When I sat down with Casualty’s Olly Rix in July, it had been four months since his first scenes as Flynn Byron had aired.
We have learnt a lot about Holby ED’s new Clinical Lead in that period. He has caused a huge impact on his hospital colleagues, proving himself to be ruthless when needed, but always a dedicated doctor.
Flynn’s affair and time in the army have impacted the way he is today, but plenty of other life events have been kept hidden from us – until now.
It became apparent a couple of weeks ago that Flynn had something important on his mind. He was seen visiting a grave on his own, but no one – not even us – knew who he was mourning.
Last week, Flynn remained somewhat distracted, but made sure he was involved in the case of Nicole Piper’s (Sammy T Dobson) foster sister, Cassie (Charlie Ann Upton).
It’s in tonight’s episode where we will learn the reasons behind the graveyard scene, as well as why Flynn feels connected to Cassie, as it’s confirmed that he once had a young son, who sadly had his life support withdrawn.
The instalment will focus on Cassie’s team trying to reach a decision about what to do regarding the machines keeping her alive. When it’s put forward that they withdraw them, Flynn flips out, with Dylan Keogh (William Beck) and Siobhan McKenzie (Melanie Hill) unaware that he’s being reminded of what he went through with Joseph.
Despite the overwhelming emotions he’s feeling, Flynn still manages to focus on what’s important – doing what is best for Cassie.
This is something star Olly Rix thinks is vital to highlight about his character. In our latest chat, we reflected on the journey Flynn has been on so far, plus what’s ahead:
‘One of my favourite things about Flynn, particularly in the episode where Cassie’s life support is withdrawn, is that despite us telling a story of the personal tragedy he’s experienced, and the fact he’s not coped with it, hasn’t grieved properly or spoken about it, despite all of that, he’s still a doctor and still doing right by Cassie.
‘He’s fundamentally doing his job brilliantly in spite of his personal feelings and his grief, which I think speaks volumes about him.
‘Investigating how Flynn functioned as doctor and a clinician, in spite of grief, in spite of flailing around and making poor decisions in his personal life, you know, going out drinking, being with different women every other night of the week, or whatever it is that we imply across the boxset, he never falters in his role as clinical lead, and in his role as a doctor and a caregiver.
‘And again, I think it speaks volumes about the kind of man he is. I liked that.
Olly added: ‘One of the things I find really interesting about Flynn is that he has certain characteristics we would maybe label as, toxically masculine. That’s a really popular phrase I hear all the time and sometimes I think it’s a bit harsh in its application, in the way people use it.
‘I think some guys have blind spots. They struggle to articulate their feelings and sometimes struggle to even understand what their feelings are, let alone articulate them. That doesn’t make you a bad person, it doesn’t make you flawed or somebody that can’t contribute to society, but it’s very readily attacked and dismissed.
‘I think Flynn is a nice challenge to an audience in that respect, because I’d be really disappointed if Flynn was easily dismissed.
He noted: ‘I think that he’s quite a decent person and a brilliant doctor, and sure he’s made mistakes, but I hope this series sort of challenges the ease with which people would write Flynn off, because I think that’s a mistake.
‘When you get to episode 10, you get a very human and very excusable reason for some bad behaviour, you start to understand Flynn in a very different light. Like many people, he’s somebody who is marred by tragedy, and he’s scarred by tragedy as well.’
Despite friend Stevie Nash (Elinor Lawless) picking up on Flynn acting out of character, it’s Dylan who is the first person to learn the secret about Joseph.
The dynamic between Dylan and Flynn has been something Olly has really enjoyed exploring.
‘In some respects, it’s a younger and newer one compared to his relationship with Stevie’, he told me.
‘They just go at each other quite freely because they sort of like each other, and they do respect each other as doctors.
‘Dylan, in many respects, is also a very brash, abrasive character at times. He’s still a wonderful character, a lovely human being and a great doctor, but you know, he doesn’t always deal with things in the most palatable way.
‘There is a sort of perfect storm in that respect, but I think maybe friendship is too strong a word at this stage, because it’s new, but there is a lot of respect there.’
Olly pondered: ‘Flynn’s loneliness is hopefully one of the defining characteristics that is demonstrated through him coming into work late, not having showered, coming in with a nurse, coming in with another nurse, whatever it is, there’s something just really sort of full of pathos about it.
‘I think it screams loneliness, and I think it screams inability to confront what is really going on.’
Another potential friendship we will see explored as this boxset comes to an end is between Flynn and Siobhan.
Just like Dylan, Siobhan doesn’t make it obvious that she wants to become Flynn’s new best mate or share a few pints with him in the pub, but she does quietly appear in moments where we see Flynn struggle, highlighting that she really is starting to care about him.
‘I think Siobhan has a sort of ministry of presence’, Olly said.
‘She just makes herself present, and there’s a real maternal and caring and respectful sort of instinct in her. I think Flynn doesn’t balk at Siobhan, he does let her come and sit next to him. He does let Siobhan close, and even if they don’t have a full discussion at this stage, she can spot that something is going on with him.
‘She spots it and he doesn’t resist either. If it was Stevie, I think he’d more readily dismiss it and say I don’t want to talk about it. Dylan is the one who confronts Flynn about his son and that’s the hardest person for it to have come from. It would have been a lot easier if it had come from Siobhan, but it came from Dylan, which puts Flynn in a really vulnerable and difficult position.’
He added: ‘Flynn could’ve gone either way with Dylan, he could have absolutely tore strips off him and disciplined him for reading medical records and all kinds of stuff.
‘Flynn sometimes reminds me of a rescue dog – even if the dog has some quite serious behavioural issues, which are totally understandable, and you get it, and you understand the story, and often you just have to sit with it, that’s the beginning of a rehabilitation.
‘If you do too much too soon, it might bite you, and it might growl at you, and it might freak out, or whatever. And I think Siobhan sort of does that with Flynn. She just goes and sits. She doesn’t sort of interrogate him, she doesn’t get too close too soon or overstep.
‘And Flynn, like a lot of dogs that have been sort of damaged and want to let somebody in just slowly, gently allows it.’
