The Fall, series 2, episode 3 – TV review: The Gillian Anderson drama is starting to push the realms of plausibility, but who cares?

Viewers had to suspend their disbelief but it's worth it

Just when you think that DCI Stella Gibson (Gillian Anderson) has nearly caught her man, the makers of The Fall throw a spanner in the works.

Tonight things get even more intense as the net closes in around Paul Spector (Jamie Dornan) but somehow the psychopathic serial killer is still managing to outwit his hunters.

Spector is turning the tables on Stella but in the most implausible way possible. Not only does he break into her hotel room undetected and rifle through her things. He even manages to change the wallpaper on her PC before making a getaway while she is in the room.

It’s like the time Abu Nazir, the Homeland equivalent of Osama Bin Laden, turns up on US soil and manages to hold Carrie hostage. It really does push the boundaries of believability - but who cares?

The Fall is gripping edge-of-the-seat drama and this kind of curveball can be forgiven at such a late stage. We’re already fully invested in the game even though we are now suspending our disbelief.

Viewers can only dread what Spector will do with his newfound information on Gibson. The closing scene played out like something from The Silence of the Lambs or Se7en.

The most believable thing about tonight’s instalment is the relationship between Paul and teenage babysitter Katie (Aisling Franciosi). She eats up his lies about wanting to mess with the police - apparently, part of Spector’s disdain for Gibson is that blouse.

The impressionable schoolgirl wanting to impress the older man is a familiar trope – she could completely scupper Gibson’s investigations.

One thing worth pointing out is the noticeable lack of violence towards women this series – something which has characterised the show from the start. But it’s a welcome relief as the fast-paced investigation takes over and makes it more difficult for Spector to commit further crimes.

It’s all building to a stunning conclusion that has kept audiences on the hook for two years now. If Spector does evade justice it will be a poor payoff to audiences.