BBC1
The Missing has been an unrelenting, traumatic telling of one man’s eight year quest to punish his son for an unforgivable caricature. In the 2006 timeline Baptiste hauls in local nonce Vincent Bourg for a chat. Witnesses have him as a regular at the pool where Oliver went missing and he acted proper shifty when the cops showed up. Emily and Daddy Big Ears give the news a cautious welcome as they are offered a complimentary breakfast at the local bistro.
“Free croissants?” says Tony “Fucking A!” before tucking in to a large plateful. “There’s no point standing on ceremony just because shit-for-brains has got himself abducted.” he tells his wife. He even tries to get a ride off her later but for some reason she’s just not in the mood. Women. Will they always be a mystery to us?
“There’s no point standing on ceremony just because shit-for-brains has got himself abducted.” he tells his wife.
The mystery over the suspect’s identity soon clears though when Suri gives Emily and Tony the Bourg file. “Look – it’s the paedo-file!” says Tony collapsing with laughter, wiping away his tears with a spare croissant.
Things look even better in the search for Oliver when Jock construction magnate Ian Garrett fronts up a €100,000 reward for information leading to his return. This fabulous act of kindness makes them feel good about being human again. It’s only slightly spoiled by Garrett paying for the alibis that allow Bourg to walk away a free man. Garrett tells Bourg he was concerned he might give up their “connection”. Well isn’t that intriguing?
Also up to no good is that Suri dude. A right snide this one, continuing to blackmail Ziane to leak like a Poundland colander to get him stories that he can’t flog to the British press. The Bourg revelation isn’t much use now he’s been released so Suri steps up the pressure on his snout so expect further trauma there.
Back in 2014 Emily’s new borefriend (and old British liaison cop from Châlons Du Bois 2006) Mark is stonewalling Tony’s attempts to tell her about the new developments. She’s distracted by her dad dying and running his mouth about Oliver, the insensitive bastard, so it’s relatively easy to pull off.
We also catch up with Vincent Bourg who is flipping burgers in London while trying really hard not to rape any babies. “They are just so sexy!” he tells his consultant. And only getting sexier. It gets to the point where chemical castration is his only option. He takes the needle like a man and leaves with less testosterone in his system than a man who retweets Lindy West’s aeroplane odyssey while adding “THIS! THIS! THIS!”
In Châlons Du Bois Tony gets the case reopened by leaning on Mayor Deloix, news he would be happy to relate to Emily if the new borefriend wasn’t screening his calls. But get this – Emily has her own source working the case: Evil Suri. He tells her everything, apart from the shit he doesn’t know (pretty much everything).
“I know what you did Emily” he says cryptically “You and Tony. And I’m going to prove it”
The chances are that i) he doesn’t and ii) he won’t but hell we’ve been surprised before. One thing’s for sure: Oliver won’t be able to hide forever. The day of reckoning is coming and I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes when Daddy Big Ears catches up with him.
The verdict: The net is tightening.
Marks out of 10: 8