Spoiler alert: This recap is for people watching Spiral on the BBC. Do not read on unless you have watched season eight, episodes one and two.
It’s hard to fathom that in just four weeks Spiral will be gone from our screens for good. Fifteen years, an eight-season run and international acclaim is a good outcome for a French drama. It’s kept a high standard throughout, with its signature blend of cerebral procedural and high-octane cops and robbers. Laure Berthaud and her crew of roughnecks will be missed – especially BTL on this blog.
The laundromat murder
The fallout from l’affaire Gilou continues to rain down on our heroes. Three months of criminal chump change have left the gang frustrated and forlorn. What better way to get back in the game than to take on a messy murder guaranteed to make them even less popular? When a dead kid shows up in a tumble dryer, Laure is all over that action like caramelised onion on a croissant.
The unfortunate youth, known nominally as Shkun, was part of a loose collective of undocumented minors from Morocco, living in squats and running wild in the 18th arrondissement. Early suspect Souleymane spends his days mugging tourists and his nights bombed on benzos. He is not above violence against his friends, either, as the assault on Shkun reveals. However, when his laser-tag alibi exonerates him of murder, we are forced to look elsewhere for the culprit.
The white van that spirits Souleymane away suggests exploitation by organised crime. Bigger players seem certain to enter the fray.
Gilou
That perennial survivor Escoffier is already making a big impression in prison. Turning down the protective custody offered to incarcerated flics, he settles down into gen pop, targeting le grand fromage of the wing, Cisco. A summary beatdown followed by a high-risk bait-and-switch on Cisco’s phone leads to an intense steak-and-chill session in the Romanian’s cell. Cisco is quietly impressed that Gilou never ratted out his colleagues. Gilou is quietly impressed with the tender yet flavourful rump he is presented with. Lovers of bromance will be disappointed, however, as Gilou is working an angle – getting close to Cisco to try and pin a revenge murder on him. Brémont hints that when Cisco gets out in two days, Gilou may be exiting with him to pull off the sting. Two career criminals back on the street – the French justice system continues to perplex.
Laure
We’ve seen Laure’s abandonment issues surface before, and with Tintin gone, Gilou in prison and Roban replaced with a younger and altogether less friendly model, the very last thing she needs is Ali agitating to leave and head up his own crew. Like Tintin before him, Ali despairs at the secrets-and-lies culture Laure perpetuates. Whether or not her (literally) phoned-in apology will get him back on board remains to be seen. When she tries to bond with new face Judge Lucie Bourdieu she immediately rubs her up the wrong way. That’s Laure for you – making enemies in high places wherever she goes.
Joséphine
If the early indications were that domesticity with Lola had blunted Joséphine’s edges, we are quickly disabused of that notion once she catches a glimpse of herself in the smart, feral Souleymane. She can still sniff a procedural infraction from 500 yards and with a flourish of her gown she gets the youngster out of custody and into child protection. The same old Joséphine, then? Not quite. The trauma of the last two seasons has left its mark – she now specialises in rape cases, presumably advocating for the victims. France’s serial killers and terrorists will now have to look elsewhere for their sturdy defence.
Thoughts and observations
The tension of policing homeless child migrants in Barbès is a real issue, and Parisian police have requested help in the past.
The autopsy reveals a horror-show of fractures, burns, diseases and scars visited upon Shkun’s broken body in his short life. A brain haemorrhage from a recently fractured skull is the cause of death. Getting to why will be the complicated part.
The birth of his son and the bust-up with Laure makes it a busy week for Ali. What he doesn’t know yet is that his ambition to lead his own squad is backed by Director Lenoir. Beckriche thinks it’s too soon for the inexperienced Captain Amrani, but if this pans out you know we’re being set up for a post Spiral spinoff.
There’s unmistakable heat between Beckriche and Judge Bourdieu and I think we’re due a bit of Spiral romance. Yes, Pierre got shot and Samy exploded but those were isolated incidents in an otherwise harmonious string of relationships (such is my recollection). We are in the city of lovers – make it happen.
“It’s the usual game, sniffing each other’s asses.” It’s unclear what game Gilou’s been watching but there’s no doubting his commitment to getting down and dirty with Cisco.
Laure seems to have stepped up her parenting game though she did set the bar pretty low. Romy looks to be thriving, and at around 34 minutes of episode one the Roban monkey makes his first appearance. Will he soon be joined by his human counterpart? We dare to dream.
Who killed Shkun? Has Ali got the chops to go it alone? Is anyone safe if Gilou is released? Leave your thoughts below …
