Monday 30 November 2015

Spectre Review

SPOILER ALERT


So if you ignore every single James Bond film between the Man with the Golden Gun and Die Another Day, I have finally caught up on James Bond.

How it all goes down: 

The film opens in Mexico with James Bond (Daniel Craig) hunting down Marco Sciara, an assassin behind a terrorist attack.  Bond kills Sciara, but having stepped out of line once too often, he is taken off field duty and grounded.  Disobeying direct orders, he travels to Rome to attend Sciara's funeral and discovers that he is a member of Spectre, a criminal organisation that makes its first appearance since Diamonds are Forever.  Bond finds that Spectre is being headed by Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Christoph Waltz) and works to stop his plan to gain political power through his Nine Eyes Program.  The Nine Eyes program is designed to replace the 007 program by instead constructing a global surveillance and intelligence co-operation initiative between nine member states.

What worked:

What struck me instantly about this film was Daniel Craig.  Whilst, I didn't like his portrayl of Bond in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, I feel that he has relaxed more into the role within Skyfall and Spectre.  The opening chase scene sees him calmly walking across the Mexican rooftops.  He does this confidently and suavely.  If this was Casino Royale of Quantum, I would have half-expected him to fall off.  

Similarly, to Skyfall, I also really liked this film due to how it was so character-driven.  Bond attends Sciarra's funeral to honour Judi Dench's M's final wishes.  He takes care of Madeline Swann (Lea Seydoux) after her father, Mr White, kills himself.  I really liked the character-driven plot, as it made the film more identifiable and relatable.  I thought the broken family narrative worked well, as it is something that audiences could relate to.  It gave the film a good dramatic tension and kept it engaging.  Seeing the different characters interact with each other was much more interesting than watching explosion after chase scene after explosion after chase scene after explosion after chase scene after explosion.  That was tedious and repetitive right? Now you know how I feel after having watching Quantum of Solace.

The acting was great all around.  I've already mentioned Daniel Craig, but special mention has to go to Christoph Waltz.  Despite not having the most screentime, Christoph Waltz dominates and controls every scene that he appears in.  He is calm, calculating and utterly enthralling.  I also thought that the supporting cast were very good.  Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris and Ben Whishaw who play M, Moneypenny and Q respectively played very well off each other.  It was nice to see the three of them actually do something in a film, as they all work well together.


One of the most enjoyable things about this film though was Madeline Swann.  It was great to see a Bond girl do something more than just have sex with Bond and die.  I really liked her character and Lea Sedoux portrayed her well.


What didn't work:

Thinking about it now, I think that the narrative wasn't as strong as it could be.  Whilst I really liked M, Q and Moneypenny working together in London to prevent C, the head of newly merged MI5 and MI6, from launching the Nine Eyes Program.  I find it a little disappointing that Ernst Blofeld had orchestrated the Nine Eyes Program.  I just think that this is a little unimpressive for Blofeld.  C was a strong enough villain to carry the Nine Eyes Program narrative and Blofeld could have had a separate narrative or one that went a little further than just gaining political power by creating a global surveillance network.  As leader of a criminal organisation, I expected Blofeld to be more ambitious than that.


What was Ugly:

Mr Hinx, Blofeld's violent enforcer, is introduced in a scene where he gouges out somebody's eyes, which was definitely the ugliest scene in the film.


Rating:

Good.

So, this film is good.  I thought the acting was commendable, the supporting cast was strong and Daniel Craig was great as Bond.  It's just a shame that Blofeld's motivations as a villain weren't nearly as ambitious or convincing as I expected them to be.  Either way, as Spectre was the villain that James Bond encountered in Dr No,it still very much is the Godfather of James Bond villains.


Wednesday 25 November 2015

Dr Strangelove or how I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

SPOILER ALERT


How it all goes down:

Made in the height of the Cold War and just two years after the Cuban Missile Crisis, Dr Strangelove or how I learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, focuses on the tensions felt by both the Americans and Russians in the aftermath of the arms race and the threat of mutually assured destruction.  The film follows the insane American General Ripper (Sterling Hayden) who after suspecting that the Soviet Union is planning on poisoning the water supply of the American people. General Ripper under the false pretence of a war order from the Pentagon, sends a wing of American fighters to drop nuclear bombs on Russia.  Only General Ripper has the power to recall these ships by using a secret code.

His executive officer, Captain Mandrake (Peter Sellers) desperately tries to stop him.  This narrative is paralleled with a separate storyline that sees President Merkin Muffley, also played by Peter Sellers, also desperately looking into how the nuclear missiles can be stopped with the help of the overly zealous General Buck Turgidson and the Soviet ambassador Alexei de Sadeski..  The stakes are raised higher when it is revealed that the Soviet Union have installed a "Doomsday Device:" many buried bombs jacketed with CoIbalt-Thorium G that will explode in the event of a nuclear strike, thus wiping out life on Earth.  President Muffley calls upon his scientific advisor, ex-Nazi Dr Strangelove, Peter Sellers in his third role, to help provide a solution.

What worked:

This film is good.  It's not outstanding, but it's good.  I think one reason it worked is because it is really weird.  It's classified as a political satire black comedy film and I could definitely see the comedy in this film.  For a film that deals with topics as dark as mutually assured destruction and nuclear holocausts, it has to have some comedy to stop it from becoming too morbid.  The comedy in this film works exactly to this effect.  In what should be some of the film's most dramatic and tensest moments, the audience is greeted to some some seemingly out-of-place moments of comedy.  For example, during the scenes in the war-room, a scuffle breaks out between General Turgison and the Soviet Ambassador after the latter is found with a listening device.  The fact that this scuffle breaks out in the War Room amongst grown men who are diplomats and military advisors serves to break up the tension of this scene.  It is so abrupt and sudden that you can't help but laugh at it. 

Another example of the comedy is when Captain Mandrake who is desperately trying to place a call to the President to tell him of the deactivation code lacks the necessary change to make the call.  He, thus, orders an American colonel to shoot the lock of a vending machine so that Mandrake can use the change from there.  The American colonel responds that if  he gets into trouble for this then Mandrake will have to answer to the Coca-Cola company.  Again, this humour is bizarre, abrupt and seemingly out-of-place, yet it still works.  Whilst, it is weird, it again relaxes the tension of the scene. The suddenness of the incident completely subverts the viewer's expectations and keeps them interested in what's happening.  


Peter Sellers is undoubtedly the best part of this film.  He plays three separate roles, but he plays them so differently and so well, that all they seamlessly merge into one.  Each character is so different from one another, that it is difficult to believe that it just one actor who is playing them all.  From the stiff and proper Captain Mandrake to the more reserved President Muffley, whose telephone conversation with the Soviet Union Premier Dmitri Kissoff is absolutely hilarious, to the Dr. Strangelove who looks like an evil genius, Peter Sellers is great in every role.

