Bang (S4C) Episode Five Review

The past is staring to catch up with Gina, mostly because she chooses to seek it out. She requests the twenty year old files of the investigation into her father’s death only to find out about his vast array of criminal records. All the Cautions, suspended sentences, trespassing, fraud and handling of stolen goods charges paint a picture of the man that’s totally different to the one that’s been hung up in her mind all this time. Her present too is is proving complicated. Sam knows about her fling with Carl and it looks a matter of time that proof in the theory about mixing business with pleasure comes true.

As for Sam, despite his early visit to the police station, things are weirdly looking up. Turns out they just wanted to know more about Cai so he walks free into the arms (or rather a jacket) of a lady and now the gun isn’t the only object of his desire. Ela, however, is a bad influence and if there’s one thing this “sad, beautiful boy” doesn’t need right now it’s someone taking him down even darker paths. Not only that, but he gets one up over Ray after spying weaknesses under that surly exterior. Sam is allowed to stay in the home as a method to keep him onside but suspicions between the two aren’t a one way street. Clearly convinced his stepson played a role the robbery, Ray scouts around the house looking for evidence.

Where Bang excels most, other than it’s beautiful, subtle direction is in the performances. Especially by the two leads, Catrin Stewart and Jacob Ifan. Nothing is overblown or too stagey. They keep the story grounded and real. Sam is going off the rails with an almost calm sense of invincibility but the portrayal is no grand Hollywood statement. He steals money from under a workmate’s nose and in a drugs induced state robs cash from till of a club and yet his plight still elicits sympathy rather than judgement. We end with him cornered, gun in hand and on a close up of his face, caught in two minds about pulling the trigger. What follows is set to be a showdown of recriminations and extreme family politics. 8/10

Bullet points:

• Are there any links between the death of Sam and Gina’s dad and the Stevie Rose murder?
• Why would Patricia order a private detective to follow Gina? Seems extreme to say the least. Is it because of her family links?
• Even now he’s getting his end away, Sam can still barely break into a smile, bless him.
• Will Sam’s involvement with the gun end his sister’s career?
• Will he be charged with the murder of Stevie Rose as well as the actual crimes he has committed?

Liar (Episode 5 Review)

While last week’s effort was in no way mediocre there was a worry that exposing the liar at the halfway stage left the story with very little life left. With hindsight, the trip to Scotland was used as a measure of Laura’s last attempts to get justice through honest means. So far things have had at least two feet set in reality, concentrating on emotions and personal politics first and foremost. Episode five ups the heightened drama element it has mostly avoided. This is not meant as an insult or an implication that what happens in the closing stages couldn’t occur in real life, it’s just the foot has well and truly been put on the pedal.

Everything about the penultimate showing is exaggerated from what has gone before. When the music isn’t even more tense, it’s soaringly beautiful. As for the direction, the claustrophobic intensity grows. The camera lurks in even more distant places. Spying on proceedings from around further flung corners, windows and tables. It’s like they want you to feel like you’re spying in on conversations you shouldn’t be. A voyeur on other people’s misery. It works in a forty five minutes that surprises.

Who knew that an umbrella could cause so much distress? Due to Katy leaving one in Tom’s car and their stories not matching, Laura is told about the affair. It’s something that was expected to be said next week but like Scotland trip, the betrayal of a sister and an ex-boyfriend is used as an explanation for the actions Laura undertakes. The GHB  in Tom’s hand last week proves to be a red herring. rather than going ahead with the plan to plant the drug in Andrew’s locker, Laura resorts to the bottle. Earlham continues his charm offensive, with emphasis on the word offensive. Like everything else, his darkness takes a new level as we discover he has films of all his crimes. What’s the betting some viewers will still inexplicably think he’s innocent?

DI Harmon discovers there are abrasions at a baby scan (‘Abrasions At A Baby Scan’ sound like a long lost Smiths song title but let’s not get distracted) and asks to be tested for any GHB in her system. Despite it not showing up Vanessa knows exactly what has happened to her and who the man responsible is. It’s a chain of events that results in permission to track Andrew’s car being granted. Let’s overlook the logistics and go with the flow because it’s worth it.

This is where a psychological drama turns to an almost Michael Jackson level of thriller. OK, so there are no dancing zombies but Laura has a nefarious master plan. She tricks Andrew into a drink and while he’s unguarded slips GHB into the man’s bloodstream, bundles him into his car and takes him down to the baron marshes. The justification being that she will lie to make sure her attacker is sent down. She will claim he kidnapped her. Why? Because telling the truth got her nowhere. It’s a twist curvier than Kim Kardashian’s backside and in a tale that has already preached of the injustices in a system designed to make victims suffer more, makes complete sense. The tone may have changed but the elements of the message remain the same.

