Pflegedienstleitung – The episode opens right in the middle of the heist with Specialist (Niamh Algar) holding off the unexpected early arrival of backup. Alone, she doesn’t have a problem handling them, giving Muscle/Joe Petrus/David (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) and Soldier (Laura Morgan) enough time to join Driver/Marcello Bari (Vincent Riotta) in the getaway car. Muscle sees Officer (Kirby) get shot and intervenes against his team’s wishes, which forces Driver to leave him behind. Specialist casually shoots agents while making her way outside where she narrowly avoids getting run over by Driver.

At a present-day Paris, France nightclub, Officer runs an investment scam on Sami Tahar (Kiran Sonia Sawar) using the alias, Vee. Posing as the daughter of a rich, famous designer, she tricks Sami into investing $100,000 in a fake company. Sami discovers the ruse later that evening when the Hotel Manager (Alex Skarbek) alerts her of the declined credit card. Sami immediately disputes the charges because she didn’t book a room. Sami puts the ruse together as Officer removes her disguise in the cab with a huge grin on her face. Much later that evening in her hotel room, Officer learns of Doctor’s (Amara Karan) murder via a mobile alert. She cracks open one of the charms on her bracelet and retrieves a hidden SIM card, which she uses to contact Muscle. Referring to him as David, she brings him up to speed on the recent murders of their team. After he hangs up and she can’t reach him again she packs a bag a makes her way to her vehicle. Loading her bag, she’s nearly taken from behind by Devil (Ned Dennehy) but manages to get the upper hand. After a short foot chase, she ends up in her car. When Devil smashes the driver’s window, the footage abruptly changes.

Under the alias Joe in Washington State, Muscle drives Frankie (Maria Nash) and Bud (Baeyen Hoffman) to school. Frankie quickly notices and comments on him acting more overprotective than usual. Returning home with a bag full of equipment, he quickly gets to work planting hidden cameras. Swapping SIM cards as well and speaking German, he seemingly sets a covert meeting by taking out a nursing ad.

A quick deer hunting scene in a snowy Norwegian forest reveals that Specialist has been living off the grid in a tiny shack. Returning home with Bud and Frankie, Joe attempts to delicately explain why Grammy Rachel might not be interested in attending his and Jules’s (Kevin Vidal) wedding. Upon arrival, an approaching SUV with dark-tinted windows alludes that he may have a tail. Later that evening, Jules expresses his frustration with Joe when he learns he forgot to put the down payment on their wedding venue. He accuses him of having second thoughts, but Joe manages to put his mind at ease with a comical dance rendition of Rotary Connection & Minnie Riperston’s, “I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun.” Jules enjoys it but reminds him, they still need to deal with the trash. Outside Joe notices the SUV and knocks on the window. Someone inside rolls the window down and hits him with a Taser. Two masked men exit the vehicle and grab him.

After waking, he finds himself in a small room gagged and tied to a chair while being encouraged to take back his statement to authorities about Kyle Bedrosian (Morgan Kelly). While the head kidnapper rambles on, Joe realizes he can slip the zip ties from the chair if he leans back far enough. It isn’t long before he makes his escape and disables both captors. He spends several minutes gagging and zip-tying them before returning home. Once Jules learns of the incident, he insists on calling the police, but Joe manages to convince him otherwise.

Specialist returns to her tiny cabin with supplies and an armload of “The Berliner” magazines. After getting things settled, she discovers Muscles’ coded message. Accessing the Internet, she decodes a message asking if she is responsible for the recent murders of the team. She responds, secures the cabin, and assembles a collection of weapons.

While retrieving the morning paper, Mr. and Mrs. Bedrosian (Shanda Bezic) are startled to find the Goon’s (Chris Jones) dark SUV in their driveway, spray painted with the word “STOP.” Kyle orders his wife inside and is even further stunned when he opens the rear door to find the assailants helplessly struggling against their restraints.

Joe says goodbye to Jules and the kids from the front porch when he receives a text. Using their coded system, he decodes a warning and a request to meet in London as soon as possible. He immediately packs a bag.

Having fallen asleep by the front door, Specialist is startled awake by a blaring alarm. It doesn’t take her long to spot and subdue her unexpected visitor, who is revealed to be Officer. Holding her at gunpoint, Specialist demands to know how Officer found her. She attributes it to homing pigeons and a lot of luck. After sharing the Paris attack and answering several questions about tattoos, Officer suspects Specialist may know the identity of the attacker.

Joe buries his take of the heist deep in a dark forest before slowly making his way home. He hesitates in the driveway before joining a frantic Jules inside who is demanding to know why he hasn’t been answering his phone and why he’s covered in dirt. Joe says they need to talk but asks for a few minutes. While Jules waits at the kitchen table, Joe retrieves a duffle bag from the attic and rejoins him. Joining him, Joe reveals that he’s actually English, his parents are alive, and he’s a reformed criminal. Joe reveals just enough about the heist to convince Jules that they are all now possible targets. He admits that he fell in love with Jules before claiming that he can make them safe. He eventually addresses the bag and tells Jules that it contains $50,000 in cash, fresh passports, and keys to a home he owns in Canada.

A quick scene in Norway shows Specialist burning her cabin before she and Officer leave on a snowmobile. Joe professes his love to Jules and the kids on the front porch while waiting for his cab. Once he joins the Cabbie (Jim Armstrong), he reveals his destination as the international airport.

 

Culprits Review

I cannot say this series is terrible, but I can help imagining how much better it would be with a 30-minute run time. I found the episode somewhat intriguing despite the lack of action. The episode opened really strong during the heist and watching Specialist ply her skills in the field was fulfilling. Other than that and the slight attack in Paris, there wasn’t much action. Despite that, the suspense seems to be there. I’m not saying that I’m hanging on the edge of my seat, biting my nails for the next reveal, but it somehow. For that, I’d give the episode a 5.3 out of 10. I enjoyed the Norwegian scenes and off-the-grid living, which I would appreciate more of.

Get more Culprits recaps here. Support Reel Mockery by donating. Our onsite advertising builds brand awareness, click the link to learn more. Join our newly established forum to discuss the latest films and celebrity happenings.