Spiral recap: season seven, episodes nine and 10 – déjà vu, times two

Spoiler alert: this recap is for people watching Spiral on the BBC. Do not read on unless you have watched season seven, episodes nine and 10.

Network issues

“This case really is extraordinary,” says François and he’s not wrong. When called before Roban, Lebrion produces an email Herville wrote to the prefect (who you’ll recall stressed the need for sensitive policing of the Chinese garment district), complaining about Wang’s life being put in danger. Against the prefect’s orders, Herville got in touch with Wang to warn him, and likely signed his own death warrant. Surely now the arrests will come.

The problem is that the network is currently dormant, and Roban is effectively neutered by his injudicious actions last week. What you would really need is a pair of high-energy, low-inhibition, renegade cops to do whatever it takes to close a case. Step up Laure and Gilou, the Burke and Hare of witness intimidation. In no time at all, they catch up with Solignac, go upside his head and brutally kink shame him for his weakness for trans sex workers. A chastened Solignac meekly does their bidding, publicly denying meeting Roban and putting in a €500,000 order with Oury Mazouz to get the network chugging along again.

Like so many over-compensating men before him, though, Solignac has a fierce pit bull in tow. Joséphine sends him into the restaurant meeting wearing a wire and while the ruse is quickly uncovered, Laure and Gilou make off with the €500,000 which has the feel of one of those life-changing errors we’ve been seeing so much of recently.

After that, Gilou works his magic on Soizic, persuading her to put the block on the bank transfer to smoke out the network’s Mr Big. When the mysterious Mr Chen surfaces soon after, it seems like the magnificent plan has come together.

Ripping off a large criminal conspiracy has its downsides, though. Joséphine calls in internal affairs and who better than Tintin to run point? He takes the unusual step of including Laure and Gilou in the investigation into them. It’s a move that treads the thin line between genius and dumbass as gingerly as anything I can remember, but the early signs are promising. They level with him over leaning on Solignac and there seems to be a tentative agreement to work together for the greater good.

All such covenants are fragile though, particularly with Joséphine snapping at internal affairs’ heels and an annoying little thing called due process that lesser law enforcement agents insist upon. Oury Mazouz’s abduction only heightens the stakes. After a failed attempt to extract Oury, we finish on Laure and Gilou’s arrest for extortion and GBH. I suppose it’s about time some bad guys were taken off the streets.

Laure

Laure’s taken a hammering this year but when she lost her way, her mind and her child, Gilou was the constant throughout, even when she did everything to push him away. They become lovers again in a tender scene round at her place which reaffirms the redemptive power of love and fortified wine.

Gilou

As for Escoffier, there’s a strong sense of déjà vu this week. He chats with his old pal Tintin about the cases they’re working, hooks up with Laure again and gets arrested for serious crimes. It’s starting to feel like the old days. All of this means that he will have to permanently friendzone the beautiful Soizic. It’s harsh, but people outside the CID bubble generally don’t fare well long-term. It’s best she learns now.

Joséphine

The bond between Joséphine and Lola grows stronger this week as they learn of their shared trauma as rape survivors. Testimony of the attack by her mother’s boyfriend may play well in court, but Lola refuses to play ball. Even when faced with the dead teacher’s wife she’s all “je ne regrette rien” - no explanation, no apology. Joséphine knows the rape revelation could take years off her sentence, and journeys to Lola’s mother to try and get her to testify on her daughter’s behalf. It’s a Hail Mary pass but this one is personal for Joséphine and we all know how persuasive she can be when that’s the case.

Thoughts and observations

• If Oury Mazouz’s kidnap is down to the block on the bank transfer, that could be another body we can chalk down to Laure and Gilou. How many is that now?
  

• “I’m finding it hard to understand Solignac’s change of heart”. Roban knows that Laure and Gilou helped him out with the Solignac affair and is terribly grateful. A night out with those two boozehounds leaves him three sheets to the wind but significantly happier.
  

• “If you can get back on the right track, I think it will be one of my greatest satisfactions”. With Rayan resuming formal education after some brutal life lessons recently dished out, it would indeed be something to see him avoid what looked like an inevitable grisly fate.
  

• With Oury’s sister Lydia revealed as David Cann’s wife, we’re seeing a bit more of the network’s connections. After Chen, Cann seems the likeliest Mr Big but with the state now involved, that title may be moot. What was it Lebrion said to Beckriche? “You don’t know what you’re getting into. This goes way beyond us.”

As next week’s finale steadily approaches, how will it all end? Have your say below.