The Missing BBC1- thread 3

[EauLittleRougeofBethlehem]

Thread 1

Thread 2

Spoilers thread

Now, about that scarf.....

I'm more confused than ever. I have no idea.

I did think last night that maybe Emily had arranged the abduction (which went wrong) because she wanted to escape from Tony and his violent temper but I think that might be a bit too out there.

i think this is the best thing james Nesbitt has been in, He has been so good, whereas in everything else, since Cold Feet, he is rubbish, imo

I am still watching but am finding JN comical now facially and the story convoluted for the sake of it It is far too long winded

Mark - custody issue, went wrong

Mark - under cover paeodophile ring bust operation, using own son. Went wrong.

Alain - paedophile etc. covered up by mayor.

Alain - fake kidnapping to drum up business - journos / gawpers at ailing hotel. Went wrong.

I may be slightly over invested in this. In my defense I am stuck on a hideously slow moving tube.

I am now starting to suspect Emily.

3littlerabbits, I think quite a few of us on this thread are over invested. I expect towards the end of the weekend there will be an increase in posts saying things like 'Did you see the way Tony blinked at 23.17 Episode 7? What could this possibly mean?'

I like the drumming up business for the hotel fake kidnapping theory, I've not heard that one before.

noddyholder my thoughts too, it could have been wrapped up in 6 episodes and less convoluted as you say, the sobriety medal is silly.

haha, anyone else, 3littlerabbits? Baptiste?

eau that's what I thought until last night. I was positive it was Emily trying to get Ollie away from Tony but last night didn't fit with that theory at all. I like the idea that Baptiste has asked Malik to help him trap Mark. But it is probably a bit more simple and boring than that! 'Just' a child abduction ring with Alain as the person who took Ollie. I thought the poster in the police station with all the missing children on pointed to that as well.

So, just trying to get it straight in my head.

Ziane is Charmartain. He killed his wife, skipped country, changed his name and had a new family. His son from his first family doesn't want anything to do with him but reluctantly went to the prison so that Ziane would reveal to Baptiste and others what evidence he found in the drain. Ziane was killed before he could tell them what the evidence was, but Baptiste correctly guessed that he'd told Malik about it.

Mark got the evidence from Malik by threatening to expose the fact that Malik hindered the enquiry into Ollie's disappearance by concealing the evidence.

Mark (apparently) passes the evidence onto Baptiste, Tony and Emily and it turns out to be a sobriety coin.

So the possibilities are:

1. Ziane found the sobriety coin in the drain near the site of Ollie's abduction. They are handed out to AA members annually to represent each sober year. The coin could belong to:

a) Alain, (he seemed to lurk suspiciously and guiltily in lots of scenes last episode).

b) Sylvie, (Alain gave her at least one coin and may have given her each year's coin as he received it).

c) Any other member of the town's AA, (unlikely as I think that the writers would have introduced those people if they were relevant).

2. Ziane found something else in the drain, but Mark is pretending that he found the sobriety coin because the evidence implicates Mark himself or someone he cares about (Emily?)

3. Ziane found something else in the drain, but Malik has handed over something else. Although Malik is very dislikable I don't actually think he has anything to do with the abduction.

Questions

1. Why was Ziane killed? Who were they trying to protect and why?

2. Why was there blood on the coin and whose was it?

3. Why hasn't anyone asked about the blood analysis that was done on the coin? Though thinking about it Malik wouldn't have access to the DNA profile of anyone involved so I don't know how useful it would be. They could say whether the blood was human and whether it was male or female and that's about it. French police would have DNA profiles for Ollie, Vincent and Tony I would think.

4. If there is a pedophile ring in the town is Georges directly involved or just protecting those involved because they pay him to do so?

