Written by: Lizzie Mickery
Directed by: Jamie Nuttgens
Produced by: Ian White

As always, Burnside says it all. Nine teenagers dead and countless lives ruined – from the burger shop owner through to Billy Holden – because of guns.

In a neat piece of writing Burnside found some perspective in the bloodstained burger bar and walked away (at least temporarily) from his vendetta against Ronnie Buchan. There was a last confrontation, where Frank twisted his tail and had the pleasure of watching him squirm, but in the end Frank is only bent for the job – not for his own gain, monetary or otherwise. Of course, naturally, tonight Frank was proved to have been right in pushing for the investigation into Holden and Renfrew with even his 'seagull' of a boss (traditional police term for those who fly high and, well, you know what seagulls do, on those below them) conceding the point. Sam all-eye-shadow-and-mouth Philips also admitted that Burnside could be right. She looked well disappointed when Burnside said that he didn't like her. As us experienced Burnside watchers know, though, it's not what he says; it's what he does. He may have said, "Nah" when asked if he liked her – and backed it up by saying he was a sexist bigot and didn't have to give a reason why - but he went and found her in the toilets when she was having a wobbly moment after seeing the carnage in the burger bar and shared a cigarette and some sympathy.

This episode concluded the last week's story and with the odd leap of imagination all loose ends were tidied up pretty neatly. The storyline could be briefly summarised as follows. Ben Renfrew's massacre of eight schoolmates made it very inadvisable for John Renfrew and Billy Holden to make a promised delivery of guns to a Yardie gang. Holden refused to contemplate it, feeling it is too dangerous – those 'jungle bunnies', to choose one of his less offensive epithets, will have to wait - while Renfrew believes the Yardie gang will kill them if they muck them about. Dave flashing-neon-sign-above-my-head-saying-wasn't -I-nicely brought-up Summers managed, amazingly enough, to pop off to the Yardies' hangout – Reg's Hairdressers Shop – and gain their confidence in a matter of minutes. Hmmph! Ben Renfrew was captured but wouldn't say anything about where the gun came from because 'Uncle' Billy had taught him that only scum grass. Tears rolled down his cheeks as the dead were named and as, thanks to Dave's charming description to Ben's father, we know what a misery the rest of his life will be it is almost a relief when he manages to hang himself in his cell. How he managed it – with only a paper overall, in a cell that appeared devoid of hanging points and, presumably, between the frequent checks demanded by PACE – is a very interesting point, but I daresay people do. In revenge John Renfrew snatched Holden's daughter, Maddy and held her at gunpoint. Not surprisingly, when dealing with a champion shooter who is certainly close to megalomania, expecting Holden to not shoot for fear of his hitting his daughter was totally daft. Throw in a quick car chase which ended with a spectacular but unlikely drive-by shooting by the Yardies, a child dying in her parent's arms, Frank facing down yet another gun-wielding maniac and it's 'snip, snap, snout – my story's told out.'

Of course, what we all want to know, however, is what exactly is said about Burnside on page 109 of Buchan's book?

DCI Burnside – Chris Ellison
DC Sam Philips – Zoe Eeles
DS Dave Summers – Justin Pierre
Billy Holden – Charles Dale
John Renfrew – Roderic Culver
Supt Brian Lee – Andrew Readman
Tony Shotton – Shane Ritchie
Jim Summers – Tony Selby
Ronnie Buchan – Paul Nicholas
DC Chris Gibson – Paul Gilmore
DC Pete Moss – John White
Ben Renfrew – Michael Tucek
Burger bar Manager – Alistair Stewart
Maddy – Daniella Isaacs
Micky – James Lee
Errol – Dennis Titus
DCI Warren – Marie Francis

© Avon 2001

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