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The Fall - General Discussion


annlaw78
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I don't know how much of a run-around she's giving Stella, they knew she was lying about the alibi ("What the fuck is she playing at?") and then they caught her doing the selfie break-in (what the hell was that, btw? I didn't get it). Keep tabs on her from now on and they should book Paul in 24 hours.

 

 

I wasn't sure about the break-in either. A number of things could be going on here: a) Paul is testing how much power he has over her, b) he's trying to confuse the cops/discredit Katie as a potential witness, or c) some other plan we're not aware of yet. But yeah, if they're meeting up and talking on-line it seems only a matter of hours that the police could track him down. Yet there's still three episodes to go.

 

But what Paul HAS managed to do is turn Katie against Stella. If Stella ever gets the opportunity to sit down and interview Katie, she's going to get completely stonewalled by a teenager who wants to impress an older man and has internalized his opinion of Stella as a cold bitch. Even if Stella says that Paul is a potential suspect, he's already spun her a story about finding Sarah's license and sending it to the police.

 

Kind of looking forward to Stella knocking some sense into this girl.

 

 

And I was a bit confused about whatever Jim was talking about at Stella's (someone's dad had killed someone, or something? What?) because I was busy Eep!-ing at Paul hiding in the closet. Was the pedophelia specifically linked to Paul? I missed that too. I thought it was a general "Bah I dug up another priest pedo destroying the reputation of my faith" kind of deal, but, no?

 

 

From what I gather, the pedo-priest was the manager of a foster home that Paul Spector lived in when he was a child. Jim looked up some of the other priest's victims and found a record of suicides, broken marriages, etc, and speculated that Paul turned out in a similar manner (most abused children go on to be abusers themselves).

 

The other part about Adam Monroe was even more confusing. He was talking about the ex-husband of the Alice Monroe victim, whose father told him to flee the country when he found out he was a suspect. Apparently he's back and has tried to kill his father in the hospital...? Yeah, that needed to be a lot clearer.  

Edited by Ravenya003
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I wasn't sure about the break-in either. A number of things could be going on here: a) Paul is testing how much power he has over her, b) he's trying to confuse the cops/discredit Katie as a potential witness, or c) some other plan we're not aware of yet. But yeah, if they're meeting up and talking on-line it seems only a matter of hours that the police could track him down. Yet there's still three episodes to go.

Sounds like it could be a mix of all of the above. If they're tracking both Katie and the missus from now on they better have a good reason for not catching him in the next episode.

But what Paul HAS managed to do is turn Katie against Stella. If Stella ever gets the opportunity to sit down and interview Katie, she's going to get completely stonewalled by a teenager who wants to impress an older man and has internalized his opinion of Stella as a cold bitch. Even if Stella says that Paul is a potential suspect, he's already spun her a story about finding Sarah's license and sending it to the police.

Kind of looking forward to Stella knocking some sense into this girl.

This is true and I look forward to it as well. Katie's already lied about his whereabouts that night so she's only gonna get more stubborn. I think there will have to be some huge consequence to Katie's present actions for her to change tune (someone getting murdered, presumably).

From what I gather, the pedo-priest was the manager of a foster home that Paul Spector lived in when he was a child. Jim looked up some of the other priest's victims and found a record of suicides, broken marriages, etc, and speculated that Paul turned out in a similar manner (most abused children go on to be abusers themselves).

The other part about Adam Monroe was even more confusing. He was talking about the ex-husband of the Alice Monroe victim, whose father told him to flee the country when he found out he was a suspect. Apparently he's back and has tried to kill his father in the hospital...? Yeah, that needed to be a lot clearer.

Ah, the pedo foster home is clear now. I too hope Paul's murderous streak has nothing to do with that. I'm not sure how the outcome of that experience would manifest in hating dark haired professional childless women, anyway? He blames ending up being molested on his birth mother giving him away because she was busy climbing the corporate ladder? But what do I know.

I recall the ex-husband that had fled now, too. Huh. Why would he try to kill the father and why was Jim so upset about this? Seems odd.

Oh, and the text on the whiteboard in the beginning of the episode reading "DEMON SEED". That seemed like something the episode writer thought would look cool rather than an actual thing police detectives write down.

Edited by joelene
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I figure the peeping Tom was "recruited" by Katie to entrap Spector having sex with a minor (I'm guessing she was lying about having turned 16) - definitely playing with fire there. I hope she faces some sort of comeuppance, if not at the level of "and Spector rapes and kills her." Rather surprised that Rose was apparently still alive, since you'd think Spector would kill her for purely practical  reasons that she'd been talking to the cops, especially once he'd abducted her from her home. And great that him talking to the kid was what gave the cops a lead!

 

So glad that the cops are now hot on his trail so we should see an end soon (well, at least by the end of the Series!). If anything it's going to be hard stretching it out that far - though I definitely wouldn't want him to get off on some technicality. And was I alone in hoping Stella would apologise to that cop for not realising that he'd interviewed the killer when she'd walked right past him without coming to any revelation either?