5. Why haven't they fixed the television at the hotel?

6. What was Malik's connection to Charmartain?

7. What has happened to Molly?

8. What has happened to Sarah Baptiste?

9. Do Sylvie and Alain have any children?

Thoughts

Mark seems to have taken Emily calling off the wedding rather well. Still quite perky, willing to run around gathering evidence and bringing it to France. Doesn't seem put out to see Mark and Emily together.

I still think that Vincent is relevant because he was in the area when Ollie was abducted and saw something or someone which is the key to the whole thing. He might not appreciate the significance of what he saw.

Lots more about parents and children. Last episode we had:

Tony/Emily/Ollie,

Ziane-Charmartain/his son,

Malik/his wife/his son,

2009 missing child and his parents fighting over him,

Mark/James

So much blood... there was blood on the sobriety medal which was found at the abduction scene. Why? If you're abducting a child surely you just grab them and get them away as quickly as possible, not hurt them at the scene (horrible thought, too).
Then blood in the cellar.

Yes, there are all the other missing children- what happened to them and where are they now? Can't help thinking water will come into play again :( It would be easy for Ian to go out in his boat and do what Tony did.

Maybe the blood is another red herring.

9) Do Sylvie and Alain have any children?

I think Georges mentioned having a niece, but I can't remember when or what he said.

Was it a coin or a medal? How did Tony recognize it?

When Tony checked back in to the Eden alone, he paused in the hall way as if he'd noticed something different or a thought had occurred to him.

Just checked AA website (definitely over invested!) and they call them both coins and medallions so both are right.

Tony recognises it because when he returned to France in 2014 Sylvie showed him one saying that it had been a gift from Alain.

Yes, I noticed Tony's pause, too, three I thought he noticed something or was about to turn back and ask Sylvie something.
There must be a further clue at the hotel.

Agree Eau I think they are possibly in water somewhere.
Vincent fishing too - probably relevant.

I still think there's more to it. I've hardly even heard Alain speak. Think I'd be a bit disappointed if it's him. Maybe it's him and others and the whole last episode will tie up the loose ends. Vincent has to play a big part, surely. Thing is we've all dissected so much that now nothing is a total surprise as someone has probably mentioned it!

Georges mentions his niece in one of the 2014 bits of one of the early episodes. Might even be the first one. He doesn't want to reopen the case because of the damage done to the town after Ollie's disappearance due to it's association with that. He complains that he used to have a tradition of meeting his niece after work and that she has now moved away because she couldn't find work in the town - I think. I suppose that she is likely to be Sylvie and Alain's grownup daughter if we are right about Georges and Alain being brothers.

I was thinking that Mark's shifty behaviour was just because he was in love with Emily (since saving her from jumping off the bridge) and was just biding his time to make a move. And since he got her, kind of knew he loved her more than she loved him, so tried to control her and manipulate her. Is he running around helping now because he wants to prove himself to Emily and also is excited to be involved in the drama again, since his career had flatlined.

But agree with those who say he us acting in a very pointed way in a lot if scenes. And also that he has taken the wedding cancellation surprisingly well. Mmm.

The poster who says that Greg is Ollie's father's probably onto something. Whether Tony knows or not I am not sure. I think Tony's comment about a son deserving to know his father could be a reference to his own history with his dad, and hints at a troubled childhood, which could explain his temper.

I reckon Alain is involved but isn't the driving force. He knows what happens and is too scared/guilty to talk. He may have been made to help in the kidnap but didn't orchestrate it.

The broken telly is a hidden camera where they make the child porn films that Ian had.

Anyone else surprised by Baptiste's reaction to Tony saying he was going to confess? He didn't try to dissuade him. Or did he just know that once Tony heard the news about Ziane planning to talk, that he would change his mind?

Alain was acting too shifty last night for it to be him, surely?

I don't believe Mark has swapped the evidence, as mentioned, he wouldn't know the relevance of the sobriety medal.

My money is on Georges, the mayor.

And I also fear for Baptiste now after he threatened him

Baptiste and the bees. There's something there.