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Rainie Cross

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Rainie Cross
EastEnders character
Rainie Cross in 2011
Portrayed byTanya Franks
Duration2007—
First appearance2 August 2007
ClassificationPresent; regular
Introduced byDiederick Santer (2007)
Bryan Kirkwood (2010)
In-universe information
OccupationBarmaid (since 2008)
FatherBill Cross
MotherCora Cross
SistersTanya Jessop
Debs Cross
NephewsOscar Branning
NiecesLauren Branning
Abi Branning

Lorraine "Rainie" Cross is a fictional character from the BBC One soap opera EastEnders, played by Tanya Franks. Rainie was introduced as the drug-addicted sister of Tanya Branning (Jo Joyner). After having three separate guest stints in 2007 (two episodes), 2008 (four episodes) and 2010 (seven episodes), she returned on 12 April 2011 as a regular character. She returns along with her mother, Cora (Ann Mitchell) for Tanya's wedding to Greg Jessop (Stefan Booth) and stays in Walford after the wedding.

Described as "the slightly broken sister who's one step away from a vodka bottle", Rainie's storylines have often centred around her addictions to drugs and alcohol. During her seven episode guest stint in 2010, Rainie was involved in a highly criticised crack cocaine storyline with Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden). The scenes were branded "inappropriate" and "horrid." Franks defended the storyline, though she was not surprised that viewers had complained.

On her return in 2011, Rainie has tried to fix her fractured relationship with Tanya, as well as trying to make a friend in Phil much to the dismay of his girlfriend Shirley Carter (Linda Henry). Rainie also has a one-night stand with Jack Branning (Scott Maslen). Trying to get her life back on track, Rainie turns to religion, though she is frequently bullied by her mother, who dislikes it. Rainie finds employment at the R&R club.

Storylines

Rainie first appears at Tanya's house claiming that she is clean from drugs. However, Tanya catches her attempting to inject heroin and gives her a choice—to take £500 and never see Tanya or her children again, or to stay the night and get help with her problems first thing in the morning. Rainie leaves with the money without Tanya noticing. Ignoring Tanya's ultimatum, Rainie returns the following year. Tanya is in an emotional state, having recently split from Max. She gives Tanya back the £500 she took and says she is clean. Tanya temporarily allows Rainie to stay, but she tests positive for cannabis so she is asked to leave.

Rainie returns to Walford in 2010 and tells Max she is clean and sober, and asks Max for Tanya's phone number. Tanya's daughter Abi Branning (Lorna Fitzgerald) is keen for Rainie to stay, and Max agrees. She steals money out of Max's sister Carol Jackson's (Lindsey Coulson) purse, which she uses to buy crack cocaine. Max catches her with the drugs and throws her out of the house. She starts to look for her drugs where a drunken Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) approaches, finds Rainie's crack cocaine and is tempted to try some with her after she says it helps her block out her memories. Phil and Rainie get high at Phil's home. Rainie goes to get more drugs when Phil steals money from The Queen Victoria public house, but is mugged by a drug dealer. When Phil's girlfriend Shirley Carter (Linda Henry) offers to help Phil get clean, she throws Rainie out of the house, calling her pathetic.

Rainie returns in 2011, turning up at Tanya's house, where their mother Cora Cross (Ann Mitchell) is visiting. Rainie says she is now completely clean and is staying with Cora as her counsellor wants her to reconnect with her family. When Tanya and Greg go on honeymoon, Rainie looks after their house. Rainie goes to the R&R and sees Phil. She talks about their past though says he wants nothing to do with her and walks of. She then sits down with Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) where they get drunk together and later go to his flat and have sex. However, Jack rejects Rainie the following morning. Tanya and Greg arrive from their honeymoon and see how much trouble Rainie has made in the days they have been gone. Rainie later stirs up trouble with Shirley and is asked by Tanya to move out. Rainie persuades Tanya to let her stay, much to the disappointment of Greg. Rainie pays a visit to Ronnie Branning (Samantha Womack) to find her knickers she supposedly left in the flat and taunts Ronnie asking her to tell Jack to phone her. She is kicked out once again. She joins a support group to help her stay off drugs and alcohol, and Phil also attends. Rainie struggles and calls her drug dealer, but Phil later finds Rainie with drugs and takes them from her, destroying them. She then turns to drink, and turns up drunk at Tanya's salon. Tanya takes her home, but Greg throws her out after Tanya lies that Rainie tried to stab her. A few days later, Phil finds Rainie in the pub and Shirley catches Rainie talking to Phil and gets the wrong idea and finds out Phil has been sponsoring Rainie. After Shirley gains ownership of the café, she gives Rainie a job but the next day she decides to give it to Heather Trott (Cheryl Fergison) instead.