What didn't work:

I think that the film took a little while to get going.  The beginning wasn't as nearly as interesting or as engaging as the middle or ending of the film.  Whilst I definitely felt the tension as it progressively built through the film, I think the beginning was a little boring.  Also, whilst in some parts, the zany humour was effective, due to how it portrayed the farcical nature of the situation, in others it was just so weird that it detracted from the film.  For example, despite receiving the deactivation code, the Americans are able to recall all but one plane.  After the bomb doors of the plane gets stuck, the plane's pilot straddles the bomb to manually force them open.  When the bomb is eventually released, the pilot hollers and cheers as it falls to Earth. Whilst this was funny, I'm not sure how realistic it is.  

Also the ending was just plain weird.  It was too abrupt and sudden to feel like an ending.  The film ends with the hitherto wheelchair bound Dr. Strangelove suddenly being able to walk and screaming "Mein Fuhrer, I can walk," before the film cuts to a montage of nuclear detonations accompanied by Vera Lynn's "We'll meet Again." This was just plain weird and really didn't fit in with the rest of the film.  Whilst many moments of the film are anomalous, but still work, this was not one of them.  It was just too sudden and bizarre.

What was ugly:

I was watching this with my housemate Anna and when, near the beginning of the film, there is a brief interaction between General Turgidson and his mistress Miss Scott, who is also the only woman in the film.  Anna complained that whilst male members were greeted to the bikini-clad Miss Scott, female members had to endure the hairy-chested, beer-bellied General Turgidson.  


Rating: Weird


Wow.  This film is so zany that it has warranted its own rating.  Don't get me wrong, I did like this film.  It was tense and funny, but it was just completely bizarre at times.  It was weird.  I'm not sure how else to describe it really.  Regardless, of its weirdness this film really was a complete spectacle to watch.

Click here to read my review of Spectre

Sunday 22 November 2015

My Neighbour Totoro Review

SPOILER ALERT


Welcome to my second Studio Ghibli film and I'm sure it won't be the last.  Whilst this film is number 137 on the top 1000 greatest films of all time that's not the reason I'm watching and reviewing it now.  After me and my housemate Anna watched Spirited Away, we were in the mood for watching another Studio Ghibli film. On hand we had either Princess Monoke or My Neighbour Totoro and we opted for the much more light-hearted My Neighbour Totoro.

How it all goes down:

Set in post-war rural Japan, Tatsuo Kusakabe and his two daughters Sasuki and Mei move into a country house, where they can be closer to their mother who is in hospital recovering from a long term illness.  One day when Sasuki is at school, Mei follows two rabbit-like creatures into the nearby forest, where she meets Totoro, the spirit of the forest.  When the sisters find out that their mother won't be coming home as soon as they expected, Mei decides to attempt the three hour walk to the hospital to give her mum a present of some freshly grown corn.  Upon getting lost, Sasuki leads a desperate search to find her with help from Totoro.

What works:

What I love most about this film is its simplicity.  Spirited Away works so well due to how it combines so many elements together into one single film and My Neighbour Totoro works for the opposite reason.  At heart the film is a story about a little girl trying to bring a present to her sick mother to make her feel better.  There aren't any explosions or plot-twists just a simple character-driven narrative that works extremely well.  One reason it works is because of the excellent inventions of Totoro and also the Catbus, which Totoro travels around in.  Both of which have become icons of Studio Ghibli and they are both adorable and extremely creative.  They are friendly and welcoming towards the viewer.  I would love a life-sized Totoro cushion or a Totoro onesie.  *Cough cough* Christmas present idea *Cough cough*


The music in this film is also great.  Whilst, I have always considered Spirited Away as having the best sound track, My Neighbour Totoro also has some great music in it, such as its happy theme song.  The character-driven narrative also lent itself to some brilliant instances of dramatic tension.  After Mei had become lost and Sasuki was desperately trying to find her, I felt that the suspense and drama was very immediate, which is surprising considering that this is only a cartoon.  It kept me engaged throughout and I liked the supporting cast which were constituted of an array of great characters, from the wonderfully awkward Kanta to his loving and caring grandmother.


The film was also animated brilliantly especially Totoro.  Some of the funniest moments of the film emerge from his interactions with Mei.  From his wide eyes to his iconic Cheshire cat grin to him shivering when raindrops fall on him, every single animation of Totoro bring charm and humour to the film.  


What didn't work:
It is difficult to fault this film really.  It is funny, charming and very entertaining.  Whilst you can argue that Mei and Sasuki are a little annoying throughout the film, I think this is only because the English dubbed version of the film has them voiced by American actresses, thus making them sound brattish and whiny.  That notwithstanding, I do feel that something holds it back.  Perhaps it's the short run time. Maybe in a two hour film, rather than just 90 minutes, we'll get to find out more about Totoro, whom I would have liked to learn more of.


What was ugly:

Whilst watching this film, Anna told me about a dark fan theory, which the film-makers have denied is true.  She said that Totoro is the God of death and only those close to death can see him.  When Mei goes missing and what is thought to be her sandal is found in a pond, Mei actually drowned.  Sasuki then kills herself over the guilt she feels for Mei's death.  After the two girls find out their mother won't be coming home, they get into a fight and Sasuki harshly chastises Mei, leading to the latter running away.  To whoever thought up this theory, what the hell is wrong with you? Why would you want to turn an adorable children's film like this into something as dark as concerning death and suicide? Seriously? Why would you do this? You're ruining my childhood!

Rating: 

Awesome.

Another great Studio Ghibli film and one of my favourites.  It is an excellent celebration of childhood innocence and discovery and is definitely one to watch if you're an anime fan!

Friday 20 November 2015

Skyfall Review

SPOILER ALERT


So this film is #516 on the top 1000 films of all time, but I'm watching it as it brings me one step closer to catching up on my James Bond films.

How it all goes down: 

In James Bond's darkest and most personal mission yet, he is sent to apprehend Raoul Silva, a former MI6 agent who after being humiliated and betrayed by M decides to take revenge on her and MI6.

What works: 

This film is good.  I enjoyed it much over Casino Royale and it was so much better than Quantum of Solace.  I liked it so much, as the action was much more immediate.  Unlike Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, I actually felt the tension and suspense.  I preferred it much more than its predecessors, as it was much more character-driven.  Rather than being over-saturated with action sequences and chase scenes, it focused on the backstories of M and Bond.  I found it much more interesting learning about the different characters than watching explosion after explosion after explosion.  It made the film a lot more personal and engaged me more.


Skyfall worked so well, due to how it had such a good villain.  I really liked how Raoul Silva was portrayed.  He was given a good backstory and good motivations.  I could sympathise with his character.  In its portrayl of Raoul Silva, I think that this film also gave a more realistic portrayl of what it's like to be a spy.  Rather than romanticising British Intelligence, Skyfall explores how spies are essentially just used by their employers and then dispensed off when they've run their course.  Javier Bardem played the role very well.  Silva was ruthless, yet also quite pitiful and Bardem played the role with a delicate precision.  He was intimidating and scary, yet also very understanding.  To some extent, I could empathise with his pain.


