The final part of the Guilt trilogy sees the brothers back in Scotland again.
Guilt returns this week, reuniting brothers Max (Mark Bonnar) and Jake (Jamie Sives) for a final series of the comedy drama.
Here’s the synopsis:
The final part of the trilogy sees the brothers back together but enemies old, and new, cause them to seek ever more desperate solutions to their problems. Digging deep into their past, Max and Jake hope to finally find a future free of danger… and each other.
For more details on Series 3, including the cast, check out our previous post.
Ahead of the show, its stars have been discussing the series…
Mark Bonnar talks about playing Max:
“It’s been an absolute joy, a total gift to play. I’ve said this before, but Neil Forsyth writes the words that I love to say. He’s not only an incredible storyteller, but a wordsmith as well – they feel amazing in your mouth. He has a knack of doing all these separate fascinating strands of a story and managing to tie them all together in a really funny and dramatic way.”
“When he first started out with the show, he said there was a lack of anything like this on British television, a ‘dramedy’ – like the Americans do so well, where the show is very serious, but has a lot of funny moments in it. Before, we didn’t really do that – a crime drama was a crime drama; a hospital drama was a hospital drama – there were very few jokes. I think Neil’s broken the mould.”
He also addresses whether Max and Jake can redeem themselves:
“Definitely – I think they’re capable of it. But I don’t think Jake needed to redeem himself, actually. Jake’s just caught from the word go. From the very first series, he’s caught in a situation that’s not really of his making. He’s gaslit and harried and herded into this corner that he doesn’t really want to be a part of. But Max has just got such a forceful and strong and quick personality that Jake goes along with it. So I think that Jake never really needed redemption. I think he’s just trapped!”
Meanwhile, Jamie Sives suggests that Jake is in a happier place…
“Jake’s gone to America. Basically all that Jake needs in life is just to be able to pay for things. That’s as far as his aspiration goes. He’s in love with Angie. He’s out of Edinburgh. He’s on a new quest. So I think he’s much happier than Angie and Max are at the lack of finance. He’s okay with that.”
He talks about the brothers’ relationship:
“Max is flesh and blood isn’t he and I think what transpires later, when they meet their dad [played by David Hayman], they’ve been at loggerheads, a lot, all three of them. But there’s something tight about all three of them, and I think Jake, and Max are just two elements of that sort of a triumvirate that has obviously been through lots of emotional psychological warfare, but have just remained connected somehow. And I think he just always remains connected. And because Jake is very compassionate and a trusting person. So I think he does see the good in Max, although he probably won’t vocalise that. He just thinks his brother’s gonna come good one day.”
Jamie Sives also discusses his time on the show:
“I’ve been very lucky with work, but this has been the highlight of my career, hands down. The quality of the script – it’s top-class writing. Neil Forsyth just has this amazing ability to just see that whole Scottish thing from a very objective angle. He changes the movements and introduces new elements at the perfect time. The dialogue’s sort of fizzy in parts and really touching and moving in parts. It’s very orchestral. It’s just right and it’s great. It goes a long way to the enjoyment of a job. I’m so so proud to be part of Neil Forsyth’s incredible piece of work, and a Scottish-made series. And working with Mark has been a dream. It’s incredible to think that we were in the same class at school all those years ago, running away together at Stirling Castle. And now to look at this, which I think is one of the best things Scotland’s ever produced, and arguably, Britain has, in a short-form drama. I think it’s absolutely amazing.”
There’s much more on the BBC website, including comments from Phyllis Logan who plays Angie, Emun Elliot who plays Kenny, and writer/ executive producer Neil Forsyth.
Guilt is written by Neil Forsyth (The Gold) and made by Expectation and Happy Tramp North for BBC Scotland and BBC Two.
The show returns on today, Tuesday 25th April 2023, with all episodes dropping on BBC iPlayer.
For linear viewers, Episode 1 comes to BBC Scotland tonight at 10 pm, with a wider airing on Thursday 27th, at 9 pm on BBC Two.