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This was a great episode. The Katie stuff is very interesting. Do you think he's completely playing her or playing her while being surprised that he enjoys her company?

 

I think he was too wrapped up in his own shit to realize that Katie was the incestuous daughter he always wanted. I suspect he's going to become way more invested in the idea of having a companion than she is of going down the road to full psycho. It'll be like when Paul got on top of her in bed, she liked the  idea, but the reality started to become repugnant once she was looking it right in the eyes. Wouldn't be surprised if she did something stupid, like going after the wife. Paul worked her against Stella perfectly. She is everything Katie is not, a sharp, sexually confident, woman

 

The paedo priest angle would make Paul's insistence on Katie's childishness (until the second she hit 16) make sense. He's a monster, but not the monster who made him, I suppose. Though for all we know, he was the one who did it all and priest took the fall for him, or something. I'm starting to believe that guy is capable of anything, it's freaking me out. Makes me think the casting director of 50 Shades was cackling internally when they cast Jamie Dormer. 

 

Gillian Anderson's reaction to finding her dream diary violated was soooo good. The shock, the tears, then the 'game on now asshole' face was great. Though I find it hard to believe she holds it so near and dear when she has the thing flung out where literally anyone entering the room could find it. The cleaning staff have probably read that thing cover cover. And no password protection on a laptop holding important criminal investigation evidence. Very unimpressed. 

 

What the heck with the bearded police officer coming after Stella like she was some sort of sex pez dispenser? Casual sex with strapping young officer = casual sex with anyone who asks, eh? He really is a weak little man with no sense of integrity. Lose his job? The cops working for Monroe were afraid for their lives and held it together better!

 

I didn't think Monroe had it in him to try to kill his dad. Though I suppose it's easier if he's hospitalized. He must have shipped off somewhere quite nasty with no money. I would think with enough trafficked prostitutes and drugs he'd be as happy as a clam.

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Katie's turned 16, it was confirmed by the police, so I think it's unlikely she recruited the peeping Tom. Then again, who the hell knows.

And about Paul and Stella at the police station. By that time they didn't have so much as a description so she wouldn't have any reason to blame herself as much as the other cop. He was just a face in a corridor.

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What the heck with the bearded police officer coming after Stella like she was some sort of sex pez dispenser? Casual sex with strapping young officer = casual sex with anyone who asks, eh? He really is a weak little man with no sense of integrity. Lose his job? The cops working for Monroe were afraid for their lives and held it together better!

I didn't think Monroe had it in him to try to kill his dad. Though I suppose it's easier if he's hospitalized. He must have shipped off somewhere quite nasty with no money. I would think with enough trafficked prostitutes and drugs he'd be as happy as a clam.

The bearded cop is Jim, former lover of Stella with a lingering hang-up, that's why he tried to sleep with her (again). It's weak coming after her in that state, but he clearly never got over her and now he's going back to the bottle over it (I got the impression he's a recovering alcoholic). Hopefully this will be the end of it.

Is Monroe the drug and trafficking people? That story bored me in season 1 so no wonder I couldn't make sense of what Jim was blabbing about.

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Is Monroe the drug and trafficking people? That story bored me in season 1 so no wonder I couldn't make sense of what Jim was blabbing about.

 

 

I think he was involved, yeah. He was at the hotel when the large Russian dude hit the prostitute into unconsciousness. There was also some tension with his father over Alice's death, with the son accusing his dad of being in love with his daughter-in-law, but how all this accumulated in a murder attempt remains to be seen.

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Yeah it would make sense for Jim to be worked up about the prostitution/people smuggling plot. I guess I should be giving them props for continuity, but I didn't care about that thread last season, so... 10 out of 10 for continuity but 0 out of 10 for actually getting me to care.

 

As for Katy - she's quite the little sociopath, isn't she? Even if she doesn't think Spector is the rapist/murderer, she still is aware he's interfering with a police enquiry into a multiple rapist. I get the urge to "Stick it to the Man" (Or in this case, Woman) but priorities girl!

 

Glad we were offered an explanation for why Spector hasn't killed his latest (or in some respects, oldest) victim. And I loved the fact that he took the baby out of the car before stealing it. I guess even rapist/murderers aren't all bad, or something.

 

rozen And no password protection on a laptop holding important criminal investigation evidence. Very unimpressed.

 

Terrible security, but believable. At least she didn't leave it on a train!

 

joelene Oh, and the text on the whiteboard in the beginning of the episode reading "DEMON SEED".

 

There was also "PREGNANT" (or possibly PREGNANT?) which had me wondering who that might have been (or if it simply related to a different case and hadn't been wiped off).

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As Gibson recovers from her close encounter with the 'Belfast Strangler', a shocking revelation proves how terrifyingly manipulative Paul Spector can be.

