As the episode begins, Chris Carson (Martin Freeman) panics causing Dr. Diane Gallagher (Christine Tremarco) to believe he is on drugs. Chris admits it is a panic attack and he has had them before. Diane tries to keep him calm until he overcomes it. Marcus (David Loy) is told to get Chris a chair before they lift him up and put him in the chair. Diane knows Chris just witnessed his friend’s death yesterday, but he needs to focus on staying alive. She grabs the phone and tells Greg (James Nelson-Joyce) that Chris is there. Greg begins talking to Chris and asking him questions. It looks like Greg is locked in prison. He starts by asking Chris whether he knows where his drugs are, but Chris does not. When he denies swapping them for washing powder, Greg immediately suspects it is the baghead girl Casey (Emily Fairn). Then, Greg tells Chris who he is. Chris has heard of him and Greg already knows all about Chris too.

Greg says he knows where Chris lives, where he works, and what he drives so he will find that baghead and get his drugs. Chris tries to argue, but eventually relents and agrees to find Casey. Once the call ends, Chris is untied before Diane gives him a phone and pills that will help with the panic attacks. Chris is released moments later. Back in his car, Chris ponders his current situation and takes some of the pills. He begins screaming as we hear a high-pitched noise. Rachel Hargreaves (Adelayo Adedayo) bangs on the door until Steve (Philip Barantini) opens it. She sits her keys and phone down on the table. Then, she approaches Steve and tells him she wants him out of there today. Rachel complains that she is sick of being treated like crap in her own home which she pays for. Steve hasn’t contributed once. She continues complaining as Steve encourages her to just stop. He comes back, gets in her face, and asks what she said. Once he sits down and begins putting on his boots, Rachel asks if he is going.

He says nothing so Rachel offers to bag up his stuff for him. Steve gets up and stands in front of her. He tries to touch her face before telling her not to move several times. She stays put and hears loud noises behind her as Steve goes through his belongings. Steve returns, gets right behind Rachel, and says cupboard. She pleads with him not to do this, but Steve warns her he’ll kill her if she doesn’t get into the cupboard. He forces her to get inside and warns her she better be in there when he comes home tonight. He leaves her cellphone near the cupboard and says he’ll see her in a bit. When he is gone, we see that he has secured the cupboard door using a clothes hanger. She tries to push the door open, but the hanger stops it from opening. Meanwhile, Chris meets with Tilly (Romi Hyland-Rylands) and Kate (MyAnna Buring). Chris stops on their walk to tell Kate that he is corrupt because he has been taking money from Carl for information. Now, he is on the hook with a major dealer and doesn’t know what to do.

Chris tries to explain he turned because of his mother’s bills. When she learns about Carl, she asks if he is in danger. Chris isn’t sure. He insists Tilly isn’t though. Kate calls him an idiot before walking away and catching up with Tilly. Marco (Josh Finan) stares at the food on his plate in disgust although Casey says it is just salmon. He doesn’t like the idea of smoked salmon being on top of his eggs. He tries it, but quickly throws it down and says it tastes like foreskin. Casey asks how he’d know so Marco says her ma told him what it tastes like. She says they can go to Maccies for something later if he doesn’t want the salmon. Once Casey calls him a big kid and steps into the bathroom, Macro looks at the drugs bag and contemplates things. Casey offers to let him have the bed tonight because she is going to have a bubble bath tonight. She believes she’ll be able to live this life forever once she sells the drugs. Marco is shown running through the street with the bag on his back while Casey continues trying to talk to him.

She runs out of the motel and begins screaming. Marco talks to Ian on the phone about possible hiding spots. He arranges to meet Ian (Philip Shaun McGuinness) at Davey’s place. Chris tells Kate that Carl was good to him when he got demoted. She insists she could’ve made money so he didn’t need to take it from Carl. After she says he could’ve just asked her for money, Chris admits that just makes it worse. Working for Carl wasn’t bad because he was Chris’s mate. Kate argues Carl was using him since he wasn’t well then and isn’t well now either. Chris confesses he might have to turn himself in and could get up to ten years. Kate says it was all she ever wanted to know who he was and where he was. She wonders if there is a better way and something to be gained from it instead of getting ten years in prison. Chris believes it’d be justice, but Kate says she and Tilly would be the ones to be punished for it.

She tells him to figure it out and find a way to get through this. Tilly asks him to push her on the swing. DI Deborah Barnes (Amaka Okafor) goes to the school to speak to Raymond Mullen (Warren Brown). She asks what he is playing at because Rachel has only been on the job for a few months. He is adamant that Chris is corrupt because he bought a burner phone and called Greg Gallagher’s sister. Ray says she talked like it was a drug deal without actually mentioning drugs. Deborah says he has 21 years on the job so he should know how important the small details are. Even if they’re talking about drugs, Chris could say it is his medication since he is unwell and Diane is a doctor. He suggests Carl Sweeney is trying to step up while using Chris to give him a bit of weight. She tells him he might have a crap job, but he is close to losing it. Deb encourages him to think about what he is doing.

