Culprits – Season 1 Episode 6 “Vessels” Recap & Review

Vessels

The beginning of Culprits Episode 6 reveals how Officer made a deal with Devil when he picked her up from the parking lot. As she has explained to Joe since revealing her betrayal, she had no choice at the time. The group deboards at Kent. Joe wants to retrieve the bag he left in a locker at the station. But he discovers that the police have already been alerted to a gun inside it. He turns away and listens to Jules’ voice note. He is touched and once again goes over the footage from the security feed.

Joe is alarmed when he sees men with guns approaching the house. He immediately calls Jules and instructs him to escape with the kids. Since he has eyes in every room, Joe tactfully navigates the way for Jules and the kids, who escape by the skin of their teeth. Jules is shaken after the men shoot at the car. Joe instructs him to lose his phone and use the burner he put in the duffle bag –  which is in the car’s trunk. Azar, who was instructed to steal a car in the meanwhile, arrives at the entrance and picks up Joe to get away.

Since he couldn’t get the bag, Joe decides to go to Colin’s house and steal some supplies. He successfully manages to do so and the group escape. Joe takes them to Colin’s club, which has been closed since the pandemic. They will be safe there for now, although Officer maintains that Devil will snoop them out soon. Joe ties her to the railing on the stairs and tends to Inga’s wounds. While doing so, Joe asks her if she really “fought a lion and won.”

Inga chuckles and adds an important detail: “I did it with my bare hands.” After the bandaging is done, Joe and Azar relax for a bit. Officer is still tied up and reminiscences the moment during the heist when Joe risked his own life to save hers. However, he has no sympathy for her in the present moment. Joe decides to set up a trap for the killer and Azar volunteers to be the bait. He uses Officer’s phone to send him a location pin in a park. Before going there, Joe drops by Inga’s safe house and procures weapons for the team. After waiting for almost the entire day, the duo is about to leave dejected.

Joe gives Azar a stun gun to taze Devil when he shows up. However, Azar has a different plan altogether. Without even looking, she stabs the man who sits next to her on the bench several times. It is not the killer, who calmly stands near the duo’s car and watches all the drama unfold. Joe and Azar put the man’s body in the trunk and take off. Devil follows them, which gets him to the nightclub. While Joe and Azar are busy cleaning themselves up, Devil walks toward Inga.

Since Officer has tape on her mouth, she is unable to speak properly. Inga has already got a sense of his presence and hides. She shoots at his hand to get rid of his gun. But due to her injuries and vulnerable state, Inga isn’t able to finish him off. She collapses to the floor and Devil slits her throat. Joe and Azar manage to subdue him. They tie Devil to a chair and question him about his purpose and employers. 

It is also revealed that Fixer killed Right Hand. But it is unclear for what reasons. Even though he is bound and all the stakes are against him, Devil seems to have the upper hand on Joe and Azar. He refuses to answer any of Joe’s questions, even though Joe offers him his life if he agrees to give them information. Devil speaks of the things the crew robbed and mentions a key, which befuddle the duo. He also asserts that Dianne is alive and his employers won’t stop until they find out where she is.

Devil tries to mentally torture Joe by telling him how Jules and the kids will also be murdered. Joe keeps backing away until he decides to shoot Devil in the head. He runs toward Officer, who assures him that Devil doesn’t know about anything and that his family is alright. The final flashback confirms that Dianne is alive and left that day in Fixer’s car. 

The Episode Review

The character arcs aren’t going anywhere. Questionable decision-making from our protagonists plays spoilsport in this regard. It is almost as if the writers have decided to drop the ball in the second half of the season. Episode 6 lacked urgency or realism. Everything that is put together – from Joe stealing supplies from Colin’s house to Devil’s death – is largely unconvincing. The storytelling has gone off the rails to settle for mediocrity. 

The creators have decided to change the nature of the characters midway, which seems highly unfair to the actors. They looked confused on the screen, unsure of what was expected of them. Is Jules an innocent simpleton caught in the crosshairs of his dirty secret from the past or has he forgotten years of training and professional vigour to behave like a sissy in testing situations?

Just making him say that he “doesn’t kill anymore” cannot justify him allowing others to be killed due to his inaction. The tense opening scene is executed well, though. But it is borderline laughable given how easily Jules and the kids escaped professional killers. But that much benefit of the doubt can be afforded to the writers. That is the only bright light in the episode, which was quite torturous to get through.