Stella! This is starting to look unprofessional. Another good-looking person and you immediately get sex eyes and want to transfer him to your team? Priorities! Or maybe she saw some mad detective skill in those eyes of his.

The tailing of Paul was quite tense. They're not booking him because they want him to lead them to Rose Stagg, right? Seems like quite the risk.

Katie acted more like a regular angsty love-stricken teenager in this episode than the manipulative bratty possible psycho she's come across as previously.

The actor who plays the abusive husband was scary good here. Few people frighten me as much as those kinds of guys who keeps their aggression right at the surface ready to smack you in the face at the slightest provocation, and he played it very convincingly. I don't remember being scared of him last season, just pissed off, but I felt so uneasy during that scene.

No further signs of Mr. Peeping Tom (I keep expecting him to make a return appearance, seems so random if he doesn't).

The roof-in was kind of hilarious.

Edited by joelene
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I didn't think Stella had sex eyes, and to be honest if she did, I can't imagine she'd try to get him transferred just to shag him. She didn't with Olsen after all. Although nice to see Eastman is still a prick about it and tries to slam her whenever possible.

 

Also, if Assistant Chief Constable McSad-Eyes (TM someone else) could possibly focus on something other than his issues, grow a backbone and stop looking at Stella with a hangdog expression, it would be much appreciated.

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The look she had while being around him seemed similar to the one she had when she spotted Olsen (which is what I meant with "sex eyes"). A pretty face, and then with Reed the night before, well my mind went there, but I might be mistaken. But yeah, didn't really think she'd have him transferred to shag him, but I do wonder why she chose him based on such a short interaction.

Edited by joelene
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If Spector isn't caught by the end of this season ... well, it's going to be totally unbelievable. Surely they have enough evidence on him already; they're just waiting to learn where Rose Stagg is, right? The only way they can stretch this out is if Spector drops everything and goes bush. And a bunch of cops traipsing around the woods isn't going to make for a riveting third season.

 

My Tumblr dashboard has been filled with excitement over Colin Morgan's appearance, and it was nice to see him again - but so far I'm not really sure what the point of him is. The dead woman was a dead-end and I agree that Stella definitely gave him the once-over. Let's hope he doesn't get shot outside his house like the other guy. (Though it'll be fun if he gets the chance to interact with John Lynch; they played father/son over on Merlin).

 

I'm wondering if perhaps Spector has Daisy picked out for his latest victim. She's blonde, but he had that conversation with the woman on the train about how she dyes her hair, and in one of the pictures he saw of her on-line she had dark hair. It feels like he's grooming Katie to put her Daisy in a position where he can attack her. It's rather amusing though that he's utterly uninterested in Katie sexually. I think on some level she's beginning to realize it, though that diary she made is bound to cause trouble.

 

In any case, Spector opened up to her a little and gave us a bit more insight on his psyche - he's envious of other people's happiness and wants to destroy it. And his misogyny makes him lash out at young woman who are successful and attractive (no idea as yet as to why they have to specifically be brunettes in their early thirties - maybe his mother was that way when she committed suicide).

 

No further signs of Mr. Peeping Tom (I keep expecting him to make a return appearance, seems so random if he doesn't).

 

 

If Katie is being sent back to the hotel to do/get something, I'm sure it'll come into play then.

 

The actor who plays the abusive husband was scary good here. Few people frighten me as much as those kinds of guys who keeps their aggression right at the surface ready to smack you in the face at the slightest provocation, and he played it very convincingly.

 

 

Yes, which made it very interesting when he expressed his outrage that Spector didn't show "a flicker of fear" when he confronted him at his house. A small evil can't withstand a greater evil and all that, but it also reminded me of the way Stella effortlessly stared down Jimmy's cronies when they surrounded her car.

 

Whatever happens, I hope Liz stays safe.

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I don't know - maybe she saw something similar to him that she did in Dani back in season 1? A willingness to listen to her/respect her case (calling her out on the off chance it may have been Rose Stagg) and to do something to help her case (not immediately declaring it wasn't Rose to the media). Perhaps he showed a level of respect not so much given to her at the moment (see: Eastman and ACC McSadEyes) and she wants someone like that, less judgy, on her team. Especially considering she has recently had little say over who is in the taskforce.

 

Or you know, she thinks he is hot. :) Which may well be true, but it feels like nothing is particularly that simple with Stella.

 

I also can't wait for a Stella/Katy showdown. I hope her faking Paul's alibi for every murder comes back to bite both her and him. I also wonder if hurting her friend is going to be the point where she realises who Paul really is and runs - it is one thing to flirt with danger and mess with an English copper but it would be another thing to actually realise he is a serial killer.

 

Also, how long was the police officer in the roof and he didn't see the journals still there? Seriously? Luck or a deux ex machina? Considering Paul poked them and they fell down, I can't imagine they were well hidden.

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I also can't wait for a Stella/Katy showdown. I hope her faking Paul's alibi for every murder comes back to bite both her and him.

