Clean Sweep Series 1 Episode 3 Recap

 

Find Her – As the episode opens at the airport, Shelly Mohan/Maggie (Charlene McKenna) discovers Charlie Lynch/Phil Whelan (Adam Fergus) isn’t there to pick her up. She calls him to ask where he is before threatening to kill him. Back to the present, she wakes up to a text that reads, “Find her?” She wakes suddenly to see Jason Mohan (Barry Ward) getting dressed for work on a Saturday. He assures her that they make a good team. She tells him that Caitlin Mohan (Katelyn Rose Downey) has a game at noon. He says her and the “dead guy” being at the store at the same time is “strange.” After he leaves, she takes some pills.

Shelly calls Niall Mohan (Aidan McCann), Caitlin, and Derek Mohan (Rhys Mannion) down for breakfast. Derek tells her that he is going to meet Luke (Maeron Libomi). She asks if he is going to skip Caitlin’s game. When she gives his plate to the dog, Caitlin reminds her of Jason not wanting them to feed the dog. Shelly says he isn’t home.

Martin Kelly (Kevin Trainor) tells Jason that the murder weapon is a .35 caliber handgun. He says there were no fingerprints on the Bible. Detective Inspector Yeates (Peter McCamley) speaks with Phil’s ex-wife, Betty Overton (Elaine Murphy). She informs him of Phil’s two teenage daughters. She claims he was a terrible father. He asks about their divorce which she describes as being similar to “cancer.” He asks if she murdered Phil. She assures him if she was going to murder him, she wouldn’t have traveled to Ireland to do it. He asks if Phil had any siblings. She tells him that Phil claimed to have grown up in foster care. He says Phil’s body will need to be shipped back there.

Yates informs DCI Crichett (Cathy Belton) of Phil’s fingerprints matching a cold case for Charlie Lynch.

Weepy, Caitlin tells Shelly that she is going to skip the game. Shelly suggests exercise will boost her endorphins to improve her mood. Caitlin voices concern about getting menstrual blood on her white uniform shorts. Shelly assures her that she will be okay with a pair of undershorts and pain medicine for the menstrual cramps. Caitlin admits to not wanting a baby. Shelly says intimacy can wait before convincing her to go to the game.

In a flashback, Maggie arrives home to find Charlie drinking and doing drugs. She uses drugs before he unstraps the drugs around the waist. She demands to have a one-on-one meeting with Freddie. He warns her that Freddie is a “psycho.” She admits to being tired of him getting rich while she takes all the risks.

Back to the present, Matt Wilson (Trevor Kaneswaran) and Emma Wilson (Nathara Dayananda) approach as Caitlin heads off to her game. After a brief discussion, Niall questions how they know each other. Shelly tells him that they worked on the fundraiser together. Caitlin’s teammate, Sinead (Aibidh Condron) calls her “Bloody Mary.”

While doing drugs, Derek claims Doireann Carrick (Grace Collender) takes birth control pills. Luke asks who said. Derek says she said it while inviting him over when her parents will be away. Giving him a condom, Luke warns birth control pills aren’t 100% effective. Doireann sends a text to remind him of their date.

Fiona (Jeanne Nicole Ni Ainle) sarcastically asks Jason if he gave Shelly Saturday night off. He reminds her of Shelly being his wife before asking if they are going to solve it. She asks if he is referring to them. He says the murder case. They ask Wiry Sean (Fergus Mulligan) to identify a woman (sex worker) in a photo. He suggests asking Sean McNair (Colm O’Brien).

Shelly speaks to Maya (Tara Mae) at the clinic about a 15000-euro “breathing vest” for Niall. Maya informs her that the treatment is not covered by health care insurance. Shelly sarcastically says it can be added to her shopping list before demanding to know how much Niall’s life is worth. Rushing out of the office, she encounters Aelish (Roisin Rankin) who tells her that the police conducted door-to-door inquiries about the murder at the hotel. Shelly asks if she told the police about their encounter. Aelish says maybe she should have mentioned it. Shelly promises to tell Jason about her being in the neighborhood and they didn’t see anything out of the ordinary.

