As this episode of Guilt begins, Aliza Hillerby (Tamsin Topolski) wakes up on the couch and realizes she is running late. When she goes to work, she tells Richard (Hari Dhillon) that she had a skiing accident and pain issues. He agrees that is what they’re going with before revealing she is going to Scotland because they’re buying a bank. They’ve had a lot of offers so they need to make sure they get it. When Aliza packs to leave, she makes sure to grab her Oxycodone and other medications. Sir Jim Sturrock (Euan Macnaughton) speaks about the bank achieving the biggest corporate sale in the history of the UK. Maggie Lynch (Phyllis Logan) listens on the radio as it says representatives of America Bank have arrived in Edinburgh.

The chairman of NBC, Jim Sturrock, welcomed the sale as a cause for national celebration. When she gets out of the vehicle, she congratulates Danny (Anders Hayward) on his promotion. He tells her he is sorry about Al. Maggie says Roy got to where he was because he made decisions. Whenever they came, Roy didn’t hesitate to make them. She tells Danny that he didn’t hesitate either and that is why he is being promoted and why he’ll pay his debt. Then, Maggie meets Teddy McLean (Greg McHugh) to offer him 100 grand for the brothers. Teddy says he did a deal with Roy to ensure Max would never be his responsibility, but Maggie says Roy and the deal are dead. She offers 100 grand for them or she’ll offer someone else 100 grand for him.

She insists she isn’t weakened and has never been stronger. Max (Mark Bonnar) tells Jake (Jamie Sives) that they’ll stay for a few days to let the dust settle. He thinks they’ll be safe from the Lynchs there. Max says Kenny got him the address and didn’t tell Jake because it would’ve just sat inside of him. They knock on the door before their dad Alec (David Hayman) approaches from behind. Teddy speaks to his father Jim (Stewart Porter) to say he doesn’t want to do it. Jim tells him that his brother was a soldier and everything is about him. Teddy wishes his dad would tell him not to do it. Jim says they’ve offered him a future and he shouldn’t pass it up for the sake of two Catholics.

Teddy says Roy warned him that he would kill his dad if he killed him. Then, Jim told him to do whatever Mr. Lynch said without asking if he was in danger. Jim says he knew they would leave him alone if he did. He doesn’t want to lose two boys. Jim tells him not to come back until it is done or don’t come back at all. Yvonne Nixon (Isaura Barbe-Brown) questions Maggie about the cannabis. Maggie says she was surprised to hear about the drugs and Roy since there aren’t many men who die twice. Yvonne reveals they’ve frozen her bank accounts and they’re taking the last of her businesses, farm, and this place too. Maggie complains about all the crooks wearing suits in Edinburgh.

She misses Leith where they’re most honest. Yvonne wants to know who she has in the police and everywhere else because she can pause the Section 22 and open a corruption enquiry. They discuss the fact that Roy’s name didn’t make the papers. Maggie says she won’t sue the police for wrongful death and no one will know it was Roy lying there in the dirt. Yvonne suspects she knew about the Section 22 before she even arrived. Maggie wants her to tell her pal he can be fine since he can serve the community in peace. Kenny Burns (Emun Elliott) keeps an eye on Danny. Alec speaks to his sons about their reason for returning. They begin discussing their problems and Alec apologizing. Max says they’re there until it is safe to leave, but Jake claims they’re there until he explains.

Once Alec steps out of the room, Jake says he isn’t what he expected. Max says he is exactly what he expected. Jim Sturrock speaks to Aliza Hillerby about letting them tour the property. She asks whether the paperwork they requested has been sent to their hotel. Jim says they thought that was too formal. He recommends coming there so they can talk them through it. Aliza reminds him that it doesn’t work that way. Jim says it’ll be no problem to have it sent over. Yvonne and Stevie talk about Maggie who knew about the 22. Stevie Malone (Henry Pettigrew) suggests it was her idea to begin with. When Yvonne asks how she gets to her, Stevie says Maggie needs to be skint and banged up.