 

 

Yes, I just realized that even if her diary is seized as evidence and taken seriously, Paul could still be charged for having underage sex with a minor (Katie said she had written "lots of sex" in there). Something tells me that would irritate Paul more than getting done for the crimes he's ACTUALLY committed.

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I don't think Paul is interested in Daisy as a kill for himself. He's using her as a way to groom Katie into letting an emotion like envy turn into something far sinister.

He scared me quite a bit in that scene, the way he manipulated her.

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The look she had while being around him seemed similar to the one she had when she spotted Olsen (which is what I meant with "sex eyes").

 

 

I think the new guy reminds Gibson of Olson, and not in a pleasant way. She is actually shocked for a split second, while Anderson seems a bit taken aback by her reaction.

 

 

In any case, Spector opened up to her a little and gave us a bit more insight on his psyche...

 

Easily the lamest part of this episode for me. Dornan couldn't sell the clunkily written rant.

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There was also "PREGNANT" (or possibly PREGNANT?) which had me wondering who that might have been (or if it simply related to a different case and hadn't been wiped off).

 

I recenty started to watch S1 again: the victim who was pregnant was Sarah Kay, but the pregnancy was at the very beginning, because the victim didn't even know about it.

 

Also, it is my understanding that Paul Spector doesn't rape his victims, he "just" kills them. In the S1 episode I watched, it looks like Paul masturbates while watching videos or photos he made of his victims after he killed them, though.

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Did anyone else pick up that the journals said "C.B." rather than "P.B.?" I wonder if they belonged to his mother. He seemed somewhat disconnected from them. Who else could it be? The scene jumps from those to Katie's journals. Could it be Caterina Benedetto?

Edited by Mei
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I couldn't quite make out the content of the burnt up car, but I guess it was bones? Rose's bones? :-( That actress really brought it on that video file. I got goosebumps. Really wanted her to make it through, but figured by then that she wouldn't.

During the tailing sequence I couldn't feel the suspense due to how frustrated I would be if Paul actually got away, but that changed when those bastards got him instead. What an idiot Angry Husband's wing man was! Thank god Dani didn't die. I thought that would be the "deadly consequence" from the episode description for a second. Phew.

So, everyone's caught and it doesn't look like Paul's gonna be released anytime soon. I wonder what's gonna happen in the feature length season finale. Police precinct shoot-out?

The return of peeping Tom! I still don't get why he's even in the show. Him being around in this episode didn't seem to matter to Katie's arrest at all.

Edited by joelene
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It'll be interesting to see what happens that they need 90 minutes for the finale, when it seemed close to wrapped-up here. Shame RTÉ aren't showing it until Wednesday week. Maybe the BBC were annoyed at the four days between Irish and UK airing?

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My God, that was tense. But yeah, the fact that it's all been going so well and quickly in the end can only mean that something awful is going to happen in the finale, causing Spector to somehow get out and run. They have so much evidence, there really is no way they have to release him; Katie's crazy fake diary means nothing now, right? Right??

Why was Paul getting rid of evidence (and had Katie do the same), but kept that video of Rose on his phone? Of course, he didn't expect them to find the weapon he used on that one woman's brother. He also doesn't know yet that she identified him as the man who attacked her. So maybe he really thought that getting rid of any other incriminating stuff on his computer would be enough.

I was scared for Dani and admire her for the way she kept it together. Loved how confused she was when Spector was let go at first (so was I). Inspector Merlin being the one to arrest him was kind of cool.

ETA: speaking of Merlin, I didn't want to believe last week that Stella only got him on the team because she thought he was hot. But...now I do wonder why he is suddenly so deep in there that he gets to arrest Spector and interrogated him. The whole thing last episode with the body's identity didn't even work. He's either going to get killed off next week once Spector flees with Stella (pure speculation on my part), or they're setting him up to be a major character in a potential third season. Which surely can't be about Spector again...

Edited by Londongirl2001
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Okay, so I'll get the two things that bugged me out of the way:

 

1. I've no idea what's going on in Sally Anne's head. On the phone she mentioned she lied about where Paul was "the night that girl was killed." So... is she putting the pieces together, or does she still think this whole thing is about him having an underage affair?

 

2. Why did Paul go to all that trouble to destroy evidence and then leave the stuff on his phone?

 

Other than that, this was probably the best episode they've ever done. I was cheering and wringing my hands the whole time: cheering when moronic Katie was arrested, cheering when Dani followed her instincts and chased down Spector, cheering when that gangster got shot in the chest (good riddance), cheering when Paul thought he was in the clear only for Merlin to rock up and arrest him, cheering when Stella came up with the idea to inform Spector of his added convictions via a woman who looked just like his victims. Awesome stuff.

 

And I was amazed how suspenseful they managed to make a relatively tame police-chase through the park, what with all the various officers struggling to keep track of a running Spector. And then Jimmy spotted him! That made me laugh, and I was torn between which man I wanted to see come out on top of that brawl. The actor playing Jimmy is probably a very nice man, but he's got such a thug-like face and it continues to amuse me that he's utterly thrown by Spector's perfect calm and utter lack of fear - even when he's on his knees with a gun pointed at his head.

