Episode 2 opens in a Westminster Lux Hotel room where Director General Melinda Delaney (Lesley Sharp) and CIA Agent Mike Maxwell’s (Mido Hamada) relationship is revealed to be much more than professional. In the giddy afterglow of their encounter, Delany consults with him about the Dr. Matthew Nolan (Richard Armitage) incident. Although he claims he doesn’t know why Beijing wanted Nolan back so badly, he advises against sending him back. Their discussion is soon interrupted by a call from Ruth Banks (Cash Holland) with news of Daniel Lomax’s (Ryan Cloud) death.
Much to DC Hana Li’s (Jing Lusi) displeasure, Nolan tries to convince Captain Chen (Thomas Chaanhing) to divert the plane so they can analyze Lomax’s blood. Suspicious death or not, Chen wastes little time letting it be known that a detour is out of the question. Chen even accuses Nolan of trying to avoid prosecution at one point. After Nolan is ordered back to his seat, flight attendant, Ren Yunxi (Tai Yin Chan) attempts to clear Daniel’s area while simultaneously checking on the passenger sitting behind him Mrs. Ruan Yue (Daphne Cheung). Although the interaction is quick, the distraction allows Mrs. Yue’s dog to get into Daniel’s food.
In London, Jess Li (Jemma Moore) contacts Damien Hill at the London Echo with the request to write the story about Nolan’s incident. Although he remembers her as the intern who tried to previously sell them an unsubstantiated story, he gives her the opportunity.
Hana is approached by Ren Yunxi (Tai Yin Chan) with the request to connect her phone to the plane’s Wi-Fi. Upon doing so, she receives a call from Ruth Banks regarding Daniel’s death. Immediately suspicious, Hana not only asks why MI5 is interested in a simple heart failure but she also asks Ruth to prove she is actually MI5.
When Dr. Steven Hurst (Oliver Maltman) tells Dr. Amber Hurst (Zoe Telford) that he’s got to stretch his legs, he is accosted by Nolan with requests to use his phone. Steven is hesitant and tells him that he was ordered to not even speak with him. It takes a bit of convincing but it appears Steven is about to comply until Hana interrupts, although she’s still speaking to Ruth. When Hana turns her attention back to Ruth, it doesn’t take her long to realize that Ruth’s line of questioning indicates that she is also suspicious of Daniel’s death.
Still connected to the plane’s Wi-Fi network, Hana phones Superintendent Simon O’Brian (Robert Gilbert) about her strange call with MI5. He immediately becomes suspicious as well and agrees to track down Daniel’s medical records.
Ruth appears to be well ahead of the game with Daniel’s entire profile by the time Delaney returns to Thames House. At 35 years of age, Daniel was a sports teacher who was flying to Beijing to participate in the Great Wall Marathon for the second time. Despite this, Delaney doesn’t appear at all intrigued until she learns that Dr. Nolan attempted to save Daniel’s life.
Hana receives Daniel’s medical reports at the same time Mrs. Yue discovers that her dog is now unresponsive. After learning that the dog also got into the food intended for Matthew, she decides to approach the Captain, which is interrupted when the plane randomly loses its starboard flap control, which destabilizes the plane. When the override control also fails, Co-Pilot Wu (Aidan Cheng) finds himself below deck trying to manually manipulate the control. Although Wu eventually gets the plane under control, he later reveals to the Captain that it was manually shut off. Hysteria ensues again when Amber discovers that Steve is dead.
At the same time Wu is working below deck, Jess Li (Jemma Moore) visits Superintendent Simon with the hopes of learning more about Matthew’s incident. It takes a bit of convincing, but he agrees to be forthcoming, as long as she doesn’t mention his name. Much later during their meeting, Simon is called away to deal with an intake matter, leaving Jess alone to see herself out. She takes full advantage of the time and uses his computer to learn about Steve’s death.
While Tiffany Songyun (Xiangyi Tan), Hana, and Ren consult with Captain Chen about Steve’s death, Toni Zhang (Dan Li) appears to be paying Matthew a bit too much attention. Although it cannot be confirmed, the Captain ends up chalking the death to an accidental fall due to the unexpected plane malfunction. Much to Hana’s displeasure and at the risk of tainting the crime scene, Captain Chen opts to have the body moved to the flight attendant’s quarters.
