Peaky Blinders: ‘Blackbird’ (Series 4. Episode 3 Review)

“In this sinful place there will be temptations..”

Women using their feminine charm is a through line in tonight’s proceedings. Firstly, it is Arthur who is caught in the sexy trap. Due to an “extraordinary” meeting (matter of opinion, that one) he is delayed by a lingerie clad Linda who insists it’s the job of a good wife to keep her man’s “balls empty and his belly full”. You can probably guess which one occurred in the office. He was literally “fucking busy” but not for that long, truth be told. Typical man. Despite Linda using her assets as a decoy, the real reason for missing the meeting was rogue staff “chucking paint around in the paint shop”. Unfortunate wording giving the scene in question.

Euphemisms aside, newly reborn Polly is on the lookout for some rude man action, preferably with someone “unsuitable” and lectures from Ada go down as badly as she wants someone to go down on her. Well, most euphemisms aside. Things get queasy when she teams up with Luca Changretta himself. More of that later…

“Spotted Dick. What is that?”

Speaking of Mr Mafia, we get more insight into Luca when he belittles his staff by shouting at them and shoving a scone in one of their mouths. No wonder they don’t like British food if they’re not consuming it properly. No jam? No cream? That’s barbaric. It’s a scene that feel slightly out of kilter from everything else. While it may have been reaching for Goodfellas, the reality was much closer to Dick Tracy. Of the non spotted variety.  Let’s hope Changretta is more of a background menace rather than one that’s too uncomfortably super imposed into this world.

“Fuck you and your revolution!”

Angry Arthur is back and the red paint from naughty workers is the least of his worries as two men enter through his open back door. It’s an innuendo laden sort of episode. Those two men are from the mafia and due to their incredibly bad aim (stop it) Arthur manages to defeat them. And burn them in a fire. Bet you couldn’t do that these days with all this heath and safety about, eh? Which is a good thing.

Still alive but still not happy, Arthur feels deceived by both wife and family and feels out of contract as the decision that it doesn’t have to be his gun that kills Changretta was made in his absence. With convincing from his god bothering wife he shoots his last bullet into thin air, which in an episode highlighting men’s weakness at the hands of powerful women, could be seen as an ultimate metaphor. “The modern way” of killing is to contract it out, let Aberama Gold do it. It’s like a primitive form of checkout staff losing jobs to self-service machines – just a lot more gory.  This is Arthur though, and even without the sense of lost manhood he currently feels, his devil will always win out..

“Blackbird, Blackbird, singing the blues all day”

Tommy’s not given too much to work with this week but he’s clearly finding it hard to trust anyone. Suspicion now falls on his own staff and he also has Jessie Eden in his sights. He pops by her house and their research into each other is impressive given there is no Google. The mind games between the pair ratchet up further as they reel of considerable knowledge of past loves and communist pasts. There seems to be more to Jessie at play than simple trade union business. She clearly got under Tommy’s skin and hurt his heart. His good side coming out as he sets out plans to set up institutes for children. Why? Because he promised someone way back when that he’d change the world.

With reference to the song she was listening to, in symbolism, Blackbirds actually represent knowledge. They are known to be carriers of intelligence and quick wit. The powers of a Blackbird are apparently “sacred messenger” and “feminine energy”.  Something to ponder. In an hour filled with subtle gender politics it could be telling.

“You need to be a fucking man”

As a treat, Finn is treated to a prostitute by his caring family (what happened to socks as a gift?) but comes back from the experience almost horrified, as if he’d seen a naked ghost. The fact that he apologised to her causes Tommy much bemusement. Fresh from two scenes where he’s clearly bottling up very raw emotions he tells Finn to man up. Men are men and women are women. It’s that black and white to him and Arthur who, ironically are two men who could do with giving Marley & Me a watch and having a proper good cry. Yes, women in the show are disrespected to an extent but the excellent writing shows male motives up for what they are and the fact it has such brilliantly written, multilayered women means they can get away with showing this old school mentality so blatantly.