Rainie disappears from Walford, but on her return she insists she is still clean. However, she faces several temptations by people offering her drugs. She eventually buys some from Ryan Malloy (Neil McDermott). When Phil finds out, he asks Ryan to not sell to Rainie again. Dot Branning (June Brown) takes pity on Rainie and helps her to clean herself up, telling her about Donna Ludlow (Matilda Ziegler) and giving her a Bible, which makes Rainie decide to change as she finds religion. Rainie apologises to Tanya for being rude to her earlier in the week, and Tanya agrees to let her stay with her and Greg. Rainie and Cora confide in one another when Rainie says Tanya treats her like a child.

Development

Creation and characterisation

"Lock up your sons and nail everything down, sneaky, stealing Rainie is in town! With a string of broken relationships and constantly on the run from her problems, this all time party girl forever professes that she's 'clean' and is quick to point the finger when things don't go her way."[1]

—The BBC on Rainie

The character originally appeared for two episodes on 2 and 3 August 2007,[2] and then returned for four episodes between 7 and 11 January 2008.[3][4][5][6] Franks was asked to return again later in 2008 but could not make it, so Franks thought Rainie would not be seen again.[7] She returned for the longer stint in 2010, starting on 3 August.[8] Franks did not expect to be asked to return in 2010, and said the call came as a surprise. She said it was "ideal" because it fitted in with another acting job she was undertaking at the time.[9] She commented that Rainie would be "unlikely to return without stirring up a bit of trouble".[7] Rainie returned again on 12 April 2011[10] as a regular character,[11] for Tanya's wedding to Greg Jessop (Stefan Booth), along with Tanya and Rainie's mother Cora Cross (Ann Mitchell),[12] where Cora tries to build bridges between the sisters.[13]

In April 2011 it was reported by the The Sun that Rainie would have a one-night stand with Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) on 6 May 2011[14] after he discovers his son is dead and she comforts him.[15][16] In May 2011, it was announced that Cora would return to the series, and executive producer Bryan Kirkwood said he was "keen to establish the Cross women—Rainie completes the mix as the slightly broken sister who's one step away from a vodka bottle."[11]

Rainie has been described as "troublesome"[17] and "troubled".[18] On her official BBC character profile she is described as sly, manipulative and ruthless, and that she "she spells trouble with a capital T!".[1] It finishes saying, "But behind the wild partying, Rainie is a lost soul with a soft, vulnerable side that yearns to get her life back on track and impress her older sister Tanya."[1]

Notable relationships

Phil Mitchell

Rainie's relationship with Phil was first explored during her stint in 2010. Rainie and Phil were to be involved in a storyline involving the taking of cannabis. Discussing her return in 2010, she said she was pleased to be working closely with McFadden (Phil) as they had not worked together previously. Franks explained that after being thrown out of the house by Tanya's ex-husband Max Branning (Jake Wood) and moving in with Phil that "It gets quite dark and dirty, really. Phil and Rainie are two people who meet at a point in their lives where they both see something equivalent in each other. He offers her something that she wants, and that is a place to be, while she has something that he wants, and that's drugs—so it's a match at that time."[9]

Franks was given advice from the charity DrugScope on how to act the part and also undertook some of her own research, and she said she believed the scenes to be very realistic.[9] She wanted the drugs storyline to help people, saying, "If there are people who have a drugs problem, or an addiction problem of any kind really, they might watch something like this and it could trigger something in their mind that is relevant to them, or someone that they know. Hopefully it could make people think twice about carrying on with that, and perhaps look into getting some help. The organisation that we worked with, DrugScope, gives a lot of help and advice for people with drug addictions. I think it can be hugely helpful when a show as popular as EastEnders does something like this."[9] She also stated that "If EastEnders has saved one life by putting this story out it's been worth it. We shouldn't shy away from it. The whole point of soaps is to reflect a certain amount of everyday life. Some of it is going to be light entertainment, some isn't."[19]

