Kiri: Season 1/ Episode 2 – Recap/ Review (with Spoilers)

As alibis are given and trust is asked of us, so narrows down who likely killed Kiri. Network Channel 4 Director(s) Euros Lyn Writer(s) Rachel De-Lahay, Jack Thorne Air Date 1/17/2018 Characters Introduced DI Mercer Wunmi Mosaku Bimpe Sharon D. Clarke Gloria Aicha Kossoko Episode Focus: Finding Nathaniel | Tobi, Nathaniel, Kiri, DI Mercer  …

As alibis are given and trust is asked of us, so narrows down who likely killed Kiri.

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Network
Channel 4
Director(s)		Euros Lyn
Writer(s)		Rachel De-Lahay, Jack Thorne
Air Date		1/17/2018
Characters Introduced
DI Mercer	Wunmi Mosaku
Bimpe	Sharon D. Clarke
Gloria	Aicha Kossoko

Episode Focus: Finding Nathaniel | Tobi, Nathaniel, Kiri, DI Mercer

 

With the news running with the idea that Nathaniel, without a doubt, is Kiri’s murderer, Tobi decides to look for him and try to beat the cops to finding him. Which, after looking at his former drug dens, he finds Nathaniel at Gloria’s brothel. Now, why is Gloria willing to hide someone who could draw attention to her likely illegal shop? Who knows? Even the place where Nathaniel would formerly do drugs didn’t want him so why did this place?

But, that’s neither here nor there. The thing that matters is that Nathaniel claims he didn’t kill Kiri. They were having an OK time until they got to talking about the adoption, her losing her name, and then she ran off. Leading to the question, who and why took her from the park to where we saw her lifeless body? A question which will surely be asked as DI Mercer sits down with Nathaniel after breaking Tobi’s trust and not giving him the ability to bring his son to her with dignity.

Subplot 1: The State of Miriam & Alice | Miriam, Alice, Tobi, Jim

30 years of social service experience shot by one mistake. One in which Miriam is advised to take some of the blame and resign so she can keep her pension. Given the weight of the adoption system changing because of her mistake, and with Jessie maybe dying, she just snaps. Though, let’s not discount someone hitting her too. This combination leads her to reveal she did want Kiri to spend time with her folks for there are just some things pale-faced and straight haired people can’t give to her. That she needs to know her people and believe me when I say that when Alice hears this, she will be all kinds of pissed.

You know why? Because she thinks race and Kiri’s biological family’s culture doesn’t matter. In fact, when Tobi tries to talk about her funeral arrangements, as well as reveal what Nathaniel has told him, he notes that he wants a Christian burial. This notion, due to Alice and Jim being atheist, leads to her becoming outright nasty to him. I’m talking, to the point that despite her talk of how she hates how race is playing into this, it sounds like she wants to say something racist.

Thus, in my book, pushing her up as a possibility as Jim’s alibi of being at work takes him off the table.

Subplot 2: The Sordid Past of Tobi and Nathaniel | Nathaniel, Tobi

 

Alongside Tobi being removed from one of the top suspects, for viewers anyway, we also learn about his and Tobi’s sordid past. For Tobi, his main sin was likely having an affair. But for Nathaniel, per Bimpe, Gaia’s mom, Kiri’s maternal grandmother, it is contributing to Gaia’s death, letting his daughter, Kiri, be neglected in a drug den, and, in general, being a disappointment.

Something that, like for many first-generation kids, his father presents this idea that he sacrificed a lot to make Nathaniel have a better life. Tobi came from the sticks, became a boxer to make money, and eventually became a doctor. Also a union rep. Not bad for a Nigerian boy who had nothing, eh?

Yet, look at the state of his son. Despite his father’s attention, helping him often with his school work, somewhere he took a left and decided to leap off a cliff. Though, now he claims to want a second chance. One which may be too late to request.

Other Noteworthy Facts & Moments

• Alice and Jim fostered Kiri for 4 years.
  • They tried to naturally have a child, but even IVF wasn’t working for them.
• Bimpe did have custody of Kiri for some time, but gave her up because she kept reminding her of her daughter. Also, Tobi had the opportunity to take Kiri, but after his failure in raising Nathaniel, he decided to not put another child through his rearing.
• Miriam stopped smoking for 22 years, after seeing a baby with cigarette burns all over, but this situation is stressing her back to the cancer sticks.

Question(s) Left Unanswered

1. Was Rochelle the mistress, back when Nathaniel’s mom was alive or is she his sister, cousin, or something like that?
2. So, what is Simon and Alice’s alibi?

Highlights

Two Suspect Down, But Another Added

I genuinely believe Nathaniel didn’t do it. There is just something about his desire for redemption and the frustration of him thinking Kiri didn’t like this gift of a black doll which pushes the idea. Not to imply he may not have yelled at her and scared her off, but even in his tussle with his father, he didn’t seem like he would kill someone. After all, if that was his MO in life, his dad would have had hands around his neck. Instead, they damn near seemed like they were play fighting.

So, with Nathaniel saying he didn’t do it and Jim having an alibi, I’m pushing Alice forward as a suspect. Why? Well, because she seems to be enjoying the spotlight a bit much and, I’d argue, with Kiri wanting to know her people more, she was probably becoming a bit upset. And with her seeming a bit unhinged, and it not seeming like the reason is purely because of Kiri, something is off.

Like her really seeming to possibly enjoy all this media attention. That and, with her coming at Tobi as she did, something tells me she could have it in her to kill Kiri. This child rejected her. Didn’t appreciate her kindness from saving her from this home in which she was neglected and what have you? Plus, wasn’t she following Miriam as she took Kiri to Tobi’s home?

Then, when it comes to Simon, there is just something creepy about that shirt, which could have been Kiri’s, in his room with soiled napkins in there. Making it so, with DI Mercer talking about local pedophiles, it does push you to wonder if Simon just might be one. That may be, on top of hating Kiri for taking away his former exclusivity to his parents, he might have developed a thing for her. Though, until we hear more of her forensic results, it’ll be hard to say if this show may go that far or not.

On The Fence

Miriam’s Plight

Lucian Masamati (Tobi) really got to steal Sarah Lancashire’s (Miriam) thunder and forced her into the shadows a bit. For while she is the catalyst for all that happened, and gave an impassioned speech, with her not being accused of anything but negligence, she became a bit of an afterthought. Yeah, it is sad Jessie is sick and she may be getting fired, if she doesn’t resign, but the situation at hand made it appear there was no real reason to take note of her anymore. Especially as we learned how and why Alice and Jim ended up with Kiri in the first place.

A far more interesting story than this woman’s life falling apart.

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Previous Episode’s Recap

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