“You take Tommy, spare the rest”

So, back to Polly then. Her motives are revealed and its quite a shock to the system. Supping a drink with Luca sat by her side they negotiate in the form of flirting. She offers Tommy as the lamb to his slaughter in offer for the freedom of the rest of the family. Is it a double bluff? Unlikely, as her main motive is to escape to Australia with Michael and that can’t be done with them both dead. Luca doesn’t specifically agree and if if he had, he’s clearly not to be trusted with promises. Or scones. ‘Blackbird’ put the stabilisers on the action but while the pace was more considered, it was an intriguing and strong mid series spectacle. 8/10

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bang (S4C) Episode 3 Review

The gun isn’t the star of the show this week. Sam’s world is falling around his shoulders as we follow the fallout following the death of his Nan. It’s a few weeks on from from our last visit to Port Talbot and the funeral has taken place. Home is not Sam’s safe place anymore and the hidden weapon isn’t the only reason. His mum is selling the house, grumpy stepdad Ray (registered trademark) is being extraordinarily grumpy and he has a worse day than normal at work.

Unsurprisingly, given that four grand has vanished, his company discover there’s lots of stock gone awol. In a tense stand off, the workers are confronted but nobody owns up and even as lockers are being searched Tom is stealing from under management noses. Now that takes balls. And sells them on for profit. Workmate Cai is caught in the crossfire (a pun, see?) as a doll is found in his locker. Not a sex one, they don’t fit. Apparently. Cai gets the boot but knows Sam is the man responsible. Responsible probably isn’t the word thinking about it. Bribery is the ex-colleagues method of retaliation. 

The police investigation elements are the less appealing thread in episode three and this time it’s played completely separately from Tom though, of course, we now full well the Hedlu will close in. Gina’s mind isn’t on the job, well not the job she’s paid for, as she’s getting her wicked way with the boss at lunchtime. Is she unintentionally sleeping her way to promotion? It would be nice to see Catrin Stewart utilised more so here’s hoping the second half of the series pushes her to the fore and not just because she’s having an affair with a potentially married man. The sibling relationship feels under explored too. 

We learn more of Stevie Rose’s family, his father Douglas in particular and it clouds the water further. There may be a link with two dodgy tattooed guys who make a habit of loitering suspiciously around buildings. It also turns out Russell survived last weeks brutal attack and apart from making eyes at Luke, gives the police no information. He might turn out to be Tom’s unlikely saviour. In the short term at least. The gore was raised a level with the bloody murder of a man named Jason Eastwood. Jason used to work for Stevie and was sacked following a confrontation. We don’t yet know the perpetrators of either the attack or murder but dodgy tattoo guys are high on the list. 

The pace is certainly the slowest of the three offerings so far and is missing the chaotic partnership of Rhys and Mel. Bang shines most when covering the bleak canvas in beauty, both visually and with words. The pay off is worth the build up as Sam and Cai team up to rob a work van in the dark of night. In a botched attempt they only escape by Sam brandishing the gun at the driver. His list of illegal activities grow as he gets darker and more desperate. How long before Gina’s is no longer the nagging sister but the arresting officer? In Cai’s words “tick tock”..  7/10

Bullet points:

• The flashback to grumpy stepdad Ray (TM) being physically aggressive to a younger Sam explains a lot about their dynamic.
• Sam, your Nan’s slippers might hold sentimental value but they really need binning. 
• Cai stole a doll pissing itself and lost his job. Hands up, who’s lost a job for a stupider reason than that?

Liar (Episode 3 review)

It starts with Laura Nielson dreaming but it soon becomes an all too real nightmare by the time the credits roll. She wakes to sounds in her house and is confronted aggressively by Andrew only to then wake up for real. Dreams within a dream are usually a cheap trick but not this time. More of that later..

Maybe, just maybe the way Laura and Andrew are forced into a face to face encounter was a bit forced but as a way of tangling the spider’s web of all the character’s arcs even further it proved effective. Sixteen year old pupil Makeda is pregnant and has wolfed down some pills purchased from the internet in order to lose the baby. Laura sees the bleeding and takes her to hospital but soon learns that Andrew’s son Luke was to be the father. Cue Andrew turning up and a bitter stand off in the corridor. Laura name calling him a “predator” makes sense later. His reply of “I’m not the man you think I am” turns out to be the exact opposite of the truth: He’s not the man everyone else thinks he is. We find out who the real Liar is. There is no one else involved. Andrew did spike the wine. He is the guilty party.

