Secrets brewing in the background of Spotless since the pilot finally come home to roost in episode seven — and all are affected.
The episode starts with an off-screen murder of an important player, Veysel, the Turkish mobster Martin reached out to. Of course, Jean’s company is called in to clean up the murder scene of he and his wife, neither of whom Jean had any reason to know about. On the way out, he’s taken at gunpoint by Veysel’s former associates and meets with his younger brother who tells him they still expect them to see Martin’s deal through.
Once Jean gets home, who else is sitting on his front steps other than the esteemed Nelson Clay? Clay’s resourcefulness can’t be overstated as he’s the man that knows practically everything that happens in London’s underground — including Martin’s deal with his competitors and that they just (forcibly) negotiated with Jean. Luckily, Clay just left Jean with a not-so-subtle threat and a recommendation that he get his brother under control. (Which will probably never happen.)
Jean then returns home with so much new information that it can only be swallowed with the help of a glass of wine during a stone-faced conversation with Martin. Jean explains that, because of Martin’s double-dealing, they’re now in a lose-lose situation with two bosses with contradictory agendas. So he decides to call up DCI Squire and use the evidence he’s gathered against Nelson Clay – against Martin’s wishes, of course.
He meets Squire in an interrogation room with the safety deposit box where he was keeping all of his souvenirs from past jobs. He makes it clear that this is a negotiation with him turning in information on Clay in exchange for his family’s safety. Over the course of the conversation, Jean spills absolutely everything about his dealings with Clay. But, much to Jean’s surprise, Clay casually walks into the interrogation room, sits across the table from Jean and makes it clear just how bad his current situation is. DCI Squire is on Clay’s payroll – because someone in the police has to be, why not her?
After determining that Jean has more information that he hasn’t given up yet, he, Nelson Clay, DCI Squire and Tom head to Fallow Field, DCI Tom Kendrick’s secret getaway spot. While there, Jean has no choice but to sit there with his hands tied as the others search the house for something they don’t even really know exists. DCI Squire even attempts to convince him to play ball, but he refuses.
Clay eventually has had enough of the searching and has Tom repeatedly drown Jean in the pond outside. Jean also has a vision of the man he and Martin killed when they were boys. DCI Squire leaves because she can’t witness a murder as a police officer – I guess her line is drawn at being a dirty cop and tampering with evidence – and notices a box of waterproof tape. Tom then searches the bottom of the pond and finds the video camera that shows Victor and Nelson committing murder.
Elsewhere, Martin’s been spending the day getting all kinds of attention – both wanted and unwanted. He’s continued to be noticeably supportive of Maddy while her parents are busy working and trying to keep secrets from each other. He even gives her advice on how to get the attention of a boy she likes. But things take a turn when he checks on her only to have her drop her robe in front of him. The boy she’s been pining for is actually her own uncle. Martin quickly closes the door once he shakes off the shock of the situation and tries to comfort Maddy from the hallway before walking away.
Finally acting on the lingering stares from the second episode, he and Sonny meet up and have a go at each other in one of Nelson’s spare apartments after she convinces him to think twice about sacrificing himself to Nelson Clay to save his brother.
Julie’s investigating has finally bore fruit, with Maureen, Jean’s assistant, telling her everything she knows about her husband’s criminal side hustle. This leads her to reach out to her sister, who offers to be her lawyer before things get ugly.
Back at the murder scene where the episode started, Jean finds out that someone – Victor – had sex with the body of Veysel’s dead wife before he looks out onto the London skyline in disgust.
To see all the gory details in this week’s episode, be sure to catch Spotless on Esquire Network on Saturdays at 10|9c.
