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The Fall - Series 3 on BBC 2.


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Old 29-10-2016, 15:33
Abomination
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Series 1: Crimes. Series 2: Capture. Series 3: Conviction.

This has really worked well as a three-part act that has boldly delivered something a little different each and every time. That whilst not to everyone's tastes, has had the confidence to linger with staggering realism on the nature of the system and the sheer mass of people it can impact.

The second series struggled a little for a short while in its attempts to find its feet - not knowing how long the story was going to go on for meant it was a little unclear of its intent. All the same though, it was a near-heartless show that ironically had its heart in the right place as it confidently tried new things, took new and unexpected directions amongst a small handful of contrivances which are more or less excusable (there was only one farfetched thing, during the second series as it happens, that stuck out as something that was pushing it a little)...most shows would have kept up the murder spree and gone beyond the realms of the gratuitous in the second series but The Fall dared to think bigger rather than act bigger.

The third series was the slowest of the bunch. In fact each series has felt slower than the last, but it works rather well. It kicks off with the adrenaline of the crimes playing out, and as it goes on the nasty, sickening reality of it all sinks in - the web of people it impacts spirals out of control. The morality and messiness of real life threatens to unravel everything come the third series, as the show depicts just how twisted this all is. Brutally murdering women is at the heart of that twisted picture, but the way the system deals with people is brought under scrutiny, the conviction of Paul Spector is at the heart of the show's purpose but it also explores the convictions (as in, the firmly held beliefs) of everyone else... from Stella, to the ICU nurse, to the solicitors involved. By its end everyone's convictions are rocked to their core and the finale showed this well. It was messy, untidy, almost unsatisfying that Spector succeeded in using borrowed time to beat the system in his own way, exit the stage on his own terms, and hurt as many people as he could before the end...and that is what made it such a satisfying drama. But even so, I think the show delivered a happier ending than it first seemed...

The exploration of psychology in the third series was a particular highlight. There was a lot of sitting around and talking, but I think it all ultimately paid off. For the most part Series 3 sat itself down and gave Spector the attention he always wanted. But come the end of the episode when Paul is achieving his 'victory', there's nobody to watch it. Where's Stella? The woman who has been the underlying fixation of his for most of the time. She's sat down talking with Katie...physical marks from his attack all over her face, and Katie bearing the emotional mark he's left on her. And they don't talk about Paul for the most part... they talk about the scars from their lives, about losing their fathers. They undermine Paul. They both sit there in a quiet victory of their own...picking up the pieces, and talking about things other than Paul. Whilst Paul found a way to evade justice against Stella's wishes, the point is made that Stella does indeed amount to more than just Paul Spector, which is what he fails to see. In his big send-off, he fails in being the centre stage he's always wanted to be...and that's as close to a happy ending a bleak and mostly realistic show like The Fall is ever going to be able to pull off. The icing on the cake was a voiceover from Rose Stagg, the one woman to survive Paul Spector.

It wasn't perfect. Colin Morgan kept getting sidelined with broken limbs during the third series and just kept disappearing, whilst there's potential laid out there for a decent and competent male character here. It was also a shame there wasn't a tiny bit more resolution to what happened with Sally Ann. But all in all it rounded off well, and I for one was glad the show took the time to explore its characters and its one case... it was never going to flawlessly do so, but it puts it well above other shows of the genre. I wouldn't mind a Series 4 at all with Stella, and possibly Tom Anderson and Danielle Ferrington cropping up again as well for a new case.
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Old 29-10-2016, 15:34
Virgil Tracy
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do they just not have any handcuffs in Northern Ireland ?

.
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Old 29-10-2016, 15:56
RichmondBlue
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Exactly my thoughts about the series in entirety. Started so well, the first series had me gripped. The second series began to get more and more absurd with ridiculous plot devices and an ending that just left you shaking your head in disbelief.
Then series three. I just don't buy that it was some deep psychological study into the mind of a serial killer. What did we actually learn about why he felt compelled to commit such atrocious acts ? Not a lot. I think it just looked cobbled together in order to introduce a few more thrills, which could only be achieved by concocting more and more ridiculous situations.