Matthew attempts to learn more about the accident when Tiffany escorts Amber back to her seat. This only enrages, Amber and causes her to blame him for Steve’s death. While Jess researches the connection between Nolan and Steve, MI5 learns of the second from Hana, who calls, demanding to speak with Delaney. Hana wastes little time sharing her suspicions about the death and demands Delaney force the Captain to land the plane. Much to Hana’s surprise, Delaney’s section of MI5 only deals with domestic threats but with the right political pressure, she might be able to force the Captain’s hand. Delaney ends the call by giving Hana her personal number, with the promise to help in any way she can.
Hana investigates on the plane by questioning Amber while Delaney gathers her troops at Thames House. Hana learns that Amber and Steve’s attendance on the flight was unconventional at best. Delaney and her team conclude that the killer has to still be on board. After questioning Amber, Hana recruits Nolan to investigate Steve’s death. Although he is smug about it and consistently reminds her that he’s not a pathologist, he appears to want to help. When they arrive in the attendant’s quarters, it appears that Zhang has already beaten them to the punch. A quick tussle ensues and ultimately ends with Zhang identifying himself as the Air Marshall. This also reveals that Steve was arguing with a female colleague before his death.
Even without pathologist experience, it doesn’t take Nolan long to discover that the death is suspicious. Ligature marks on the wrists all but confirm that he was murdered. In the cabin, Dr. Kate Ward (Lucianne McEvoy) appears especially sketchy and is consuming an unhealthy amount of alcohol. The cause for this is revealed when she approaches Amber with sympathies for Steve’s death. Amber not only immediately lets her know she was aware of the affair but she attacks Kate, which inspires a call down to Toni.
Although Toni insists on Hana staying with Nolan, he convinces her to go help with the situation, allowing him to search for something that he can later use to escape or perhaps protect himself. Amber is taken to the crew area where she is interrogated by Hana and Toni. Toni immediately admits that Steve broke things off with her, against her wanting otherwise. While this takes place, Nolan manages to find the piece of luggage that Tiffany picked up from the terminal’s bathroom earlier. He opts to return the bag to its original location when something in the adjacent room draws his attention. He does manage to retrieve Steve’s phone before Hana returns to snap photos and pass them on to Delaney and her team.
While Amber attempts to dull her pain with alcohol, Tiffany attempts to two deaths with colleague Ren, who sarcastically says you’ll see anything if you fly internationally long enough. An incident soon ensues when Amber insists on being with Steve. Amber is against this but Tony ultimately convinces her to okay the decision. After this is resolved, Hana gets a call from Jess, seeking more information about the case. This conversation reveals a bit more about Jess attempting to throw Hana under the bus to kick-start her career.
Delany isn’t at all happy when she learns that John Tennant (Jonathan Aris) is not only at Thames House but he’s taking over one of the offices. When Delaney approaches him, it becomes clear that there is a bit of strain on their relationship. He doesn’t waste any time letting her know that he doesn’t agree with her tactics regarding Hana.
While Hana and Toni discuss the situation on the plane, Nolan finds an opportune time to use Steve’s phone, only to quickly discover that he’s hampered by the password protocols. He attempts a code but fails right before Hana and Toni join him, with questions about Shen Zhao (Elaine Tan) and his time in China. While that transpires, someone appears to be emerging from a vent in the attendant’s quarters where Amber is drunkenly passed out with Steve’s body.
Red Eye Review
I have to say that this episode was much better than the first. For a 40-something-minute episode, it seemed like the writers packed in as much as they could. Although the story is fairly easy to follow, it still feels as if there is an incredible bit of information being thrown at you are one time. Despite that, there honestly isn’t much to say about the episode.
I do feel that there might be a bit too much emphasis on the backstories, but at least they are somewhat intriguing. I’d give the episode a 5.5 out of 10. I was nearly on the verge of giving up on the series, but this episode pulled me back in, so kudos for that.
Get more Red Eye recaps here. Support Reel Mockery by donating. Learn how advertising with us can help build your brand awareness. Join our newly established forum to discuss new and classic movies and TV shows, celebrity happenings, professional wrestling, and more.
