So. We’re back on The Fall with Stella and Spector, I really hope I was wrong about Sally Ann’s intentions and hope DS Anderson was right about the murder of Susan Harper. Rolling S3:E4 Hell Within Him (what’s with these titles??!!! Purple much?) after the break
We open with Stella (Gillian Anderson) in a bath, this whole show is based around watching her look glorious when wet, amirite?
A man starts to massage and knead her hand, she leans into it until she realises it’s Spector (Jamie Dornan) and he’s there to drown her. She wakes up from her nightmare to fall asleep to be awoken by a married man caressing her shoulder. WHO DAT? Ohhhhh, this is her dad and she was his little Stella Star and it only looks inappropriate because she’s grown in her dream. She wakes again, this time for real I think, she’s been sleeping on the office couch and it took all of my willpower to not gif her making notes in her dream diary in a camisole because it seemed pervy. Suffice to say, she’s having as much sleep as I am lately.
Spector’s getting an MRI, just leave him in there, Doc! Just kidding, you know Nurse Keira (Aisling Bea) would drag him bodily to safety.
The detectives are reviewing the forensics on the earlier murders they’ve found, DS Anderson (Colin Morgan) points out that the victims were smothered but no evidence was found on nearby pillows, perhaps washed? That’s significant because Spector liked to wash, dress and pose the women murdered. He also painted their nails, but that hasn’t come up yet.
McNally (Bronagh Taggart) has reviewed the toxicology reports, Susan Harper had ingested cocaine directly prior to her death, that sounds like it will show up in a M.O. discussion later. DC Turner (Richard Clements) hasn’t been able to dig anything up on Peter/Paul yet during that time period.
Stella asks if a plastic bag was found nearby? No note of one. She lets her team know that Spector will be moving to the assessment facility today, they need to keep working as though the case were going to trial. Which means she doesn’t really think it will. Sigh. All that work, and that bloody minor gang member knocks it up by shooting everyone.
Wallace (Ruth Bradley) and Sean Healy (Aidan McArdle) are trying to find prob-y spots in Spector’s confession, ahhhhh, I see where they’re going with this. They’re going to use the old “the police officer that interviewed hunky suspect was dazzled by his beardy good looks and didn’t follow police interviewing techniques becuz: woman.” It’s a story as old as time itself.
The implication is clear: Stella used her erotic capital to seduce a confession from Spector. They want to track down Stella’s dream diary that Spector read and wrote in; it hasn’t been disclosed yet but it will eventually have to be. They listen to part of the taped confession interview between Stella and Paul. I canea stand how Wallace smirks when Healy commends her on her efforts; if it pans out he’ll use it in the brief.
Stella’s going through more of Spector’s things from the rental; she pores over what must be an important book but I can’t quite make out the title. The Imperialist? He has Crime and Punishment, a big fan of the classics is our Belfast Strangler.
Katie Benedetto (Aisling Franciosi) is a great doodler, hey? Her ink sketches on the envelope to Paul are beautiful and show talent. Too bad she’s not an awesome body-parts piercer, her nose looks soooooo sore to me.
Oh thank the gods and the wee boarlets, someone saw the Spector vehicle just before the tide dragged it out; Olivia and Liam are safe. So is Sally Ann (Bronagh Waugh) but her plan took so long that the children woke up. I am going to have a hard time forgiving her for that. I know that’s ridiculous, because killing them sleeping is still wrong, but this was Stella and I watching the news report of the children banging on the locked windows.
Jim (John Lynch) tries to defend his decision to prosecute Sally Ann for lying about Paul’s whereabouts on the nights of the murders. Stella’s not letting him off that easily, she knows women. “That’s what women do, they harm themselves, or extensions of themselves, their children.” He tries again
BUT REALLY? ALL YOU WERE THINKING OF WAS THE CHILDREN?? As you prepared to lock up their mother while their father is also in custody? THAT’S thinking of the children? To communicate that anti-paternalistic “Tough on Crime” mandate that is so crucial for the public instead of thinking of the bigger picture and the health and well-being OF the children? Screw you, Jim, right in your hat.
