This week The Tunnel twists around the troublesome, and troubled, yoof. It’s also apparently sponsored by White Paraffin (‘White Paraffin – Fiery fun, without the faff of matches!’) for all the people being set alight by it during the episode. Yes, the Truth Terrorist has turned to burning ex-rioters. That seagull that nicked a packet of Doritos during the London riots should be worried.

Meanwhile non-youth and non-seagull Stephen Beaumont, who’s long been far too weird to be the killer, makes a dash for it on a ferry after stoving in Anthony the pimp’s head last week. Grabbing the one sharp knife onboard, he slashes his wrists and promptly pops his clogs on the poop deck. It makes you wonder what the point of Beaumont was, other than as deliberately slithery suspect bait. But by now we’re used to The Tunnel weaving disparate lives into its main plot only to then slash them away mercilessly.

Sometimes it works, as it did with Benji in previous weeks, and sometimes it feels like a drag on the plot. The newest strand falls into the latter, as young blade Yacine takes revenge on Officer Laurent Delgado, who killed his little brother Mehdi during a riot, probably mistaking him for a snack-hungry gull. Petrol is poured (WHAT, no White Paraffin?), confessions are made, Reservoir Dogs is brought to mind. It’s a wonder he doesn’t lose an ear before he’s shot dead by a fake SWAT officer. The purpose of it is muddy: more an example of TT’s reach, rather than anything particularly meaningful.

Elsewhere personal activities are beginning to overshadow the professional. Karl turns up at Elise’s flat and finds his own youth Adam ON FIRE! Not literally and paraffin-ly of course, but metaphorically. He’s on fire with lust. And in a towel. It’s naturally rather shocking for Karl. More the fact that he’s found him in the flat, rather than in a towel. The closer you examine it the more contrived it feels though. The plot, not the towel. So Adam’s commuted across The Channel to ‘spend the night’ with Elise? That seems desperate, bordering on the creepy. When you have to catch a ferry just to try and get laid, you’re trying too hard.

Karl’s put out at the idea that his son and his colleague have possibly knocked boots and tried to keep it secret, which is a bit rich considering he was wrinkling the widow Joubert’s sheets last week. It’s an indiscreation quickly uncovered by his wife who, by virtue of being able to surmise her husband’s extra-marital nookie, appears to be a better detective than both he and Elise put together. Someone put her on the case. We might catch the Truth Terrorist and have the slow-burning plot wrapped up by next week.

Aired at 9pm on Wednesday 20 November 2013 on Sky Atlantic.

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