The action sequences were good, due to how they were used in moderation and were executed well. For example, the shootout at Skyfall was extremely atmospheric, due to how it was brilliantly lit. The dark interior shots complemented by the moonlight helped to keep this scene really dramatic and engaging.  I also really liked the chase scene through the London Underground.  As a native Londoner, it was refreshing to be able to recognise some of the locations in this film.  This also helped keep the film more engaging for me, more so than when it was set in Bolivia or Madagascar.


The musical score for this film was also great with each track fitting the scene perfectly.  I was also more convinced by Daniel Craig in this film.  He seemed more confident in the role and wasn't falling over himself during the chase sequences.  Three films in and this makes perfect sense.  007 has adapted well to having his 'license to kill' and Craig has adapted to his new role as James Bond.

What didn't work:

As a James Bond film, it is only to be expected that your suspension of disbelief is pushed a little far. Whilst this is mostly forgivable for a film of this nature, it certainly worked to undermine the opening sequence where Bond is fake-killed.  Being shot by a sniper from a moving train into a river flowing towards a waterfall would kill anyone regardless of whether they're James Bond or not.  However, because James Bond is James Bond he survives.  This lack of credibility did hurt the dramatic tension of the film.  If the film-makers wanted us to think that James Bond was dead, they shouldn't have "killed" him in such a fantastic fashion.  They also should have waited longer to reintroduce him and omitted the out of scene segment of Bond attempting to retire.  Also, Bond should have died of hypothermia after he escaped from the frozen loch.

With the exception of M, the female characters in this film were largely useless.  Other than shooting Bond, Moneypenny doesn't really do much and Severine also does nothing except for sleeping with Bond and dying.  As the films are notoriously sexist, it doesn't really come as any surprise that the female roles are so poorly written, but I would like to see the female characters do something more other than having sex and dying.


What was ugly:

M openly admits that she's a bad shot after she misses one of Raoul's soldiers in Skyfall.  I don't understand how you get to be the head of MI6 by being a bad shot.

Rating: 

Awesome.

So that's a first: a James Bond film that I can say I thoroughly enjoyed.  It kept me engaged, didn't overdo its action sequences and had a great villain.  I have to say that I am looking forward to seeing Spectre next weekend.  I'm sure it'll be a great neighbour to Skyfall.

Wednesday 18 November 2015

Quantum of Solace Review

SPOILER ALERT

Unsurprisingly, this film was not on the top 1000 films of all time.  My housemates have constantly warned me that this is the worst Daniel Craig film and said that I'm better off not watching it.  For the sake of continuity I decide to watch it and I wish I hadn't really.

How it all goes down: James Bond, still recovering from the death of the latest in a long line of Bond Girls, is sent on a new mission.  In this exploit, he has to stop the ruthless businessman Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), who is part of the mysterious organisation Quantum, who plans to overthrow the Bolivian government and install General Medrano (Joaquin Cosio) as the leader.  In return, Greene hopes to monopolise Bolivia's water supply and use it to fund future Quantum operations.

What worked: The shorter than usual length time!

What didn't work: As to be expected from a James Bond film, this film is more action than any proper narrative.  However, I think that Quantum of Solace takes this a little too far.  The film is absolutely dominated by chase scenes and action sequences, including four within the opening thirty minutes, that leave it convoluted and bloated.  Most of the time I didn't know what was happening and quite frankly I didn't particularly care.  The film was so saturated with these that I got pretty bored.  Also, just like Casino Royale, I was still very surprised to still see Bond constantly falling over himself in the chase sequences.  I read in reviews of Casino Royale that this was effective, as it shows us how Bond is still assimilating to his new double 00 status, but I call bullshit.  If you want James Bond to be a suave, sophisticated, fit, athletic, man's man, then don't have him tripping over his bloody shoelaces!


I also didn't think the villains were very effective.  If Dominic Greene was successful in installing General Medrano as leader of Bolivia, then he would have essentially just been a puppet leader.  I have seen this before in films and I thought it was quite a cliched, hackneyed thing to do.  Also, I thought it was very careless that Bond left Greene alive at the end of the film.  I know that Greene dies in the desert, but what if he had survived? What if he had returned and plotted up a new scheme for destroying the world? Bond would be feeling pretty stupid then, wouldn't he? This certainly doesn't raise my perception of Daniel Craig's James Bond.


I really didn't like the character of Strawberry Fields.  Aside from her utterly ridiculous name, she was completely superfluous to the plot.  Except for sleeping with Bond and dying, she does virtually nothing for her short tenure in the film.  Well, I guess she also made Bond say the stupidest line in the entire film: "can you help me find the stationary?" Bond says this line to charm Strawberry Fields into sleeping with him.  Firstly, the line makes no sense as it is essentially meaningless.  Secondly, it is also completely nonsensical that James Bond has to use a line as ridiculous as that to bed a girl.  He is James fecking Bond.  He is a charmer, a womanizer, a lady's man.  All he needs to do is just raise an eyebrow to make a woman weak at the knees.  In an earlier moment of the film, Bond charms a telephone operator, a perfect stranger, into lying about his whereabouts with no mention of stationary. If he can charm a stranger like this, why does he have to say something so ludicrous?


What was ugly: "Can you help me find the stationary?" Seriously...seriously? On what planet does anybody ever use this as a pickup line?

Rating: Alright

So this film did nothing to convince me to carry on watching James Bond.  The dialogue was cheesy, the characters were bad and it was oversaturated with action sequences.  Thank God, it had a shorter run time than previous films.  At times it was so bad I wanted the sky to fall on me.

Sunday 15 November 2015

Casino Royale Review

SPOILER ALERT


So, whilst this film is #366 on the top 1000 greatest films of all time, I'm watching and reviewing it for a different reason.  I've never been too big into James Bond.  They've never particularly interested me.  I did try watching them all, but I got up to the Man with the Golden Gun and got bored, so I gave up.  However, people keep badgering me to watch Spectre and as I haven't seen the other Daniel Craig films, I figured that I should start with Casino Royale.

How it all goes down: In Daniel Craig's first outing as James Bond, the film opens with a flashback of Bond obtaining his double 00 status through killing a corrupt MI6 chief.  In the present day, the enigmatic Mr White introduces a Ugandan freedom fighter to the French Terrorist Le Chiffre, and the film's antagonist. (Mads Mikklesen) The Ugandan Warlord entrusts a large sum of money to Le Chiffre who uses the money to short sell stock in an aerospace company.  However, when this plan goes awry, Le Chiffre organises a large-scale poker game in Casino Royale to pay back his employers.  MI6 believing that they can use Le Chiffre to to aid the British government send Bond into the poker game to defeat Le Chiffre.

What worked: I really liked some of the stylistic elements of Casino Royale.  I felt that some aspects were aesthetically pleasing.  I thought the monochrome flashbacks looked impressive and they suited the nature of the flashbacks well.  Some of the action sequences were enjoyable as well.  The film's opening chase sequence was thrilling to watch and I enjoyed the free-running element of it.  


