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Fortitude Episode 10 begins with Henry enjoying the only thing you can enjoy about this dire series – the snowy hilltops on a clear day, as he listens to his old-fangled Sony Walkman.
Lorcan Cranitch from Cracker is trying to get hold of Morton and we learn, as he calls the man’s phone and it says “Bernard Littlejohn calling”, that that is his name. Good job it’s not Richard Littlejohn! However, why would Morton go out into the hills without a phone? And how can you get reception out there anyway? Even in a major town, my Three reception is spotty at best!
Jules goes over to see Markus, who’s clearly a bit upset about Frank’s assault on him the night before, and it doesn’t take long before the cops arrive and want to quiz the assailant. Well, as always, Hildur is leading the questioning… but she doesn’t want to talk arrest, she wants to talk about their son Liam being affected by dodgy toxins, and that’ll require a spinal tap (a simple procedure, taking fluid from the spine… but one which actually looks bloody painful)
Morton gets stuck in the ice, as expected, the mystery beast discovery is a treasure trove of animal remains and tusks – with an amount of ivory that’s worth a fortune, and Markus wants to see Shirley’s body, but doesn’t understand why she’s now in the vet’s lab. Well, it’s because she went crazy apeshit and tried to kill her own mother!
Elena tries to find a way to break the news to Carrie about Ronnie, even though he’s not dead, we know he’s just resting in the spare room. No-one else seems to know he’s there, though, but after the girl pushes Elena away from her, and the Spaniard gets a cut on her head, Ronnie begins to stir. She continues to sit outside Carrie’s room and bitches about spending time in prison for the stupidity of a single moment, but it brings the girl out and also with the advice of putting frozen peas on an injury.
Natalie has a half-baked theory that Doctor Allerdyce is the source of the contagion, or passing it on in some way since, while Liam’s clear from any illness, both he and Shirley had the same infection… curioser and curioser. And with the infection possibly being contractable by sneezing and touch? Oooh, dear! But how to test a town with 800 armed inhabitants and not arouse suspicion? Declare a rabies scare, instead! Yes, that’ll work!
Jonjo is in a bad way after am apparent fight, and has covered the bathroom in blood, with damage to all of his knuckles. His wife patches him up, and goes to get Ciaran, but he does a quick bunk and head’s over to Liam’s house.
Stanley Tucci clearly didn’t have to learn too many lines this week, as he spends most of his time wandering about the mountains, trying to find Henry, and when he does, he pontificates about past memories for no apparent reason before stating that he knows Henry bumped off Pettigrew and that it was Dan who handcuffed him to a structure while the bear pulled him apart, but why? Well, no time to answer that one as Henry doesn’t yet take his own life, but instead shoots Morton!
Frank moans about how everything he’s done in life is all to “protect the family”, scaring Jules in the process, so she sends him out for groceries while she does goes on the lam with Liam, and off to the airport. But, like Mr T, she ain’t getting on no plane! Unlike Mr T, it’s not due to fear of flying, but because of the rabies protocol, and pushing over cop Ingrid (or Petra, I still get confused) isn’t going to progress matters in her favour. But what WILL stop her in her tracks is Liam emitting a “piercing, otherworldly scream” as the subtitles confirm.
Morton thinks he can still survive, despite blood fatally pouring out, while Henry declares that having liver cancer feels like being shot in the guts. And with the cancer sufferer’s skidoo out of petrol, the only thing which can save the DCI is for Henry to radio for help, but all he does is to hint at the fact he is Dan’s father. Now, (A) if that’s significant, why wait until now? and (B) Who cares, really when Dan doesn’t know?
One thing that IS interesting, for a change with this show, is that Henry finally does radio in, gets through to Dan and admits what he’s done, but will Dan come and save Morton, after being told that if he does, the DCI has enough evidence to throw him away in jail?
Markus sneaks Shirley’s body out of the lab, as you do – just like Dexter did to his sister in the 2013 finale of that series. And then he also sends her out into the water, but this time, to give her a viking funeral. And another death is inevitable as Henry finally puts the gun to his head and pulls the trigger.
On his return, Frank finds himself home alone, so if there’s any burglars knocking on the door, then hilarious jinks will surely ensue!
Fortitude is available to pre-order on Blu-ray and DVD ahead of its release date of June 1st, and the next episode is on Sky Atlantic on Thursday at 9pm.
Overall Score: 1/10
Director: Nick Hurran
Producer: Matthew Bird
Screenplay: Tom Butterworth and Chris Hurford
Music: Ben Frost
Cast:
Dan Anderssen: Richard Dormer
DCI Morton: Stanley Tucci
Henry Tyson: Michael Gambon
Governor Hildur Odegard: Sofie Gråbøl
Frank Sutter: Nicholas Pinnock
Elena Ledesma: Verónica Echegui
Ronnie Morgan: Johnny Harris
Natalie Yelburton: Sienna Guillory
Vincent Rattrey: Luke Treadaway
Markus Huseklepp: Darren Boyd
Jason Donnelly: Aaron McCusker
Carrie Morgan: Elizabeth Dormer-Phillips
Shirley Allerdyce: Jessica Gunning
Eric Odegard: Björn Hlynur Haraldsson
Liam Sutter: Darwin Brokenbro
PC Ingrid: Mia Jexen
Ciaran Donnelly: Jonjo O’Neill
Bernard Littlejohn: Lorcan Cranitch
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.