By the way, Jim, EB thinks you’re a drinker and the wee airplane bottles you’re chugging in the bathroom don’t discount that, do they?
Damnit, now I feel sorry for him. He’s clearly barely holding it together.
Oh great, the Spectors are at the exact same hospital Paul’s at! Family reunion time! (Like the Alderson Family Roadtrips on Mr. Robot: NOT a good time) Dr. O’Donnell (Richard Coyle) reviews everyone’s charts and tsk tsks at the mother who drugged her children then herself. Liam (David Beattie) is still in danger, Olivia (Sarah Beattie) is fine and Sally is not speaking. Stella would like to talk to them. Olivia opens up her arms and Stella clasps her in this weepy-making hug. Ah Olivia. Stella that wants so badly to keep you safe.
The MRI showed all sorts of big-wordy things, but there wasn’t anything there to show why Paul is suffering memory loss, explains Dr. Spencer (Barry Ward) to Healy and Wallace. THAT’S COZ HE’S FAKING!! It’s like I’m a brain surgeon!
Stella is confronted by DCI Eastwood (Stuart Graham) and the PR liaison; they’ll have to make a statement about the Spectors. Stella asks Eastwood to handle it, to put a human face on it.
Paul’s lawyers are walking him through his charges in more detail now, I absolutely love how they build his defense by suggesting completely unbelievable scenarios. Did you just happen to see some dangerous looking decorating shears on a path and decide to throw them in the water out of harms way? AS ONE DOES.
Paul manages to poke holes in the police line of inquiry his own self; why would he go visit the woman he tried to murder? What if she recognised him, screamed, etc? I can answer that! He knew she hadn’t seen him since he didn’t get to that part of the attack before her brother came in and saved her life, before losing his own life to Paul and those wicked long decorating shears.
Katie has provided Paul with alibis for all the murders, she’s claiming a sexual relationship starting at 14 and er, ooh. Paul doesn’t want to seize that particular lifeline; Wallace sums it up as “there are doubts about her credibility as a witness.”
They play the confession for Paul, he’s having a hard time with it now, but he sounds like he enjoyed talking in the interview. Do you think that’s discomfort or barely concealed rage making him wiggle so?
There are more recordings, though, there’s the video of Rose on Paul’s phone with a cameo of himself at the end. He starts slapping his head and rocking back and forth, thank goodness Nurse Keira is there to calm him down and kick everyone out.
Stella catches the end of Eastwood’s press conference about Sally Ann and the kiddos; it’s a bit rich that they’re cautioning the media about what they share with the public when it was the police who went public with Paul’s name.
It’s Turner who advises Stella that Healy wants her dream diary; she’s devastated. Even while incapacitated in hospital, he’s still affecting and intruding upon everyone’s lives. “He’s a contagion.” Turner’s not quite sure what to do…. should he just send that one page? But no, they’ll want to be able to pore through all of her life and musings, won’t they? Such an invasion.
Paul can’t believe Sally Ann hurt Olivia, he can remember her nursing Livvie, blissfully happy. Hinky Nurse Keira wants to know where he is in that picture? On the outside looking in and ah Keira, this is going just the right way for you, isn’t it? This adorable beardy boy with these unfair accusations hanging over his head, his treacherous wife trying to take away his children permanently and a life of loneliness in the past.
So much blah blah blahing with these two, she’s SO emotionally invested in him and he is playing her like a fiddle. Out of body experience my left foot.
Anderson (Colin Morgan – can’t remember if I introduced him yet or not) is being sent to review Susan Harper’s case files, Stella tells him to take Ferrington (Niamh McGrady) and makes a half-hearted inquiry about his arm, still in a sling.
Paul’s being taken to the assessment facility, but before that he wants to see his kiddos. He doesn’t even recognise Liam so we get more minutes of Counselor Keira working through Paul’s feewings and what he “remembers.” She makes a move at the end, grabbing his hand and that was super forward, wasn’t it?
Paul is led away handcuffed in a wheelchair while Nurse Keira chews her tongue and composes sonnets in her head. Paul doesn’t recognise the angry guy transporting him and honestly: neither do I. He mad tho
Dr. Larson (Krister Henriksson) shows Stella all their security measures. Spector has been rated at Level 2, which means company except for when private area exposure is likely. I’m just glad all of Paul’s guards are male, he’s had quite the effect on the nursing staff in the hospital.