What didn't work: As you probably can tell, I didn't enjoy this film all too much.  It reminded me of why I went off James Bond in the first place.  In too many places, it substituted any sense of narratives for explosions and excitement.  Even though, I did like the opening sequence, I felt that it wasn't as nearly as tense or dramatic as it could have been, as my housemate Charlotte quite rightly pointed out, "the fight scenes are boring, as you know that James Bond will win them," although you could apply this argument to any film of this nature.  Although, I do agree with Charlotte here.  I felt that the chase and fight scene, whilst impressive, could have been condensed.  Having said that, Martin Campbell also directed the Green Lantern, so I can understand why Casino Royale was boring in places.


I was also vastly disappointed by the inclusion of Mads Mikkelsen.  Considering how brilliant he is as TV's Hannibal Lecter, I was expecting much from him in this film.  This isn't the actor's fault though, but Martin Campbell's.  Mads Mikkelsen was good when he actually appeared in the film, but he was shamefully underused.  Other than the infamous torture scene and a little bit of sneering and glaring, here and there, he does very little.  I was also disappointed in how he died, effectively like a chump.  Bearing in mind, how he is the big bad antagonist of Casino Royale, film convention dictates that he should die after an epic fight scene with James Bond, not having such a mundane death as being shot in the head by the far less interesting Mr White.

One thing did confuse me in the film's opening chase scene.  Whilst the bomb maker Mollaka uses parkour to skillfully run away, James Bond continually crashes into walls, bounces off ceilings, falls over and generally just makes a fool out of himself.  This confused me, because as James Bond, I expected him to be suave, athletic and well not tripping over his shoelaces.  I don't know whether this was intentional.  Maybe it was to show how new he was to the field or maybe it was misdirection or just poor direction, but regardless Bond looked silly and it didn't give me a great impression of Daniel Craig.  


Whilst James Bond is supposed to be more dramatic than realistic, I felt that at times it really pushes the suspension of disbelief a little far.  Here, I must once again turn to my housemate Charlotte who pointed out a number of unrealistic incidents.  Firstly, in the film's initial chase sequence, where Bond makes a fool of himself by falling off and over everything, he doesn't have a scratch.  Secondly, after Bond chases after Le Chiffre who has captured Vesper and has left her tied up on the road, Bond swerves his car and flips it.  The car then barrel-roles, but of course Bond is fine.  However, Charlotte thought that the most unforgivable instant was when Vesper is trapped underwater and in Bond's attempts to rescue her, she drowns, but Bond doesn't.  Even though, Bond was underwater for the same amount of time, he suffered no ill consequences.  


What was ugly: No scene in this film was uglier than Le Chiffre torturing Bond.


Rating: Meh

So this film reminded me why I went off James Bond in the first place.  Not a great start really! Oh well.  Onwards and upwards to Quantum of Solace, although from what people have told me about that, I'm not sure that will spark an interest in James Bond either...

Wednesday 11 November 2015

Hunted Episode Six Review

SPOILER ALERT

Premise: Last episode of the series and there are only four fugitives left.  Will any of them make it to the full 28 days?

Fugitives:

Stephen Cole and Martin Hardiker:

The episode opens on fugitives Stephen Cole and Martin Hardiker who have been on the run for three weeks. They've been able to stay off the Hunter's radar by living rough and cycling along canals.  The Hunters who are becoming increasingly frustrated decide to freeze Stephen and Martin's bank accounts, as the pair haven't withdrawn any money since the start of their time on the run.  However, the pair soon realise what has happened after their bank cards are rejected.  Using a hired minivan, they are able to make a quick getaway.  However, the Hunters are able to figure out where they are from the cameras in the ATM machines.  By hacking into Martin's girlfriend's Twitter, they find out that Stephen and Martin are using bikes to travel around the British canal network.  The Hunters further pile on the pressure by launching an extensive, targeted media campaign on the pair, which they find out when Martin uses a VPN to go on their Facebooks.  When Stephen and Martin go on the Twitter, we see a touching moment where their SOs give them advice and tell them to keep on going.  Stephen says "I think that means they still love us" and Martin retorts "of course, they love us, you dick!" The relationship the pair share is what made them so likeable in the first place.  This charm offsets very well with the intense pressure that the pair are feeling.  It is obvious that they are psychologically battered from the experience, but the fact that they can still laugh and joke around is what makes them my favourites to win.

As part of the media campaign for Stephen and Martin, the Hunters make an appeal to the public to bring forward any information possible.  They hack into Stephen and Martin's facebook to change their profile pictures to wanted posters and they also begin questioning people along canal towpaths. Whilst in Staffordshire, Martin uses a VPN to go on their social media, which is where they find out that there is a wanted campaign for them.  This is when they decide to change their tactics by dumping their bikes and moving into the city.  Again, we see more of the pair's charm, when Stephen pretends to be emotional about leaving his bike and Martin says "you fucking hate that bike!"

Emily Dredge:

After Emily narrowly escapes the Hunters in the last episode, when she risks a trip home to see her baby son Ernest, she takes shelter at a local caravan park in Dartford, Kent.  When asking whether there is anywhere to stay, Emily is invited back home to stay with two new accomplices.  I really liked seeing this. Throughout the series we see the fugitives rely heavily on the kindness of strangers, which is very touching to see.  Emily says that the only way she has gotten so far by how good she is at charming people and, as much as I dislike Emily, I do have to give her credit for this.  She is very good with people.  Out of all of the fugitives, she's gotten the furthest by relying on other people.  However, whilst on the home stretch, with a week left to go, Emily once again messes up by phoning home using the phone of one of her accomplices, Dawn Blackmore.  The Hunters are of course monitoring this call and locate Emily, but she is able to escape through how Dawn takes her to stay with her daughter Marnie and her housemate Jack in their student house in Canterbury.  The Hunters question Dawn who lies through her teeth for Emily, but looking at Dawn's Facebook, they realise that Dawn's daughter Marnie attends Christ Church University in Canterbury.  The Hunters think that Emily is staying with Marnie and go to catch her.

Lauren English:

We find out that Lauren has hitch-hiked her way to Wales in this episode.  Whilst doing so, she befriends two new accomplices who invite her to stay at their farm, which is very quiet.  This is where we also see Lauren's fragile state of mind, where she initially thinks her accomplice's blue, battered old car is a big, black 4x4.  In a move similar to Stephen and Martin, the Hunters also unleash a targeted media campaign on her, which severely spooks Lauren, in much the same way it did Ricky Allen.  

The Extraction

It is at this point with two days left on the run that they find out that they have to make a bid for freedom at one single extraction point: Fairoaks Airport Surrey.  All four fugitives have to escape via one single airplane.  They are not safe until the plane is in the air.  The Hunters are told the same information, but are not told where the extraction point is.  They initially rule out air and train travel, as there are too many documentation checks.  Deputy Chief Peter Bletchley, who was once a high-ranking undercover police officer, theorises the fugitives may escape on a private boat down the River Thames, when there is no such documentation checks.