Where last week was all about putting Laura in a bad light, the tables now turn as throughout the course of the hour Andrew Earlham morphs from the perception he shows off to the reality the writer’s were hiding. They made us doubt Laura so much until now and while Froggatt’s performance is purposefully on a level throughout, Gruffudd clearly revels in the two faces he portrays. His charm decaying, increasingly eroded by his arrogance. The nasty underside surfacing in his confrontation with Tom and when he finds out the case has been dropped he becomes downright unbearable. By approaching the detective for a celebratory drink the predator is set loose as soon as it senses freedom.

Hurrah for DI Harmon too, who despite still being frustratingly ineffective is now using that angst for good.  When she looks into Earlham’s eyes and declares “I don’t drink with men who rape women” before the actual reveal, it’s a tense mic drop moment that Liar is built around. The DI also shows up at the school to offer Laura off the record advice, telling her that Andrew could potentially be very dangerous and to stay away from now on. The school hallway isn’t the most discreet of places it must be said. The same thoughts are echoed by sister Katy. Even if Laura does decide to keep a distance the same can’t be said of her attacker who is now set on filing a lawsuit.

The cobweb grows bigger with all the secondary events. Andrew knows about Tom’s affair with Katy, Liam suspects his wife is playing away but is lied to when asking for the truth. If buying concert tickets is this wrong then God help us all. Yes, we do know who the main culprit is but that doesn’t mean the show doesn’t have plenty of potential to explore. We know the truth incredibly early but the proof on just how brave this show is lies in the repercussions that follow. How bitter will things get? Will the truths only ever be known by the viewers? What effect will all this have on Laura?

There has been plenty of worry in many quarters that this could turn into a girl who cried wolf scenario (that is even referenced tonight) and that it would be a dangerous message to send out. Those doubts were understandable but it’s always best to let the story unfold before offering snapshot judgements. As suspected, this is a tale of the injustice of sexual assault victims and the laws that hamper rather than help. The bitter and frankly delusional testament by Denis Walters proves the final barrier for an already helpless police force.

Laura’s mind wasn’t playing tricks to anyone but us. Her dream was right too. She did hear movement in the house while in bed. That bloody earring turns up again, this time on her teddy in the living room. Only one person could have put it there. A man who has invaded her body, mind and now home. A man who wants to inflict further damage on his victim. Time to get #LockEarlhamUp trending.  8/10

 

 

Safe House (Series 2, Episode 3 Review)

If Safe House could be summed up by one moment it’s when John Channing mumbles about his kidnapped girlfriend “I did something to try and get her back. I don’t think it worked”. He doesn’t think? To summarise: His bribe for information from the imprisoned Griffin means he now can’t speak at the moment and thus is unable to tell anyone where Julie is. If he even knew at all. Then there’s the small matter of MacBride getting murdered while on a rescue mission he ordered. Oh, and she is still missing. He doesn’t think it worked?! The show’s underwritten, half-hearted core is exposed more than ever tonight.

There is at least an attempt to give the mundane Tom Brook a bit of backstory but sadly it is lifted from the “haunted cop did something bad in past” manual. He attacked Griffin in a windswept location and.. that’s about it. Frankly if he was a mass murderer it wouldn’t make him any more interesting. Though Moyer’s portrayal is lifeless he’s not exactly given much to work with. If the words don’t lift off paper the subject matter will never translate on screen.

In a time when drama is pushing barriers, Safe House offers the same old tried and tested tropes. There’s the retired cop trying to solve an old case, the forlorn wife, the gruff, bitter DI in Olly Vedder to name just three. Their actions speak even louder cliches than any of their uninspiring words. Sam steals confidential information from a police computer, John goes up a ladder of his yard in the pitch blank just after being confronted by a creepy Liam… yadda yadda. You get the gist.

The plot progresses slightly when Tom links empty properties all owned by New Mersey Estates. The man who runs the company is a Roger Lane, the same person who came up in Sam’s quickfire computer search. By lucky coincidence Simon Duke also knows this man having done photos for his brochures. Jason Watkins remains criminally underused so only a big role in the finale will justify the inclusion of such a talented actor.