Watching CCTV footage from the grocery store, Fiona and Jason see Phil watching Shelly. Shelly and Matt are chatting with Fiona and Jason arrives. She informs them of Caitlin’s menstrual cycle. Fiona says the supermarket CCTV shows Phil following her. Shelly asks if he came to watch Caitlin play or for work. Showing her a photo of Phil, Fiona says he shaved off his beard. Shelly claims to have never seen him before. Sinead bullies during the game. Jason and Fiona leave. Matt invites Shelly and her family to dinner. She informs him of their prior engagement before inviting him and his family to join them. Caitlin and Sinead get into a scuffle on the field. Shelly scolds her as they walk to the car.

Sean admits to bringing in sex workers when guests request them. Fiona warns he could be charged with sex trafficking. He identifies the sex worker who visited Phil as Marianna. Jason forces him to stay until she is found.

Crichett says Charlie who was presumed dead 20 years ago is murdered. In 1999, Charlie and several accomplices murdered a drug dealer. Yeats says they did London a favor. She asks for permission to interview Charlie’s brother, Roy Lynch. He asks if she believes Roy is responsible for his brother’s murder. She reminds him that Margaret Gallagher is still missing. He suggests she was killed years ago. She blames herself for them killing criminal informant, Freddie Vance. He suggests blaming Freddie for being a drug dealer, not herself. `

Freddie Vance’s brother calls Rory Lynch to ask if he knew Charlie was alive. Rory claims to have thought they killed Charlie. Vance suggests Charlie and Freddie are connected. Rory assures him that he leads a different life than Charlie. Vance suggests explaining it to the voters. Rory says if he didn’t know Charlie was using an alias, Phil Whelan, he wouldn’t know he was murdered. He calls Yeates to assure him that he had no idea Charlie was alive. Yeates suggests not telling anyone what Charlie was doing in Ireland.

Crichett sneaks information about Charlie’s cold cast to Times journalist, Esme. She suggests Rory Lynch may know something In a text, Derek claims to be staying at Luke’s house tonight. She tries to call him back but he doesn’t answer. Doireann asks if his mum knows he is a virgin. He assures her that he isn’t. She suggests he go. On his way home, he texts Luke to say he can’t stay the night.

In a flashback, Maggie finds out she is pregnant. Back to the present, Caitlin utilizes a magnifying glass to look at Shelly and Charlie’s photo. She asks Shelly what being pregnant feels like. Shelly describes it as “wonderful” and “scary.” She promises to answer her questions later.

Shelly tells Jason about the incident about Caitlin’s game before suggesting he talk to Derek about sex. He assures her that Derek is knowledgeable. She warns he could be a grandfather soon if he doesn’t have the “talk.” She complains about the way he treats her. He reminds her that she isn’t his mum. They briefly discuss the “breathing vest” for Niall. He informs her of Phil being a 20-year cold case. He says when the case is solved, Superintendent Colin O’Connor (Luke Griffin” will promote him to DI.

Shelly has a flashback of Charlie threatening to kill her when he finds her as the episode ends.

 

Clean Sweep Review

Phil Whelan’s fingerprint matches Charlie Lynch who has been presumed dead for 20 years. Charlie and several accomplices murdered a police informant, Freddie Vance. Charlie’s brother, Rory is a political candidate. He knew Charlie was alive and in Ireland. Maggie is trafficking drugs for Freddie when she gets pregnant.

CCTV footage shows Charlie watching Shelly at a store. Jason finds it “strange” that they were visiting the store at the same time. Under the alias, Phil, Charlie has two teenage daughters by Betty.

Fed up with being bullied, Caitlin attacks her bully, Sinead during a game. She is suspended for several games. Jason believes Shelly would have done the same if she found herself in the same situation.

Derek is getting close to having sex with Doireann. Luke educates him on the effectiveness of birth control pills. He suggests wearing a condom as a backup. Shelly wants Jason to talk to him about sex but he believes Derek knows enough to not get Dorieann pregnant.

The focus strayed from the murder investigation to irrelevant and uninteresting topics. The overuse of drugs is a bit annoying. Charlie and Maggie were drug users and traffickers. Derek is using drugs regularly. Shelly smokes a joint from a hidden stash. She pops pills like their candy and constantly drinks wine.

The flawed editing, script or both interfere with the story flow. Flashbacks are helpful but only when they are appropriately embedded into the script. Get to the point, instead of revealing bits and pieces in different scenes. It seems they forgot the plot. The series isn’t so much a psychological thriller as a drama.

The episode deserves a 6.4. Get more Clean Sweep recaps here. Support Reel Mockery by clicking the link. Learn more about our onsite advertising by reaching out to customer support.