BBC1
Previously on The Escape Artist: junior brief Will Burton got his wife killed by getting a murderapist Liam Foyle off on a tricknicality. His weird kid Jamie is now having nightmares, but if he did see something he’s not squawking. “I ain’t no grass” he tells his father and you have to admire him for that. Liam Foyle is still unconvincing, shit and the worst thing in this. I’ll give him this, though: he knows how to get a solid alibi. His fellow bird fancier Eileen Morris places him well away from the cottage at the time of the murder, which gives Will an excellent reason to stalk her. After sneaking a peek at the Sandra Mullins case files he sees that Eileen took over Foyle’s storage unit after the case. Now we’re getting somewhere.
It’s just as well because with no DNA and only Will to identify Foyle the prosecution are struggling. Danny (Stephen Wight) gets Trevor (Tony Gardner) to legally bend the rules by getting their “star striker” Will on the case, clandestinely of course. Will whispers in his ear from time to time, sure, but is absolutely not fighting the case for him. Tara (Jeany Spark) notices that shit Trevor is suddenly clever Trevor and suspects coaching.
Well of course there is. Will will try and influence the case anyway he can. But if he gets caught then the case is as fucked as a 13-year-old every holer in the Top of the Pops audience circa 1974.
If he gets caught then the case is as fucked as a 13-year-old every holer in the Top of the Pops audience circa 1974.
Foyle gets bail and a quickie trial so the prospects are good for him. He celebrates by following Jamie around. They have a staring match on the bus and Jamie doesn’t recognise him because he’s a shit witness and an even worse son. When he’s not tracking children he’s hoping to orphan Foyle’s being creepy with Maggie, quelle surprise and his creepiness is creeping her out. Will warns her not to let him too close and she manages to make it all about her and how he’s juss jellus. Yeah, nothing to do with his recent defence of Foyle leading to wife julienne all over the kitchen floor.
Yeah, nothing to do with his recent defence of Foyle leading to wife julienne all over the kitchen floor.
Upon returning to the cottage he finds a positive pregnancy test and also that Jamie scratched the murderer’s head. Well you might have mentioned that before, genius. These people. This revelation does however lead to Foyle’s DNA being found under the sink where Jamie moved so well done to that horrifically traumatised tub of shit.
What I’m mainly taking away from this at the moment is that the courtroom scenes are pretty gumpish and Liam Foyle is one of the lamest serial killers TV has seen. Everything else is fine and there’s a good show in there but this dude is stinking the place out and it honks worse with each episode.
The verdict: Guilty – of hamming it up worse than a Parma curing room.
Marks out of 10: 6.5