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THIS has been a hard-going slog of a series, with creepy and grotesque scenes as Marcella hunts down someone who is killing children.
Tonight is the final episode, which is something of a relief after weeks of traumatic and depressing viewing.
But it has been compelling too – just when we thought the plot lines were being tied up, 17 more things happened.
So what do we know already? Marcella (Anna Friel) has deduced, in a dramatic light bulb moment, that the killer is a woman.
Meanwhile, Jason’s girlfriend Becky may or may not have done something to the nurse Gail (red herring?), and Gail’s thug brother Eric has been storming around town with a menacing look in his eye and a baby strapped to his front.
Peeping cop Mark is dead, and Marcella hasn’t punched anyone in a while.
But the final scenes of the previous episode were the most disturbing.
Samantha’s mum offered Marcella’s son Edward a hot chocolate, with a manner that reminded us of the child catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Then she gave a spine-chilling speech about stopping children from becoming abusers and before we knew it, Edward was passed out on the kitchen floor.
“It’s a vicious circle, but it can be broken,” she said, looking like an overgrown child’s doll with those big blonde ringlets.
Expect scenes that are as tense and gruelling as ever, and a finale that becomes very weird.
Is it enjoyable? Not really. Gripping? Absolutely. When we’ve recovered from this series, we’ll be ready for another.