Ryan

Ryan is one of the original Mall Rats.

A gentle giant, Ryan is Lex's best friend and sidekick. However he is often made use of by Lex. Ryan would grow out from any dependance on Lex as time passes. He initially had a crush on Zandra, but later falls for Salene and marries her. She also becomes pregnant with Ryan's child. However the relationship is rocky due to Salene still holding feelings for Bray. Things sour even more when Salene decides to join The Chosen out of fear for her life.

When Ryan discovers that The Chosen would not let him see his baby, he is taken away and sent to the mines for attacking their leader, The Guardian. Salene suffers a miscarriage after she accidentally falls down the Mall's stairs. Although Salene would go looking for Ryan, she is unable to find him.

Ryan was not seen again until The Tribe: (R)Evolution where he reunites with the Mall Rats after being a slave to various tribes against his will, which explained why he previously couldn't return. Ryan tries to restart his relationship with Salene, but is heartbroken to know she is now in relationship with May and their marriage is over. Ryan would take a liking to Cami instead.

Personality

Lex’s sidekick and battering ram in any rough-house situation. Big, hard and slow-witted, Ryan is totally under Lex’s thumb. His slowness and naivety maska genuine, caring and sensitive soul, capable of enormous love and loyalty, particularly to Lex’s girlfriend Zandra.

A rather sad, comic character, with a naive belief that somehow life will return to normal. He keeps a stash of (useless) money for when that time comes.

History

Series 1

Ryan is Lex's sidekick, seemingly a gentle giant, with some keen fighting skills. He, along with Lex, Zandra and Glen are planning on joining the Locos until they realise they've made a mistake of trusting the powerful Zoot and make a run for it. They eventually encounter Amber and other kids at the Mall, where they decide to form a tribe together.

In Series 2, we learn that Ryan and Lex met at a training camp, which was set up as the virus started affecting the adults. A close bond was formed there, and the two have stayed close ever since.

However it comes across that Ryan has become quite the pushover when it comes to Lex. Ryan also has a crush on Zandra, who just happens to be Lex's girl. However, Ryan comes to the conclusion that he won't be Lex's stooge for the rest of his life and decides to leave the Mall Rats.

A chance encounter at the docks finds him getting Salene out of a bad situation and the two realise that perhaps they can deal better with their problem if they help each other. Ryan promises to help Salene through her eating disorder, and she in return tells him she will give her full support as he starts to stand on his own two feet.

He stays loyal to Lex, but also lets the man know that he isn't some stooge to do his bidding. He and Lex take off to have some revenge against Top Hat and Tribe Circus for the trouble they caused the Mall Rats. He and Selene's friendship has also grown into something deeper. Ryan leaves with the Mall Rats to head for Eagle Mountain in search of the virus antidote.

Series 2

Returning to the mall, he and Salene are still working on their relationship, and when Salene suggests giving classes to some of the younger kids of the city, Ryan is willing to help.

When he finds out that Lex, after a bout of heavy drinking, tried to sexually assault Salene, Ryan is furious and throws his friend out of the mall. However his guilt eventually overrides his anger and Salene sends him out into the city to find him. The two become friends once more, and later their friendship is cemented when a double wedding is arranged, Ryan to Salene, Tai-San to Lex.

Ryan is oblivious to the confusion Salene is going through, despite her marrying him. She is also pregnant but is frightened to tell him at first. A plan is formed to defeat The Chosen who are coming, but it goes pear shaped and the rest of the Mall Rats are captured, leaving the men to have to come up with a rescue plan.

As they try to rescue prisoners from the Hotel, Ryan is hurt and Salene later finds him injured by the pool, but thankfully he is all right.

Series 3

Ryan has become a more hardened character, determined to fight against whatever The Chosen pit against them. His drive and determination as well as anger is fuelled by the fact that Salene wants to go along with what The Chosen wish to teach them. She tells him it is for the good of the baby and he at first accepts this, but later realises Salene has fallen under the brainwashing The Chosen has used on her.

After a fight against The Chosen, Ryan is taken away in chains. After their liberation from the Chosen, Salene eventually leaves the mall to find Ryan, who was last heard of from Bray who'd been told by Pony Joe that he came across Ryan in the mines. However Salene returns without him and Ryan's true status remains unknown for a time.

The Tribe: A New World

While Bray was in captivity, he heard rumours that Ryan was alive and had met up with Paul overseas.