Ah, Nurse Keira was passing Paul a bible verse on money when she grabbed his hand, not just playing handsies. He stares at it upon arrival at Foyle, before being led to his new digs and Nurse Ritchie, who looks like a member of Mumford and Sons. I’m confused because Dr. Larson just said Paul wouldn’t be alone unless bathing or otherwise using the bathroom, but Nurse Ritchie just went to fetch Paul some water.
Pedant note: I’d go nuts if I had to ask someone every time I wanted a glass of water, I’m waterlogged every single hour I’m awake. I drink a LOT of water.
Dr. Larson would like to talk to Stella, and she’d like him to look at some of Paul’s etchings. Dr. Larson reads them out loud, giving them extra weight, while Paul searches his new room for shiv-making materials. Paul adorned his papers with his bodily fluids and talks about a Good Paul and a Bad Paul; and of watching from above.
Paul showers
As Stella details the perversions listed in the journals; some I had to look up (Pygmalionism means you fall in love with someone YOU made, not just any old mannequin) and some horrifying. He kept women alive by almost murdering them, then blowing air into their lungs.
Dr. Larson assumes Paul was abused. Stella does not feel the compassion and protectiveness that all these medical professionals seem to be basking in. She sees him an a sexual predator only. She warns him to not underestimate the threat Paul represents.
Dr. Larson explains his position to Stella as he escorts her out; psychiatry does not exist in a vacuum. It requires feedback and he does not feel it’s his place to judge right or wrong. He will try to get to the truth of Paul Spector for the courts. She assures him: Paul will go to jail.
On the way out, she finds the money with bible notation from Nurse Keira; has the hinky nurse’s usefulness come to an end? I bet she visits him.
Another patient stares long and hard at Paul laying on his bed; Nurse Ritchie is watching.
Rose (Valene Kane) has come for another interview with Stella; she tells the tale of her harrowing time in captivity in the trunk. She’d like to talk to Stella alone, off the record, if she may?
She hasn’t been completely honest with Stella… and you know Stella’s and my hearts just sank. She didn’t stop seeing Paul after he strangled her. Stella had suspected as much. It wasn’t that simple, they went to some dark places together and I don’t think we need to hear all this, Rose. Really. Nope.
It started with squeezing her throat with his legs during oral sex, that turned into a bit of a game. He also revived her with mouth to mouth, which is what was in those journals! He wanted to use plastic bags as well, on himself as well as her and that’s good, that’s all we need to know. I wish it could have been on record.
He was searching for enlightenment through a particular type of sex; she stayed because she wanted to please him. That’s what happens, look up Paul Bernardo and Karla Homolka. Classic case, although she is a disturbing person in her own right.
Rose and Tom are having trouble at home, since her very first cesarean section. He’s angry right now, she doesn’t think he likes her very much.
Stella has something she needs to share as well; she reveals that the reason Rose was targeted for the abduction was because of information she leaked to the press. Stella didn’t know that he hadn’t done that with anyone else, or that his relationship with Rose had been so significant. Rose takes it extremely well.
Which makes Stella tear up; she needed that. She needed to alleviate some of that guilt around her heart. Even the helpers require aid sometimes.
The patient staring earlier introduces himself to Paul, he’s Bailey (Conor MacNeil) and he likes to look at Paul. Paul calls himself the Belfast Strangler, maybe. He can’t remember. He sounds stiff right now, but once he says that enough, perhaps he’ll even believe it himself.
Stella is sleeping in her office again, this time at her desk and we are out.
I wish I had more patience for how they are presenting Paul Spector as this walking magical mystery brain on two muscled legs; I find Stella and her gang more interesting. I love how Stella was able to obtain absolution from Rose tonight, you know that must have been weighing on her heavily. I wonder how much longer Nurse Keira will figure in this series, I think she’ll try to help Paul some more, as will Katie. I hope Jim gets his shite together, alcoholism is a BEAST. Until next time