Although Raymond believes he is on the right track, Deborah tells him to get help. As she walks away, Raymond yells she knows he is right. Ray gets upset and tells the kids they’ve all passed and can ride a bike. Chris meets with Jodie Sweeney (Faye McKeever) to tell her he is trying to find a way through this for them. Once he asks about Greg Gallagher, she says he normally would’ve never done business with them. Out of nowhere, they were offered a big bag of coke upfront and cash down the line when it is cut and sold. Carl thought it was Christmas although Jodie believed it was fishy. Chris asks why it would happen now. Jodie says Greg is desperate because everyone he has stashed his cash with is pulling up the drawbridge. He is stuck in prison on remand, looking at 20 years, and can’t pay his bills. He did a deal with the one last person who would do a deal and that happened to be Carl.

Greg could get killed in the shower if he doesn’t pay what he owes. Jodie knows all of this because Carl told her everything. When Chris leaves, he calls Marco to ask about Casey and the bag. Marco insists he has sorted it because he has the bag and already contacted Ian and Barry. Chris warns him not to meet them or anyone else because they’ll kill him. He asks Marco where he is before driving away in his vehicle. Rachel uses voice controls to call Chris. She tries to cancel seconds later, but Chris answers before she can. He says he is busy. Rachel tries to pretend she is fine as she begins cracking up. Chris sees through it and immediately asks what is going on. She begins crying while telling Chris he locked her in the cupboard. Chris rushes to the complex and tries to break through the door to reach Rachel. He manages to get inside before finding Rachel locked in the cupboard. Chris gets her out and asks what this is all about.

Marco continues moving while Casey sits with Davey (David Bradley). He runs into Casey who complains that he would rob her after everything she did for him. She insists this was her one chance to change and he took it off of her. Marco says he didn’t rob her though. Casey tells him to just go if he hates her that much. Marco admits he was going to give it back to the people it belonged to because people like him and Casey don’t win. He believes he was saving her life. Casey suggests they can get away although Marco says his life is here. When she asks why he is being so negative, Marco says his whole life is negative. Casey argues she is trying to change that, but Marco doesn’t think they’ll change. He just wants to stay there together and be safe. Davey says it is hard to stay together out here. If someone loves you, that is your chance.

When Ian and Barry arrive, Casey tells Marco to grab the bag before they make a run for it. Meanwhile, Chris loads Steve’s stuff in the back of his car as Rachel says she wants to do it now or she won’t otherwise. Before they leave, Marco calls to tell Chris they’re hiding just off Flynn Street. Chris tells them not to move because he’ll be there in five minutes. As they speed along the road, Rachel asks where they’re going, but Chris says she doesn’t want to know. Barry spots Marco and Casey. Chris shows up just in time for them to get in. Chris asks if they know how much trouble they’ve caused him. Moments later, he drops them off elsewhere and tells them to leave the bag in the back. Casey takes it with her so Chris has to get out and take it. When he does, she breaks down and he has to comfort her. They agree it isn’t fair as Casey suggests she and Carl aren’t losses. She says everyone tells her she doesn’t matter, but Chris never said that.

Chris tells her she is going to walk down the road and leave this to him. As Chris returns to the car, he tells Rachel they’re fine and she shouldn’t worry about the bag. Casey asks Marco if he can hold her hand as they walk. He does. Once they drive away, Rachel says it was just a coat hanger keeping her in. Chris reminds her it is her flat and her life so it ticks him off. She confesses she thought he was a dickhead and spied on him for Ray Mullen. Rachel apologizes for giving Ray the phone number and not trusting him. Chris asks if Ray is with Complaints and Discipline, but Rachel says he just teaches kids how to ride bikes. Once Rachel says he seemed shady, Chris just makes the job work. Ray approaches Diane to make her an offer. He says he’ll let her go if she hands over Carson. He pretends he is a police officer and threatens to lock her up, but Diane says she doesn’t know who he is talking about. She says she doesn’t like his attitude and asks where he is based. Raymond gets upset and says okay over and over.

He promises she’ll be sorry before leaving. Deborah visits Kate to say she is worried about Chris. Kate admits he has a lot going on including the fact his mom doesn’t have much longer to live. Deb hopes she doesn’t mind her prying. Then, she admits she wants to ask her a mate question and not a boss question. Deborah questions whether Chris is getting better or worse. Kate says he has been seeing the job counselor since they gave him a few sessions. He goes on to say Chris has a lifetime of crap in his head so a few sessions won’t sort that out. They also talk about his GP Rashid who is a very busy doctor. After Deb says Chris mentioned a Dr. Gallagher, Kate says he is brilliant and helped. However, Deb admits Chris said it was a she. Deborah keeps pushing to find out more about Dr. Gallagher. Kate says it is Chris’s private doctor before she is asked about Carl Sweeney. She thought Deborah was there as a mate.

