‘The Fall’ season 3, episode 4 review: Is this show becoming the new “Hannibal”?
When we last saw Paul Spector on “The Fall” he had no memory of anything he had done in the past 10 years, but it’s not enough for the judge to dismiss his case, so he will be headed into a deeper psychiatric evaluation. Is he going to be fit to stand a criminal trial or is this memory loss his get out of jail free card?
In the last episode of “The Fall” it was noted that Paul was unable to get an MRI because he still has shrapnel in his body that would be pulled out by magnetic force from the machine, but we started this episode with him getting an MRI after they found that the fragments left in his body contain no iron. While there is a loss of some grey matter in his brain, they don’t see anything in the brain scan that would explain Paul’s memory loss. Is he faking or is this something that he is repressing?
Spector’s solicitors are trying to pull apart the case against him by using some of Stella’s movements against her, saying that she had intimate conversations with him, gave him her personal phone number and that he was in her hotel room with her at one point leaving her a diary entry in her journal. They are suggesting that she seduced a confession out of him and request to see the entry from the journal.
Katie is his alibi for most if not all of the murders, but he says he doesn’t know Katie and is shocked when he hears that he had a sexual relationship with her when she was only 14. They have him listen to his confession and watch the videos he took of Rose and himself, but it doesn’t help him remember anything, instead it just sends him into a panic about what he has done.
Sally Ann tried to kill herself and her two children in the last episode, but a passerby pulled the children out of the car before it was submerged in the ocean and Sally Ann made it out alive as well. Paul learns that his family is being treated at the same hospital as him and just before he is moved to the psychiatric hospital, he has a chance to see his son for the first time since he’s forgotten that he even has one.
What was interesting was watching the relationship that developed between Paul and his nurse, as she handed him an inspiring note when he left her care. We also had a very honest talk between Rose and Stella where Rose revealed that she had been with Paul more then one time and Stella admits that she thinks she gave away Rose as her informant when she said “Peter” to him on the phone putting a target on her.
This episode felt a lot like older episodes of “Hannibal” complete with the dialogue “participating or observing Paul”, which is something that Hannibal said to Gillian Anderson’s character on that show as well. The pacing is also very similar to “Hannibal” this season as it is a lot slower, but only so that they can dive deeper into these characters minds – something that “Hannibal” did brilliantly. Now that Paul is in the psychiatric care facility, we expect to see things slowed down even further as they will reach into the dark recesses of this killer to see what he can really remember. Episode grade: A-
What was your favorite part of tonight’s episode of “The Fall”? Leave us a comment in the box below.
j238
December 23, 2016 @ 7:24 pm
The whole episode was about Paul’s psyche without any action or conflict. I’m not opposed, but I kept falling asleep and had to do a lot of re-watching.
Blah Blah Blah
October 22, 2016 @ 10:47 pm
I like what they are doing with season 3.
I cannot say I liked season 2 much especially that ridiculous ending and I believe they could have caught him in the first season and not drag it as much.
I suspect Spector will be another case of a super-master-omnipotent villain who can manipulate and outsmart everyone etc etc etc , but I am willing to tolerate this.
There are two things that really annoy me though…
1. The security measures, as if the S2 finale wasn’t enough…
I am not sure how the legal system works in UK, but someone who is suspicious for so many murders and is considered expert in manipulation & with a high IQ , is not left alone walking around in hospitals with just the doctor and the nurse with him. And that psychiatric clinic, in a cell with open doors, glasses and other stuff that could be used as weapons against others. REALLY? A MIRROR in the bathroom?
Hannibal would have already escaped after having that Doctor and a few inmates for dinner..
2. The manipulated/caring nurse. Ok I hate that part. I really do. I know that people, especially women can fall “victims” of the charm of sexual predators, but please TV people stop using it as a plot device in any freaking series that has to do with serial killers.
SansSyntax
October 21, 2016 @ 5:22 am
I read complaints in other places that it’s moving too slow, but my stomach is in knots waiting for the next scene.
When Gibson tells Rose she tipped Spector off to her… I didn’t know if Rose would hit her or scream at her. Knots.
I also liked the Spector shower scene, but not for the same reason many would. You go from the handsome guy from behind, to something gruesome in front. Two sides of that personality again.
My skin crawls when I see photos of Dornan. Too bad The Fall was the first thing I saw him in. I can’t see anything but a repulsive Spector now. I guess that’s a compliment to Dornan’s acting.
Speaking of acting, if Anderson doesn’t get a nomination (Emmy, Globe, whatever) for this, something is really wrong with the system. I’m stunned it didn’t happen for the previous episodes.
Hoping for more Stella Gibson on another case in a future series.
MrsCarter101
October 21, 2016 @ 2:44 pm
I felt the first episode was very slow, but this last episode was just right. It was slow, but like you said it had so much meat in the conversations that it felt perfectly paced. I made the comparison in my review to the show Hannibal, which is very similar in the slow pacing but never feels like it’s dragging. The Fall is doing a great job at giving that feeling in this last episode. I was feeling the same when Stella admitted that all of this happened to Rose she thinks because of her – i didn’t know what she was going to do. so intense! I agree about Gillian Anderson getting some Emmy recognition. every year I feel like i’m screaming her name from the roof tops and nothing happens. she’s brilliant.