 

The return of peeping Tom! I still don't get why he's even in the show. Him being around in this episode didn't seem to matter to Katie's arrest at all.

 

 

I imagine he'll probably be a witness to confirm Katie's comings-and-goings at the hotel. Or else he was just there to cause a ruckus outside and buy Katie more time to destroy evidence. I'm sure sympathy for Katie will kick in next week when she realizes the full extent of Spector's crimes, but for now I was just happy to watch the little idiot get arrested. I mean really, a love padlock on the bridge? How are you going to get rid of THAT when you find out the man you've been running errands for is a serial killer? And I lost track of the chip she was trying to flush down the toilet. Where is it now?

 

Sally Anne on the other hand, broke my heart. The actress nailed her scenes; she just looked completely sucker punched.

 

Spector's demeanour in the cell/interrogation room was fascinating. I recall watching a documentary about a serial killer (here in New Zealand) that was arrested, and he ended up taking off all his clothes in his cell and dancing around in his underwear - police were baffled until a psychologist told them that men like this are absolutely, 100% convinced that they're smarter than everyone else around them - so they can do whatever they want without consequence. So Spector is treating it all casually because he's honestly not that worried - at least until the end when the female officer came into his cell. He must have KNOWN she was Stella's doing. (As a point of contrast, the real-life underwear dancer lost his shit when he was actually convicted and sentenced, and realized that the police/justice system weren't as stupid as he thought they were).

 

My Tumblr dashboard has been filled with excitement over Colin Morgan's role in this drama, but I'm still rather underwhelmed. Through no fault of his own (because I know he's a great actor) he's only clocked in about five minutes of screen-time and I've no idea (from a writing perspective) why a total newbie has been given the role of arresting and interrogating Spector. Morgan put on a good performance in the interview room in terms of holding his own against Dornan, but because we know absolutely NOTHING about his character, it was like Spector was emoting against a blank slate. I can understand why they might want to hold back on a Stella/Spector confrontation, but ANY other character involved in this investigation would have made more sense in this role (unless it's all justified next week).

 

As for next time, I'm actually really concerned. I'll be incredibly frustrated if Spector manages to escape this situation - it'll feel like such a jump the shark moment to string things out into a third season, and one that I won't be that interested in watching if it's simply Spector evading the police/Stella trying to hunt him down/more cat and mouse games. A good story should know when it should end.

Edited by Ravenya003
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I think Stella deliberately picked Merlin because he is a similar type to Spector physically- attractive, athletic. I think she has an idea to throw him off through mirroring him slightly- like what she did with sending the officer in. Of course underneath it all he's going crazy wondering where she is. Would he still be able to keep quiet with her right in front of him.

 

I agree with those anxious as to how it will play out and not in favour of an 'escape'. I do think Jamie Dornan is a great actor. I wonder can they keep him in prison and have him advise somehow on the next case?

 

Katie for one seems destined for a life of crime, but I would look forward to any case written by The Fall's team.

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I think Stella deliberately picked Merlin because he is a similar type to Spector physically- attractive, athletic. I think she has an idea to throw him off through mirroring him slightly- like what she did with sending the officer in.

 

 

Or arguably Merlin is like a male version of Spector's victims: professional, dark hair, slender frame. Stella followed it up with an actual woman who fit the profile, so she's definitely playing her own mind games with him. And it's a joy to watch - Spector knows she's out there, but she's deigning to sully her hands with him just yet.

 

Edit: Or alternatively, she picked him because he looked young and inexperienced, and she knew that would insult Spector.

Edited by Ravenya003
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I was wondering how they were going to stretch out the story for the remaining episodes and having the police not arrest Spector because they're hoping (rightly or wrongly) that he'll lead them to his latest victim. And so long as they have Spector in their sights, he won't (you'd hope) be able to murder any new victims, so it does make more sense than most times the police play a softly, softly approach.

 

Ravenya003 I'm wondering if perhaps Spector has Daisy picked out for his latest victim.

 

My guess is that he wants his little apprentice to kill her ("Why should she be happy" and all that) and so hasten her journey to "The Dark Side."

 

Mei Did anyone else pick up that the journals said "C.B." rather than "P.B.?"

 

I thought there was something odd there too! Maybe he changes his name regularly if he has to flee?

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Slightly surprised they actually arrested Spector, though I loved the way that it was the intervention of the UDA/UVF/WTF guy that actually brought about the arrest. Didn't quite understand why they released him and then arrested him unless it was some sort of Stella power play (hey, she's the genius psychiatrist, not me).

 

Ravenya003 Sally Anne on the other hand, broke my heart. The actress nailed her scenes; she just looked completely sucker punched.

 

You couldn't help feeling for her there. The bottom's really falling out of her world and it's not going to get any better anytime soon.

