The Missing - General Discussion

[LoveLeigh]

This "limited" series is just too long. It is very tiring when a show is a mystery and they take weeks upon weeks to reveal what happened. Many other long running shows are not mysteries, so they are engaging and not exasperating.

 

This episode took a bad and sad turn. Tony was a murderer back in 2006, and Ian was declared missing and dead by the present day (so his murder was unsolved), and Vincent left that town. So where is the list of suspects? They should put the rest of the episodes up On Demand instead of dragging this out. 

Edited December 8, 2014 by DakotaLavender

[SonofaBiscuit]

I think that I missed something.  Back in 2006, how the heck did Tony come to the conclusion that Ian knew Vincent Bourg?   

 

Ooh, another mystery.  Where did Ian disappear to eight years ago?  Is he just hiding out somewhere with a new identity, or is it possible that Tony killed him or was somehow involved in his death?  Maybe that's what the journalist was referencing when he threatened to tell the police what Emily and Tony had done (although I hope that this journalist isn't so shady that he's covering up a murder).

[alias1]

I think that I missed something.  Back in 2006, how the heck did Tony come to the conclusion that Ian knew Vincent Bourg?   

 

Ooh, another mystery.  Where did Ian disappear to eight years ago?  Is he just hiding out somewhere with a new identity, or is it possible that Tony killed him or was somehow involved in his death?  Maybe that's what the journalist was referencing when he threatened to tell the police what Emily and Tony had done (although I hope that this journalist isn't so shady that he's covering up a murder).

I don't remember the exact wording, but when Tony was talking to Vincent at the river, Vincent started sort of rambling and said "guilt is like a cancer, it never goes away."  And when Tony was talking to Ian in his studio, when he was talking about his "missing" daughter Molly, Ian said "guilt is like a cancer, it never goes away."  It was the exact same wording and it was obvious that somehow Ian and Vincent were connected. 

 

You really need to watch the next episode.

[MyLisa]

Oh, Tony...  I'd kind of guessed what was going to happen based on the episode description.  I'm a bit lost though --

who is Karl Stieg and why are they looking for him? I must have missed that bit of exposition...

[BigBlueMastiff]

Whoah, I saw what Tony did in Ian's boat, but I totally missed any charges or missing/deceased declarations.

I get that Ian and his wife are hiding out on their yacht, and have for all intents and purposes disappeared, but still can't fathom how Ian survived that beating.



I believe Karl Stieg is the ring leader of the child porn/trafficking ring. I remember the former junkie girlfriend calling him Karl something else, when they were prepping her to meet her brother.

 

Thanks, MyLisa, totally missed that. ;)

Edited December 12, 2014 by BigBlueMastiff

[Thula]

Oh, Tony...  I'd kind of guessed what was going to happen based on the episode description.  I'm a bit lost though --

...

 

Julien recognized the cleaning van parked outside of the Kidnap house (where Olly's drawing was found, and Olly filmed standing by the window) as belonging to Karl Seig, who is known to be linked to the Romanian gang.  The police know (in 2014) that the basement had a professional cleaning job done.  It is likely Karl had something to do with Olly's disappearance or knows who did.

 

Yes, this episode was so violent.  Tony is psychotic.  Right before he killed Ian, Ian said that his own grandfather used to molest him and his Brother.  Who is his brother?  Seems like every character in this show (either on or off screen) has some relevance to the story.  Is his brother, Vincent?

 

DakotaLavendar, if you search, you can find UK recaps of episode 6 online, and episode 7 airs over there Tues night, if you want to get ahead.  I did that myself with episode 5 but found I needed to watch it because the jumping around in time doesn't translate very well to a play-by-play recap.

[Thula]

I don't see why a professional human trafficking enterprise would take such a huge risk and abduct a relatively affluent (compared to the rest of the world) child in broad daylight whose parents are likely just a few feet away at a busy park, and then hold the kid overnight in the same town that's likely swarming with Police and vigilant citizens.  Wouldn't they target victims who won't be missed right away?  

