The show begins with Barbie (Poppy Gilbert) and Ken (Hyoie O’Grady) rolling Tawny Allure’s (Isabelle Connolly) body in a tarp. They drive out to a remote area to dump her body, but first, they put on a Broadway musical. He stops dancing to apologize for inappropriately touching her. When she says it is okay, he touches her booty. She grabs his wrist and says only accidents are okay. They should stick with their pledge. Tawny’s body is dumped over a ravine.

Megan “Cassie” Pierce (Cush Jumbo) searches for her son, Jordan Shaw (Dylan Francis) at a park. Laura Shaw (Tallulah Byrne) calls to alert her Jordan is at home. She receives a call from Dave Shaw’s (Daniel Francis) mother who claims a strange man is in her room. Megan promises someone will come over.

Ray Levine (Richard Armitage) has a flashback of Cassie pole dancing when Stewart Green (Rod Hunt) passes by. Cassie catches up to Ray outside Vipers. He gives her a plastic ring and they kiss. She is anxious when she spots Stewart staring at them. He is brought back to reality when his phone rings. He heads back to his office, where he meets a lady with three young boys. He requests they take a picture of his wall. They are taught how to show viewers what they are thinking when taking photos. Ray describes a picture of Cassie’s face as “very good.” He has another flashback of Cassie smiling and laughing. Rishi finds Cassie’s dancing images on Ray’s computer. He has another flashback of punching someone over and over again.

As Megan arrives at the care home, where Francis is living, Attorney Harry Sutton (Eddie Izzard) calls. He found Stewart’s accountant who said rumors claim Stewart hid a pile of cash before he went missing. Harry says Stewart may not have returned for her, but the cash. Megan inspects her room and finds no one. Francis says she told the man Megan was coming. He asks who is Megan. She shows him a picture of Megan and her family. The man says that’s Cassie. The man is bald. Megan has a flashback of being beaten by Stewart.

Detective Michael Broome (James Nesbitt) and detective Erin Cartwright (Jo Joyner) late the area where Carlton Flynn (Connor Calland) was standing in Ray’s photos. Erin questions what Carlton was doing out there while Broome questions who left the photos. He suggests they interview Guy Tatum’s girlfriend.

Megan arrives home to talk to Jordan. He shows her a letter the man at the park gave him about young people playing video games. He pleads with her to not tell Dave. She opens the envelope to find a picture of her pole dancing. When Dave returns how she tells him about Francis and the strange man. She suggests moving her to a secure location and volunteering to sit with her tonight while he cares for the children.

Broome and Erin visit Guy’s girlfriend, Simona Farr (Ani Osho). Simona and Guy have been dating for about a year. He was last seen on Friday night. She gives them the names of the men with him when he went missing.  They will visit Guy’s workplace. Lorraine Griggs (Sarah Parish) calls Broome to ask for Rudy’s surveillance recorder. He agrees to drop it off at her place after work.

Ray visits Vipers in search of Guy. Ray and Guy visited Vipers the night he went missing. He shows her a picture of a man, which she does not recognize. She tells him Cassie was in a Hospice facility being treated for cervical cancer when she died. Rudy walks into his office and starts screaming for his recorder. Distraught, Ray is standing outside Vipers when Megan’s daughter, Kayleigh Shaw (Bethany Antonia), and her friend, Bea (Rachel Andrews) pull into the parking lot. He follows them into the woods. Kayleigh has a flashback of the night Carlton went missing. She says they are in the area, where he caught up with her. Ray walks up and asks if they were in Vipers Saturday night. He snaps a picture of their car before they have time to leave the parking lot.

Erin teases Broome about seeing Lorraine. Broome asks Leanne Morgan (Steph Lacey) what she is doing at his desk. She says they share desks. He picks up a marker and writes his name on the desk and orders her to get her things and leave. Brian Goldberg (Jack Shalloo) orders Broome to follow him and Carlton’s dad, Del Flynn (Ross Boatman.) Goldberg receives a phone call, leaving Flynn to scold Broome for not finding any leads. Broome tries to discourage him from putting up a significant reward for evidence leading to Carlton’s whereabouts. Erin appears with Rudy’s recorder.

Ray discovers Guy’s body lying in the woods. Broome visits Lorraine’s apartment. She walks up, removes the recorder out of his hands, and kisses him on the lips. He says it isn’t necessary to apologize. They agree to skip the intro.

Megan pulls out of her driveway and immediately pulls to the side of the road to look at the picture of Cassie dancing. She calls Harry to request a meeting with Broome. Harry just got done shooting up drugs. An unknown man is watching Megan as she drives away.

Lorraine and Broome are lying in the bed when Harry calls. He tells Lorraine, he and Erin are divorced by still working together at the police department. She gets ready for work when Broome sees a picture of dancers at Vipers, including Tawny. Broome finds a prescription medicine and says his sister had been prescribed them for cervical cancer. He hesitates to answer a call from Erin. Lorraine tells him to take it. She tells him it is a good way out like nothing happened. He says I must go but promises to return and gives her a kiss.

The police arrive in the woods, where Ray found Guy’s body.  Ray watches from behind a tree. Harry calls to set up the meeting with Cassie Morris. He tells Erin and Brian about the meeting.

Harry receives a call from Cassie. They will meet at the north of the pier at 8:30pm. Broome calls Lorraine as she is called into the doctor’s office.

Ray views the images of Bea’s car. He has a flashback of Kayleigh running through the woods. He finds Kayleigh in photos taken the night Carlton went missing.

Ken and Barbie receive a call from an unknown person who gives them another name.

Cassie arrives at the pier and immediately calls Harry for backup. Broome spots Cassie walking down the pier.

Brian tells Ken the address of Harry’s office as intoxicated Harry stumbles out the door.

 

Stay Close Review

The show gets more bizarre with the episode. Ken and Barbie are ridiculously unconvincing. Their musicals have no purpose in the show, but to annoy viewers.

The relationship between Broome and Lorraine is nice. Unfortunately, the writers didn’t see fit to let it last very long. How Broome continues to tolerate annoying Erin is questionable. She is constantly ridiculing him for something. It goes without question why her new husband has bushy eyebrows.

There is not enough landscape footage. Other than the ruins in the woods and the pier, viewers are provided with little detail of the Town of Ridgewood. In the book, the setting is Atlantic City in New Jersey.

How is it, Megan can escape her old life and start anew in the same town. Until she shows up at Vipers one night, no one knows where she is at. The episode deserves a 5.5.

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