Meanwhile, the fugitives all make their bids for freedom:

Stephen and Martin, who have travelled 500 miles on bicycle, foot and public transport from the Midlands to Wales and then to Surrey befriend an accomplice who lives on the doorstep of Fairoaks Airport and allows them to camp in the garden. It is whilst on this last night on the run that we see Stephen's devotion to this family.  He says that best thing about being able to end his time on the run is that he gets to see his girlfriend and his boys.  It is this devotion that made me like Stephen and Martin so much.

Lauren has evaded capture by hitch-hiking 800 miles across the UK and to reach the extraction point, one of her accomplices drives her to her sister's house in Reading, where Lauren spends her last night on the run only an hour away from the extraction point.  It is here that we finally see the pair speak some good about each other.  Lauren confesses that she is missing Emily and hopes to see her at the extraction point.  This was very touching to see and it redeems the pair for all of their bickering within the earlier episodes.

Emily has stayed off the Hunter's radar by being unpredictable.  From hitch-hiking to one end of the UK and back again, before diverting off to the East Coast, she has remained undetected.  She spends her last night as a fugitive in a pub in Chillam, 75 miles away from the extraction point.

It is now that the tension really heats up.

The Chase:

Upon questioning Marnie and Jack, the Hunters find out that Emily has to travel to Surrey in order to escape by plane.  They find out this information thanks to JACK, greedy, annoying, selfish Jack who sold Emily out for the £250.  The Hunters then start narrowing down airfields, ruling out private and military airfields.  I remember watching this and being on the edge of my seat, due to just how tense it was.  Here I must commend the show for how dramatic it has been.  With three hours left to go, the Hunters make use of how all airlines have to log a manifesto of all of their passengers.  Using this, they spot the fugitives' names on a flight from Fairoaks Airport.  From here, the Hunt really is on.

Whilst the Hunters desperately try to prevent the plane from taking off, the fugitives all make a desperate last dash for freedom.  One of the Hunters says that if the airport is controlled, they can prevent the play from taking off.  Meanwhile, all four ground teams aim to get to the airport before the fugitives. Emily hitches a lift to Surrey and then gets a family friend to drive her to the airport.   Stephen and Martin receive a lift from their new accomplices and Lauren is driven by her new accomplice.  Only minutes behind them are the Hunters.

Emily is the first to reach the airfield, where she reunites with Lauren and the two make it safely aboard the airplane.  It was great to see the two reunite, as we finally got to see how close the two really are and how they happy they are to be back together.  I guess that the psychological pressures of being on the run can fracture even the strongest of friendships.  They initially believe that they are the only ones who have made it, until Stephen and Martin burst onto the plane, and the four, rather bizarrely, then share a group hug.  Even though, the Hunters are behind them, they are too late.  The plane takes off and all four fugitives are safe.

14 fugitives had to go on the run for 28 days.  4 of them made it to freedom.

The Verdict:

So my initial reaction when Stephen, Martin, Emily and Lauren escaped was intense happiness. I was so overjoyed that all some fugitives were able to escape the Hunters, especially when there were so few of them left.  I was even happier to see Stephen and Martin escape, as they were my favourites to win after Ricky Allen was caught.  Did I say that already? I was even happy to see Emily and Lauren escape, due to how they have been in it from the beginning and have been through so much trouble and strife.  From the start, I have said that the good thing about the show is the moral implications it raises.  It makes you want to root for the fugitives and to demonise the Hunters, when in reality, the roles would be reversed.  It makes you think about what you would do in that situation and how you would react and this is why the show works so well.  The series has kept me engaged and attentive, due to how it has made me think about what I would do if I was on the run.  Has the series made you think the same? Actually, don't answer that! The government could be reading these reviews. Don't slip up by leaving your escape plan in the comments.  If I was on the run, I would definitely in the Lake District.  *WINK WINK*

However, my constant problem with the show has always been the practicality and authenticity of it.   This is mainly due to the use of the camera-operators following the fugitives around.  I have come to the conclusion that there have to be multiple camera-operators due to how we see many different shots of the fugitives from many different camera angles.  Are we really supposed to believe that this is just one cameraman running back and forth from location to location? Secondly, for the fugitives to be told information about the extraction point, then Channel 4 will have to know where they are.  If Channel 4 can find them so easily, then why can't the Hunters? 

The other criticism I have is the extraction point.  I think it is very unfair and unrealistic for there to be only one extraction point.  Surely if you're on the run, you would want to keep your options open.  You wouldn't limit yourself to just one extraction point.  You want to have as many escape routes as possible.  If one escape route isn't convenient to you, then choose another.  Also, some of the fugitives might be closer to the extraction point than others.  What if Ricky Allen hadn't been caught and was still hiding in the Scottish Highlands? How would he have gotten to Surrey in time? This raises another question.  What happens if the fugitives had missed the plane? Surely, they've still outwitted the Hunters, as they've avoided capture for 28 days.  Finally, it is also very unrealistic that the fugitives' real names were printed on the flight manifesto.  Any smart fugitive would have a false name on the passenger list.  

All of this notwithstanding, I have still thoroughly enjoyed watching this show.  It has been dramatic, tense, entertaining and has kept me engaged and interested throughout.  It has been great to see people's creativity and also to see how nice strangers can be to each other.  It has been one hell of a ride.

Top 3 tips for being on the run

1. DON'T PHONE HOME! I'm feeling like a broken record.  How many times have I said this? Emily once again almost got caught because she phoned home.  Just don't do it.  You're putting yourself and your loved ones on the frontlines if you do this.
2. Be very careful who you can trust.  Whilst throughout the series, we see strangers lie through their teeth to protect people they've just met, yet this episode showed how greedy and selfish some people can be.  I'm not mentioning any names *cough cough* JACK!
3. Keep your morale up.  Obviously being on the run is a psychologically battering experience, but a broken spirit can be much more dangerous than a broken body.  If you give up, you can become complacent and this could be what gets you caught.  Even though, we see Stephen and Martin's armour slowly begin to crack here, they keep their morale high through the series.  

Monday 9 November 2015

Hunted Episode 5 Review

SPOILER ALERT


Premise:

14 ordinary men and women have to go on the run from the government for 28 days.  They can use any means necessary as long as they stay in the UK and in the remain of the law.  With only six fugitives left, will any of them make it?

The fugitives:

Freddie Young and Jacqui Omer

The episode focuses on a new team of fugitives, the mother-in-law and son pair, Freddie Young and Jacqui Omer.  The pair from Essex begin their time on the run by driving from Essex to London.  Whilst the Hunters quickly use ANPR to track their car, the pair make a smart choice by switching cars in London and then changing their appearances.  The pair then travel to a caravan park in Caister-Upon-Sea where their plan from there is to have no plan.  They intend to stay in a caravan for the duration of the show.  Does Caister-Upon-Sea sound familiar? It's where the Singh brothers tricked the Hunters into thinking that's where they were hiding.  The Hunters deploy a ground team to catch what they think is the Singh brothers hiding there, but is actually Freddie Young and Jacqui Omer.  So, whilst Freddie Young and Jacqui Omer started well and showed good initiative by changing their cars and appearances, this was completely undone by their whole "not having a plan" plan.  This is obviously a terrible plan.  You can't just wing going on the run.  You need to be prepared for when things so inevitably go wrong.  John Lennon said that "life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans" and having even a bad plan is better than having no plan at all.  Jacqui and Freddie weren't really in the show enough to make an impression on me, but I argue that their carelessness was legitimate reason for them to be caught, although the Hunters did get lucky as well.

