After the tumultuous events of the last episode, the brakes are applied, the pace is taken down a notch and some mysteries unravel in the fourth instalment of Channel 4’s scintillating new drama, Utopia.
The shock and surpass value is also toned down and the episode suffers slightly from the more mundane exposition. Scottish civil servant Dugdale finds his story taking a nasty turn as his boss turns the screw after his finger-stealing scheme comes a cropper. Instead of physically punishing him (which happens to everyone else, usually resulting in death), his superior lets his wife know, in almost graphic fashion, about Dugdale’s indiscretion with the Russian prostitute.
Our gang of “heroes” are still showing signs of cracking with trust not being shown to any degree. Grant hides the manuscript (again) whilst Becky takes another dubious phone call and Jessica Hyde holds a gun to Ian’s head for some physical fun (well, a kiss anyway). Not to mention Wilson Wilson’s disbanding antics at the start of the episode. Not a happy bunch.
The trail of the much-mentioned Mr Rabbit ends with, well, finding him – in a scene that really ramps up the episode and gives it an ending far better than the previous fifty minutes or so deserved. It’s really the only shocking part as Grant’s friend Alice blasts the eff out of him. And then the appearance of Letts (played by Stephen Rea) tops the episode off, linking the story strands neatly. A palpable moment.
Elsewhere, killer Darby’s potential emotional breakdown continues in terrific scene where he is revealed in the manuscript. It’s a taut moment, superbly played and directed but a shame we don’t get so much of the murderer this week.
It may be a bit of a drop in quality, though the performances, soundtrack and direction are all exquisite, but Utopia still remains the best thing on television at the moment. Here’s hoping the excitement from the denouement continues unabashed next time.
Aired at 10pm on Tuesday 5 February 2013 on Channel 4.
> Order Series 1 on DVD on Amazon.
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