As the Guardian reviewer said..
"The Fall traded intrigue for atmosphere, hoping that a string of genuinely tedious scenes where Jamie Dornan purrs at nurses would make up for a total absence of plot".
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Old 29-10-2016, 16:25
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Didn't enjoy the season, but I liked how utterly downbeat that ending was. Spector won, in his own way.
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Old 29-10-2016, 16:33
anyonefortennis
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Exactly my thoughts about the series in entirety. Started so well, the first series had me gripped. The second series began to get more and more absurd with ridiculous plot devices and an ending that just left you shaking your head in disbelief.
Then series three. I just don't buy that it was some deep psychological study into the mind of a serial killer. What did we actually learn about why he felt compelled to commit such atrocious acts ? Not a lot. I think it just looked cobbled together in order to introduce a few more thrills, which could only be achieved by concocting more and more ridiculous situations.

As the Guardian reviewer said..
"The Fall traded intrigue for atmosphere, hoping that a string of genuinely tedious scenes where Jamie Dornan purrs at nurses would make up for a total absence of plot".
Total nonsense. Those scenes were an integral part of the plot.
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Old 29-10-2016, 16:34
Mark C
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Well, I'm moving to Belfast, one to one treatment in the hospital (but they only seem to have two doctors ?) , and isn't A&E a tranquil relaxing place ?
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Old 29-10-2016, 16:35
Semierotic
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I think it was clear he was faking the memory loss, otherwise why attack Gibson as he claimed he didn't even know her.
Because she knew how to rile up his natural rage, even if he didn't remember her.

I like that they kept the amnesia ambiguous, it was the most interesting thing about the season.
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Old 29-10-2016, 16:38
RichmondBlue
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Total nonsense. Those scenes were an integral part of the plot.
Oh right. Care to elaborate ?
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Old 29-10-2016, 16:49
anyonefortennis
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Oh right. Care to elaborate ?
The scenes were clearly there to show the Jekyll and Hyde side to Spector and leave viewers wondering if he really was the monster he portrayed in previous series or just a victim of circumstance. People believed he had amnesia. His manipulative behaviour with the nurse and others showed how he got away with it for so long.

Those scenes were crucial to the build up to last nights attacks as it took everyone by surprise when he suddenly flipped as he had been pretty passive and acting like a doe eyed choirboy up til then toying with everyones emotions for his own sick sadistic pleasure.
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Old 29-10-2016, 17:08
Liparus
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Regarding the development of the series many suggest that it originally was to be a self contained 5 part mini series concluding at the end of S1.

Was the ending of series 1 with the phone call between Spector and Gibson planned in advance or was it filmed in retrospect to give us a series 2 & 3?

I enjoyed series 2 & 3, but I do think it would've been better/tighter as a stand alone series of say 6 - 8 episodes, ending with the capture of the Belfast Strangler. Less is often more.
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Old 29-10-2016, 17:11
Dimsie
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do they just not have any handcuffs in Northern Ireland ?

.
None left, I'm afraid. They gave them all to the terrorists as mementos when they let them out of jail as part of the Good Friday Agreement.
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Old 29-10-2016, 17:18
Dimsie
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Well, I'm moving to Belfast, one to one treatment in the hospital (but they only seem to have two doctors ?) , and isn't A&E a tranquil relaxing place ?
Wouldn't it be great if it really was like that in any hospital? What's the betting a few people here in N Ireland will be wondering where this hitherto unknown Belfast General hospital is and insisting to their GP that that's where they want to go?
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Old 29-10-2016, 17:44
RichmondBlue
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The scenes were clearly there to show the Jekyll and Hyde side to Spector and leave viewers wondering if he really was the monster he portrayed in previous series or just a victim of circumstance. People believed he had amnesia. His manipulative behaviour with the nurse and others showed how he got away with it for so long.