Status: Caught
Time on the Run: 5 days.

Lauren English

Since Lauren has split from her best friend, Emily, we have seen little of her.  This episode is no exception.  All we know is that she is hiding out in Derbyshire having blagged a hotel room for £20.

Status: At large
Time on the Run: 20 days

Emily Dredge

Much more is seen of Lauren's former partner-in-crime, Emily Dredge.  Emily continues to remain off the Hunter's grid by hitchhiking.  However, it obvious that she is close to breaking point and to raise her morale a little, she asks the person she's hitching a lift from to send her bank card to her mum in Brighton, to trick the Hunters into thinking she is hiding there.  From here, Emily travels to Cleethorpes where to relax herself a little, she engages in some of the amusements there.  You can criticise her for being careless, I can completely empathise and respect, for once, her decisions.  In prolonged situations, where you are under continuous pressure, it can be good to do something fun and relaxing, to stop yourself from going insane.  Emily explains to her cameraman that they are playing mini-golf, as it is nice to do something normal for a change.

This is when Emily takes the biggest risk of anyone in the series and decides to travel to Brighton, so she can see her baby son Ernest.  She uses all of the tricks she's learnt from being on the run and travels from Cleethorpes to Brighton for £20 by hitch-hiking, stowing away and constantly changing her clothes.  She avoids detection and makes it home to Ernest safe and sound.  Again, I can't fault Emily for this.  Her devotion to her baby son is very touching, especially after how she abandoned Lauren.  However, what I can fault her for is her plan to divert the Hunters by sending her bank card to Brighton.  Her plan was for her mum to use the bank card to trick the Hunters into thinking she's in Brighton, yet there are so many problems with this plan.  The most obvious is that visiting Ernest was never part of the equation.  There was no way that Emily could know when her bank card would arrive in Brighton nor when her mum would use it, meaning that visiting Ernest has become twice as risky, as it would alert the Hunters to her presence, which is exactly what happens.  Once Emily realises that her mum has inadvertently led the Hunters to the doorstep, she becomes angry at her, which is very unfair.  After all, her mum didn't know that Emily was going to come home.  However, by the skin of her teeth, Emily escapes the Hunters and hitches another lift away from Brighton.

Status: At large
Time on the Run: 20 days

Stephen Cole and Martin Hardiker

Little is seen of Stephen and Martin in this episode.  All we know is that they are still cycling along Britain's canal network and whilst they stay off the Hunter's radar, they cycle straight into the path of a very angry swan.  This makes for one of the more amusing moments of the episode, as the pair comment on how they've outwitted CIA analysts and intelligence experts, yet their way is being blocked by a swan.  Miraculously, they make it past the swan and continue on their way.

Status: At large
Time on the Run: 21 days

Adam and Emma Channell

Most of the episode is devoted to this husband and wife team.  Adam and Emma's time on the run begins with them leaving behind their London home and hiding out in the Yorkshire Dales.  Their plan is to avoid detection by camping and living off the land.  One of the Hunters, Deputy Intelligence Expert Ben Owen remarks that "whilst going rural as a fugitive, you have vast space to hide in, you no longer have access to a lot of networks, you can't make contact quickly, you're up against the elements." As the Hunters have no strong leads on Adam and Emma, they monitor the communications of the pair's inner circle to see whether they are contacted.  The Hunters also search Adam and Emma's flat, but find few clues to their whereabouts.  They instead find a red herring implying that the couple are hiding in Dartmoor.  However, the couple are still in Yorkshire and don't call any of their friends.  Yet the cracks begin to show early on, as Emma struggles to adapt to the rough camping lifestyle, which is not helped by how it continuously rains.  This notwithstanding, she perseveres and the couple hike through the pennines during the day and camp during the night.

Whilst the couple think that they are safe from the Hunters, this is far from the truth.  The Hunters see ATM camera footage of the Channells withdrawing money in Finsbury Park.  They then use ANPR to track their car to Milton Keynes train station and from there they use CCTV batoning, where they track the fugitives using CCTV cameras in train stations to place them in the Yorkshire Dales.

Emma continues to struggle with camping and the pair call in a favour to stay at a friend's farm for the night.  Here, their paranoia becomes obvious, as they think that a pick-up truck and broken down car is the Hunters tracking them.  After this the pair leave Yorkshire and travel to Wales, where they intend to continue camping.  Whilst Adam is initially sympathetic to Emma, he becomes progressively more frustrated with her, especially when she refuses to use a campsite and insists they go into town to find a room.  Adam is annoyed that Emma is being too negative and is really hindering him from keeping morale and energy up.  The pair then come up with an audacious plan, the likes that Ricky Allen would be proud of, to taunt the Hunters.  They send a postcard to the Hunters mocking them about how they haven't caught them yet.  The postcard also is supposed to trick the Hunters into thinking that Adam and Emma are still in Wales, where they have actually travelled to London, where they hide right under the Hunter's noses.  Adam and Emma's audacity continues, as they watch a cricket game at Lords and then decide to use their vast network of friends to shelter them.  Like Emily, the pair decide to play this trick in order to keep their spirits up.  Under so much pressure, it is good to do something normal to stop yourself from going insane.  So, whilst, the pair are playing with fire, I respect their choices.  

When arranging for their next place to stay by using a friend's phone, the Hunters are alerted to their presence and travel to their hideout and surround the building.  Whilst, the Channels' friends lie for them, the Hunters are not fooled and are convinced that the fugitives are being sheltered there.  Emma realises that it is impossible for the pair of them to escape and decides to give herself up to give Adam a chance to escape.  Although, this ultimately fails, it was very moving to see this couple's devotion to each other, especially when they were arguing so much earlier.

My attitude towards the Channels kept sliding.  At first, I didn't like either of them, due to their constant arguments and how Adam was effectively bullying his wife into keeping moving, but by the end, it was obvious how much they loved each other and I felt that this made them much more likeable as a pair.  Unlike Emily and Lauren, the pair didn't split up when the going got tough.  They stayed together and rode it out together.

It is revealed that after the show, Emma was in her first weeks of pregnancy, which explains why she struggled so much whilst being on the run.  Congratulations, Emma and Adam!

Status: Caught
Time on the run: 12 days

The Verdict

So this was a bit of a strange episode.  It featured the most amount of fugitives, but as always concentrated on some much more than others.  Whilst I thought Jacqui and Freddie started off smart, they made the foolish decision of staying in one place.  I also found that since Lauren and Emily have been apart, they've become a lot more likeable, probably because they're not around to argue with each other.  Whilst we didn't see much of Stephen and Martin, I still liked what we saw and they're still my favourites to win.  Due to their loyalty and devotion to each other, Emma and Adam were the best couple in the show.  I really admired how Emma gave herself up for her husband and I would like to think I would do the same.  This episode really made me think of the dangers of becoming too complacent.  Whilst it is fine to blow off a little steam, this has to be done carefully and in moderation.  Adam and Emma really play with fire by watching cricket and they ultimately end up being burnt.

