‘Bloodlands’ Recap: ‘Episode 3’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Caution: This article contains spoilers for Episode Three of ‘Bloodlands’.

It wasn’t that long ago, that we talked in great detail about what made the AcornTV series, Bloodlands, quite the refreshing crime drama. Specifically, that this particular story blurred the line between good and evil, in order to properly plunge us into a world where the grey area of life reigned supreme. Which in turn allowed for a gritty and powerful story to come to life, one that eventually took the notion of operating in a morally questionable world to the nth degree. For no one was expecting to see DCI Tom Brannick commit murder in the heat of the moment, but he did and that changed everything for certain. Because now there was a genuine possibility that Tom was indeed the mysterious Goliath all along, and that revelation and his actions meant that we were likely in for a harrowing story going forward.
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One that would undoubtedly see Tom work to keep his actions a secret and well, the next episode in this story certainly didn’t disappoint in regard to that. Because early on in this particular tale, we were treated to quite the twisted investigation. The kind that saw DCI Brannick basically investigating himself since Adam Corry’s body eventually washed up on shore, and for a time this intense hunt to uncover Adam's killer, made it seem as though this episode was going to focus heavily on Tom covering his tracks and doing everything within his power to stay out of jail for committing murder. But instead, this particular used that uncomfortable segment to set the stage for some morally questionable decisions, the kind that saw Brannick commit to deception, as part of a grand plan to pin this crime and more, on his boss; DCS Jackie Twomey.

Something that came about not only out of self-preservation, but also out of the possibility that Twomey was in fact, Goliath after all. Which was quite the twist to inject into this tale, since at first it seemed as though Brannick was our man and wanted to shift the blame to keep that a secret. But the reveal that Tori was the one who kidnapped Pat Keenan, and was the very person that Adam was meeting with on a regular basis, combined with Goliath related evidence pointing toward Twomey being the assassin and his dodging in regard to that possibility, motivated Tom to turn his sights on Jackie. Which was a fascinating plot point to say the least, since it does imply that Tom acted out of rage and fury after all, instead of being Goliath. But all conjecturing on Goliath's true identity aside, Brannick's push to put Jackie behind bars in the hopes of learning whether or not Jackie was indeed, Goliath, led to some compelling and powerful moments for certain. 

Because Tom put the fear of God into his boss. For the instant Jackie discovered he was now the primary suspect, he quickly scrambled to try and protect the witness he’s been meeting with on the side, and he even lost his cool in front of well… everyone. For he genuinely screamed and yelled about being put in the spotlight, leaving everyone in the office wondering about the state of his mental well-being and that’s a worry that will persist in the days to come. Because eventually, Tom was able to work with Tori to plant some evidence in Jackie’s caravan, prompting Brannick to finally arrest his boss and throw him behind bars and well… that’s where this particular tale ends, with more shocking moments and with this case showing no signs of resolution in the slightest, and to make matters worse, it would seem that dear Tom Brannick is starting to truly embrace the darkness he's been fighting off for ages.

If anything, this was simply an incredible episode through and through. One that was filled to the brim with incredible mystery building and twists and turns, since nothing was quite what it seemed in this tale and that made for one compelling watch for certain. The kind that definitely leaves the viewer hungry for more. For we are no closer to discovering exactly who Goliath is, and we really haven’t a clue if Tom and Tori have narrowed down his identity. But thankfully, we have one more episode left to go in this series and that is the one that will undoubtedly be filled to the brim with answers and revelations and more shocking moments, and that means the wait until next week’s episode will be an excruciating one. Since we are all dying to learn the true identity of Goliath, and what will become of Tom Brannick, now that he’s crossed just about every line imaginable. Until next time.   
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‘Bloodlands’ is available to stream on AcornTV, right now.

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