As for the rescue scene, something that has been three episodes in the making? Vedder smashes the glass of an abandoned building and just walks up to her. No drama, no tension. It just happens. So Julie is safe and sound but nobody seems to have told our John who looks about as excited by her return as a cow walking into an abattoir. Not one to want to hang around with his thankfully alive girlfriend (why would you?) John is asking for a lift home with Tom. To cut a short story shorter, he gets murdered. His still, blood covered corpse providing Ashley Walter’s strongest performance to date.

Liam appears to be prime suspect number one for Channing’s murder and as the scene is intercut with his dad finding a copy of ‘The Crow’ book in his bag, likely to be first in line regarding the villain himself. Or a copycat. Or someone who wants revenge after what happened to his mum. Blah blah blah. The odds are on The Crow being either Liam or Roger with a chance they’re actually working together. Maybe Simon is involved? Who knows? Who cares? At least there’s only one week left. 4/10

 

 

 

 

Doctor Foster (Series 2, Episode 3 Review)

The best dramas will always engross and surprise in equal measure and writer Mike Bartlett does both with aplomb in an episode where everything feels more grounded and realism is to the fore. There are no character decisions that grate, no motivations that make little sense. After last week’s strange happenings this is the biggest compliment going.

Every minute is gripping as the toxicity of Gemma and Simon’s relationship finally meets head on. After suspension from school , Tom heads back to mum’s house with both guardians at his side. Gemma offers her estranged man to stay for dinner but he should have known an offer of any meal with broccoli in is hardly putting forward the hand of friendship. Things get hot in the kitchen like in R Kelly’s ignition and after placing her mobile phone against a bread bin (that rhymes too) the doc strips to her frillies. Even though the filming is spotted they soon take matters to the living room in a session that can be more easily described as hate-fucking rather than love making.

Thank God for Anna who translates what the viewers have been saying for a while now. In a passionate take down of Gemma’s behaviour she says in no uncertain terms that her actions are ruining Tom’s happiness and that there is life away from Simon and more specifically there is life away from Parminster.

At last, the consequences are coming to fruition (bounce bounce bounce). We learn just what effect his parent’s mind games are having. From the anxiety we already knew about, Tom has aggressively forced himself onto his friend Isobel and shown himself up in a public fit of rage. It’s a clarion wake up call and one that not just Gemma needed, but the show needed too. We get an admittance of sorts, where she talks of a love still present. “You miss him as a father, I miss him as a husband. You knew what he was like but you went back anyway. I did the same. It was wrong”.

The layers of Simon’s duplicity are shown in full technicolour. He agrees to work together over Tom but emails the school over a transfer behind Gemma’s back. He conceals the information regarding Isobel from his mother too. He turns his back on a heartbroken Tom once Kate decides she doesn’t want him at their house. Unsurprisingly given his past, he feigns ignorance about the previous nights steamy affair. If only Tom had revealed the truth on that driveway rather than exclaiming “WHAT?!” to his dad’s “We’re married mate, we don’t hide things from each other”.

The proverbial rug is pulled from under our feet. The closing five minutes not only feel like a series finale but finishing touches to the entire show. The truth is there are still one hundred and twenty minutes to go so quite where things go from here is anybody’s guess. The same rules don’t apply anymore. Doctor Foster has gone off the map. We can be fairly sure that though Gemma has left Parminster, Parminster probably hasn’t left Gemma. 10/10

Doctors notes:

• It’s still unclear what Simon told Tom to make him turn on his mum.
• Will Kate find out about the affair and will it be the downfall of Simon?
• It’s still a mystery where Simon and Kate got their wealth from
• James probably wasn’t a plant in the end but his bad taste in jumpers means forgiveness is long off.
• When Gemma was escaping the wedding it just looked like she was scuttling away to go for a pee behind the hedge. It’s exactly this kind of insight you read this blog for isn’t it?
• While leaving a wedding without saying goodbye is rude, it’s not the worst offence committed in the show.

Reviews Of ‘Victoria’ By A Jenna Coleman Fan Who Hates Period Dramas AND The Monarchy – Series 2, Episode 3

Actual title: Warp And Weft

What it should have been named: Death And Taxes

Romantic shenanigans are thankfully put on the back burner this week and it makes for a more streamlined episode. With good intentions, Victoria organises a ball for the struggling silk weavers of Spitalfields (which sounds like it could be a name of an obscure naughties indie band) but the pomp and ceremony of the event causes uproar. As royalty prances about in silly hats to flutes and banjos the word on the street is disgust. Sadly The Cooper Temple Clause didn’t get an invite to play Buckingham Palace unlike their fictional contemporaries. Here they are looking very glum about it. .