 

Ravenya003 I'll be incredibly frustrated if Spector manages to escape this situation - it'll feel like such a jump the shark moment

 

ITA. I have trouble seeing how they could need an extra long episode next week if they don't but it would be ridiculously contrived if they do. I'm wondering if Sally Anne might get released and try to kill Katie (which would be contrived, but on the verge of believability) which would at least fill the time.

 

takeittothebanks I loved Spector facing the cameraphone and saying, "Why the fuck are you watching this, you sick shit?  What the fuck is wrong with you?"

 

Dumb though - prior to that he had at least (im)plausible deniability - "Oh yeah, some guy sent that to me - no idea why". Once he appeared on the recording it's hard to claim he didn't make it himself. Though he did do absolutely the right thing by saying nothing - there's almost certainly nothing he could say that would help his case and plenty he might let slip that would incriminate himself.

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I think Stella deliberately picked Merlin because he is a similar type to Spector physically- attractive, athletic. I think she has an idea to throw him off through mirroring him slightly- like what she did with sending the officer in. Of course underneath it all he's going crazy wondering where she is. Would he still be able to keep quiet with her right in front of him.

 

That's a great interpretation. I was just thinking that Stella wanted an interrogator who looked liked Spector, but I didn't grasp the concept behind that. 

 

What will happen next? For me there are two questions left:

- Will Spector die or rot in jail?  (I guess, we will watch him dying.)

- Will they find Rose? (I don't think that the burned car is directly connected with her. But I still think that they won't find her in time.)

Edited by Trois
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Well, someone's going to die, I'm sure. I wouldn't be sad to see Spector go (would be great if a possible third season was about someone else), but I feel it might be Stella, Inspector Sad Eyes, Merlin or Sally Ann. I think they'll find Rose alive but this show won't have a nice, neat little happy ending...

I also have this terrible feeling that Katie hasn't yet and won't anytime soon wake up from her idiotic obsession with Spector. Thank God she's locked away for now but she could still be willing to help him by mis-leading the police in the Rose case.

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One of the things I really like about this show so far is that it's demystifying the idea of the serial killer. Paul thinks he's a big criminal mastermind or whatever but, in reality, the police were able to identify him pretty quickly after they started investigating, and they only waited this long to arrest him because they were hoping he'd lead them back to the missing woman. There was something insanely satisfying about watching them swoop in and arrest everyone this episode, after how painful it's been to see him murder people.

 

As for next time, I'm actually really concerned. I'll be incredibly frustrated if Spector manages to escape this situation - it'll feel like such a jump the shark moment to string things out into a third season, and one that I won't be that interested in watching if it's simply Spector evading the police/Stella trying to hunt him down/more cat and mouse games. A good story should know when it should end.

 

Word. I was surprised that they stretched it out this long, to be honest -- I think stretching it out another season would be pushing it too far. Whatever happens in the finale should wrap up the story with Paul, whether or not they do another season.

 

Slightly surprised they actually arrested Spector, though I loved the way that it was the intervention of the UDA/UVF/WTF guy that actually brought about the arrest. Didn't quite understand why they released him and then arrested him unless it was some sort of Stella power play (hey, she's the genius psychiatrist, not me).

 

I think they wanted to keep the arrest low profile for some reason? People were already paying attention to the crime scene, neighbours were looking out their windows, etc. Also maybe it had to do with jurisdiction, and they didn't want to get the local police involved? I have no idea.

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cheering when Stella came up with the idea to inform Spector of his added convictions via a woman who looked just like his victims.

That was brilliant. But Stella was super creepy when she reached over to undo McNally's hair. Personal space, Gibson!

 

I am still maintaining a (probably futile) hope that they'll find Rose alive. But since they've been following him for several days and he hasn't led them to her... she's probably dead, right? 

 

 

As for next time, I'm actually really concerned. I'll be incredibly frustrated if Spector manages to escape this situation - it'll feel like such a jump the shark moment to string things out into a third season, and one that I won't be that interested in watching

 

Same. I'm quite curious as to what they could do in a third season, because things seem to be pretty close to wrapped up now. 

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Pimms But since they've been following him for several days and he hasn't led them to her... she's probably dead, right?

 

Personally I doubt that (at least I did until they found the burnt out car). We know from the end of the previous episode that she was still alive, so if Rose is dead, somebody else has killed her. But I've been wrong before.

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We know from the end of the previous episode that she was still alive, so if Rose is dead, somebody else has killed her. But I've been wrong before.

Whaaaat? I don't think I watched episode 4 closely enough (I'll admit that I was getting increasingly bored with this show until ep 5), I totally missed this. 

 

 

1. I've no idea what's going on in Sally Anne's head. On the phone she mentioned she lied about where Paul was "the night that girl was killed." So... is she putting the pieces together, or does she still think this whole thing is about him having an underage affair?

