Bang (S4C) Episode 8 Review

If Roger Williams isn’t doing so already, he should definitely charge mega bucks to give lessons on how to write a series finale.  As with every closing episode the fear is there’s too much wrap up in such little time and nearly every time it proves to be the case. Bang, however pulls off a television miracle and satisfactorily ties all the loose ends together in one dramatic sucker punch of a closer.

Rhys, as it was always going to be him, is responsible for the escalation of terror that follows. On the receiving end of a bloody beating, Sam confesses his sister is in possession of the gun. This sets up a showdown as Gina has to hand the gun back to the dastardly duo in return for her brother. We soon discover that the shifty fellas that kept popping up are extra shifty and to top things off, working for Patricia bloody Rose. In a matter of seconds we learn that Mel and Marie are sisters, we discover who killed Stevie Rosie and that the main purpose of Stevie’s dodgy dealings (and ultimately his death) was human trafficking. It’s chaotic, adrenaline fueled mayhem and it’s brilliant. Oh, and Rhys is shot dead. Forgot to mention that.

While Marie has quietly been a major player in the background, Ray has always been a blatant villain throughout but the real scale of his treachery surprises. The truth is, he’s been hiding in plain sight. The grumpy, evil man that’s been the centrepiece wasn’t the red herring at all. He really is the big bad of the show. The reveal of a mystery that’s been burning since that very first scene eight whole episodes back is heartbreaking and shocking. The whole spectacle is handled with such finesse that even our jaws drop to the floor with grace.

We get a couple of much needed one on one scenes too. Firstly, Sam and Gina touchingly express their love for each other but later Sam doesn’t offer the same sentiment to a mother who valued life’s trivial things over her children. As they solemnly face off, her empty words of apology don’t cut the mustard. His heart more broken than his cut up face.

All plot points neatly tired up, all motives explained, all bad guys getting their comeuppance.. it’s all been resolved with a style rarely witnessed. Well, almost. Just when you think it’s all done and dusted, one thing has fittingly escaped everyone’s minds – the gun. Mel holds it along with Patricia’s money and with it, potentially the key to a second series. Unlikely maybe, but if there’s a ‘Bang 2: Mel On The Run’ there’s definitely an audience for it. 10/10

Bullet points:

• We learnt so much that the fact Rhys doesn’t have a ten inch penis was the least of the revelations
• What punishment awaits Sam from the justice system?
• Will Ela visit him in prison and attempt to steal other inmates money?
• Understatement alert: Gina’s promotion might have been delayed a bit.

Bang (S4C) Episode 7 Review

Folkestone is home to the world’s highest brick arched viaduct but it is not home to a new distribution centre for the company Sam works for. His lie that he’s suddenly transferring location is easily uncovered by a quick google search, as was that fascinating fact about Folkstone. While Gina is tracking him down with her clever cop mind, not one to let the grass grow. stepdad Ray is clearing out the house already. In reality Sam is just heading down the welsh coast on his trusty bike.

Gina finds him in a church holding a gun to his head and not because the sermon is boring but because he feels it’s the only way to free himself. Finally we see Gina’s response to Sam owning the gun. Perhaps it’s the shock of her brother about to commit suicide that means her familial instincts kick in rather than the anger expected. Not much is said between the two but we can assume she has made the connection between Sam and all the recent crimes but strangely, on screen at least, she never asks where he got the gun from. It feels a waste that there isn’t much communication between the two at this late stage of the series, especially is there is so much to talk about. Gina was already reluctant to draw Carl towards Ela’s connection with her brother and now she’s in possession of the firearm looks set to protect him at all costs. That cost could be her job and a criminal record. To be honest, she seems more preoccupied with her father’s past so that’s likely to have strong relevance to next weeks finale.

The truth is spilling out elsewhere. In a kitchen showdown we discover Ray not only knows about Sam raiding his yard but the stealing from work too. On the flip of the coin, Sam knows about Ray’s misdemeanours with ladies (who must have terrible taste in men) too. Another connection is made as we get an answer to who Patricia has been gossiping to on the phone all this time and in a twist nobody saw coming it turns out to be grumpy stepdad Ray. Madness. Don’t sit there, smugly reading this and claim you saw that coming. You are lying!

Lots is going on elsewhere too. Carl is being plagued by a mysterious caller who we soon learn is Mel and she clearly wants to use knowledge of his affair with Gina to her advantage. Wide boy Rhys is also back on the estate and with his girlfriend by his side, raids Sam’s home in a quest for the gun but they’re rudely interrupted by the hasty and welcome return of Ela. Things are left with a tense stand off (or sit off) as Sam hides upstairs.

