As the third episode of The Responder begins, Chris Carson (Martin Freeman) doesn’t want to get out of bed. He opens the bag to look at the drugs once more. Carl Sweeney (Ian Hart) goes to the doctor where she notices the psoriasis is back. Once he gets naked, the doctor says he claimed he was going to make everyone money and instead ran away. Carl says someone took it off his courier who got smashed, but he is going to get it back. When she asks if he has security, he says he has Ian (Philip Shaun McGuinness) and Barry (Mark Womack). She wants collateral in cash. Dr. Diane Gallagher (Christine Tremarco) says they’re going to take over and deal with it now. Carl asks if they’re okay now, but the doctor won’t say one way or another. While driving, Chris gets a call from Carl although he doesn’t answer. He takes the bag full of drugs to his next therapy session. He admits things are going bad at home and work.

The therapist confuses him with someone named James and thinks his wife’s name is Helen. She soon realizes she picked up the paperwork for her 4:30 appointment when Chris is her 4:00 patient. Chris listens as she explains they used to have two therapists and there are more patients now. He responds by saying he is dying right in front of her and she doesn’t even know his name. Once she finds his paperwork, she realizes he is Chris and it has something to do with the boy who fell at the carpark. Chris says he is there because he cried when the boy fell. They agree to try with the time they have left so Chris starts by saying he doesn’t know what is right and wrong anymore. He thought he was doing something good, but it has fucked him now. He asks how you know whether something is right for yourself and them before you do it. She suggests right and wrong is a binary concept when you break it down.

She says it is one of the first things a child learns. If he can clear his mind and use the things they discussed, he’ll know what is right and wrong and he’ll be able to apply that decision to the issue at hand. Chris has to stop her to say that doesn’t help. He says he is going to go, and she’ll hate him, but she doesn’t even know who he is. The therapist tries to apologize although Chris storms out anyway. Once he is gone, she says she hates this job. Chris puts the bag in his trunk before Carl approaches him. He complains about Carl coming to his house even though Carl says he’d never hurt Kate or Tilly. Carl learns he has been seeing his therapist so he asks if he is cracking up again. He goes on to say he is in the shit so he needs Chris’s help finding Casey. He’ll even double his pay to get it. Carl insists he’ll be making Jodie (Faye McKeever) a single mother if he doesn’t help because they’ll kill him. Chris says he’ll be making her a widow before slamming his car door. Chris goes to the station’s evidence lockup where another officer is logging garden gnomes.

The other officer says he’ll be another three hours and this isn’t worth it. Chris puts the bag down and sits next to it. He watches as Paul (Kieran Urquhart) begins putting the gnomes away until he changes his mind and calls Carl. He tells Carl he wants 30k for his assistance. Carl says he doesn’t know where he can get that kind of money, but Chris tells him to just do it. Rachel Hargreaves (Adelayo Adedayo) meets with Raymond Mullen (Warren Brown) to discuss his corruption investigation. She knows Chris has been having other issues. Raymond says he might be struggling to cope, but the corruption came first. When Rachel says she isn’t sure, Raymond says they’re supposed to find the truth as police officers. If he is corrupt, they’ll find out and Rachel will be helping him find out the truth. She says she wants to do what is right. Casey (Emily Fairn) tells Marco (Josh Finan) to come on as he worries she is going to have him whacked. He insists he didn’t have a choice.

Casey says she is just going to get her bag before she learns Marco was supposed to get paid a grand for turning her over. He gives her a Wham bar that he robbed. He also promises he was going to give her half the money. She says he was going to give her 500 quid and instead got her beat up and stole her a Wham bar. Chris arrives at the school to pick up Tilly (Romi Hyland-Rylands) who says they did painting today. Raymond admits he usually sees Kate (MyAnna Buring) before asking about the counseling. Chris gets in his face while calling him a snake. Chris only stops when Tilly asks him to go. Chris says goodbye to Ray’s son Adam (Jude Cooper-Kelly). As they walk away, Ray yells for Tilly to say hello to her mother for him.

Carl tries to borrow the 30k from Ian and Barry. However, they think Carl should be knocking him down, beating him up, and forcing him to cooperate. Barry says he is your mate and there is no more respect for you. That upsets Carl who threatens to come down there and teach him some respect. His daughter Lexie (Lois Cringle) comes out to the car to check on him so he ensures her that everything is fine. Once she goes back inside, Carl tells them they’ve done nothing for him. However, he is told he only has tin legs that he can’t stand upon. Chris takes pills in his squad car while watching other cops move around. Once it is clear, he moves the drugs to the drunk of his squad car. Kate goes out with Ellie (Kerrie Hayes) who agrees to listen to her issues because she is her best mate and only friend. She tells Ellie she only laughs when she is with her nowadays, but she has gone and spoiled it now. Ellie promises she hasn’t spoiled anything. Kate wants to be there for Chris although she doesn’t know what to do.