The stand off at the marshes (this has turned into a Morrissey lyric generator) between Andrew and his most recent targets should, in theory, be the moment he is arrested. Having stated that he’s been drugged to the DI, he claims that he can’t be arrested with the GHB in his system. While this may be factually correct, how would one person’s word be construed as fact, especially when faced with the law? Surely anyone could claim that. Robbed a bank? “Sorry guys, there’s still a bit of GHB in my system.. laters”. As we know only too well, the law is an ass and so is Andrew, who walks away without denying his crimes and one hundred percent confident he will evade punishment.  His SD cards might prove to be his downfall but with limited time left, Liar has cliffhanger and a two year wait written all over it. 8/10

 

 

 

 

Reviews Of ‘Victoria’ By A Jenna Coleman Fan Who Hates Period Dramas AND The Monarchy – Series 2, Episode 5

Actual title: Entente Cordiale

What it should have been named: French Fancy

Victoria is on an adventure this week. Think Del Boy and Rodders in Margate but in a big mansion with lots of people speaking in unconvincing french accents. Similar, I’m sure you’d agree. The grand setting in Normandy belongs to King Louis Philippe. The Queen and her entourage are there to put a stop to the king’s plans to marry his son off with Isabella II, queen of Spain because she is only 13. Even for these sordid foreign types this was allegedly frowned upon.

The Duchess of Buccleuch isn’t have any of it and is shocked to the core by their tendency to kiss each cheek. It’s like “sodom and gomorrah” round these parts, apparently.

Drummond and Alfred wink knowingly at each other with a good sodding on their minds. They’re heading towards their “diplomatic incident” and it might include kissing two cheeks of a different kind.

Albert is grumpy and not just because of the whole father situation but because he is appalled by his hosts vulgar tastes and lack of purity. Should’ve gone to Margate instead and had a drink with the locals there.

In a quest to escape the filth of the french, Albert goes skinny dipping. Not quite sure where the logic is but it makes him a bit happier so fair play to the lad. Their guide is having none of it..

As for Drummond and Alfred, we see their forbidden kissable cheeks as they dive in. Into the lake that is. You have disgusting minds. What, are you french or something? Our Vic comes across her fella’s moment of nudity (stop it) and has a good perv while he’s oblivious. If you can’t creep on your own husband then who can you creep on, eh?

We are also led to believe the Queen is looking rough so she asks the maids for make up in order to fit in with the glamorous local ladies.

She gets the beauty treatment which involves “lotion for the chest area”. No jokes please, I’m British.

Thing is, she asks for this after the most gorgeous sweeping shot of Jenna’s amazing face. She looks stunning. Look, I can sweep the inaccuracies of the show under the carpet all day long but I will never accept for one second that you can improve perfection. This is a liberty too far Goodwin! Albert is right about one thing, he tells his wife that she doesn’t need the slap (unless she likes it. ooh er). The Prince then confesses his secret to Victoria in a sweet scene where she assures him that his patronage is not an issue. This leads to their own french kissing and er.. french shagging.  Albert you old dog, you’re just as gross as the rest of us. Don’t deny it.

We didn’t really learn much this week other than Victoria is now pregnant with child number three. Oh, we also discover that there’s beauty in a cabbage. Here’s a vegetable botherer who agrees..

Lame of thrones:

• Next week expect to see a singing aubergine named Sebastian.
• Spoiler alert: Sebastian may turn out to be Albert’s father
• E(a)rnest showed up yet. He just keeps reappearing lack a bad rash. I hear there’s some lotion for that.

TV Review: Line Of Duty, Series 3.5 (BBC2)

Breathing is the most natural thing on earth, so much so that we don’t know we’re doing it most of the time. Tonight’s penultimate episode was such a masterclass in tense wonder that many times I realised I was not breathing due to the sheer quality of drama on offer. Not breathing is a dangerous thing to do which is apt because pretty much everything in Line Of Duty is dangerous too.

Performance wise, everyone brought their A game here. Adrian Dunbar’s face sold a million words and his words cut all around to size. From his upset at having to suspend Arnott and the shock at the Fairbank revelations to the venom in which he accused Gill. Though flawed he may be, Ted stands above everyone else in the show as the high point of morality even if there’s not much competion in that area. Then we have Martin Comptson’s paranoia seeping into upset as Arnott sheds tears in the meeting room. Craig Parkinson plays his dodgiest cards yet as Dot holds it together by spreading idle gossip while squrming as his cover is quickly slipping. Then of course there’s Keeley Hawes once again cutting through the atmosphere with biligerence and cunning. There’s so much to admire.

