Watching - Wednesday 12 July

Another programme that I have been watching is Spotless, about two French brothers - Jean and Martin - in London. Jean is a forensic cleaner - cleaning up crime scenes, who's got himself in with bad company - originally a bent cop called Kendrick, then a crim by the name of Nelson. Martin is also in trouble - he ripped off some French drug dealers, who have sent a couple of blokes to sort him out. He's also made an unauthorised deal with a Turkish gang, run by Veysal. I just watched # 6 - Fallowfield: its a while since I’ve watched this, so have to pick up some details as I go.

Julie's a bit cool with Jean - but then she did find his bank records last time which showed he’s living a lie - he's borrowed a fortune against the house and not told her. Martin is quite good with his niece, Maddy, has built a nice rapport - she’s feeling lost in her new school, but I bet her parents don’t know. He organises a ride to school on back of noisy motorbike to give her some cred. Martin shoplifting books - The Fault in Our Stars, so he can talk about it with Maddy. Now Veysal is tightening the noose, wants him to do the dirty on Nelson, find out who his supplier is. Jean thinks he is building a collection of evidence from the various jobs he does for Nelson, to get him - will it work? He has a portable drive he took from Kendrick at some stage: it is encrypted but the word Fallowfield is clear. Julie has a new client, "Hilliard", actually a creep we've seen before. The conversation gets a bit personal - about his dead wife. Jean’s girl-friend, Claire, hasn’t given up on him, summons a meeting - wants to take him to dinner at a pop up in Hoxton. He's called away to see Inspector Squire. Later on, Jean sees Mrs Kendrick, asks about Fallowfield - the cottage where they honeymooned, bought when it came up for sale.

The French guys Martin crossed finally catch up with him - want to sort it out the “old school” way. They have a civilised drink, then a beating - except that Martin fights back, wins - or maybe it’s a draw. Maybe Martin is right - they are quite similar. Tough man - funny that his ulcer is “killing him. They have an odd bonding session in empty pub, interrupted by more fighting. The bloke pushes too hard, Martin strangles him. His off-sider, Nico, not best pleased - what to do? Martin manipulates him - saved by Veysal's man, who shoots Nico. Lucky he knows how to clean up a murder scene.

Jean and Squire: plays it cool when she asks if he knows Nelson. Police seem to have a good idea of what Kendrick had been up to. Pictures of missing men, believed to be dead, no bodies - are these the men Jean cleaned up? Squire “full support” to those who help me. Nelson in his car - concerned about what Squire knows.

At school, the teachers are worried about Oliver’s unhealthy interest in death, talking about his dad’s work - if only teacher had seen the lego men he had - dismembered and covered in blood.

Is Jean going to stand Claire up, have dinner at home? Julie confronts him about finances - he denies anything is going on. And then there’s sex on the table. Literally! Bit awkward for Martin when he gets home - he watches, just a bit! Oliver shows him his Lego art, says it is good the bad men are dead: Martin bites.

The show ends with jean going to Fallowfield, where he finds Kendrick’s money, plus a video of Nelson setting someone on fire. This triggers yet another flashback to his boyhood: Dad beating one of the boys, the other kills Dad with a pick!

Love the subtlety of the soundtrack for this programme.

We had a double episode of Breaking Bad this week. Things are pretty serious as the show comes close to its end. In Rabid Dog, we get some of the story involving Walter's house - Jesse goes in and sprays petrol, ready to torch the place - he's only stopped because Hank shows up, talks him into going home with him and taping an account of the whole story. Jesse makes a lot of sense when he suggests his testimony might not have much weight. Walt, meanwhile, can't get the petrol smell out of the house, so lies (so obviously) to Walt Jr and Skyler about some incident at a petrol pump where he sprayed petrol all over himself. Saul tries to convince him it is time that Jesse is killed, like "old Yeller", the rabid dog of the title. Walt not buying it, not even when Skyler says pretty much the same thing. In a parallel show of support, Marie helps Hank with his hosting of Jessie.

The show ends with Jesse setting up a meeting with Walt in a public place, where Walt says he wants to explain everything - Hank has him all wired up, but Jesse is properly scared, thinks Walt is the devil, will kill him. When he sees someone who looks a bit thuglike (but turns out to be a random) he flees. He calls Walt to threaten him - Walt in turn calls Todd with another job for his uncle.

The next episode was a bit strange: Walt sets Todd's uncle up to kill Jesse, but when it comes to it, he doesn't want the job to proceed. Hank and Jesse trick Walt into leading them to where he has hidden his money: he panics to the point that he phones Jesse (the man he wants dead) and confesses to quite a lot of what he's done - all of which goes straight to Hank, of course. They all turn up out in the desert where the money is buried, Walt is handcuffed and put in the car when Todd and his family arrive (after very clearly being told not to proceed). Its half a dozen or more of them with machine guns against Hank and Gomez: the episode ends before anyone actually dies. Walt is still important to Todd's family - because Todd is not making very good meth, and it isn't blue - Lydia wants better standards.

The night finished with Picket Fences - The Body Politic. Howard is convinced that a body was taken into what is supposedly an empty house. It turns out a bloke moved in, but he refuses entry and Judge Bone is reluctant to give a warrant on the basis of evidence from someone with Alzheimers. Eventually, Max persuades him, and it is revealed that the man has his braindead wife on life support, because she's pregnant. Her mother wants the life support switched off - Judge Bone has to sort this out, eventually orders that the life support continue. In an interesting footnote, a Brazillian Judge ordered exactly the same thing this week, apparently for the first time ever. In another storyline, the town dentist is revealed to be HIV positive - something Jill new but did not reveal to Jimmy - more familial tension. The mayor fires the dentist - not for being HIV positive, but for not letting his patients know - Jill gives evidence to the effect that the risks are so low, this is ridiculous. Judge Bone reinstates the dentist but warns him that he can't make the townsfolk attend his practice. Jill has some sort of revelation - of course patients should be told so they can make informed choices: this leads to her and Jimmy settling their differences and agreeing that their children (and their own parental role) should be put ahead of the town's interests. Kenny is still dating the twins - even though the Mayor comes close to ordering him not to.