Ellie argues that nothing good comes from limping out. She suggests it might be time for one of them to make a decision. Chris and Rachel hear a call about lads making trouble in a pub. She tells Chris he looks shattered before she has to repeat it since he wasn’t paying attention. He says thanks. When she brings up last night, Chris says she shouldn’t sweat it, but Rachel feels like she was out of order. He says he was out of order for leaving her and Rachel agrees. Rachel sees the troublemakers and tells him to stop. Chris gets nervous when Rachel grabs her coat from the trunk of the squad car. Chris begins searching the three men. The first one is clean while the second one is caught with drugs. Rachel notices something so she walks away from the scene to get a closer look. While Chris handcuffs the suspect, Rachel finds Steve (Philip Barantini) nearby and asks what the heck he is doing out there. They argue about Steve taking drugs in a pub and hiding while Chris yells for Rachel to come on.

Chris puts the prisoner in the back of the squad car before pulling his baton on the other two. He threatens to kill them if they touch the car. Steve asks Rachel if she is going to arrest her own boyfriend. He believes she’ll lose her job if he is going to lose his. Chris talks to Rachel in private and tells her to make a decision. He promises to back her regardless because she is his partner. Chris says it is just a street bail and a little coke. Steve is her boyfriend and the job is not worth it. She says yes so Chris lets the prisoner out of the vehicle. He gets a call from the babysitter, Lisa (Aimee Palmer). Rachel uncuffs the man before asking Steve to go to his mom’s tonight. He tells her to go to her mom’s or her new boyfriend’s, but Rachel says she only works with him. He relents and says okay. Rachel puts her vest back in the car while Chris calls Kate to let her know she needs to tell him or Lisa where she is going. Since she doesn’t answer, he has to leave a message.

Chris tells Rachel she did well and he’ll bin the drugs unless she wants them. She says she appreciates it. Chris responds by saying don’t mention it, but don’t forget it either. Chris calls Kate for a fourth time as he unlocks his door and steps inside. He apologizes to Lisa and pays her. Then, he tells Rachel to get herself something from the fridge while he checks on Tilly. Carl calls Chris to say he isn’t Pablo Escobar and can’t get the money. He insists the drugs are going to be worthless to Chris without him because nobody will buy it from him. Chris tells him to get the money before the call ends and Tilly walks down the stairs. Tilly complains she doesn’t like it when nobody is where and nobody is ever there. Rachel checks in on them as she is introduced to Tilly. Chris tries to convince Tilly to go to sleep after that. Kate is still drinking at the pub.

Ray arrives and apologizes to Kate because Ellie called him so he had to come. She says it is okay. While they wait for Ellie, Ray tells Kate he misses her and he thinks she misses him too. She says no and he can’t say that. Ellie joins them as the group drives away moments later. In the car, Kate tells Ray that Ellie believes she should leave Chris. Since she wants Ray’s opinion, he suggests it might be a good idea if their relationship isn’t working. Kate talks about starting again and how scary it is to be on your own. Ellie encourages her to do what is best for herself and her daughter. Meanwhile, Rachel tells Chris that his wedding photo is nice. They joke about his Borat-like appearance before Chris asks if she knows he was demoted. Chris insists he was a lot of things, but they were wrong to think he was a bent cop. He never took any money. Kate carried him then and carries him now. He reveals he doesn’t have a pot to piss in. Chris steps outside as Ray drops off Kate and she comes staggering toward him. They begin arguing about their whereabouts and other things.

Kate suggests he is mad because he had to be a father for five minutes. Ray was nice enough to pick her up and Kate claims that is more than Chris would do. Chris asks whether she told him about his counseling sessions since he knew about them. Kate responds by saying half the people on the job know he is having a breakdown so it could be any of them. She sees Rachel in the other room before telling Chris she has been walking away for a long time although he hasn’t noticed. When he asks her to keep her voice down, she asks if she should be as quiet as he is when he loses his temper. Or, she can be as quiet as he is when he sits silent for hours. Kate thought she could get close and help him, but she is worried he is gone now. She knows he tries and they love each other. She still argues that this isn’t good for any of them. Kate wonders if he should just leave.

Chris asks her if she slept with Ray. When she doesn’t answer, he questions if it happened again. Then, he begins cursing. While Chris packs his stuff, Tilly comes in and finds out he is leaving. She asks if it is her fault, but Chris says no and he just needs to get better. He hugs her and tells her he loves her before leaving. Once he gets back in the squad car, he tells Rachel to just leave it. During a traffic stop moments later, Rachel deals with it while Chris sits to the side. Once she finishes, Rachel checks on Chris who says his head is battered. He admits a lot of it has to do with Kate and tonight, but his mom is dying too. She has cancer. He complains that the care home fees are killing him because she just won’t die. Now, he is homeless. Chris reveals he sometimes wishes he would just drive until he runs out of fuel before getting out and walking away from it all. She says she understands how he feels. Chris asks how long she has been with Steve. Rachel says it has been too long. Once they leave, Chris stops at a convenience store and lets Rachel go in alone.