That’s the only way people will believe the Lynchs are done and the only way she’ll lose her power. Yvonne says the guy who fell from the flats in Leith had weed on him that came from the Lynchs. Stevie is asked to find out what he can about him. Maggie speaks to Danny about Roy and grief. She asks about the debt and says she wants it sorted by tomorrow. Kenny watches them through the window from his car outside. Yvonne calls to say she is coming home and they should test his almond theory. Since he is working, Kenny says they should do it tomorrow. Jake tells Alec about being in a band and having a record shop only for Max to mess those things up. Max tells him what Jake did and how he ended up in prison.

When Jake asks if he knows how mom ended up, Alec imagines she ended up how she started. He explains he left because he couldn’t take anymore and for some reasons they don’t know. Alec tells them how he left and found a job elsewhere that he kept for 20 years. They think he met their mother at the Royal Infirmary where she was a nurse and he was delivering on the lorries. Alec reveals it is only half true because she was in the loony bin. Once she got discharged, they got married. She was better most of the time. Alec tells them to get some sleep so he can take them fishing in the morning. Max confesses they’re there because they had nowhere else to go and had no option.

It is far too late for Alec to be worrying about their souls. Danny meets Skye. Kenny calls Skye to say he knows who she owes and it isn’t good. He is interrupted when Teddy enters. Danny tells Skye (Amelia Isaac Jones) that the drugs belong to the Lynchs so that is who she owes. He warns her that she needs to worry about Maggie Lynch. Danny tells her that her plan didn’t work so she’ll need to pay. Danny offers to say her mom wasn’t involved if she flees since she can’t pay. Teddy asks Kenny where Max and Jake are. He asks about their dad too. Kenny says he skipped town about 40 years ago. Teddy grabs a hold of him and tells him about the Zen.

He continues torturing Kenny and asking where their dad is. Kenny reveals that Max asked him to track down an address when he came out of prison. When he gave it to him, he said he didn’t need it anymore. Teddy says he needs it now. Max gets up in the middle of the night and sits with his father. They talk about Max’s time in prison. When Max asks about the cross nearby, Alec admits he gave it a go. Alec didn’t try to make contact because he didn’t think he had a right to do so. He had ruined Max’s life once and couldn’t risk doing it again. Alec sat there and hoped Max would be the one to take the risk instead.

Alec reveals he volunteered for night watch. He thought of him when he stood and listened to the sea. Alec thought of how Max looked at him when he asked him to look after his brother. Max stood there like a soldier despite being only eight years old. Alec calls it the bravest thing he has ever seen. When Max was in prison, he thought about Alec and how he had put him there. Alec doesn’t think he has time for blame and will need to face whatever it is on his own two feet. He questions whether the life Max had helped him find a little peace. After Max says a little, Alec tells him to get it back. Aliza is given access to the bank’s documents.

Skye goes to Kenny’s office to say she needs to get out of Edinburg. Teddy gets frustrated while driving his vehicle. Alec tells Jake that he sleeps better than his brother. Jake says he doesn’t have the power of him like he does over Max. Jake doesn’t remember him and only remembers what came next. Alec says Max’s childhood ended the day he left, but he worked hard to make sure Jake got one. Their mother favored Jake because she saw too much of Alec in Max. Alec believes his peace lies in understanding Max. When Max wakes up, Jake tells him that he spent 40 years finding somewhere else to go. Jake asks him to give Alec a break and sort himself out.

Yvonne receives everything that was on Roy Lynch’s phone. Kenny has to stop to work on his vehicle. Skye asks if his plan to get her out of there is to rescue two guys she doesn’t even know. Kenny explains that Max is the only person who has taken on the Lynchs and come out on the other side. Although Skye doesn’t think she should’ve brought him into this, Kenny is glad that she did. Teddy gets into a car accident and a motorcyclist checks on him. Alec takes his sons fishing. Max tries to help carry Alec’s backpack, but it is far too heavy for him. He gives it to Jake who continues carrying. Jim Sturrock speaks to Aliza and the others about the bank.

