Episode Five

"What are you scared of?" Alex Drake asks Gene Hunt midway through the episode. The response from the blunt copper echoes those of viewers around the country: "Being stuck in a small room and being forced to listen to you prattle on until the end of time." Well said, Gene. Fortunately, despite Drake returning to her nauseating worst, the story contains a neat blend of hilarity and poignancy through its exploration of the blossoming gay scene and burgeoning gun culture in 1981 London.

The weaponry flooding into the country certainly hold huge contemporary resonance, given the recent spate of shootings. It's a shame that Drake's heavy-handed bleating about the future rams the message down everyone's throats a bit too hard. Still, the fatal consequences for Gene's snout - and his borrowed suit - allow the one-liner maestro to display some nice character depth through his sadness over the loss. The ever-dependable Russell Tovey, as Marcus, also manages to build a rounded, sympathetic character in a short space of time.

There's plenty of giggles neatly placed throughout the episode to counterbalance with the hard-hitting plot. In particular, the sight of self-professed macho man Ray Carling being coerced into camping it up as a 'bear' in a gay club is sheer brilliance. The subject matter also gives Gene Hunt free reign to come out with a hilarious barrage of bigoted quips.

Apart from Alex Drake's irritating presence, which is a real shame given her more appealing depiction in the previous story, this episode delivers the goods on a dramatic and comedic level.