[MyLisa]

BigBlueMastiff

Whoah, I saw what Tony did in Ian's boat, but I totally missed any charges or missing/deceased declarations

--it's revealed at the end of the episode that Ian and his wife on the boat is all in the wife's head, in present day.

[alias1]

Since this episode has already aired somewhere (it says air date was 11/25) and we have all seen it, do we really need spoiler tags?  I'm going to assume we don't. 

 

As to how they first were on to Karl Stieg:  When they reviewed the tape from the house where Oliver was taken, they discovered a suspicious van parked outside of the house and found out it belonged to Karl Stieg.

 

MyLisa, I thought that reveal that the wife was actually in some kind of home was very well done.  I first suspected that when she was on the boat and all of a sudden some kind of attendant asked if he could start cleaning.  The show seems to end on some kind of "gotcha" each week. 

 

As for Ian being missing and declared dead:  In the previous episode, Victor Bourg was told that Ian had been missing for 8 years and had finally been declared dead.  That's what made most of us suspect that Tony had something to do with Ian's disappearance.  What we don't know yet is how Tony disposed of Ian's body. 

Edited December 9, 2014 by SierraMist

[alias1]

I wonder if the human trafficking angle is a red herring.  It seems too obvious, and maybe even ordinary.  I'm expecting more of a twist.

[LoveLeigh]

This show gets me so confused... who exactly is Karl Stieg? I find I have to watch each episode 4 times to follow the thread of the plot. 

[panthergirl13]

I may have said this before in other episode threads, but I love that this show does not spoon feed the audience. I like having to work a bit to follow what's going on. (also why I love Peaky Blinders on Netflix).

 

When a show can still make you worry for the safety of a character in 2006 that you KNOW is alive in the present, they're doing something right. (when Ian arrives back at the house while Tony is in the boat, I had to keep reminding myself that Tony couldn't be killed at that point.)

 

Good to know about the UK airing, thula ... I usually watch the On Demand episode but this past week they took awhile to put it up.

Edited December 11, 2014 by panthergirl13

[alias1]

panthergirl, I too like how the show unfolds in layers and makes you work a little to get all the connections.  And the characters are very complex.  I didn't really like Emily during the first few episodes, but I am starting to understand how she could have grown away from Tony, who is turning out very violent and obsessive. 

 

Thula, I didn't read your spoiler tag previously and didn't realize you had already explained (perfectly) who Karl Stieg is.  (Great recap on that).  And until you mentioned it, I forgot that Ian said he had a brother.  It could very well be Vincent.

 

I can't wait for the next episode to be On Demand.

[Primetimer]

Rini steps up; Tony confirms a horror we'd already assumed.

Read the story

[fellini]

Episode 5 was a good episode it had lots of action. Episodes where there is more talk than anything else aren't very entertaining.

[SonofaBiscuit]

So Tony did kill Ian.  They had me fooled up until the point where Tony was bashing Ian's head over and over again.  I was wondering how the heck he could have survived that.  So I'm guessing that Emily finds out because the journalist threatened to tell the police what Emily and Tony had done.

 

You know the French woman police officer (I don't know her name, but she has a baby in the present day story)?  Oh my gosh, in this episode she looked so much like Tatiana Maslany as Alison in Orphan Black.  Freaky!

[Konakula]

I liked this episode. It explained a lot and left intrigue about what is to come. Only two more episodes!

[alias1]

I agree (again) with Sarah Bunting that Ian was totally asking to be killed by Tony.  As soon as Tony said he was calling the police, Ian just kept goading him until Tony lost it.  That doesn't excuse Tony, though.  He is becoming very unlikeable.  But I've changed my opinion about the acting.  James Nesbitt is doing a great job.  And the actor who plays Ian is fantastic.  I still want to learn more about Vincent Bourg.  He's a fascinating character.

