The Responder season 2 episode 4 recap contains spoilers... Rachel Hargreaves tries to save Steve's new girlfriend, while Marco gets a visit from the social services. Elsewhere Chris can't make up his mind about what to do with Franny's phone and Ray Mullen makes a startling discovery about Debs that could spell trouble for everyone...
Rachel and Chris book Steve in for his ‘assault’, with Rachel fabricating that he attacked her and she acted in self-defence. “You’ll be sorry Rachel!” says Steve as he’s taken into custody and afterwards the booking sergeant explains to them in no uncertain terms what a stupid thing they’ve done.
It's merely a drop in Chris' ocean of problems though and he soon discovers that Franny has intercepted Vernon, who's told Chris has his secret phone full of highly incriminating evidence. If he wants to use it, Chris needs to have a very good plan in place.
Later on he swings past his house with Tilly to pick up her communion dress, but has to swerve it when he sees Franny lying in wait for him. Tilly is upset and it’s clear the father-daughter relationship is on the rocks somewhat.
Unable to go home, Chris goes to see Jodie who quickly works out what the ENCRO phone is all about and its potential. She waits for him to fall asleep and answers Franny’s call when it next comes in. Franny and his boys are soon round there, but Chris manages to escape and texts Rachel to ask if he can come to hers.
Elsewhere, Rachel hears the police have bailed Steve in the hope of making him think he could go to court, so his girlfriend withdraws the complaint against Rachel. In truth, the police are desperate to avoid any kind of trial and the story hitting the papers.
However Rachel isn’t satisfied and when she goes to visit Lorna again, she tells her Steve has hit her, locked her in and gone to his mum’s. Classic Steve. She urges Lorna to make a complaint against him ("I need you to be strong") which is a very difficult one indeed, given her reaction to the same situation.
Rachel does persuade her to leave though and they flee together, yet when Lorna hints that she wants to return home, the police officer locks her in her flat. Whatever Rachel’s intentions, it’s a horrible move and one that layers on the trauma for Steve's current girlfriend.
That means Chris can’t stay with Rachel and the next person on his list is his father Tom and when he gets there they discuss the past in a way that suggests this relationship might not be completely beyond repair. “I stopped drinking,” says Tom. “I’m ashamed.” It’s a reminder that even the most unpleasant people have chinks of light within them.
'It's Barry that's the knob head!'
When the social services visit Marco and Adele, Casey pops round to help out, yet starts doing cocaine in the kitchen, which is deeply upsetting for Marco — and us.
The lady doing the assessment can see that Marco is trying his best, but as she leaves she explains that he’s out of his depth and unless he can find someone experienced to help him, she’ll have to recommend emergency foster care. It’s all on his neighbour it seems.
Later on, Casey persuades Jodie to visit Ian (“It’s Barry that’s the knob head”) to see if they can get their drugs back and get back in the game. It turns out Ian and his girlfriend live in a house with a color scheme and decor that would bring a tear to Stanley Kubrick’s eye. “F*** Barry off and work with me!” says Jodie, while Ian’s girlfriend is shocked to hear her man is a drug dealer.
Ian agrees to become Jodie’s partner and helps them steal the drugs back, but it’s not long before he reveals the truth to Jodie about Casey’s role in Carl’s death, which leads her to flee across town. Will Jodie seek vengeance against her new acquaintance or will she recognize that Casey was backed into a corner, just as most people in this show are?
'I'll give you Chris'
Out on patrol, Chris tells Rachel about the ENCRO phone, before they’re called to a case where a single mother has smashed her neighbours' window. They want to press charges so the landlord pays for the repair, but it will mean the mum goes to jail as she’s breached her licence and the kids will go into the system.
“If I hand that phone in, it will be me in that room saying goodbye to Tilly,” Chris tells Rachel, as he considers the tightrope he’s now walking.
Meanwhile, the slimy Ray Mullen is back on the case and he’s paying Debs a visit. “I know what’s going on with Franny Sutton,” he tells her. Yet it’s only when he’s inside her house that he realises the truth of her relationship with Franny and how deep it goes. “I’ll give you Chris,” she says, desperate to save herself.
Across town, after deciding to hand the drug dealer back his phone Chris also realises that Debs’ son is also Franny’s son. Franny offers Chris a role in his organisation, which leads to a house like Debs’. Chris refuses, yet does accept Franny’s offer of a good night sleep in a mattress that’s worth £2,000.
