Australian
Screen

Clip description

Jack Christey (Steve Bisley) escorts ex-cop and murder suspect Brian Geary (Steven Vidler) to a motel room. There’s been an attempt on Geary’s life and it’s unsafe for him to go home. Geary asks Jack some uncomfortable questions about family. Back at the station, Rachel Goldstein (Catherine McClements) looks through former partner Frank’s belongings but hides them when Jack arrives. Jack tries to talk to Rachel but gives up.

Curator’s notes

The scene in the motel room pushes the main ‘crime’ plot of the episode forward, while also revealing facets of Jack’s character. Using murder suspect Geary to unwittingly put Jack on the spot about his personal life is another example of the way the episode develops its character and relationship strands whilst not losing sight of the main action. Many of this episode’s character insights occur in the midst of typical ‘police drama’ situations – talking to a suspect, heading to a crime scene, working at the station and so on.

The transition from Geary and Jack’s conversation to the scene at the station is used to raise a question without explicitly stating it. Geary asks Jack if 'the right one got away’ and Jack is unwilling to respond. We next see Jack approach Rachel at the station, suggesting the question – does Jack see Rachel as the one that got away? The way Jack springs Rachel brooding over Frank’s belongings – before she throws them in the bin – keeps Frank present and suggests that Frank is one of the factors making her situation with Jack more difficult.

Rachel and Jack both demonstrate qualities of the 'classic’ fictional police detective – confident and at ease doing their jobs, but less able to deal with their personal lives or face up to their emotions.