[alias1]

In some ways, the episode felt like filler to me.  They spent a lot of time on how Tony got rid of Ian's body and I had already guessed a lot of it.  Then they set up that whole scenario with Julien and his daughter just to make it more believable that he would not arrest Tony.  However, it's still a very fascinating show and I can't wait for the next two episodes. 

 

I'm concerned about all the blood that Karl Sieg had to clean up at the house.  It does not bode well for Oliver.  And why were we led to believe he was head of a human trafficking organization when he was only a clean up person?  I guess I'm confused about that now. 

 

I still want to know Vincent Bourg's involvement.

[fellini]

I wonder what type of evidence, was found by the cop that didn't enter it into evidence.

Edited December 14, 2014 by fellini

[alias1]

I wonder what type of evidence, was found by the cop that didn't enter it into evidence.

Yes, I can't wait to find out that.  And now we know how Julien's leg was injured.  I guess that's why the cop is in jail now. The plot thickens!

[LoveLeigh]

I love the show but it is rather predictable: pedophile criminal ring kidnaps children. I would enjoy this more if the plot took some unexpected turns. 

 

I hope this does not end in the same way True Detective did, with a very disappointing ending after all the buildup. 

[ApathyMonger]

The Missing has been renewed, with S2 focusing on a new case with a new cast: http://deadline.com/2014/12/the-missing-renewed-second-installment-starz-bbc-1201327215/

 

Not the first time the BBC has done this, Five Days (also focused on a missing persons case) and Criminal Justice did the same thing.

[ApathyMonger]

[alias1]

I love the show but it is rather predictable: pedophile criminal ring kidnaps children. I would enjoy this more if the plot took some unexpected turns. 

 

I hope this does not end in the same way True Detective did, with a very disappointing ending after all the buildup. 

I'm hoping that the human trafficking thing is a red herring.  They have had a twist in every episode.  I have to believe the ending will not be so simple. 

[MyLisa]

 

I wonder what type of evidence, was found by the cop that didn't enter it into evidence.

 

And how did it disappear?  Presuming it was in the envelope "left by the English journalist" (bad cop certainly did), since Julien never saw it, that leaves Mark looking guilty, again, some more.

[ichbin]

A different story....

I just watched the last episode. I'm sorry to hear that the second series is going to be about a different story because a second season continuing the first could have redeemed the ending.

 

FYI...the spoiler is about the first/current series.

Edited December 17, 2014 by ichbin

[Thula]

My problem with Tony is that he is supposed to be the most sympathetic (as he is the main) character in this story. But he's proven to be a total psychopath! Anyone with that short of a fuse, coupled with the drink, would surely be abusive toward his wife and child, or at least very neglectful. I can't conflate world's greatest Dad with a guy who puts another man in the hospital because the dude 'may' have kissed his wife. It's Tony's world and we're all just living in it. Wouldn't surprise me if he doesn't eventually find Olly alive, his first words to the boy would be "I told you to stay put, you little shite!"

[fellini]

Starz Renews Anthology 'The Missing' for Second Season

The premium cable network has renewed limited series

The Missing for a second season of eight episodes, featuring a new case, characters and location,

The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/starz-renews-anthology-missing-second-758393

[albaniantv]

This show is so good, I often have to look away. Tony is despicably violent yet I understand how he gets that angry up against equal amounts of evil and indifference. I too am hoping it does not end in the meaningless fog of True Detective. But at the same time, I don't want the reality hit of Deep End of the Ocean. Frustratingly good show!

[Trois]

Good thing that. Hope it's gonna be as good as the first season. 

The show took me by surprise, awesome.

[alias1]

I'm happy about a 2nd season and I hope it will be as riveting.  I think none of us knew what to expect and the fact that it has kept us guessing is why we're so fascinated by this show.  I hope we aren't disappointed because now we're expecting too much.  I think a lot will depend on the casting, too.