It’s a pretty weak cliffhanger compared to what Bang has treated us to previously but judging by the quality of the show so far, we are in very good hands indeed as things heat up for the last episode. What will Gina sacrifice for her brother? Will everyone get out alive? More to the point, will we ever find out who bloody killed Stevie Rose? One thing is for certain, even though the gun is out of Sam’s hands, things are going to be explosive. 8/10

Bullet points:

• Anyone spot the guest appearance of Alabama 3’s Rob Spragg (AKA Larry Love) as coughing villian Douglas Rose? Not content with supplying the music he also gets a bit of screen time too.
• Is it wrong to hope that Sam shoots grumpy Ray in the head?
• Rhys is obviously a wrong ‘un because when it comes to pizza toppings his first thought was pineapple.

Bang (S4C) Episode 6 Review

Just when you think Sam couldn’t dig himself deeper into a pit named trouble things escalate further than ever before. Surely it’s only a matter of time before big sis finds out the truth. Ela may have unwittingly saved him from brandishing his gun at the club but on the run home he’s pointing it into the back of Luke’s head. Not only that, but due to everyone waving mobile phones about, Ela is spotted in photos and that brings Gina back to Sam’s door. Honestly, it was so much easier committing armed robbery before smart phones were invented. Apparently.

The loved up pair escape to a hotel with their “earnings”, frollick in the bed and the pool and soon find another victim in the form of a creepy guy in the restaurant but true to form things start going tits up quicker than you can say Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. Creepy guy catches them on the take and sexually assaults Ela which means only one thing, Sam goes all Reservoir Dogs again. The gun is out and it’s the closest he’s come to killing yet. His relationship with the weapon is so serious he might as well propose to it and put it in a wedding dress. An alarmed Ela gives an ultimatum but he chooses it over her and she strolls away. Probably out of his life for good.

An interesting side story is Luke’s trauma after being held at gun point. He suffers flashbacks and struggles to tell anyone through shame. His bottled anger whipping up a frenzy at a teen catcalling Gina. He does eventually say but the boss isn’t happy and he’s sent home pending a disciplinary. It’s a topic rarely covered in crime dramas and great to see it be touched upon. Indeed, another fallout from the effects of the job are shown as Layla is signed off with stress. There are no alcoholic cops coming back for one last case cliches here, just a more raw, honest take on police work.

Thankfully Bang is not full of crazy plot twists just for the sake of plot twists. It goes in unexpected directions without resorting to silly shock tactics, it intrigues without having the need to shout at you. This was the most exciting and absorbing episode to date and with only two more to go, everything stands on a precipice. Sam needs a miracle to escape the fall. 9/10

Bullet points:

• Yes, Ela was a bit crazy but she seemed to have a good heart. Sam is nuts to ditch her. Not just because she looked good in a swimming costume.
• Will Ela be the one that dobs him in to the police? Unlikely given the crimes she carried out with him
• We still don’t know what connection Sam and Gina’s dad had to Douglas Rose?
• What is Patricia playing at? Who was she on the phone to?
• Mel is back. Uh oh

Bang (S4C) – Episode 2 Review

The vicious circle that was forming last week is starting to join and the dots that are now connecting can only lead down one very dark cul de sac indeed. Amid a beautiful setting of crashing waves and steep hills the pace calms down for the intricacies to show themselves but episode two simply feels like the calm before a storm.

The police are swarming the neighbourhood following Sam’s moment of madness and if you’re going to have the police knocking at your door when there’s a gun in your bedroom then it’s probably best that your sister is the officer. Gina is convinced the gun belongs to Rhys and it’s not until his girlfriend Mel is caught dealing drugs that they have an excuse to find out. Rhys himself had seemed to be mellowing following the death of his brother but normal service resums when he headbutts officer Luke during the raid. Safe.

We meet Russell, a tweed sporting country gangster, or rather loan shark who we find out had Sam by the balls four years ago. Metaphorically and literally. Back then grumpy Ray bailed him out and it may explain his current protective (but very rude) attitude towards his stepson. Russell is clearly a man who has pissed off many people in his time and a gruesome attack (by two men whose faces are conspicuous by their absence) soon has him by the balls.

Money is Sam’s prime motivation because he wants stubborn Nan to go private having dismissed herself from hospital following the heart attack. This quest for mula, which forces him to steal and sell on phones from work, is all in vein as her body proves not to be as strong as her willpower and with a spillage of tea is gone. Sad for two reasons, one being that it was a waste of what looked like a good cuppa.

The mood remains constantly bleak but notably very watchable due to a compelling plot unlike, say Rellik, which holds none of those qualities. Where Rellik focuses on one gimmick at the expense of everything else, Bang is a focused crime drama with plenty of legs. 8/10

Bullet points:

• Eating cheesy puffs is now officially a good alibi for murder
• Is Ray’s heart in the right place? What does he hold over Sam?
• Who attacked Russell and what was the motive?
• “Everyone’s card is marked, innit?” How long before Sam’s is dealt?
• With Rhys and Mel both temporarily banged up, will they tell on their neighbour?
• Most youngsters worry about the family finding porn under their bed. Not Sam.