Edge of Darkness — Episode 4: Breakthrough A Review

7th November, 2019.

Yes: I’ve been officially baby sitting my nephew, Jude, tonight.

Believe it or not … ?

We’ve been eating pizza: and watching the assorted Youtube adventures of a gamer called Mr Crainer.

Along side Slogoman and Jelly.

Frankly?

There were a lot of electronic cows involved.

Oh, and exploding cows, chickens, pigs and sheep.

It has to said, it’s one of the few times where I’ve had a deeply passionate conversation about whether that’s an exploding TNT cow, or an exploding TNT sheep.

It was a sheep, so you know.

The thing got sheared.

Look, it makes sense, when you’re eight … and convinced your uncle’s missing the important stuff*.

At any rate, after Jude went home?

I got the TV set to myself.

I fancied something with a distinct lack of electronic animals.

And, given that I’ve been watching Edge of Darkness?

The fourth episode seemed appropriate.

~≈^≈~

Episode 4 — Breakthrough — opens with Craven (Bob Peck) heading back home after a stay in a psychiatric hospital.

Coming home not to a warm fire … but to the enraged McCroon (Sean Caffrey): the man who murdered Emma (Joanne Whalley), Craven’s daughter.

Unfortunately?

McCroon is shot by a police marksman: just on the point of confessing some serious information.

Leading Craven … ?   To co-opt an old friend into sneaking Craven into MI5’s HQ: to the one terminal that has information on Northmoor, its activities, McCroon’s role in it … 

And a map of the waste facilities that Emma Craven had broken into … and ultimately been killed for raiding.

You know, some people wouldn’t be that concerned about that map.

Craven† isn’t ‘some people …’

~≈^≈~

Now … what did I think of Breakthrough … ?

Yep: it’s another fantastic episode.

We have hints that Craven’s job in Northern Ireland was nastier than we though.

McCroon, it seems, is one of a handful of informants Craven trained: who were then abandoned by the their handlers when Craven left the job to tend to his ill wife, Anne.

There’s action: breaking into MI5 to get to one specific terminal, to get information out.   I can’t help but compare that to the most recent episode‡ of Mr Robot I’ve seen.   The action is as high, even though the technology is incredibly different.

Breakthrough^?

Is engaging stuff: engaging … and heading for a show down … 

*        One of these days I’m going to convince Jude that watching a movie will be a good idea: he really didn’t fancy the idea of Detective Pokémon Pikachu or Spiderman: Far From Home.   Any VOD suggestions would be gratefully received.

†        Just as a thought?   Breakthrough features Joe Don Baker as Darius Jedburgh: the CIA man help Craven, and whom Craven asks for help, at the end of the episode.   I’m a Terry Pratchett fan: you knew that, yes?   I’m also a Terry Pratchett fan that thinks Joe Don would be perfect as Mustrum Ridcully!

‡        If I’ve understood things correctly?   Craven breaks into the MI5 HQ to get to one specific terminal: the only one that has a copy of the information that’s needed.   In 405 Method Not Allowed, Elliot and Darlene break into a company’s server farm, in order to establish a systems administrator account: so that they can ‘legitimately’ access the server, remotely, later.   The way I’ve understood the differences in technology?   Back in the 1980s, local computer networks — like the MI5 one in this episode — couldn’t be easily accessed from the internet, or any external network.

^        Just as one last thought … ?   The unpixeliated extra in this shot: of a nameless police diver?   Is in fact, Mat Irvine, Dr Who’s visual effects man for many years.   And they say Clive Barker’s a Renaissance Man!