As the episode begins, we see Zack (Angus Miller) standing inside a building and looking at the poster of a new Leith on the wall in front of him. He sits down with Davie (Simon Weir) and tries to convince him to work with him. Davie admits he likes Zack’s proposal, but the cost is too high. Although Zack offers to look at the numbers again, Davie isn’t going to give him the chance to do so. When he leaves, he gets in touch with Brian (Bhav Joshi) who reveals she got out again and begins tracking her with his smartphone. Zack says he didn’t get it but there might be something else. When Brian asks what that might be, Zack says salvation. Then, we jump back in time and Adrian (Robin Laing) asks Erin (Sara Vickers) if she’d like to say something tonight since she supported him through everything. They briefly chat about Adrian’s cocaine addiction before Zack shows Brian the bag of money.

Brian argues it is bribery, but Zack denies it. Zack says he told the bank they’re in the last stage of capitalism and he doesn’t want their Supersaver ISA to be the first victim when society finally implodes. Brian reminds him it is everything they have although Zack believes they can trust the bank minister. When the dog enters, Zack notices the GPS tracker on its collar and comes up with an idea. Later that night, Joe (Paul Tinto) waits for Zack to drop off the money while Adrian gets out of bed. Adrian goes to the nearby casino and plays next to Joe who has the bag of cash. They switch dealers before Joe leans over and tells Adrian if it wasn’t for bad luck, he wouldn’t have any luck at all. The original dealer returns after getting something from his locker and gives it to Adrian. It is likely drugs. Adrian notices the bag of money on the ground.

Another man opens the trunk and finds the bag of money missing. When Joe asks if there is a smoking section, Joe tells him he can get out the door over there and gives him his card so he can get back in. Meanwhile, Brian scolds Zack for losing a hundred thousand pounds. By the time Joe returns to the table, Adrian is gone with the bag full of cash. Joe hastily grabs his coat and goes after him. Outside, he confronts the dealer and asks where he lives with the gun pointed directly at him. In a few quick scenes, we see Adrian get shot and Joe get shot as well. Next, Jackie (Sandy McDade) confronts Max McCall (Mark Bonnar) about his conversations with Roy and those he hasn’t recorded. Max doesn’t know how he thinks he is clean, but he knew he would come at him for something sooner or later. Max says he did for money laundering. However, he couldn’t record it because Roy just walked in and caught him off guard.

They agree they want to know where it came from and where it went. Jackie says he always heard about the things Roy did, but not anymore. That frightens her that he might be looking for an ending. She argues that money laundering isn’t enough, and Max will need to record everything. He claims Roy took away everything including his brother and business. He left him with whatever the heck this life is. They agree to get what they need from Roy. Then, we jump over to Leith Legals where Kenny Burns (Emun Elliott) hangs out with Yvonne (Rochelle Neil). He wonders if it is a good thing that they’re getting to know each other for real since there won’t be any surprises. She believes now is a good time to tell him she is a cop. Yvonne encourages him to think about it and how that will impact their relationship. He says they should stop caring about the rules they’re breaking before leaning in for a kiss.

Teddy (Greg McHugh) tells his father about a man who wanted to escape prison only to find out the prison was in his head. He wonders if life might’ve been like that for Joe and whether he built a prison in his head. His father tells him he needs to take care of everything around here now. Max calls Kenny to ask about the bag but Kenny is ready to drop it. Max warns him that Roy has this over their heads and he’d like to have something over him when Roy decides to use it against them. Kenny is instructed to find out who Roy stole the money from. Max watches as Yvonne arrives and goes inside to meet Erin. Yvonne explains the missing person’s file was rejected so they’ll have to start over and do it again.

Erin confesses she doesn’t want Adrian back because it is a long line in last straws, but it is hard not knowing. Max watches from his vehicle as Yvonne and Erin leave. Kenny goes to the church while Erin meets with her father who asks if she has thought about what he is offering. Erin tells him about the detective who visited her. He says that shouldn’t have happened and it shouldn’t happen again. She asks if he ever thinks about her mother who is locked up in that little room. Roy insists there is no end to the love he has for her and her mother, but it comes with such regret that he spends his days hiding from it. He reminds her that she never asked about Adrian after he left either. Kenny sits with Sandy and tells him he was working on something with his job. He saw Sandy with the bag, and he was hoping he can tell him about it.