While she is inside, Chris looks up some guy on his police computer and writes down some of the information he finds. Before Rachel returns to the vehicle, we see that the man’s name is Dominic Carver. Then, he decides to go back in to change the drink she bought him. Rachel calls Ray to find out what he was doing at Chris’s house. Ray explains his wife knows Chris’s wife. Although he says it has nothing to do with the operation, Rachel says he should’ve told her. She goes on to say she isn’t cool with this since being mates is a conflict of interest. Rachel doesn’t think Chris is dodgy although she suspects he isn’t well. Ray asks her to trust his experience. Chris waits for the clerk to finish with a customer trying to buy gas before asking about the phones behind the counter. He asks for one that is charged and with a 10-pound credit. Rachel watches as Chris finishes upfront and goes to the restroom.

In the bathroom, Chris calls someone who doesn’t know him to say he has some coke to sell. The man asks if he is Iggy. He suspects Chris is pulling his leg so he decides to hang up on him. Meanwhile, Marco and Casey talk about living around here although she says he couldn’t afford it. She doesn’t think he could live around here even if he won the lottery because he is thick. Casey confesses she would’ve done the same with Carl and the money because a grand is a grand. They joke around a bit before Marco throws a big branch across the road and sets off a car alarm. In the morning, Marco is nearly attacked by Casey’s granddad who thinks he is an intruder. Casey stops him before he can though. Rachel knocks on the door to talk to Mrs. Jones who says Alana (Kalli Tant) is schizophrenic. Mrs. Jones (Jane Hogarth) complains that Alana keeps coming back and she can’t do this anymore. Rachel listens to her before speaking to Alana who believes the Sheriff of Nottingham is after her.

Alana hides in the garbage bin and argues about taking her medication. Chris gets angry and says they don’t have time for this. He rolls the bin over to the squad car and forces Alana to get out. He takes her back while Rachel goes to grab them a couple of coffees. When Chris goes inside, Rachel looks in the trunk of the vehicle. She grabs a cellphone from the bag and calls a specific number before deleting all traces of it and putting the phone back. While Chris sits with Alana, she asks if he is okay and they agree it has been a rough night. He asks her if she is schizophrenic before confessing he has anxiety and depression. She learns he is taking Sertraline with 100 mil doses. Alana tells him he might want to up the dosage, take some time off work, and get some sleep. When she says he looks like shit, Chris reminds her she lives in a bin. Rachel joins them with coffees. Alana tells Rachel what she told Chris about taking time off work, but Chris tells her to stay out of it. They hear someone screaming in the distance.

Alana admits you get used to it. When they finally return to the station, they agree to keep the night’s events between them. She asks him about buying the phone at the petrol station and why he secretly looked at the intel system. He claims he wanted a new phone away from Kate and the intel thing is his job. Since Rachel doesn’t seem convinced, Chris tells her he looked after her tonight. She offers to listen to him if he is struggling. He says thanks before they leave. Rachel calls Ray to tell him what Chris did and that she got the phone number for the burner phone. Chris gets upset when he breaks his shoestring and slams the shoe against a locker. Then, he gets a call from someone asking if he wants 30k. Dr. Diane Gallagher says a friend called to say he talked to him about something that belongs to her. She is the one who’ll pay him for it. He tells her how much coke he has and explains he only needs 30k.

She tells him to come to Calderstones Park at eight and the car park off Yew Tree. If he brings it, he’ll get the money. If he doesn’t, he’ll be sorry. Carl sleeps with a gun. He gets a call from Diane who confirms she spoke to his policeman friend because he reached out to Dominic Carver trying to sell her drugs. She says David and Marcus will be there although Carl offers to sort him out. Jodie listens to Carl as he says he’ll let him know he was out of order. Diane tells him to come to the Calderstones at eight. Marco tells Casey’s grandpa he isn’t her boyfriend so he says that is a relief. Chris finds a near-identical car and swaps the number plates. Then, he goes to the meeting point and Carl jumps in with him. Carl says he is saving his life. He says they won’t hurt him because he is his mate. Chris is asked about the gear. He gets out and grabs the bag before asking about the money. Carl offers to give him a few bob when this is all over.

Although Chris says he needs it, Carl insists he thinks he does but doesn’t. He tells Chris he is dodging a bullet. Chris eventually hands over the bag, gets in the car, and curses them. Carl and the others wait as Marcus tests the cocaine. He asks Carl to test it. He does and doesn’t like what he snorts. Marcus tells him it is washing powder. Casey shows the drugs to Marco and her grandparents. Chris watches as one of the men stabs Carl in the stomach and he drops to the ground. Chris speeds away while freaking out.

 

The Responder Review

The Responder is getting better with each episode as Chris digs a hole deeper for himself. Now, Diana Gallagher and her partners know who Chris Carson is and what he has done. Carl was killed when Diane’s men found out that the drugs were replaced with washing powders. Surprisingly, Casey still has the drugs and she has teamed up with Marco and her grandparents to sell them.

The episode had a good combination of humor and drama. I am eager to see what is going to happen next. The episode scores an 8 out of 10. All recaps of The Responder will be available on Reel Mockery here. Find out how to support the Reel Mockery project by following this link.