[LoveLeigh]

I just watched episode 7 and 8 On Demand. I cannot wait to discuss the end with all of you and read your opinions. Are we allowed to set up threads for those episodes here even though they have not aired but are available On Demand? 

[NeenerNeener]

I just finished watching them too, and can't wait to talk about them.

[QuinnM]

I thought the envelop was the proof of the cops crimes before he came to France? I think the journalist still has the evidence and if it turns out that would have answered the questions of the disappearance? Well I hope the journalist rots in hell.

[Primetimer]

Long-buried evidence is dug up, then buried again as Sieg and Ziane's revelations only cause more confusion.

Read the story

[Sarah D. Bunting]

@QuinnM, I'm pretty sure it's whatever Ziane found by the side of the road when he smashed his phone. Suri already knew about Ziane's Moroccan past; that's why Ziane's (resentfully) helping him in the first place.

[alias1]

I think QuinnM is right.  And that's why Ziane is in jail and Julien still does not have the evidence that was never bagged.  The only person I totally believe in this show is Julien. 

 

I just wanted to add that originally I had the same question as MyLisa (what happened to the evidence bag and why did Julien say no evidence had ever been turned in).  Then I read the comment from QuinnM and it made sense.  The envelope the journalist threw in the car was the evidence against Ziane.  And that's why he's in jail.  I thought originally it was for attacking Julien.

 

I can't wait to see how this ends.  I see the last two episodes are available now On Demand.

Edited December 21, 2014 by SierraMist

[panthergirl13]

I couldn't wait. I watched the rest Through Methods. Very anxious to discuss here but will wait patiently and not even make a spoilery-face while I type.

Edited December 22, 2014 by panthergirl13

[Konakula]

I really hated the very end. The writer's clip after explained it a bit, but damn. Suspenseful miniseries writers take note: do what Fargo did and not this.

I don't understand how there wasn't any blood at the scene of the accident. And it seemed like it took longer in this episode for Ollie to slip away than it did in the first episode.

No one could have told the family what happened? Really? And that reporter is awful. Even with the touching moments with his kid. What a terrible person to keep that from the family for so long.

Why was Mark even in this show? Why?

I hated this more than the white collar ending, which is saying something. Week to week though, I found the series to be very enjoyable. I don't regret watching it.

[XtremeOne1]

The writers had a clip afterwards? I didn't get to see that...Anyone know where I can find it or what was said? I'd definitely love more insight into the finale.

 

I know they said next season will be a new case and a new cast but I still hope that it will be tied in this greater mystery with this maybe sex trafficking/kidnapping plot that leads to Russia and in the end Tony, Emily and this maybe Ollie will be brought into it. There was really too much left unsaid and I've read the writers promised closure, which this was the opposite of.

Edited December 22, 2014 by XtremeOne1

[Konakula]

Hmm, it plays after the credits on my on demand. They have been there for every episode. I have Comcast, for what it is worth.

IIRC, it talked about being less of a who done it and more about how people do/don't change (I have already had a glass of wine, so that might not be 100%).

[marina707]

And, I have very mixed feelings about the end. I do not know what to make of Tony being in Russia chasing after boys who he thinks may be Ollie. Is this all in his head or has he descended into madness?

 

I wasn't sure what to make of it either. I might need to watch the episode again to make sure things happened the way I'm remembering them, but the way I interpreted it, it seemed like there were two possibilities. Either:

 

A) The boy Tony found was Ollie. But Ollie didn't remember him, and because he had apparently been bothering other kids in the area in his quest to find Ollie, the police took him away and obviously didn't believe him when he said the boy was his son. The stick figure on the car window suggests it could be Ollie, and since no body was ever found and Georges killed himself no one would ever know for sure, unless they did a DNA test on the boy, which I doubt would ever happen since the cops clearly thought Tony was just a crazy person.

