieron McCarron)
In todays episode, Ravi, having confessed all to the police and agreeing to become an informant, was sought out by Okie, desperate to regain control of the rapidly spiralling situation and in major trouble with his higher-ups in the drug chain. A despondent Ravi, however, only offered Okie some advice: run, as fast and as far as he can.
As Harry suffered withdrawal symptoms at home, Kojo was eager to return to his flat, despite George’s protestations, finding his opportunity as George talked to Junior Knight (Micah Balfour). Upon returning home, however, he ran straight into Okie, who’d been keeping an eye on the flat.
Tomorrows episode will see a final battle break out between Harry and his long-time tormentor, which will result in Okie losing his life when Harry stabs him with his own knife.
The EastEnders team enlisted The Ben Kinsella Trust to advise on Okie’s fatal stabbing scenes, aiming to ensure that the storyline has been portrayed as accurately and as sensitively as possible.
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