I don't think she's really put the pieces together yet -- Paul has gotten increasingly creepy/mysterious/inscrutable from her POV, but I don't think she's really gotten it yet that the police suspect he's a serial killer. She certainly didn't consider it a possibility before her arrest, since she let the kids see him. I think she does still think it's about him having an affair with Katie -- who had told Sally that Paul had tried to rape her/attack her. Perhaps Sally believes that Katie (or her mother) did go to the police and tell them either that a) Paul raped her, or b) that Paul had consensual sex with her, but since she was 15 at the time it was statutory rape. 

 

Sally mentioned "the night that girl died" because she knows that Sarah Kay's murder is the reason that Paul went to the police in the first place, and hence is the reason that she had to talk to -- and lie to -- the police at all. That's my interpretation, anyway.

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With Paul Spector in custody, DSI Gibson desperately searches for clues to help find Rose Stagg. However, Spector does all he can to thwart her, locking them into a deadly duel.

Looks like Rose is indeed alive! For now.

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Gah, I knew something like this would happen.

 

Okay, I'll admit I was expecting an escape of some kind, but the level of contrivance and coincidence it took to get Jimmy out in the woods at that exact moment was beyond belief. I'm not sure what the word is on season three (perhaps with another criminal altogether? perhaps with Spector making a miraculous recovery?) but I'm not entirely sure how they can continue from this point. I wanted JUSTICE for Spector's victims, I wanted to see him locked up and rotting in a cell, not given the easy way out.

 

(And I wanted a bit more comeuppance for Katie as well. Nothing too drastic, but wow - what a delusional idiot she turned out to be).

 

The interrogation scene was good, and I'm glad that for all of Spector's philosophies and posturing, he really just came across as a pathetic twat with a half-baked theology that Stella clearly wasn't buying for a second.  

 

Glad that Rose was found alive, as well as enough evidence that Spector could be charged with all the murders he committed (not that it seems to matter now).

 

I knew Merlin would get shot/killed the moment he handcuffed himself to Spector - but hey, at least he gave his fangirls what they tuned in for. If they don't exist already, there's going to be a million bad photoshops of him lying naked in bed next to the guy who played Arthur on "Merlin" within the hour.  

 

Unfortunately this just left me a bit flat. After the show's commitment to realism, it felt as though they had to do something big and crazy for the last few seconds. My dream ending would have been a prison door closing on Spector sitting in a cold, dark cell facing a life of incarceration. Like Stella said in the episode's best line, he was never "free" - he was only ever enslaved by his addition. They should have stuck with that theme.

Edited by Ravenya003
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the level of contrivance and coincidence it took to get Jimmy out in the woods at that exact moment was beyond belief.

 

I disagree completely. The husband attacked when the other police crew went after the journo. Nothing contrived or coincidental about that.

 

A very good finale, I think, greatly elevated by Gillian's flawless, sensitive performance. I'm looking forward to

 

Season 3. Maybe they could do it in a bigger city, like Edinburgh, tackle a different kind of serial killer? Actually, I hope boring Paul is dead. His "genius" was demystified by Stella already at the end of season 1. I'm glad she was able to materfully puncture his ego. Her strategy proved to be very effective.

Edited by Finis Terre
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I think Merlin is going to be the new big bad.

He was iffy right from the start, with the body he found. Then him prodding Stella, asking how similar were Paul and him. Plus, at the end when Paul was asking if he had done it yet. I thought he was talking about him and Stella getting it on, but maybe Paul knew that Merlin had it in him. Maybe he was asking if he had given in to his fantasy of killing people.

I think they left it open-ended in case Jamie Dornan has time to return. With the upcoming 50SoG trilogy and guaranteed fame, I imagine he would be a very much in demand actor in the future.

Edited by kwerkee
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Pimms I don't think I watched episode 4 closely enough (I'll admit that I was getting increasingly bored with this show until ep 5), I totally missed this.

 

There was somebody making muted noises from the inside of a car boot as the last shot of episode 4. Admittedly, I'm not entirely sure it was the car with Rose in it, but I assume it was meant to be her.

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the level of contrivance and coincidence it took to get Jimmy out in the woods at that exact moment was beyond belief.

 

I disagree completely. The husband attacked when the other police crew went after the journo. Nothing contrived or coincidental about that.

 

 

Not the shooting itself, but the lead-up to it. Someone we've never seen before spots and identifies Liz and rings Jimmy to tell him her location, which leads to a panicked Liz telling Jimmy exactly what he needs to hear to send him into a murderous rage, and he runs into a journalist not once but twice who has a car and the means of locating Spector, taking them to the forest where the helicopter manages to spot the journo but not Jimmy (okay, you could argue that the journo was on the road and Jimmy in the trees, but surely they would have seen the car pull up and two men get out of it).

 

It was all just a bit much for me, particularly since I wanted Spector to face justice, not go out with a smirk on his face as Stella struggles to save his life.