Top 3 tips for being on the run:

1. Always have a plan.  Things always go wrong, so be prepared when they do.  Jacqui and Freddie are caught, as they didn't plan.  In fact, they had no plan.  If they had an escape route from the caravan, then perhaps they would still be on the run.

2. Don't stay in one place! It is only logical that whilst on the run it is safer to stay on the move.  If you hide in one place, chances are somebody will stumble across you, which is exactly what happens to Jacqui and Freddie.  Lauren and Emily haven't been caught yet, due to how they are constantly hitch-hiking.

3.  Do not become over-confident.  The moment you underestimate your opponent is the moment you're beaten by them.  Emily took a huge risk in returning home and if she had gotten caught, then I might say she had become over-confident.  Whilst Adam and Emma hiding out in London was very audacious, it was also very cocky and it resulted in them being caught.

10 fugitives have been caught.

4 are left.

Will any of them make the distance?

Friday 6 November 2015

Hunted Episode 4 Review

SPOILER ALERT


Premise:

Three episodes in, you know the basic premise.  14 ordinary men and women have to hide from the government for 28 days.  They can't break the law and they can't leave the UK.  Will any of them make it?

The Fugitives:

Martin Cole and Stephen Hardiker

Whilst, the Hunters are still celebrating catching Doctor Ricky Allen and I'm still recovering from the shock of it, two more fugitives are still on the run.  The midlands based Martin Cole and Stephen Hardiker are best friends and are now my new favourites to win the show.  They're my favourites, because they are clever and likeable.  It is obvious that they're best friends, as they have a great camaraderie with each other which makes them very entertaining to watch.  That notwithstanding, this episode shows that they are not as smart as I originally thought they were.  Whilst Martin Cole, an IT manager, makes the sensible decision of taking his laptop with him, as he knows the Hunters can use it to find him, Stephen carelessly leaves his phone behind.  The Hunters find it and discover an email talking about the pair's plan to travel to Wales and hide out in Stephen's caravan.  They also find a receipt for a book about two guys who blag their way across the UK.  This is essentially what Martin and Stephen try to do and they do it well.  Redeeming himself for his previous carelessness, Stephen, a plumber, blags himself 2 free bikes, after fixing a leaky sink in a bike shop.  I assume he also got a third bike for the cameraman, but this isn't mentioned. 

The pair are so likeable due to how they are loyal to each other.  Unlike Lauren and Emily, they don't constantly bicker.  The pair's primary concern for reaching the caravan is the booze that Stephen has stored there.  However, the cracks begin to show, when Martin wishes to contact home and speak to his girlfriend who isn't happy that he has gone on the run.  Despite Stephen's reservations, Martin says they can do it without being caught by using a VPN to set up a private Twitter account with an email address that disappears after 24 hours, which is exactly what happens and the pair escape the Hunter's detection.  The pair then make another smart decision by using Britain's canal network to reach Wales and Stephen's caravan.  They do so just narrowly missing the Hunters.  However, the pair are tipped off that the Hunters have just been looking for them, so once again, the pair go on the run and their current whereabouts are unknown.  I think what I like so much about them is their devotion to each other and their families.  Stephen says that the reason he became a fugitive was to find some adventure, which he felt was missing from his homelife.  However, it is whilst on the run does he realise that the true adventure is at home with his family.  Whilst this is cheesy and corny, it is certainly true.

Status: At large
Time on the run: 13 days

Adam Young

The next fugitive is the Welsh NHS Support Worker Adam Young who, like Ricky Allen, goes on the run on his own.  His plan is to have his best friend Lauren drive him to Yorkshire, which is when he'll go off-grid.  Adam says he wants to do this to make his father proud of him and know that he has raised a good son.  I thought that this was adorable and it made Adam likeable.  From the outset, it is clear that whilst Adam is sweet and well-meaning, he is clueless and naive.  He brings way too much in his survival kit: three bags packed to the brim with God knows what, which he then has to sort out and leave items behind.

The Hunters then use ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) to track down Adam's accomplice Lauren and then they question her.  However, like any good friend, Lauren lies through her teeth to protect Adam.  The Hunters then begin a Wanted campaign complete with social media, newspaper articles and a reward to find Adam.  In the village of West Witton, Yorkshire, Adam goes into a local pub to buy some dinner for him and his camera-operator.  Within the pub, Adam finds out about the Wanted Campaign from the pub staff who have seen his picture in the local paper.  However, one of the pub waitresses, grasses Adam up, after he fails to tip her.  Knowing he has to make a quick getaway, Adam with the help of some new found accomplices, travels to Edinburgh to stay with his aunt and uncle.  He uses one of the accomplices' phones to call his uncle and he also gives his accomplice his credit card to use, to make the Hunters think that he is still in Yorkshire.  However, the Hunters aren't fooled for a second and contact the accomplice who helped Adam, who in fairness, does nothing to help the Hunters.  In turn, the accomplice tells Adam about this and lets him know that the Hunters are coming for him.  Spooked by this, Adam decides to catch a coach south to Birmingham, which is where the Hunters track him down and catch him.

Status: Caught
Time on the Run: 7 days

Emily Dredge

In the last episode, Emily Dredge left her best friend Lauren English to continue hiding on her own.  As such, I will be documenting their progress in separate sections.  This episode focuses very little Emily.  All we see of her is at a seaside town where Emily, increasingly paranoid, jumps of a moving tour guide train and making a break for it.  Was there any threat? No.  But this just goes to show, what the paranoia can do to you.  I just pity the poor camera operator who had to jump off the same moving train with all of their camera equipment.

Status: At large
Time on the run: 18 days

Lauren English

Just like Emily, this episode hardly focuses on Lauren.  All we know is that she is missing and is continuing to hitchhike to stay off the Hunter's radar.

Status:  At large
Time on the run: 18 days

The Verdict:

Any episode without a lot of Lauren and Emily, whom you might have guessed I don't like very much, in it is a good episode and this episode is no exception.  It features the sweet if extremely clueless Adam Young and the very likeable Stephen Hardiker and Martin Cole who are now my new favourites to win.  Again, my only criticism comes with the practicality of the camera operators.  I assumed when Stephen blagged bikes for him and Martin, he also blagged one for the camera operator.  But how practical is it really to film something, whilst cycling, or even to carry a heavy film camera? Furthermore, how did the poor camera operator cope jumping off the same moving train that Emily did when she lost her nerve?

Top 3 tips for going on the run

1. Mask your digital trail.  When Stephen and Martin contact home, Martin does everything to cover his digital tracks.  If the Hunters have access to your computer and internet accounts, they can easily find where you're going to go and where you're hiding.
2. Pack smart and pack light.  Remember, you're not on the Walking Dead.  It isn't the zombie apocalypse.  Adam wastes a lot of time due to how he has to dispose of the sheer amount of unnecessary things he brings with him.
3. ALWAYS TIP THE WAITRESS.  Despite it leading to a socially awkward situation, you should always tip the waitress if you don't want her grassing you up to the Hunters.  

