This post contains spoilers for “Fightland” Season 1, Episode 4. Proceed accordingly.
The worst-kept secret in London comes to light at the end of this week’s “Fightland“… or does it?
A quick recap, in case you need a catch-up: A desperate Joy (played by Deborah Ayorinde, “Them”) had a change of heart and begged Duke (Howard Charles) to run away with her and Aiden (Hero Del Valle Marfo). But Duke declined, because — unbeknownst to Joy — he was too deep into his Kingsley-revenge plan. So she angrily declared that they were done forever.
But later, when Sergei broke into Cece’s house and kidnapped Aiden, who’d been hanging out there, a horrified Joy immediately called Duke (who was going through some drama of his own, courtesy of the Russians’ attack on the gym). “They’ve taken Aiden!” she cried. “Duke, they’ve taken our son!”
Earlier this summer, Ayorinde and I sat down in the private home outside of London that doubles as the Marshall estate. And when I brought up Joy’s big Episode 5 revelation about her son, the actress offered a sly look. “But do we know that it’s Duke’s baby?” she asked, smiling enigmatically. “Do we know?” OK then!
Read on for more of Ayorinde’s thoughts on Joy, Duke, and the drama that awaits them in the rest of the Starz drama’s season.
TVLINE | We’ve heard a lot about how Joy and Duke got together when they were very young. Did you and Howard talk about what their backstory looks like?
DEBORAH AYORINDE | We spoke about it with [showrunners Damione Macedon and Raphael Jackson Jr.], just really understanding what was the genesis of their love story? How did they get here? A lot came out of those conversations. A lot, for me, came out of realizing that Joy is lonely. Joy is trying to find that thing through other people. But actually, she’s on a journey of realizing that that it’s within herself. That is where it really clicked for me, realizing like, “She’s thinking that it’s in Duke. She’s thinking that it’s in Kingsley. She’s thinking it’s in Aiden.” … But actually, the thing is within her. I think a lot of people can relate to that journey.
TVLINE | Joy asks Duke to run away with her in this episode. How much is she thinking about what it would take to make that life actually work? Her finances are tied up with her husband, her job is tied to her husband…
I mean, everything she does is being surveilled by Kingsley. Nothing goes over his head. But you kind of see her secretly like building planting seeds and building and building and building. Because she’s not only trying to create a life for herself. She’s also trying to create a life for Aiden, as well, and be an example for him. When I try to think about what would be her worst nightmare, I think her worst nightmare is him growing up and looking at her and being like, “I’m not proud of you. I’m not proud that you’re my mom,” you know what I mean? She wants to build this life for him where he has a choice that she didn’t really have.