After last week’s dark discoveries, 2006’s Tony is trying to literally and metaphorically wash the blood from his hands, Emily’s visions of Oliver are becoming more frequent and we’re starting to see the beginnings of a relationship between her and Mark Walsh.
In the present day, Tony, Emily and Julien are tracking down the mysterious man in the cleaning van.
It was always going to be difficult to follow last week’s episode (the best so far) and, because of all the answers revealed last time, tonight’s instalment feels rather frustrating at times.
In one of Episode 6’s central scenes, Karl Sieg accepts a bribe from Tony and Emily and basically tells them everything they already know. It’s such a maddening scene to watch; Johan Leysen playing Sieg as perfectly punchable, sitting drinking champagne and eating lobster while the Hugheses are in agony.
The idea of power perverting the course of justice is also brought to the fore in this episode, adding to our mounting frustration. Although he may be gone, Ian Garrett’s influence is still being felt. Back in 2006 the evidence of his child abuse is being hushed up because he was funding the Mayor’s election campaign and 8 years later we learn that the truth still hasn’t come to light.
The one thread that feels out of place is Julien Baptiste and his daughter. As much as Baptiste is one of the most sympathetic characters in the show and screen time for the brilliant Tcheky Karyo is always welcome, it’s hard to see what purpose the storyline of his daughter’s drug addiction is serving. In Episode 4 that story had its parallels with Rini, but it would have been just as impactful without that mirroring. At this point it feels like padding in a show that’s really not short of conflict.
In one fell swoop we discover how Julien Baptiste got his limp and how Detective Ziane ended up in prision as the episode’s final moments show him slamming Baptiste’s leg in his car door. The set up for next week is also established as the Hughes’ and Baptiste plan to glean some evidence from the now incarcerated detective.
Despite not being The Missing’s most satisfying episode, the character interactions still draw you into the unfolding nightmare. However, last week signified a switch up in gear and Episode 6 seems to have gone a little in reverse.
Aired at 9pm on Tuesday 2 December 2014 on BBC One.
> Order The Missing on DVD on Amazon.
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