The issue of privilege is an important one whenever it comes to monarchy and it’s highlighted effectively when an iced swan glides through the decadent halls to the sounds of an angry parliament.

True to form, the point has to be made louder just in case you didn’t get the message and we see baying masses outside the palace intercut with trippy close ups of leftover food. Like Victoria had just dropped an acid and got the munchies. At least we get many close ups of Jenna’s amazing side profile.

See what I mean?

Lord M, in a vague illness that’s developed quicker than you can say “whigs”, is slowing down. His memory and speech decaying with each scene. Oh and Dash is suddenly old but time goes quicker in dog years, right?  Pulling a rabbit out of the hat, Daisy Goodwin accomplishes Victoria’s most sentimental moments yet. Melbourne’s demise was accompanied by the chirps of a toy bird given as a gift by the Queen. The camera cuts from the former Prime Minister and closes in on the cage as its chirps stutter to a halt and silence fills the screen. Now THAT is drama. But Daisy is not just content with ripping the heart out of middle aged women so in a twist of that could be called historical inaccuracy, Victoria walks in on a prostrate Dash and breaks down with the heartache of it all. If you don’t feel sad at the death of a fictional dog then you are NOTHING to me.

Surprising they didn’t turn Dash into a new rug for their bedroom floor and instead gave him a little funeral. Did the cute eared little thing leave anything of worth in his will or do they have to keep surviving off pheasant dinners? Find out next week..

Lame of thrones

• Albert’s new hat looked like a Poundland special. A lame throne indeed.
• E(a)rnest is going back to Coburg. Let’s hope he stays there so we don’t have to put up with his lovesick frowning.
• The stealing urchin reappeared. For a small moment. Perhaps he nicked bits of his script?
• Vic was really talking about Lord M in her grief. Poor Dash.

TV Review: The Secret Agent, Episode 1 (BBC1)

In an age of bleak but sassy as hell Victorian period dramas this adaptation of the Joseph Conrad novel has a lot too live up to. Verloc (Toby Jones) is a Soho pornographer who does a bit of work on the side spying on dissident Russian anarchists for the Russian Embassy. Soon though, they want to up the ante and order him to carry out the bombing of the Greenwhich Museum. The expectation is that the British law will then come down heavy on the anarchists. Where shows such as Ripper Street and Peaky Blinders thrive of modern stylistics and quicker editing than the eras they cover would have ever known possible, The Secret Agent chooses to take its time. You could say it’s a slow burner (if you were to make a really bad pun).

Maybe it’s the familiar faces skulking atound familar sets that puts the shackles on embracing this greyly lit fantasy world too wholeheartedly.  The cast list is impressive on paper: David Dawson has nipped over from Ripper Street to nefariously greet what seems like half of the This Is England gang, Toby Jones and Vicky Mclure head proceedings in the form of the odd couple who are supposedly married but we never get the impression she’s anything more than his cleaner. It all looks moody and spectacular but one can’t shake the feeling we’re seeing actors playing roles they’ve played before in more rustic settings. For all Verloc’s conflicted angst it would not be a surprise if he suddenly threw a metal detector to the floor before asking Andy if he wants to go to the pub. It also felt like Stephen Graham should be accompied by a Stone Roses bassline as he strode purposefully to the bar (the Danebury Metal Detecting Club presumably just out of shot having their quiz night). It fuels the fire for those who say the BBC employs the same actors again and again. The end result is akin to watching a play at the theatre but being distracted by the stage hands moving the set about instead. The show is quite good but you’re too busy obsessing over the mechanics rather than the story.