 

or

 

B) The boy wasn't Ollie. Ollie was killed, it happened exactly the way Alain said, and Georges killed himself because he didn't want to go to jail. There was no body because like Julien said, there often aren't bodies in cases like that. But Tony was so overcome with grief that he told himself the boy in Russia was Ollie (and may have even convinced himself other kids were him before he got to that one) because he refused to admit Ollie was gone. In this case I think Tony was the one that drew the stick figure on the car window.

 

Either way, it's a depressing ending, with Ollie gone (whether he was dead or stuck in Russia), Tony alone, and Emily having moved on with her life, but I'm leaning towards the second one. I think it seems to fit better with the rest of the show and just makes more sense as an ending.

[XtremeOne1]

The thing is, a newspaper in England polled readers and 80% said they were unsatisfied with the ending...That's a huge number. I've got a feeling if they want to draw in the same numbers next season, they have to promise some sort of closure or answer(I kind of rather not have one...)

[albaniantv]

More spoilers

 

Thanks for your summary, Marina. I tend towards B, with the sense that Tony went around the bend as he never could recover or get on with his life(as Emily learned to do) or live with his doubts (as Julien recommended). Maybe because of the guilt? For me the lesson was that minds are so different--for Emily and Julien, they had an ending and that gave Emily personal peace and Julien professional peace. For Tony, the torture that his son had miraculously regained his life after the accident, had a moment to make a drawing and then was murdered was just too much truth, with too many ifs ands and buts. Crazy making.

 

Agree, DakotaLavender, there are some hard lessons there; the writer believes there aren't very many good people out there, people who are in a tight spot but will show up or stand up for others. I didn't find the Ian material misleading --maybe he too was driven around the bend by his own guilt about his daughter and actually wanted to goad Tony into killing him? 

 

This was a really hard series to watch (and that music has invaded my brain) but I think the ending was so much more honest than The Killing.

Edited December 22, 2014 by albaniantv

[paramitch]

Really, show? I feel like I just got slapped in the face.

 

I hated the ending. Hated it. And feel like the final time jump and revelation was a cheat. I hate the fact that we spent the entire time on this and (1) still don't know everything and (2) were given a cheap, hopeless ending for Tony.

 

The story and the conclusion just didn't work for me. I would have almost preferred a more hopeless story with clear implications that Tony was reading into evidence that wasn't there. But he wasn't. We witnessed what he found and in every case, I found it compelling and worthy of further follow-up. So when everyone Tony went to kept reacting with over the top "WTF" faces, I was frustrated, and then finally pretty enraged that my time had been so colossally wasted.

 

I will not watch a series/season 2. I thought the writing on this was far below the level of the actors. Every single time a quantifiable lead came up, I got very tired of people telling Tony that it was all in his head -- I mean, definable, real evidence, like the scarf, the drawing, the witnesses, etc. And I found it really sloppy writing that every time evidence came up, it was hidden by a character with sleazy, villainous motives -- and then again, of course, no one would believe Tony or the investigation (not even Laurence). I understood why Emily refused to face it at first. But then it just got ridiculous.

 

I also really disliked the Mark/Emily romantic development and just never bought that Emily would actually hook up with him long-term. It felt instead to me like one more poor construct just so we could have Mark constantly on hand, looking shifty or loyal as required by the moment.

 

And then even in the end, I just didn't buy that Georges would kill himself without giving them the information that their son was actually alive (or how to contact the Romanian who killed/captured Olly).

 

The writing just wasn't good enough for me. And the ending made me incredibly angry -- it felt like an insult. I'd spent eight hours watching a mystery only to have an incomplete explanation spoonfed in the final half-hour (and it wasn't even a believable story or chain of events).

 

As a final note, I hated the show's sound design, which consistently used an excruciating high-pitched whine (like microphone feedback) to ramp up the tension or to denote a surreal moment for the characters. Silence or some other musical/aural dreamlike effect would have been as effective if not more so, and the whine actually hurt my ears and made watching the show physically unpleasant.