Tanya

"Rainie needs Tanya in her life"."They're almost acting like sisters now because Rainie's trying this time, and Tanya doesn't want to turn her back on her. Rainie's no angel by any stretch of the imagination, so we'll see if Tanya can find the strength to deal with her."[20]

—Franks on Rainie's and Tanya's relationship

Rainie's relationship with Tanya has always been fractured, though Tanya trys to resolve the tension with Rainie during her return as a regular in 2011.[21] When Rainie was first announced on 13 July 2007, it was said Rainie was said to "[drag] up a past which Tanya would rather forget".[22] Rainie has tested Tanya in her time in Walford. She commonly persuades Tanya to let her stay and forgive her and then going back on the promise, which leads Rainie to be kicked out. When Franks returned in 2010 she said "she was disappointed not to be working with Joyner this time."[9]

On her return to for Tanya's wedding, a spokeperson said, “Tanya soon softens towards Rainie and her mother but will the harmony last between all three women or will past problems cause the women to Cross swords once again?”.[23] Franks has commented that she is excited about exploring the family dynamic between the Cross ladies in upcoming storylines and her future in EastEnders.[20] Joyner said that Tanya would forgive Rainie for her past actions.[24] In a interview with Digital Spy, Kirkwood said that he was 'delighted' at the expansion of Tanya's family and that "The new characters are excellent additions to a cast that's already very strong."[25]

Reception

Franks said that after her stint in 2008, many people recognised her in the street and asked if she would return.[9] Scenes showing Phil and Rainie taking the drug crack cocaine in 2010 prompted over 200 complaints from viewers who felt the scenes were inappropriate. The BBC responded by saying "EastEnders in no way—and at no point—glamorises or condones the use of drugs, and furthermore we took great care to avoid any demonstration on how to prepare or take drugs. [...] We took care to signal the nature of the episode's content to viewers in advance through programme publicity and billings, and the BBC Action Line was trailed following the episode for anyone affected by the issue. In addition to this, our website includes links to organisations who can offer help and advice on this issue. [...] We worked closely with drug and alcohol charities, including Addaction and DrugScope, throughout the editorial process to ensure that we handled the storyline accurately and sensitively."[26][27] The Daily Mail asked some viewers about the scenes, including one who said, "I was shocked at the content of the episode. The graphic detail of the drug use with Phil and his friend was terrible and in view of the time that the episode was aired, entirely inappropriate. Viewers do not need to see this kind of storyline. Please, BBC, no more of these horrid storylines."[28] Other viewers said, "They look like they're having a good time. They're in danger of making it look appealing."[29] Finally, "It was a bit much. I've found EastEnders distressing over the last month."[29] The Daily Record decsribed the scenes as 'disturbing'.[29]