 

I suppose season three (has it been confirmed yet?) will either bring in a whole new killer that Stella has to find, or it'll begin with Spector recovering and then escaping from the hospital (maybe with Katie's help?)

 

I think Merlin is going to be the new big bad.

 

 

I'm pretty sure he's dead, actually. I guess it depends on Jamie Dornan's availability. If he ends up back for season three, it's going to be a stretch to imagine two people surviving gun-shot wounds to the stomach. If not, I suppose there's room for at least one miraculous recovery.

Edited by Ravenya003
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Yeah, if this is the last we see of this particular case (or The Fall entirely) then I think it's a pretty poor ending, or at least not an ending I'd prefer. If he'd simply been locked up and they wished to continue with Spector they could have him escape in the first episode of season three (if the idea is to have him on the loose again). That way this could have worked as both a season finale and a series finale.

But what came before the non-ending I thought was riveting and I didn't mind all the hoops they went through to get Jimmy to that position (but I don't disagree with you that it was a bit contrived). And even though it would have been completely ludicrous my mind went to crazy places during the final part, like, there would be a bomb in the trunk or Katie would attack Stella in the woods full on psychopath. I was super nervous. Which was great! Come to think of it, if this is the end of the storyline I'd be frustrated with how they ended things with Katie as well. Girl needs to be dealt with. Her friend sure looked worried there, as she should be.

So glad they found Rose alive at least. Can't say I care about Merlin either way. Wasn't familiar with the actor before and his character didn't do much for me.

Beside Stella's interview with Spector I particularly enjoyed her conversation with Jim about his behaviour in the hotel room. I hope it left a lasting impression on him (and viewers at home).

Great season all in all, I thought.

Edited by joelene
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I found the whole contrivance of having Spector standing out in the open when he wasn't even walking Stella to the crime scene overly contrived. Surely (IRL) if he wasn't needed to walk Stella to Rosie, they'd put him back in the van (he could still get shot there, I guess, though it would be unlikely). But the whole Loyalist guy managing to get that close to the scene seemed put in purely to make the 90 minute run time. Firstly, wouldn't a women's shelter invoke a priority response from the police? Unless there was a riot going on at the same time, surely the presence of a man threatening to shoot one of the women would have the police around in pretty short order (even if only to be in time to chase after him, but that would still be enough to stop him from getting to the scene with Spector). And what exactly were the guys in the chopper doing? It wasn't so wooded that they couldn't see the car approaching, so they should have been alerted to their approach much earlier (even if they'd missed the guy getting out and carried on following the car). I don't mind the police failing to carry through a prosecution, but it shouldn't take a series of contrivances to make it happen.

 

Ravenya I wanted a bit more comeuppance for Katie as well. Nothing too drastic, but wow - what a delusional idiot she turned out to be.
 

 


I was wondering if teenage girls really are sociopathic (her friend didn't seem too bothered that Katie was dating a serial killer either) or the writers just think they are. Either way is somewhat troubling!

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Pure speculation on my part,but Katie seems entirtely capable of "avenging" Paul, which would allow her to be the "big bad" if there's a season 3. Especially if she infatuates someone else to work with her. I didn't mind the ending. If Paul lived there's be the inevitable "consultation" with him as to what makes the next season's killer tick, and it's been done to death.

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I doubt it - Katie is only 16 and already known to police. I think it would be a huge stretch for her to go on the run.

 

I would have liked to have known if she believed this whole thing was because Spector was messing with the police, and was going along with that. Afterall, no one has shown her any proof, or evidence and Spector did tell her he sent the note to Sarah Kay's family so for all she knows, she is just helping mess with Gibson. Not that it makes her any less dumb, but it is an interesting piece of the story.

 

I also love the little girl playing Olivia - she seems to nail her scenes, and only when I rewatched it did I notice how fast she grew up from season 1 to 2.

 

I really liked Gibson this episode - from telling Constable McSad Eyes the truth about what he had done, or attempted to do in her hotel room, in absolute blunt terms - to telling Merlin that while Spector seems fascinating to him, he scares the shit out of her. I know Spector referenced abuse in her history, from her dad, but given a lack of reaction without even a blink (and the deleted scene from the first season) I wonder if he was grasping at straws and came up empty. After all, I feel like some part of raising the awesomeness of Stella Gibson came from both parents.

 

I wonder if there will be a season 3, and what that would be like.

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So Spector getting shot the way he did is contrived, but a magic escape, some twist at the end for the sake of twist wouldn't be?

In the real world, too many criminals don't quite get justices served to them in a court of law, another unfortunate truth the show is portraying.

Spector's crime is exposed, he confessed, Rose is alive (granted not in the best condition), it's as tied up an end as I need it to be.

Katie is going to court, she will not run around free, idea of her being the next big bad is more preposterous than anything this show has told.

If you watch deleted scene between Merlin and Stella from ep 6, definitely no abuse from Stella's dad. No need for Stella to defend herself or her father for a shitbag like Spector.

Been a fun ride. Time to move on to a different main story.

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