SPOILER WARNING: POST CONTAINS SPOILERS IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED THE EPISODE

One Sentence Review

An enjoyable filler episode where little of long term significance occurs aside from Alex’s operation

Episode Synopsis

Find it here

Thoughts and Analysis

After a slightly disappointing episode last week, this episode is a welcome return to form even if it does feel like it is mainly filler material. Aside from the update on Alex’s health in the real world, this episode in many ways seems like a look at a standard day at the office for Alex and Gene. As it is filler, this weeks analysis will be a bit shorter than normal.

The crime of the week was fairly standard and the life insurance scam part was almost certainly inspired by the John Darwin/Canoe Man Case, I once again had the real killer identified fairly early on, though I was a little fuzzy on the motive until it was revealed at the end. I did have a chuckle at Donna’s denial and Rays way of handling her denial leading to the inevitable response.

The most interesting part of the case for me though was the fall out from the attack on Gene and how he handled it. The one problem I had with the attack on Gene (and Alex’s flat) was that while on second viewing I found it clear that the attack was instigated by Trevor Riley in revenge for the theft of his car (I think it is his voice asking is she is in the flat), it was not made explicitly clear that this was the case, which left the option open that it was Martin Summers behind it.

Summers himself was fairly quite this episode if not responsible his influence limited to taunting of Alex over the phone and the disturbing bunch of flowers he had delivered. Though I do believe that Summers was the other coma patient who was having a seizure in room 5.

There was further progress on the Chris/Shaz relationship and there are two possibilities for the theme of this weeks installment, the financial difficulties that Chris finds himself in. The first is that it reflects the main story of the loan shark Trevor Riley, the second is that it is making it clear that Chris is in a position where he could be corrupted due to lack of cash.

Other highlights were Rays attempts at Psychoanalysis and his Politically Incorrect thoughts on the car like “This is a Puffs car”, and the irony that he is the one at the end who help Alex work out it may Stanley who killed Colin, given how Colin was killed and the body dumped.

In terms of long term plot progression, there was once again very little that could not have been fitted into a different episode, with the main news being that Alex has had her operation to remove the bullet and it looks like she will recover, making her believe that she will be returning home soon, leading her to write letters to everyone, though I do wonder why she actually gave them the letters, as everyone but Gene read them, the only surprise being that Gene did not read them. I hope that the letters are published online at some point as Chris and Rays sound like they could be quite amusing, nevermind Gene’s.

I just hope that Alexs claim after the bullet is removed to Gene about seeing the best of her does not lead to a return to Season 1 Episode 1 annoying Alex. I am also sure that some fans of the series will make a lot of the hug and the choice of music and the lyrics in that scene in terms of the Gene and Alex relationship.

So all in all, an obvious filler episode, the preview for next week looks exciting and it is hard to believe that there are only 2 episodes left of this series, though given the strong ratings I suspect that it is a virtual certainty it will be back for a third and final series. I will give some speculation on what I think will happen in the finale tomorrow (Tuesday) when I post my thoughts on the new addition to Martin Summers diary.

Episode Rating

7/10