Keeping the city’s secrets for six centuries has left them a little tired and a little boring. It didn’t help that every chairman for the last 600 years had either Duke or Earl in front of their name. The difference between him and them is that Jim wasn’t born with Sir in front of his name. Jim tells them how he worked his way up and didn’t have a lot of time for tradition. He pushed them into security trading. Aliza says she couldn’t see a breakdown of their debt when she looked at the paperwork last night. Jim says they agreed that it would be light touch due diligence. That is what they promised and one of the reasons they were selected. Aliza hopes that isn’t a tough request.

Jim Sturrock says it isn’t and agrees to get it for her. He speaks about signing off on the sale and Aliza standing next to him on Friday when it is confirmed. Alec talks to Max about fishing and how it is different from hunting. If you make a plan and get it right, you realize that you can take it all. Maggie visits Jim who claims it isn’t a good time. She tells Jim how Roy has left her in reduced circumstances because the police have taken everything. She wouldn’t be doing this if she didn’t have to. She wants to leave Edinburg with enough to make sure she never has to come back. Roy and Maggie always said that Jim would be the last resort if things turned bad.

When Jim asks how much, Maggie says a couple of million. She thinks there will be enough money when the deal goes through. When Max and the others return, they find the door open. Once they go inside, Kenny tells Max that it is time to go. Yvonne and Stevie question why someone would be calling Roy Lynch. If they do this, there is no way to go back. Yvonne says dealing with the stupid and weak gets tiring. She confesses that she doesn’t want to do this job much longer. She might as well do something that might make a difference before she leaves. Stevie tells her where the guy who pulled the double pike off the flats lived. Aliza complains that Jim is stalling her and admits it is concerning.

Jim thinks six months is a long time to be off work due to a skiing accident. He offers to give her what she needs, but she’ll need to sign an NDA. He doesn’t want anyone to know there could be any problem. Aliza hasn’t seen a problem yet although she hasn’t finished looking. Kenny introduces himself and Skye to Alec. Then, Alec gives his sons money so they can buy clothes and whatever else they need. He admits he doesn’t feel alone anymore now that they’ve come. When they drive away, they end up being stopped because Teddy is in the road. Yvonne tries to visit the address and runs into Skye’s mother. When Yvonne leaves, Skye’s mother, Carrie (Anita Vettesse), goes into her apartment.

Max asks Teddy if he remembers the night before his parole hearing and how they stayed up all night working through it. Teddy admits Max got him out of that place, but he isn’t sure what good it did him. Max says he forgot that he needed to be taught how not to go back in and how to make life work when it is bigger than four walls. Max claims this is when he starts to teach him. Teddy warns him that he isn’t safe from him before confirming that Roy is dead. Max says Maggie can’t lose since she’ll pretend not to know him if he gets caught. Max argues that Teddy won’t get what Maggie has promised even if he does what she asked. He’ll get caught and he won’t talk.

Then, they’re all taken care of for Maggie. Max calls it her revenge, but she’ll have another plan for escaping. Max believes this is an opportunity because Maggie is alone and exposed. Teddy remembers saying he wish he talked like Max did that night. He doesn’t so Max had to make it simpler. Max explains that they should work together by going back to Edinburgh and taking it all.

 

Guilt Review

After this episode of Guilt, it feels like the series has been very uneven with the first being the most straightforward, the second being confusing, and the third being slow so far. At the very least, this season hasn’t been confusing in the least. The performances remain solid and the dynamic relationship between Max and Jake is the heart and soul of the series.

The soundtrack is enjoyable and the camerawork is great as well unlike The Gold which overused the shaky camera technique. If I had to use one word to describe this season though, it’d have to be dull. The story might be a little too convoluted making it too complex and too difficult to believe. I am just having a really hard time getting emotionally invested in the story up until this point.

There are still two episodes so anything can happen, but this probably could’ve been cut down by an episode or two. I sincerely hope this gets better because Jake and Max’s stories deserve good endings. This episode scores a 6 out of 10. Recaps of Guilt are available on Reel Mockery here.

Find out how to support our independent site at this link. Learn more about advertising on Reel Mockery here.