Former EastEnders star, Natalie Cassidy, also criticised the scenes, saying, "You can't swear or show two people making love before the watershed, yet you can show people smoking class A drugs? I was really shocked."[30] Franks was not surprised that people complained, but defended the storyline, saying that "the good that comes from storylines like this far outweighs whatever concerns people might have".[31]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Rainie Cross played by Tanya Franks". EastEnders. BBC Online. Retrieved 7 July 2011.
  2. ^ Green, Kris (2 August 2007). "Tanya's sister, Rainie, turns up". Digital Spy. London: Hachette Filipacchi UK. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  3. ^ Green, Kris (7 January 2008). "Tanya's shocked to find Rainie in the Square". Digital Spy. London: Hachette Filipacchi UK. Retrieved 21 April 2011.
  4. ^ Green, Kris (8 January 2008). "Ronnie and Jack kiss again". Digital Spy. London: Hachette Filipacchi UK. Retrieved 21 April 2011.
  5. ^ Green, Kris (10 January 2008). "A social worker turns up to see Tanya". Digital Spy. London: Hachette Filipacchi UK. Retrieved 21 April 2011.
  6. ^ Green, Kris (11 January 2008). "Jack takes Darren under his wing". Digital Spy. London: Hachette Filipacchi UK. Retrieved 21 April 2011.
  7. ^ a b Martin, Will (2 August 2010). "Tanya Franks (EastEnders' Rainie) interview". Last Broadcast. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  8. ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (3 August 2010). "Phil hits Peggy across the face". Digital Spy. London: Hachette Filipacchi UK. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  9. ^ a b c d e f Kilkelly, Daniel (9 August 2010). "'Enders Rainie teases this week's eps". London: Digital Spy. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
  10. ^ "EastEnders: Rainie returns..." Tanya Franks.com. 27 February 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2011. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  11. ^ a b Kilkelly, Daniel. "'EastEnders' exec confirms Cora Cross return". Digital Spy. London: Hachette Filipacchi UK. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
  12. ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (21 March 2011). "'EastEnders' confirms Tanya's mum casting". Digital Spy. London: Hachette Filipacchi UK. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  13. ^ Lou (21 March 2011). "Cora blimey... it's Tanya's mum". EastEnders. London: BBC Online. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  14. ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (6 May 2011). "Ian and Jane's feud spirals out of control". Digital Spy. London: Hachette Filipacchi UK. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
  15. ^ Lee, Cara (21 April 2011). "Jack's in the sack". The Sun. London: News Group Newspapers. Retrieved 21 April 2011. {{cite news}}: More than one of |author= and |last= specified (help)
  16. ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (21 April 2011). "'EastEnders' Jack 'to have one-night stand'". Digital Spy. London: Hachette Filipacchi UK. Retrieved 21 April 2011.
  17. ^ "EastEnders: Tanya's mother, Cora Cross, arrives in Walford with Tanya's troublesome sister Rainie in tow" (Press release). 21 March 2011. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
  18. ^ "Tanya's mum to land in Albert Square". RTÉ Ten. Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 21 March 2011. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
  19. ^ Love, Ryan (19 August 2010). "Franks defends 'EastEnders' drug plot". London: Digital Spy. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  20. ^ a b Kilkelly, Daniel. "Tanya Franks excited over 'EastEnders' future". Digital Spy. London: Hachette Filipacchi UK. Retrieved 21 June 2011. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  21. ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (28 July 2011). "'EastEnders' Video: Tanya's family dilemma" (video). Digital Spy. London: Hachette Filipacchi UK. Retrieved 28 July 2011. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  22. ^ Green, Kris (13 July 2007). "Exclusive: Summer Preview: EastEnders". Digital Spy. London: Hachette Filipacchi UK. Retrieved 21 April 2011.
  23. ^ "Exclusive: Q&A with Bryan Kirkwood". Walford Web. Retrieved 10 July 2011. {{cite web}}: |first= missing |last= (help)
  24. ^ "EastEnders star talks wedding secrets". RTÉ Ten. RTÉ. 6 April 2011. Retrieved 21 April 2011.
  25. ^ Kilkelly, Daniel (18 July 2011). "Exclusive: Bryan Kirkwood - 'EastEnders' executive producer". Digital Spy. London: Hachette Filipacchi UK. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  26. ^ Love, Ryan (11 August 2010). "BBC defends 'EastEnders' drug scenes". London: Digital Spy. Retrieved 11 August 2010.
  27. ^ "EastEnders, scenes featuring Phil and Raine under the influence of drugs inappropriate, BBC One". BBC. London: BBC. 9 August 2010. Retrieved 1 May 2011.
  28. ^ "Viewer fury over EastEnders cocaine binge at 8pm". Daily Mail. London: Associated Newspapers. 13 August 2010. Retrieved 22 March 2011.
  29. ^ a b c "ENDERS FANS PROTEST AT SOAP CRACK SCENES; Beeb in firing line over Mitchell drug binge". Daily Record. Scotland: Trinity Mirror. 13 August 2010. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
  30. ^ Mail Online reporter (19 August 2010). "Blooming lovely! Natalie Cassidy displays huge bump as she prepares for arrival of first baby". Daily Mail. London: Associated Newspapers. Retrieved 21 March 2011.
  31. ^ Blackburn, Jen (19 August 2010). "Phil's crack plot ain't crackpot". The Sun. London: News Group Newspapers. Retrieved 21 March 2011.

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