 

(ETA: Edited to fix the female French cop's name. I misidentified her as "Augustin" instead of "Laurence" -- I knew it was a man's name!)

Edited December 22, 2014 by paramitch

[islandgal140]

The thing is, a newspaper in England polled readers and 80% said they were unsatisfied with the ending...That's a huge number. I've got a feeling if they want to draw in the same numbers next season, they have to promise some sort of closure or answer(I kind of rather not have one...)

 

Wow that is like in Dexter territory. I guess I stand with the remaining 20% because I didn't mind the ending. Some of this series was problematic but overall I enjoyed the ride and I feel that is what this series was mostly about - the ride. It wasn't wrapped up in a neat little bow but as mentioned on the show the vast majority of missing children cases are not. I just really believe that Ollie was killed. That man had no problem slicing open that girl's throat in the middle of a damn restaurant so I have little doubt that he would kill a child alone with him in a garage whom he felt could ID him later on. Plus, the mayor looked way shaken up after seeing what was in that van.

 

I am used to being on the outskirts. I am one of the few who didn't love Fargo all that much. I despised Martin's Freeman character so much that I thought his demise was far too easy on him. I wanted him arrested, publicly shamed and loathed and passed around the prison system like a carton of cigs to the biggest, scariest inmates that ever lived. 

 

Malik was a heinous character.

 

I found the run around they were getting from every damn person with potential information incredibly tedious. Everybody wanted something in return or had to be blackmailed to help. 

 

I think Tony just lost his shit. Period. Being consumed by his son's disappearance was his life for 8 long years. The guilt of it was his life for 8 long years.  These things were a coping mechanism he seems to have developed as a way of dealing with the trauma of Ollie's disappearance. Even if the body had been discovered he would have found something else to obsess about, like who the actual killer was. He probably would have become obsessed with the Romanian crew. YMMV. 

 

During the opening credits, I always wondered what was the significance of the four legged animal walking through the forest and I guess now I know. 

 

I just finished watching the series yesterday and I don't know if anyone else has mentioned this in another thread but does anyone see the striking resemblance between the woman playing the female detective and Tatiana Maslany from Orphan Black? It kept thinking it is Tatiana. I was almost uncanny and it is not like Tatiana isn't talented enough to pull off a French accent. 

 

 

This was a really hard series to watch (and that music has invaded my brain) but I think the ending was so much more honest than The Killing.

Amen!!

[QuinnM]

 

During the opening credits, I always wondered what was the significance of the four legged animal walking through the forest and I guess now I know.

This nearly drove me mad.  I would tivo back and forth over it.  I would look for that creature in every episode after about four when it dawned on me that I hadn't seen that scene.

 

I really want to believe that Ollie is alive and that somehow his father is rewarded for looking.  

 

I really want to believe that Malik lives a long and painful life for the absolute horrific thinks he's done.  It's odd I'm almost more disgusted by his behavior than the Russian killing Ollie or Ian killing his own daughter.  

 

I think I would be in the 80%.  I don't need a complete package tied neatly with a bow but I really needed two more episodes for closure.

[paramitch]

I just finished watching the series yesterday and I don't know if anyone else has mentioned this in another thread but does anyone see the striking resemblance between the woman playing the female detective and Tatiana Maslany from Orphan Black? It kept thinking it is Tatiana. I was almost uncanny and it is not like Tatiana isn't talented enough to pull off a French accent.

 

 

Agreed -- Emilie DeQuenne played Laurence, the female detective, and I literally kept pausing to see if it was Tatiana, the resemblance was so striking.

[NeenerNeener]

I'm still not sure how I feel about the last episode. I would have been ok if they ended right after Georges shot himself, but the stuff in Russia bugged me because it was left unresolved.  The kid sure had big enough ears to be Ollie, but we'll never know.