War
We begin episode 10 of Undercover Season 2 seven years ago with Laurent picking JP up from prison. Despite splashing out on a lavish meal and celebrations at the Hilton, JP just wants to head home. Laurent is drunk though and he drives them back, much to JP’s annoyance. At the petrol station, a group of youths approach JP, calling him a faggot and beating him to the ground. When Laurent notices, he helps his brother thwart the threat before promising to be together from now on. Back in the present, JP promises to get his retribution. Yvette overhears the conversation from the doorway and aims to take care of Nathalie. As she looks at her son, she promises Jackson will stay with them now. JP phones Bob and gives him the location for the hand-off – the ferry terminal in Zeebrugge at 10am. Unbeknownst to them, the police all show up ready to move while JP sits with Bob and tells him to be honest. JP tells Bob there’s no weapons and that the brothers were bluffing all this time. He’s not an arms dealer anymore and got out of that gig a long time time. Of course, this is all a complete lie given he knows that Bob is a cop. JP looks around and eventually walks away; the operation is a complete bust. Even worse, Bob is unable to get through to Nathalie either – at least not via a phone call. He sends a text to her and breaks the bad news about JP, warning that she could be in danger. Vinnie holds Nathalie up at gun-point and forces her to leave the ranch. Nathalie is wise to what’s happening and drops her own car keys on the floor – a crucial clue to follow. She’s forced to drive up to the Berger household, where Yvette waves the help away from the house so they can be alone. Realizing something is very wrong, JP shows his face too, sitting Nathalie down and demanding that Laurent be made Jackson’s official Father. The Bergers intend to inject her with morphine and make her OD just after signing these forms. “I warned you Nathalie, you’re either with us or against us.” Bob arrives at the ranch and finds Nathalie’s keys on the floor. As he does, Marc arrives with his team at the warehouse in a desperate last-ditch ploy to try and find the weapons. Bob realizes there’s been a scuffle at the ranch and tries to work out what to do next. Elsewhere, Nathalie holds on, refusing to sign the notary and calling out for Jackson. Unfortunately JP’s influence is just too great and under his supervision, he moves her hand and forces her to sign the papers. Bob arrives at the Berger estate and demands to see Nathalie. Gunshots outside see us cut inside to JP and Vinnie who take Nathalie’s groggy body out to the car. Spatters of blood lead to Bob’s wounded stomach as the pair are bundled inside the trunk of a car and driven off by Vinnie. He’s under strict instructions to dispose of them both without a trace. Without a trace seemingly translates to under a busy highway I guess, because Vinnie starts digging a grave in broad daylight while the pair are on the floor writhing in pain. Bob fights back though, going full-on Mike Tyson and biting Vinnie’s ear. It’s enough for Nathalie to recover fully and help Bob overcome Vinnie and knock him down. Holding him up at gunpoint, Steve demands to know where the guns are, threatening to shoot him dead. Back at the estate, there’s blood all over the floor and JP does his best to clean it up with a hose. Afterward, he phones Vinnie for an update but finds Bob on the other line. Vinnie has revealed everything. With the operation coming to a head, a panicked JP refuses to go back to hospital and starts loading a gun, talking to his brother about what’s happened. He shoots Laurent in the head but the gun seizes up on him just as the police arrive, taking him away in handcuffs. Yvette meanwhile gives herself up given she’s with Jackson and watches as Laurent is taken out in a body bag. Nathalie is reunited with her son and Bob is taken in to hospital for surgery. When he recovers, Patrick warns that his actions are going to have consequences. Thankfully, Nathalie has moved on with her life and has a new identity now too. Just before Patrick leaves, he tells Bob that there’s no way they could have caught the Bergers any other way. As the episode closes out, Polly and Bob pay their respects to Kim’s memory. Bob tells his daughter he’s proud of her as the camera pans out and fades to black.
The Episode Review
So in the end Undercover decides to do away with logic as a series of incredulous actions cause the Bergers to get themselves in trouble. JP killing his brother seems a bit farfetched – especially with a gunshot when he could have just removed the oxygen tube and made it look like an accident. That’s to say nothing of Vinnie’s plan of burying Nathalie and Bob outside under a highway. It just seems like such a silly place and a far cry from the cold and calculated man who puts details first – as we saw from the opening few episodes. While the finale itself is arguably the most exciting episode of the season, it’s done at the extent of logic. It’s also clear that Ferry’s inclusion here is that of a guest star rather than a consequential part of the plot line. That does seem a bit misleading, especially when you check the posters and promotional material that seem to hint that he would play a far bigger role in the story. And what happened to Matijn? And Victor? Are we just led to assume he’s taken off with Bob’s car and never returned? Or am I missing something? That’s before even mentioning the complete lack of logic late on with the Berger brothers which destroys the credibility they had as compelling antagonists. It’s not Game Of Thrones Season 8 levels of disappointment but the writers here did “kinda forget” that JP is supposed to be a careful player in this game. Undercover Season 2 bows out with an exciting but ultimately underwhelming finale. Most of the series has flatlined into mediocrity. Compared to other crime dramas of its kind, Undercover doesn’t quite stack up and its second season is a disappointing follow-up that could have been so much more.
