Spiral: State of Terror

Series four, episodes nine and ten
Bleak barely does justice to tonight’s double bill, as almost everyone hits rock bottom, their weaknesses probed to the limit: Josephine’s self-loathing; Roban’s obsessive sense of fair play; Laure’s impetuousity; Tintin’s stubborness; Gilou’s risk-taking; Pierre’s internal war between integrity and pragmatism.

It all adds up to another gripping instalment, with the customary high-tension set-pieces as Sami proves his worth, first attempting to engineer a rendezvous with some Ozbek goons after Cetin’s release, and then infiltrating a tower block. As with every series, the system is the real villain, encouraging shortcuts and quick wins over meaningful results. Whatever sort of victory can be salvaged by our anti-heroes in next week’s finale, it’s likely to be another compromised one with a heavy price to pay.