With only one more episode after this one, we are rapidly approaching the end of Stella Gibson (Gillian Anderson) and Paul Spector's (Jamie Dornan) dance. At first we were sure that Paul had lost his memories, but now we're not entirely sure. But the bigger question continues to remain: will Stella figure out how to put Spector behind bars? Let's see if this week reveals any answers!
The episode begins with Stella in a telephone discussion with Dr. Larson (Krister Henriksson), as Stella has given him copies of Spector's journals, including a copy of Stella's dream diary. The doctor agrees that Paul is disturbed, but is more intrigued as to why Stella keeps a journal of her own. Stella explains that she was trained to wake up in the middle of the night and write down her thoughts, as sometimes her dreams help her to make sense of what confuses her during the day.
Meanwhile, Paul is seen on the top of a high-rise building, looking out over Belfast. Free and uninhibited, he opens his arms wide and his head thrown back as he falls forward off the building. At that moment Paul wakes up, as clearly it was all a dream and he remains in the Foyle Clinic as a patient. At the same time, Dr. Larson briefs the staff on Paul Spector. He is considered a threat and should be treated as such. As a child he was part of the system, as Mary Garrison, Paul's mother, committed suicide when he was only eight years old.
Katie (Aisling Franciosi)has finally been apprehended by police after running away from home and assaulting her former friend Daisy with lemon juice. Stella is handed a copy of Katie's letter that was intended for Paul, which reveals a disturbingly intense relationship. Katie feels that Paul is a part of her and she will do anything for him. Later in court, the Judge (Andrea Irvine) delivers a harsher sentence to Katie: she will be placed in juvenile detention rather than be returned to her mother Lisa (Lacy Moore).
Healy (Aidan McArdle) and Wallace (Ruth Bradley) continue to find ways to discredit Stella in order to help Paul. Their new tactic? Bringing up how exposed Paul was in the woods when he was shot by Tyler. They believe that Stella had placed Paul into clear danger by not following proper protocol and making him an open target.
In London, Anderson (Colin Morgan) and Ferrington (Niamh McGrady) are looking for the evidence they need from Susan Harper's murder to link Paul to a memory prior to his supposed loss. Upon closer inspection, they locate a video where David Alvarez (Martin McCann) and Susan Harper were walking out of a club together. Not much longer after, Paul is seen walking out after them, better known as Peter Baldwin at the time. It turns out that Peter was a waiter at The Plaintain Garden, where the video was taken. He had gotten into an argument with his boss and lost his job prior to the murder of Susan Harper.
Anderson sends this video to Stella, and now it is clear that the man in the video is Paul. This places him at the scene with Alvarez and Harper, potentially linking him to the murder. Anderson explains to Stella that him and Ferrington are planning to interview Alvarez tomorrow. On the day of the interview, Burns (John Lynch) calls Anderson and shares with him a story about the home that both Alvarez and Spector were in. Burns wants Anderson to know that the boys were told to masturbate in front of the staff for their amusement, and to make sure to bring up this and the dining room when they spoke to Alvarez.
Paul, who has now gotten into the rhythm of the day at the Foyle Clinic, has been continually approached by Mark Bailey (Conor MacNeill). First at breakfast, and now while Paul takes time to work on a puzzle in the common room. We learn more about Mark, who was in there because he twisted and broke his younger sister's arm for making a homophobic comment about his hair cut. He was diagnosed as psychotic with compulsive disorder, claiming to hear voices in his head. Michael Ritchie (Chris Patrick-Simpson), the orderly, takes Paul away from the table and shares that Mark not only broke his sister's arm, but that he raped her as well.
At the next therapy session with Dr. Larson, Paul shares more about his own sordid past. The voyeuristic tendencies began for Paul when he was younger. Nothing more than watching happy families living normal lives, something that Paul was never going to have being in the system. It angered him that other families had normalcy, so he never wanted anyone to feel safe. His changing of his name from Peter Baldwin to Paul Spector, as well as his marriage to Sally Ann (Bronagh Waugh) was a way to put his past behind him.
Paul then goes on to further explain how he was the one to discover his mother's body and how he felt that his love was never enough for her. His mother, also prior to her suicide, shares that Paul's biological father was a British soldier, something she kept from him. While feeling a bit of self-loathing, Dr. Larson tells Paul that in the six years that he doesn't remember, Paul volunteered his time for a suicide hot line. Larson believes that Paul did it because of what happened with his mother. Paul also shares some of his own dark dreams with Larson, recalling a dream where he was laying in a coffin cut up in pieces, but still feeling every piece attached still.
As Paul was being assessed by Larson, Anderson and Ferrington finally sit down with David Alvarez, who is currently incarcerated for the death of Susan Harper. Anderson, remembering his talk with Burns, starts to discuss the home that Alvarezand Spector were in together. It is this that causes Alvarez to finally break down, opening up to Anderson and Ferrington about how Peter (Paul) was the favorite of Jensen, who ran the home. His "pretty boy", so to speak.
Jensen would choose a favorite and when that boy finally reached age to no longer be in Jensen's care, the favorite would choose someone new. Peter spared Alvarez and so as a way to repay the favor, Alvarez took the fall for the murder. After Anderson relays this information to Stella, Anderson also tells her that they have permission to reopen the case.
Back in Belfast, Paul is taken from Foyle Clinic back to police headquarters for questioning. There, he sits down with Stella, Anderson, and Healy for questioning. Eastwood (Stuart Graham) comes into the room during the discussion, charging Spector with the murder of Susan Harper. Healy immediately halts all further proceedings and leads Paul out of the room. Once rejoined with Wallace, Paul explains that the police are clever, as they finally have evidence of a crime that Paul actually remembers.
So, has Stella finally found a way to outwit Paul Spector? Or will Paul manage his way out of his crimes? How will their story end? Stay tuned for the finale of The Fall!