Sandy says the evening news called him Leith’s Billy Graham. He pretends he isn’t much although Kenny says he is a hero, and he is on his side. Back at the office, Max asks Kenny where the bag has gone, but Kenny pretends he doesn’t know. A woman surprises them by entering and saying she wants a will for her cat. Meanwhile, Yvonne asks Stevie Malone (Henry Pettigrew) about the missing person’s file. She says she isn’t bent so she isn’t going to ignore this. Stevie insists he is the only reason she still has a job, and she should keep it that way. Max continues helping the client who admits she saw the sign and came in. She goes on to say her son is allergic so he can’t take the cat. Once the client is gone, they decide to go out for a drink. Next, Teddy looks through the evidence from Joe’s murder. He finds the card Joe was given by Adrian. Yvonne calls Kenny and says the last bit of honesty she had was her job, but she is going to have to do something that will take that away.

He encourages her not to do it. Roy meets Maggie and says they won’t miss Adrian. She insists she won’t forget how hard it was for Roy to give up what he did. Roy says it is not so straightforward with the police, but he insists they’re legit. Yvonne goes back inside and enters Chief Constable Thornton’s office. Kenny meets with Max in the pub and says he knows the business isn’t the same for him. He explains he needs to forget all that so he can see what they have here. He says they can have a chain of offices and go from scheme to scheme. Kenny insists they can have happiness and honesty right there and Max likes that idea. However, he says you’ll need a mortgage to get a flat, so he’ll do the books. He says he’ll put the money they get from Roy and others into an account in Kenny’s name and that will be the first step to the life he wants.

Once they talk about trust and other things, Kenny admits there was movement with the bag, but they should just leave it. Max asks who came for the bag. They leave and stop by the sign for A New Leith and Kenny begins telling Max about one of the people he met at a food bank. Kenny told him he wasn’t interested in God, so the guy says God wasn’t interested in him either. He insists the guy saved him and deserves respect. They go inside and Max begins telling Sandy about him and his brother going to Sunday school and Jesus being a cheap babysitter. Max believes he is in limbo before telling him about the problem with dirty money and the fact you don’t know how dirty it is. He wants to know about the bag, but Sandy threatens to call the police. They talk about Max being a Catholic and that being a problem before Sandy asks when Kenny is going to bring the scary ones.

Erin takes her mother for a walk as her mom says she and her father were cut from the same mold. She doesn’t want to believe that though. As Kenny and Max leave, Max says his old man worked down there and the New Leith project is a major undertaking. Max isn’t sure how they got the whole docks since half was council owned and half was listed. He pays particularly close attention to the Phoenix Estate Development on the sign before leaving. Jackie meets with Yvonne to say the report she put in yesterday was flagged to her. Jackie knows about Stevie putting in a file of concern due to Yvonne’s boozing and getting the promotion as a result.

She wonders what else Stevie has on Yvonne and whether she thought the report was an equalizer. Yvonne insists she won’t turn a blind eye to it, and it is about the job, not revenge. Jackie reveals he is more corrupt than she might believe so the report will get lost, and Yvonne will have to help her. Jackie tells her to follow Stevie when he lies before giving her the live addresses of her investigation. She wants to know if Stevie goes near them. She tells Yvonne not to deny herself because revenge is a powerful tool. The builder says there is no need to go deeper than the initial readings. Davie calls someone to tell them they have a problem. Once Max leaves the Greater Edinburgh Land and Property Department, he gets a call from Kenny who says someone is there to see him. Roy sits with his wife, and she offers to go. He says it is between him and me, so he decides to go.

Teddy tells Kenny he was in there with Max and he is good with locks. He insists it was almost worth going in there to meet Max because he helped with his case. When Max enters, he is surprised to see Teddy who says he has been reading a chapter of Papillon a night. Then, he learns about Teddy’s brother Joe. He was in the army and was last seen in the Outhouse Pub before he was found in Corstorphine Wood. He wants Max to take a look at his brother’s case because he doesn’t think it was suicide. Max says it is the least he could do. Teddy reminds him of his anger which has stopped now, but he is worried this could bring it back. Max is given a picture of Joe and Adrian’s card which was found in his pocket. When Teddy leaves, Max confesses Ted was the only person he was afraid of in there. He says they’ll give it a week and say there is nothing to it. Erin visits her mother. Outside, she watches as Roy leaves the senior center. Once inside, she gives her mother the shirt she left in her vehicle.

