Hard Sun - S1E5 - Not the End of the World

Previously on Hard Sun, “Can You Hear Him Now”

We have arrived at the penultimate episode for season one of Hard Sun. It begins with Daniel killing his biological father with an ice pick to the, as DS Keith Greener says, “wing wang.” Hicks arrives on the scene and appears to be a tad shocked that Daniel has violently murdered his father. Renko arrives and looks like she may vomit at any moment. Soon enough the team has located Daniel on camera. We learn three things about Renko at this point: she keeps a burner phone on hand for emergencies, she is very good at one-handed texting via flip phone, and she will destroy her career if there is a chance she can help her son avoid a murder charge.

Daniel escapes thanks to his mother’s timely text and Renko begs off the case. Charlie allows it, and then he has a chat with Grace from MI5. Like previous conversations, Grace uses words to elicit reactions and not necessarily to communicate anything she may actually believe.

Note: I am not a member of MI5, nor do I play one on TV; nevertheless, this whole scenario seemed unnecessary. Once Charlie told Grace he believed Renko may have given the flash drive to Underhill, wouldn’t it have been simpler to have MI5 toss Underhill’s place when he wasn’t home and retrieve the flash drive?

Renko locates her son and Hicks locates her. This results in another Renko/Hicks bout that is very similar to their fight at the end of episode one. During this time, Renko oddly states that Noah Underhill was a good man and not the person who raped her. Neither Daniel nor Hicks believe her.

The rest of the episode is a whiplash inducing ride. One minute Hicks promises to kill Renko, and shortly thereafter he is holding a gun to Grace Morrigan’s head to save Renko. Neil Cross and company add to this back and forth with a distractingly perfect rendition of a made-for-TV drug den injected into the story where a MI5 agent shoots a ton of heroin into Daniel.

Hicks swoops in from nowhere and saves Renko and Daniel. Then they drop Daniel at the hospital. Hicks assures Renko that they can say he’s a random street person they found and that will get him back into a treatment facility without anyone being the wiser. She’s grateful and tells Hicks she never thought he killed his partner. He is stunned. I was too. I don’t understand Elaine’s misplaced affection for Hicks. Why do all the women on this show seem to have a soft spot for the corrupt, lying Charlie Hicks? Why would Renko trust him? Her past is one of a teenage rape victim, who became a police officer, who has a son who has tried multiple times to brutally kill her, and each week someone beats her up. Why would she trust anyone? The episode ends with Hicks nonchalantly stating he killed his partner.

What I Liked

I loved Agyness Deyn’s portrayal of Renko as she arrives at the murder scene. The way she wore her pain and panic as she walked through the blood soaked house was fantastic.

The tension filled scene between Mari Butler and Hick’s wife gave both actresses a chance to show off their non-verbal acting skills.

I enjoy the the color scheme and lighting of the scenes at the station house each week. It looks like the police crew inhabits an Edward Hopper painting.

What I Want to Know

Someone on high wants Charlie Hicks defenestrated; who? And why?

Also won’t MI5 easily catch Daniel?

What’s Next?

Hick said he killed Butler, so the obvious question is why?

What I Googled

Edward Hopper Art

Defenestration also means to throw someone out a window