Deborah says she is and she is trying to help Chris. Kate says she is trying to help him too. Chris receives a call although it doesn’t have any caller ID information. He doesn’t answer it. Rachel tells him that she can’t do it because it is only going to make things worse, but Chris doesn’t think it’ll be worse than being locked in a cupboard. Chris gets another call so Rachel asks if he has somewhere else to be. He tells Rachel he is serious and she is his mate. She gets out, grabs Steve’s stuff from the trunk, and heads inside to confront him. She walks through the firehouse before finding Steve in the breakroom. She throws his stuff on the ground and tells him to go back to his mom’s and never come back to her place. Steve tries to convince her to talk to him later tonight, but Rachel insists it is over. Since Steve won’t cooperate, Rachel begins telling everyone in the breakroom how he hits her on her back and the top of her arms and legs.

He also calls her names, spits on her, locks her in the cupboard, and threatens to kill her in her sleep. When he denies it, Rachel yells that he is a liar and coward. She tells him to never come near her again before she turns around to leave. His boss tells him to come into his office right now. As Rachel steps outside, Chris is on the phone making arrangements to sort the issue. Rachel looks in the bag while Chris is on the phone. When they drive away, Rachel berates him for letting her ride around with a bag of drugs in the car. She begins realizing what has happened and describes Chris as a drug dealer, but he says he was just trying to help Casey. Chris explains Casey stole the drugs from a courier and he has been trying to keep her safe. Rachel asks why he didn’t just take Casey into protective custody. Chris believes she has been watching The Sopranos too much. Chris thinks he is going to solve the problem by throwing the bag in the property locker without booking it in.

Rachel is worried about her DNA being on the bag, but he says every cop’s DNA will be all over it soon enough. If anything happens, Chris swears to God he’ll cop the lot and keep Rachel out of it. After they reach the station, Rachel refuses to say they’re good. She ignores Chris who begins carrying the bag inside. He takes the bag in and rips out a piece of paper from the logbook or something. Rachel goes to the domestics section of the station and gets a brew. Seconds later, Chris meets with Diane and gets in her vehicle with her. Chris asks what Greg has on her since this isn’t just a normal family thing. He gives her a yellow pedal which is evidence of a police seizure and should get Greg off the hook with the people he owes money to. He believes Greg will know what to do with it. He says he is still a cop, she is still a doctor, and they’re not drug dealers. Chris believes the paperwork will stop Greg from being killed inside.

Chris asks if they’re good and whether there are any surprises waiting for him. She says they’re good and there are no surprises. Deborah is surprised to see Rachel at the station so she asks what is going on. Rachel says she just needs some help. She goes on to say it is work and home before mentioning Chris’s name. Deborah asks what Chris has done, but Rachel quickly changes her statement to say it is her. Rachel says she might need some time off. Deborah admits nights are hard and she likely isn’t used to them yet. She encourages her to do the last one and sleep for a day or two because that’ll make her feel better. When the man from domestics returns with coffee, Rachel says she’ll give him a ring and walks away. Chris takes a bag full of gear to Jodie and tells her it should be enough to set her up for life. He wants to make sure he is out from under her thumb if she takes the bag. She takes it and agrees they’re square now. Once Chris returns home, Kate greets him and reveals she paid his mom’s bill during her visit.

He says he is sorry for everything she has done to them although his trouble is gone now. Chris insists he is going to be better. Tilly runs down because she is happy to see him. Chris talks to her briefly and sends her back upstairs. He wants to make their relationship work. From now on, he’ll talk to her about everything instead of bottling it up. Kate interrupts to reveal she lied for him when Deborah came around asking about Doctor Gallagher. She knows she shouldn’t have lied, but she did because she loves him too. Kate is adamant they have to make this better. Chris goes upstairs and learns Tilly has a new book she wants him to read to her. Ray is shown sitting at home. That night, Rachel meets with Chris at the station before they go on patrol. They hear a radio call about a case marked IRIR that is a report of a burglary in progress.

 

The Responder Review

The Responder was an entertaining thrill ride from start to finish. It had a little something for everyone including humor, suspense, drama, and romance. I can confidently say this was one of the most enjoyable shows I’ve watched in the past few months although I would’ve liked a few tweaks here and there. The finale did a good job of detailing what happened and how Greg Gallagher was trying to save himself from being killed in prison.

Jodie likely warned Carl not to get involved since she suspected it was a bad deal from the get-go. Once Casey stole the drugs, Chris and Marco got wrapped up in it one way or another. Furthermore, Greg was using Diane to run the operation from inside so Chris suspected he had some type of leverage over her. Although the first episode portrayed Chris as a very bad guy, that wasn’t necessarily the case since he put himself in danger to help Casey and Marco.

He also helped Rachel pull herself out of the rut she found herself in with Steve. On a side note, I found it interesting that Philip Barantini who played Steve actually directed the episode. I just wish the finale went in depth a bit more so we could’ve found out what happened to Casey, Marco, Greg, Diane, and the others. I suppose this leaves the door open for a second season though and that is a good thing.

It might’ve been a bit too easy for everyone, but it was enjoyable nevertheless. The finale of The Responder scores an 8 out of 10. All recaps of The Responder can be found on Reel Mockery here. Learn how to support the Reel Mockery project by clicking this link.