Tommy Lee Royce's Lighter

The lighter is the trigger for Tommy’s threat and the symbol of his control. He holds it aloft, flicking it open as a taunt, but Catherine lunges for it immediately, disarming him with brutal efficiency. The lighter represents Tommy’s illusion of dominance—his ability to end lives with a single flick. When Catherine takes it from him, she doesn’t just disarm him; she strips him of his power. Later, when he scrambles for a second lighter, Catherine stamps on his hand, mirroring his past violence against her. The lighter’s arc—from threat to loss to irrelevance—mirrors Tommy’s own downfall.

Tommy’s lighter is the catalyst for the confrontation, representing his intent to immolate Ryan and himself. He flicks it open as Catherine enters, taunting her with the threat of ignition. Catherine lunges, smacking his hand and wrenching the lighter away. Later, as Tommy squirming on the floor, his shaking hand gropes for a second lighter, but Catherine stamps on it, crushing his fingers. The lighter embodies the razor-edge peril of his plan—its flame is both a weapon and a metaphor for his self-destructive rage. After the event, the lighter is discarded, its threat nullified by Catherine’s violence.

The lighter is the catalyst for the immediate threat, held by Tommy as he prepares to ignite the petrol-soaked narrowboat and Ryan. Catherine disarms him of the lighter in a violent struggle, preventing the fire. Later, Tommy scrambles for a second lighter, but Catherine stamps on his hand to stop him. The lighter symbolizes Tommy’s desire for destruction and his manipulation of Catherine’s trauma, as well as her ability to thwart his plans through brute force.