Tuesday 3 November 2015

Hunted Episode 3 Review

SPOILER ALERT



Welcome to my review of the third episode of Hunted.  Three episodes in and we're familiar with the formula of Hunted: 14 normal men and women given £450, told not to leave the UK and to obey the law are expected to hide from a crack team of government hunters for 28 days.  We've seen teams already crash and burn cue Sandra Cooley and Elizabeth Varsy, teams that have lasted a little longer: the Singh brothers and fugitives that are still on the run e.g the brilliant Ricky Allen and the irritating Emily Dredge and Lauren English.  Whether any of them will make it the whole 28 days still remains to be seen.

The Fugitives

Ricky Allen

The episode begins by focusing on the star of the show and my favourite to win Ricky Allen who has been on the run for 12 days.  In the last episode we saw Ricky's audacity when he lures the Hunters out to a remote bothy in the Scottish highlands and then spies on them from a distance.  The Hunters are understandably ticked off by this and decided to ramp up the pressure by launching a social media campaign to find Ricky complete with wanted posters and a £250 reward.  The idea of this is to make Ricky so paranoid that he panics and makes a silly mistake and this is what happens.  Ricky decides to leave Scotland as he is no longer sure who he can trusts and he decides to head back down south by getting a train to London Euston.  This is the first mistake we see him make and a very uncharacteristic one.  We also see for the first time Ricky Allen looking completely defeated.  He doesn't know who to trust or what to do next.  Again though, I must question, why did he get on a train? Surely he must have known that the Hunters would see him on CCTV and be able to predict where he was getting a train to and this is exactly what happens.  The Hunters see Ricky on station CCTV, predict what train he's going to get on and then they catch him at the other end.  After 20 days, the best contestant, the people's favourite was caught by the Hunters.  Throughout the episode, Ricky's friends were worried that he would be caught making a stupid mistakes as he was becoming too cocky, which is exactly what happens.  Former undercover police officer Peter Bletchley who leads the Hunters speculates that Ricky Allen is too smart to make a decision like this.  He let the paranoia get to him and it seemed almost like Ricky had surrendered himself to the Hunters.  I agree with this.  It was really like Ricky had given up.  Even when the Hunters catch him at the end, Ricky makes little effort to escape, compared to one of the Singh brothers who runs a mile before the Hunters catch him.  I guess this just shows that in this situation, nobody is infallible; everyone can make stupid mistakes under pressure just like Ricky Allen does.

Status: Caught
Time on the Run: 20 days

Emily Dredge and Lauren English

The focus then return to these two best friends, who we find out at the episode's beginning, have been on the run for 12 days.  However, cracks in their friendship are beginning to show.  From the show's beginning, the pair have been suffering badly under the pressure and are constantly fighting with each other.  This climaxes when Lauren who has been suffering from cabin fever spontaneously decides to leave Emily to attend a nearby fairground.  When Emily offers to come with her, Lauren quickly shoots her down saying that she wants to spend some time alone.  This irritates Emily, as she has been left behind in a caravan park worrying about the Hunters, whilst Lauren has made the stupid and irresponsible decision to visit a fairground.  This is stupid, as within a fun, relaxed setting of a fairground, it is easy to let your guard down and become overconfident.  Furthermore, Lauren also gets her face painted, which would make her conspicuous to any Hunters watching her.  Luckily for her though the Hunters have had no leads on the pair for days.  However, Emily doesn't know this and spooked that the Hunters are nearby decides to leave and completely abandon Lauren.  Now, in Lauren's defence, I completely understand her frustration.  If cooped up in one place too long, then I get insanely bored and need to get out, yet I still think Lauren was very reckless and selfish and it was in Emily's best interest to separate from her.

Whilst Emily returns to hitch-hiking, Lauren decides to blow some money on a taxi ride south to the Peak District and gets to articulate why she thinks things have been so tense between her and Emily.  She argues that she felt very trapped with Emily.  Lauren always felt that the two were on the verge of a fight, but she always back down, as she didn't think it was worth it.  Yet as she says "there are only so many times you can give in.  If you give in too often, it just makes yourself depressed."

Status: At large
Time on the Run: 12 days

Steven Hardiker and Martin Cole

This episode also introduced a new pair of fugitives, the very likeable Steven Hardiker, a plumber, and Martin Cole, an IT professional.  Even though, the episode doesn't heavily focus on them, you see an immediate camaraderie between the pair which makes it obvious that they are best friends.  When the two are leaving their homes Steven asks whether Martin has brought the whisky as well as his "gay hairband." This kind of ball-busting and banter makes the pair very likeable and entertaining to watch.  And also unlike Lauren and Emily, they're not constantly arguing which increases their likeability.  The pair are also smart.  Martin is the first fugitive to think of taking his laptop with him, as he knows the Hunters are likely to use it to access his emails and social media.  This shows good initiative.  Their plan is to use Martin's father's car as a getaway car and then to disappear into the countryside.  Beyond this we see little of the pair, but I like what I've seen so far.

Status: At large
Time on the run: 2 days

The Verdict

So this episode was a sad one for me due to how Ricky Allen was caught.  However, it wasn't even the fact that he was caught that got me, it's how he was caught making such a silly mistake.  This notwithstanding, the show does very well in showing how severely the pressures and paranoia of being in the run can mess with a person's mind.  Whilst, we saw little of Steven Hardiker and Martin Cole, I like what I've seen so far and I hope to see more of them in the future.  My one criticism of this episode once again focuses on Emily Dredge and Lauren English.  Assuming the pair only had one camera operator documenting their progress to begin with, when Lauren left Emily to go to the fairground and when Emily abandoned Lauren, this means that Channel 4 would have had to track down Lauren to find out where to send ANOTHER camera operator.  If Channel 4 can find Lauren that easily then surely the Hunters can too.  Once again this questions how authentic and genuine this show really is.  If Lauren and Emily really were so well hidden then how was Channel 4 able to find them and the Hunters were not?

Top 3 tips for going on the run

1. Take all electronic devices with you.  This includes phones and laptops.  The Hunters have been able to locate Ricky Allen and the Singh brothers through acquiring their electronics.  They've also been able to use social media to research into Lauren and Emily's past.

2.   Have a bag already packed with all your essentials, so that you can leave a moment's notice.  The fugitives are told an hour in advance that the Hunters are on their tails, but they squander this hour by frantically looking around for anything they've forgotten.  You have to be ready to leave from the word "go."

3. Do not submit to the pressure.  What catches Ricky Allen out and what spooks Emily is they panic under the paranoia and make silly mistakes.  Keep a level head, cover your tracks and watch your back.  DON'T PANIC.

Sadly, Ricky Allen was caught in this episode but Emily Dredge, Lauren English, Steven Hardiker, Martin Cole and five other fugitives are still on the run.  With the Hunters slowly catching the fugitives, will any of them make it to 28 days?