In True LOD style it was the showdowns that formed the most spectactular set pieces. Arnott’s disbelief and anger at being served a ‘Regulation 15’ and hitting out at Cottan who shrugged and smirked his way out of the room was the masterful moment Steve finally clicked that Dot was a wrong ‘un. Then our recently suspended hero soon meets up with his recently freed from prison nemesis. Lindsay spits “I want justice and I don’t care how unjustly I get it”. She is using Arnott to prove her innocence and he is using her to solve his case. As ever, there’s more agendas going on than a twenty four hour long episode of Question Time. Back in the offices, Fairbank was a stuttering blind man leading himself a pack of lies during a less than fruitful interview. It was another mesmerising scene. He feigned complete ignorance and forgetfulness to the growing frustration of Fleming and Hastings but one senses his selective non memory might get a lightbulb hovering above it soon. Ted was incredulous and we couldn’t take our eyes off him during his diatribe against bent politicians and celebrities with loose morals.

Speaking of which, peadophile rings are not a new subject mater in TV dramas but never has a story cut so raw to the bone or so uncomfortably close to reality. Not only content with referencing members of parliment, there is a surprise moment where an image surfaces of Roach and Fairbank posing with Jimmy Saville. Ficton has been photoshopped in to reality to make a very brave statement, especially so considering this is a BBC programme. It is a jaw dropping moment and may prove controversial to some. If it was done simply for shock value in the name of entertainmemt then it would be questionable but this is about the wider picture and that is being sensitively handled. We’ve seen the affects of the abuse on Danny Waldron and we see it tonight as another victim throws up at just the sight of Fairbank in a photo. It’s highlighting the wheels within wheels behind those who abuse their power and the suffering of people who get dragged into its slipstream. There is also the direct comparision to the workings of AC-12 itself at play here. The villians are hiding in plain sight. The politicains and celebrities were working from inside the system just as Dot is doing and of course there’s the not very small matter that he’s the major linchpin between it all.

The closing stages ratchet up the unbearable sense of impending doom further and from the moment Dot took it on himself to follow Denton’s footsteps it felt like the grim reaper was lurking in her shadows and so it proved. No matter how much we will miss the mad adventures of Lindsay (and we really will) we must not forget that she went out a hero of sorts. In not accepting another bribe and forwarding ‘the list’ to AC-12 with her last text and testament she proved all her cynics wrong. She said she’d never go to jail again and sadly that’s beyond doubt now. We bid farewell but don’t be sad her story’s over – be happy that the mighty combination of Mercurio’s writing and Hawes’ portrayal happened. Denton will rightly become known as a classic character of our time. As for Dot, he may have swapped some registration plates over but there’s the small issue of his fingerprints all over the car. And the issue of the envelope. And the.. oh you get the idea. Surely he’s cornered himself into oblivion now? Come out with your slippery hands up.

For next week’s finale we have an extra thirty minutes because obviously our nerves aren’t shredded enough are they? We already know series four has been commissioned so its guaranteed there will be plenty of loose ends left dangling seductively for the next two years. We are all rooting for Arnott to be vindicated and for Dot to get the comeuppance that has been three series in the making but will he get away with it again? If so, surely we will have to rename the show ‘Carry On Caddy’?  Whatever is in store expect shocks by the gun barrel load.  You’ve got a week to calm you nerves and stock up on inhalers. Exhilarating, gripping and many more words ending with ing, Line Of Duty continues to astound without resorting to cheap tricks.  This is event television at its creative best. 10/10

REDACTED FILES

• Kate pulling back from Dot’s “affections” suggest she might be on to him. Is she investigating both Cottan and Arnott with much more grace than she did the firing squad?
• So all that was on the audio was “a little fumble?” Disappointing
• Maneet was back. Thank goodness. Just a stomach bug. Nothing to worry about everybody. False alarm.
• Will Dot get to the email before anyone else? Let’s hope not.
• Hopefully after being told of the Fairbank information, Hasting understands Arnott isn’t the bad guy afterall and if the Superintendent follows last week’s character profile his gaze should now turn to the real villian.
• Worst case scenario: Steve goes down for Dot’s transgressions.
• Who else thought for a fleeting moment that Dot was going to shoot himself?
• Would it be weird to hold a candlelight vigil in honour of Lindsay Denton? Asking for a friend.