Things do improve as they go on because it really is a slow burner (thought it might be funny second time round..?) Ian Hart is impressive as The Professor, a man so intense he has no real name and a man so crazy his hair looks like a hill with a road built through it. He’s also a dab hand at all that chemicals and bombs jazz so he is soon called upon to help out. The standout moment of the opener was Verloc’s vindicative rant to his “defective” son. He manipulates his own flesh and blood into delivering the bomb. Just as things start clicking into gear the credits roll but there is a hope that more than the ammunintion will be delivered next week. There are no plot twists, no self aware tumblr pleasing moments and that is too be respected but let’s hope the bomb shakes things up a bit 6/10

 

Spy Notes:

• Mclure’s character Winnie was so underwritten it can only be classed as a waste of one Britains most in demand actors.
• Wasn’t this really just a spin off of Dickensien?
• Insert “some scenes were too badly lit” moan here
• Insert some complaining about mumbling here
• Who else was trying to spot modern buildings and cars in the vast city shots?

 

 

 

TV Review: Line Of Duty, Series 3.3 (BBC2)

Line Of Duty excels at many things but its prime success lies in confounding your expections and then confounding what it has just confounded. Half way through the series and we still aren’t sure who the lead character is yet, nor the motives of virtually anyone who has screen time.

Episode three plays out as a three parter. Firstly, Arnott uncovers Joe, who suffered abuse at Sands View which was a care home where Danny Waldron too was a a victim. For the first half an hour it almost feels like we are watching a standard police procedural with Arnott piecing together information of its dark history. It is a fully affecting change of pace. When he tells Joe “Danny’s mission is now my mission and I promise you I will get these bastards” it comes from the heart but it’s soon followed by his aggravation that the main culprit Dale Roach has recently suffered a stroke and is unable to communicate, therefore will never recieve the justice owed to him. This storyline bravely has strong parallels to famous celebrity cases and is not hiding from this fact. No punches are pulled, not many blanks are left on the page to decipher the similarities.

Just like last week, Denton suddenly arrives pretty much on the thirty minute mark and we are back at the retrial. Lindsay is intimidatingly powerful in the dock until questioned on her honesty with AC-12 when she buckles under the pressure. The jury give their verdict and she is released with immediate effect on license. Of course she is. It’d be no fun if Denton stayed in prison. Hawes would’ve been too underused , like James Norton was in series two of Happy Valley. Denton is too big a personality to be confined, she need lots of open space in which to reach her ambiguous peak.

There’s not too much that’s ambiguous about Dot. Maybe he is series three’s big player? Maybe he’s finally the headline act?  The strong suspicions we had last week that he’s the cranky caller at the end of the line are revealed to be true. Most shows would drag that one out for weeks but Jed Mercurio has so much more lined up that this counts as just one of many stabs into our emotions. In a spectacular showdown the squad chase down Hari only for Cottan to intervene and trap him all for himself. He Manipulates like a pro on the spot with each fresh new dilema he faces, twisting and slithering like the snake in the grass that he is. He plays the hero and is treated like one too. The reception that greets him back in the office is both sickening and hilarious.

Where do we go from here? As if we know. Where would be the fun in that? It does feels like Hastings is gearing up for some major shouting action but will it be aimed at the man deceiving under his own nose or the wrong target? Now Lindsay is free we can now revel at the thought of a fresh battle of wills with Arnott. “585 days and on every single one I thought about what I’d do when this moment finally came” she hisses before softening her face and stating “I forgive you”. Does she really? Does she fuck. The stare that followed said it all and Arnott is on the back foot (not just with his work colleagues and girlfriend).  Denton’s release is scaring the bejusus out of Dot too and as the news filters through all his phones chime loudly and he sits there panicked like Noel Edmonds hiding from a load of angry bankers. Pass the cheesy nibbles, this could get nasty. Bring. It. On. 9/10

 

REDACTED FILES

 

– “I’ve got a pot on the simmer” – I hope for Dot’s sake his curry is better than his chat up lines.

– Is Kate really flirting with him or is she on to him? She is a very good liar afterall.

– Arnott could also be twigging to Dot’s wicked ways after his failure to sort the post mortem and all the increasingly nervous behaviour.

– Kate’s tactics have to be questioned this series what with the blatant questioning of suspects and  how she watches suspects from a mere 50 yards away with the world’s most massive binoculars. Should have gone to Specsavers.

– Tommy Hunter and Lindsay Denton are names that run through Line Of Duty’s history as if it were a stick of rock.

– Nooses. There were nooses in series one. Perhaps it is Cottan’s trademark?