Last Tango In Halifax viewers are left ‘devastated’ over Ruth’s ‘judgmental and unkind’ reaction to Caroline coming out – and gay fans admit it was ‘close to the bone’ and ‘painful’ to watch
- Caroline (Sarah Lancashire) invited Ruth (Lu Corfield) over for dinner last night
- Caroline had hoped that Ruth, a colleague, might be interested in her
- During the course of the evening Caroline told Ruth she is gay
- Ruth’s cold and judgmental reaction was ‘painful’ for viewers to watch
Last Tango In Halifax viewers were left devastated by Ruth’s ‘judgmental’ and ‘unkind’ reaction to Caroline coming out as gay on last night’s episode.
Caroline (Sarah Lancashire) had invited new colleague Ruth (Lu Corfield) over for dinner, hoping there might be something more than friendship between them.
But Caroline, a single mother, was left devastated when Ruth turned cold and distant on learning about her sexuality.
The callous response struck a chord with gay and lesbian viewers, who said they had all faced similar reactions before.
Difficult to watch: Caroline (Sarah Lancashire) had invited new colleague Ruth (Lu Corfield) over for dinner, hoping there might be something more than friendship between them. But the tone of the evening changed when Ruth discovered her new friend is gay, pictured
The callous response struck a chord with gay and lesbian viewers, who said they had all faced similar reactions before. Pictured, an example of the tweets shared by those affected
One tweeted: ‘There is always that fear, especially when making new female friends. One never spoke to me again after I came out. School of hard knocks.’
Another added: ‘I found it hard to watch. Desperately sad. And a bit too close to the knuckle. And Ruth’s rather accusatory tone brings home that perennial issue; when is the right time for every new friendship formed. Well observed. But painful.’
A third wrote: ‘#LastTangoinHalifax was painful to watch this evening. Had to pause and take a deep breath. In the comfort of her own home…’
The episode had built up to Caroline and Ruth’s dinner, with Caroline confessing to Gillian (Nicola Walker) that she was excited to have her over but ‘didn’t know what to do’.
Dozens of Twitter users shared their own personal experiences and commended Last Tango In Halifax for tackling the issue so honestly
Even though Ruth was married to a man, Caroline was hopeful that there was a connection between them.
The evening kicked off on a positive note, with Ruth arriving with flowers and wine before asking if she could leave her car overnight.
The conversation – and alcohol – flowed and Caroline interpreted these as signs that Ruth might be interested.
However the tone of the night turned when Caroline confided in her new friend about the traumatic death of ex-wife Kate (Nina Sosanya), mother of her five-year-old daughter Flora.
The evening kicked off on a positive note, with Ruth arriving with flowers and wine before asking if she could leave her car overnight. The pair were relaxed and shared wine, pictured
However the tone of the night turned when Caroline confided in her new friend about the traumatic death of ex-wife Kate (Nina Sosanya), mother of her five-year-old daughter Flora
Shortly afterwards, Ruth tried to make her excuses, saying that she had drunk to much and would go to bed, before bringing the conversation back to Caroline’s sexuality
The turn of events left Caroline devastated (pictured) – and viewers hoping for better luck for her in the future
‘After John went off, I got married again,’ Caroline said. ‘To Kate. And Kate wanted a baby so we got pregnant. Well, she did. And then she was knocked down and killed. She was pregnant, eight and a half months, and they managed to save Flora, but not her.’
Obviously caught off guard by the revelation, Ruth responded: ‘So you’re… I didn’t realise you were…’ ‘Bereaved?,’ ventured Caroline. ‘Gay,’ Ruth replied coolly.
Shortly afterwards, Ruth tried to make her excuses, saying that she had drunk to much and would go to bed, before bringing the conversation back to Caroline’s sexuality.
While she denied that it was a problem, she seemed caught off guard.
‘Is that why you wanted me to come here?,’ she asked in an accusatory tone. ‘You thought I’m…’
The turn of events left Caroline devastated – and viewers hoping for better luck for her in the future.