“The world is an aquarium”

© 2015 Sky/Tiger Aspect Productions

Fortitude: episode 1 recap
Fortitude: episode 2 recap
Fortitude: episode 3 recap
Fortitude: episode 4 recap
Fortitude: episode 5 recap
Fortitude: episode 6 recap

I hold my hands up. I admit I was a little premature about declaring in my last recap that Doctor Allerdyce was murdered. Turns out despite the horrific attack she is still very much alive in the hospital. Shirley on the other hand suffers a heart attack in the aisles of the supermarket. Ironic really considering the cause of said heart attack was more than likely Markus overfeeding her. Plus she died in her place of work and nobody wants that. With Shirley dead and Allerdyce in no fit state to talk suspicion falls on Markus.

DCI Morton and Sheriff Anderssen seem to have come to some professional understanding as they both sit in the interview room humouring Markus with metaphors about life and Russian literature, and agreeing on the virtues of OMD’s ‘Enola Gay’ when Markus brings up his vinyl collection of 80’s music. It was a fun dynamic with the undertones of each knowing that neither really trusts the other. Much like Elena’s reveal, the evidence on Markus (which Frank in another silly move stole from his house) certainly makes him look suspicious with pictures of children covered in blood (which Markus explains is a hunting tradition; anointing the boys in the blood of the first kill). And then there’s the Freudian reveal of his overweight mother. Poor Shirley paid the price for him wanting to recreate his mother figure. Despite us knowing he’s not the killer, Anderssen makes his feelings clear “One way or another, you’re a killer.”

With the increase in attacks Hildur heads to the mainland hoping they’ll send some forensic help. Her pleas fall on deaf ears with the mainland feeling that Fortitude is not a big enough deal for them to warrant the help. Of course Hildur’s not about to tell those back at Fortitude that. Especially as an angry mob of the locals, lead by Ciaran Donnelly, are taking matters into their own hands questioning ‘outsiders’. Frank has also lost the plot in an attempt to assuage his own guilt he ties up Markus intent on enacting his own justice, all to Annie Lennox’s ‘Thorn in My Side’ – just in case Markus didn’t get the point.

Meanwhile, Elena takes on looking after Carrie when she flees back to Fortitude when her injured father collapses. While the police are out searching for him he returns home to find the projector on and a mysterious figure attack him from behind. It looked very much a precursor to another attack but when Elena and Carrie return there’s no sign of Ronnie, but there’s definitely hints they’re not alone.

A more sedate episode than last week, but nevertheless one that is keeping me watching with trepidation for what’s to come. There’s hints that the animals are acting strangely, which as every good documentary points out: when’s something’s amiss nature senses it first.