The Tribe: A New Dawn

While in captivity, Tai San is shown images of Ryan, Patsy, Paul, KC, Danni and Alice. Possibly hinting that they are all captives of The Collective. Later, Eloise takes some of the Mall Rats to Eagle Mountain and it's revealed that the facility had 3 levels than previously believed. Amber wonders if the original Mall Rats like Ryan had been taken away by The Collective for their possible knowledge on Eagle Mountain.

The Tribe: (R)Evolution

It's revealed that Ryan is still alive and has been forcibly residing in an enclosed place called Lakeside Resort, Eden, which belongs to The Collective. Before this, Ryan was severely beaten up by members of The Chosen for attacking The Guardian. He was initially sent to work in the mines but was traded to an unnamed tribe who intended on taking him on a ship. Ryan manages to break free and escape to a forested area, where he fed on berries and whatever he could eat. Ryan later finds a Nomadic Tribe who offers him shelter, but is betrayed and sold to another tribe where he ends up as a gladiator. Forced to entertain blood thirsty spectators, Ryan fought for his life but refused to kill his opponents. As a result, he was dubbed "The Reluctant Gladiator" by the crowds.

Ryan is later sold again, this time to The Selector, who is apart of The Collective. He ends up in Lakeside Resort and remains trapped there until Alice and Tai San are sent there and reunites with them. Ryan had since grown a beard from the last time they saw him. Through his time as a slave, what kept Ryan going was his love for Salene. Alice had told Ryan that his baby hadn't survived and was devastated. Still he wanted to see Salene again and he finally did when the remaining Mall Rats are captured and sent to the same location. Ryan hugs Salene and tells her he is extremely happy to see them again, but hadn't realised that Salene had formed a relationship with May. Salene reluctantly breaks the news to Ryan, who is heartbroken and chooses to avoid Salene for the time being.

Ram later would hack into the systems of The Collective and accidentally cause everything to spiral out of control. Many of the Zootists would blame the Mall Rats for the fallout and a battle ensues which Ryan takes part in. After everything is over, Cami, the leader of The Collective, would release the Mall Rats and bring huge and peaceful changes to the once feared tribe. Ryan chooses to stay in Eden with Alice and Hawk to help in a new agricultural unit. Lex is amused that Ryan is suddenly interested in farming. Ryan would start developing a relationship with Cami, the reserved and awkward leader of The Collective. They danced together at the celebrations.

Gallery

Pre-Tribe

Series 1

Series 2

Series 3

Trivia

• Ryan is one of the two characters on the show to share the same name with their own actor. The other being Charlie, albeit a variation.
• Ryan is one of the four characters on the show to have attempted suicide. The others being Trudy, Salene and Ellie.
• According to Keeping the Dream Alive Chapter 14, the matchstick man logo on the sleeve of Ryan's Series 3 costume represented the symbol of The Saint, a popular TV series that creator Raymond Thompson had watched during his youth in the 60s.
• The reason why Ryan was written out of the show during Series 3 was because actor Ryan Runciman wanted to focus on his studies instead. ^{[1] [2]}
• Although Ryan doesn't appear anymore after Series 3, he can still be spotted in the opening and end credits of the show until its cancellation.
  • Similarly, he can be seen in flashbacks in Series 4 Episode 19 and 51. But Ryan is uncredited in those episodes.
  • A picture of Ryan is visible in Series 4 Episode 4 when Salene does a remembrance ceremony for the missing Mall Rats. Salene can also be seen looking at her wedding photo with Ryan in Series 4 Episode 43.
• It was rumored Ryan would have made a return in the cancelled Series 6. But Ryan is not present in any Series 6 script excerpts and there is no evidence for it, meaning that the rumor is false.
• Ryan, along with Patsy, are the only original Mall Rats not to reunite with Amber as they were taken away by The Chosen in Series 3. However, Ryan would later reunite with Amber in The Tribe: (R)Evolution.
• Ryan was not seen again until The Tribe: (R)Evolution which was released in 2019. Marking 18 years since the character last appeared.
• In The Tribe: (R)Evolution Chapter 4, it is mentioned that Ryan has grown a beard. This is likely a nod to the fact that his real life actor, Ryan Runciman, has also grown a beard since leaving the show.
• Many fans have pointed out that the pairing of Ryan with Cami in The Tribe: (R)Evolution is extremely bizarre and had no prior buildup until the last chapter of the book. It remains to be seen how far this possible pairing will be developed.

References