Those scenes were crucial to the build up to last nights attacks as it took everyone by surprise when he suddenly flipped as he had been pretty passive and acting like a doe eyed choirboy up til then toying with everyones emotions for his own sick sadistic pleasure.
Fair enough. I thought most of that had already been established, but I can see your point.. Also, it did clarify his behaviour to those characters within the drama who would presumably have been watching him, we sometimes forget that the characters aren't seeing the same as us..the viewers.
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Old 29-10-2016, 17:47
anyonefortennis
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Fair enough. I thought most of that had already been established, but I can see your point.. Also, it did clarify his behaviour to those characters within the drama who would presumably have been watching him, we sometimes forget that the characters aren't seeing the same as us..the viewers.
Yes which is why I usually take what a TV critic has to say with a pinch of salt because they never see the bigger picture. And it's just one persons opinion anyway. They usually have a hidden agenda.
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Old 29-10-2016, 17:57
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Yeah that look settled any doubts he wasn't feigning his memory loss.
The opposite surely?
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Old 29-10-2016, 17:59
Red Wimp
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Was a bit unsure about how he contrived to get himself in the cell with the belt. It wasn't certain surely he would get in the locker room with the mad professor and therefore take his belt. I expected him to try and escape, but what was his plan otherwise?
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Old 29-10-2016, 18:00
Virgil Tracy
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I thought this episode had some interesting stuff in it , but really the previous 5 hours was a waste of time
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Old 29-10-2016, 18:21
Colino Green
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I don't know which was more unbelievable. The lax security at the institution or that Stella can afford a big house like that in Notting Hill on a police detectives salary.
People always seem to say this. Before around 1998 houses in London were probably quite affordable for people like Stella who may have got to at least DS rank in the police force by then. Runaway house prices are a pretty recent thing. I moved to a public service job in London around 1997 and while I was there am quite sure that I could possibly just about have afforded a one or even two bedroom flat even in the West Hampstead part of London at the time, if I had really tried.
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Old 29-10-2016, 19:00
Corwin
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Was a bit unsure about how he contrived to get himself in the cell with the belt. It wasn't certain surely he would get in the locker room with the mad professor and therefore take his belt. I expected him to try and escape, but what was his plan otherwise?
I don't think he was ever planning on escape just gaining enough time to kill himself by distracting the guards and then hiding in a place they would not expect him to.

Yes he was improvising a bit but when he saw the psychiatrist coming into the secure area his plan came together.

He'd spotted the plastic bag* in the locker earlier but if he hadn't got hold of that I'm sure he would have found another way.

Smash the mirror in the room and cut his wrists maybe.


*Of course we the audience were meant to believe he was after the clothes in the bag to aid an escape.
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Old 29-10-2016, 19:25
cuza
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. Btw, I'm surprised to read several people on here never watched the first series, some not even the second! For me I find it hard to just jump into a show halfway through, that has a complex ongoing storyline where you've missed so much if you haven't seen it from the start! I like to see something from the very beginning or just wait until its repeated from series 1 again. What draws people to only tune into the show for the 2nd or even just the final season? Just curious.
Couldn't agree more! What the hell is the point of watching something that's onto it's third series when you haven't watched it before! I won't even watch Monday nights half past eight episode of Corrie until I've seen the half seven one first. Can't be done.
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Old 29-10-2016, 19:35
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Why are you taking a TV show so seriously...have you thought about seeking help yourself?
The shows is secondary that doesn't necessarily exclude the somewhat sinister wishes of the poster. I can't imagine why anyone would wish a heroine/hero dead.
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Old 29-10-2016, 20:04
BellaRosa
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Didn't enjoy the season, but I liked how utterly downbeat that ending was. Spector won, in his own way.
Which Gibson did not want.
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Old 29-10-2016, 20:13
BellaRosa
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Jamie Dornan's eyes said it all.

Did you see how the camera caught just the lower half of his eyes expressing such vitriol seconds before his attack on Gibson?
Agree. Jamie is an amazing actor.

Stella needs to stop making that duck face. The lines around her mouth are like what OAP's have
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Old 29-10-2016, 20:14
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It was a week later not a day.

Between the scene of Stella in the hospital and her back at work we had a scene where we were told Spector had been behaving himself in the week since the attack.
Was it? I missed that bit... but she still did not wince when the doctor was examining her.
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Old 29-10-2016, 20:17
anyonefortennis
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Agree. Jamie is an amazing actor.

Stella needs to stop making that duck face. The lines around her mouth are like what OAP's have
It's a scar.
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