When I reviewed Episode 1 of this season I wrote: "The writer never relies upon character incompetence for plot development." Lo and behold, Sally Wainwright has made a liar out of me.
This entire episode illustrates what I have coined "Engrenages Syndrome", a ubiquitous malady that infects nearly all crime dramas. When writers suffer from a lack of creativity, they reach for the crutch of law enforcement incompetence to propel their story forward. In this episode we have not just one, but multiple instances of gross incompetence that strain credulity.
First, there's the opening dialogue with Catherine and Ann. During which time Catherine discovers that Ann has failed to report the license plate number Catherine relayed to her in the previous episode. At that point, Catherine should have immediately walked inside and reported Ann for failure to carry out her duty. But instead of doing that, Catherine simply drove away. Essentially, it was Catherine who was derelict in her duty. Failure to scrupulously discipline junior officers while they're gaining experience inevitably leads to bad law enforcement down the road.
Next Catherine talks to her ex-husband, Richard, because she senses trouble. But he's about as responsive as a can of tuna fish sitting on a shelf. Although Richard has done some research on the Knezevic brothers, he fails to see the big picture. The foreshadow for the audience is, for the second time Catherine has warned Richard to "be careful." You don't have to be a genius to realize it's only a matter of time before Richard faces some sort of peril.
Claire and Neil had a sit down with Ryan, which was painful to watch. In that scene you saw two so-called "adults" who together possessed less will power and determination than the kid.
In fact, the only competent person in this entire episode was Faisal Bhatti, who managed to remain calm when he was aggressively confronted by Rob Hepworth during their fender-bender incident.
Claire knew that Ryan had set off on his bike but she failed to monitor him, which given the circumstances of that day (the sentencing in Leeds) was unforgivable.
Now here's where this episode degrades into full blown Engrenages Syndrome . . . . Catherine told Mike, her supervisor, they needed to triple Tommy Lee Royce's security detail. And in true Engrenages fashion, Mike poo-poos Catherine's instincts.
Now keep in mind, Catherine's about to retire. And over the years she's been right A LOT. The ol' girl's leaving. So you give her your respect on the way out and do her this last favor. THAT'S the way things work in the real world.
Therefore, if you hadn't already figured out where the script was headed, the moment Mike turned down Catherine's suggestion you KNEW Tommy Lee was about to break out of captivity. Nevertheless, if viewers had ANY doubts concerning what was about to transpire, screenwriter Sally Wainwright bludgeoned those unwitting spectators over the head as we hear Catherine exclaim, "And what about me? I need protection. BECAUSE IF HE GETS OUT, he's coming for me."
Suddenly, what was for two and a half seasons a unique and unpredictable story became the brain-dead troglodyte plot we've already watched in dozens (if not hundreds) of other crime dramas. To ease the audience into the avalanche of stupidity that was about to cascade upon the viewers, Sally Wainwright injected a brief interlude of levity with Mike and Joyce kibitzing about the money Joyce has collected for Catherine's retirement party.
Then, at 45:10 the script jumps the shark. Catherine's ex-husband is within a few feet of Ryan but fails to see him. That would never occur in the real world. All professional reporters maintain deliberate conscious surveillance of their entire environment. Because pro reporters are constantly on the lookout for someone on the scene who might provide a unique angle for their story.
Next DC Chris Hayes went to Rob Hepworth's home and when he reached the garage, he failed to lift up the luggage that was within plain view to test whether the bags contained contraband. Once again - unrealistic. Any professional law enforcement agent would have asked Hepworth if there was anything stored in the luggage. Then they would have picked up the luggage by the handles to verify whether Hepworth was telling the truth or not.
No sooner did DC Hayes leave, then Rob Hepworth picked up the luggage and uncovered what any sentient law enforcement agent following standard protocol would have discovered . . . The lifeless body of Joanna Hepworth.
Finally, the Coup de grâce, we saw a police officer yelling into a microphone, "Lock down the building." Of course, he was ten seconds too late and the keystone cops wound up locking themselves inside their own building, effectively preventing them from apprehending Tommy Lee Royce.
It's one thing for a character to DO something dumb. That's human. It's quite another for a character to BECOME dumb. And it's an appalling insult to the audience when SEVERAL characters suddenly become dumb, ALL AT THE SAME TIME.
If something like that happens in a story, the plot had better include a dangerous chemical spill in the locality which affected everyone's thinking.
Here's the REAL mystery: Sally Wainwright started off writing a consistently fresh, intriguing series entitled "Happy Valley." Then for some unknown reason she wrote a cliché-ridden episode overflowing with hackneyed tropes reminiscent of the last season of Engrenages. Did someone slip something into Wainwright's drink? What happened?
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