Her mother reminds her to call before she comes. Erin doesn’t stick around long. Kenny finds out that Max has obtained records about the Phoenix Development company. Although they seem legit, they don’t own any land because they’re holding companies and shells. Kenny says it sounds dodgy while Max says it sounds familiar. Later that night, Annie shuts out the lights at the Lynch Group and lets Max inside. While Max looks around and takes pictures of documents, Kenny watches the church from a distance. Someone enters and Max has to hide. He is saved when someone tells Cam the guy has been hanging around the park again. We see that Kenny has Adrian’s card in his hand. Erin calls Max after he leaves the Lynch Group building. Yvonne is surprised when Stevie arrives and explains he has a meeting. He apologizes for yesterday and walks away. She grabs her stuff and rushes out.

Max meets Erin who says they’re going out. Kenny goes to the casino where Adrian and Joe were while Erin takes Max somewhere. Roy visits Sandy who wants to know why now. Roy says because they’re getting old, and he wants to buy the church. He claims he is getting nostalgic about Leith and what it used to be. Sandy tells him he’d need approval while Roy says it is clean and he is clean. Sandy says another person came to buy it before and he took it. However, the money was stolen, his husband left him, and he blamed Sandy for everything. Sandy believes the builders want to put a road through his church. He knows Roy would only be there lying if there was no other way. He learns that Phoenix is Roy as he tries to rise through the ashes. Roy is warned his house was built of sand while Erin tells Max that she can find out whatever she needs by telling everyone she is Roy Lynch’s daughter.

She suspects Max visited her to get something he can use against Roy while promising she didn’t tell Roy about his visit. When Max claims he is friends with Roy, she encourages him to call him and tell him he is there. He gets them more drinks while Yvonne follows Stevie. Max stops his phone’s recording feature and returns to Erin with the drinks. Roy admits it has taken him 30 years buying up the land building by building. He wants to build on the land and on top of the ghosts there. He wonders why Sandy asks for the money on the side before Sandy says God doesn’t pay too much of a pension. Sandy says the money is not enough and he wants something else. When Roy asks what he wants, Sandy says redemption. Max returns to Erin and admits he was in prison for two years.

He also says Roy had a hand in putting him in there. She isn’t sure she can trust a crooked lawyer. She says Roy didn’t know what to do with her, so he didn’t do anything. Max says he couldn’t sleep when he was in prison, so he kept thinking about his dad. She asks what he wants to do with her dad who she calls a poison. She says it has been a long time waiting to find someone who sees what she sees in Roy and wants what she wants. She believes Max is the guy, so she asks what he wants to do with Roy. Max responds he wants to do to Roy what he did to him. He wants to take everything Roy values and leave him lying in a cell in the dark wondering how he got there. Erin says good and they’ll just need to find something he values. Meanwhile, Teddy takes off his jacket and looks at a picture of his family. We see pinch marks on his arms. Max hangs out with Erin a bit longer and tells her about growing up.

They stay until the bar closes and they’re forced to leave. Jackie watches from her vehicle while Teddy remains home. Erin and Max return to a room together with a bottle of wine. Max gets close to her, puts her hands around her waist, and the episode ends.

 

Guilt Review

Guilt’s second season is utterly complex when compared to its predecessor so some may be a bit disappointed early on. The first two episodes have been a lot to digest with Max and Kenny teaming up for their own ulterior motives. Things are starting to come together now since we know how Adrian got the money, who Joe was, and where the money came from in the first place.

Max is working with multiple people to bring down Roy including Kenny, Jackie, and Erin. As for Roy, he is trying to revitalize Leith in his own image, and he’ll do whatever it takes to make it happen. Ultimately, there is a lot going on and it might be too much for some viewers.

However, I can appreciate the complex puzzle finally coming together and sympathize with Max and his unwavering desire to get revenge. I am confident Guilt will get better next episode and even better in the finale. I can’t wait to devour the rest of the series to see how Max’s actions change the lives of everyone involved. The episode scores a 7.5 out of 10. All Guilt recaps will be available on Reel Mockery here.