THE FALL season 3 is set to premiere on Netflix on October 29. While viewers on the other side of the globe have watched the finale on BBC Two, quite a lot of us have been anxiously awaiting the latest run of episodes. Before the Netflix debut gives fans — whether of Gillian Anderson, Jamie Dornan, or just the series in general — a chance to binge, I took some time out to chat about the series with some fellow writers. We touched on some of our favorite things about THE FALL, what we might like to see done differently, and (of course) where we’d like to see it all go. What better way to prepare for new episodes than to have a good conversation with friends, right? Check out our roundtable for THE FALL, and make sure to enjoy season 3 — unless, of course, you’ve already had the opportunity to watch on television.
What have been some of the strongest aspects of the series for you?
Shana Lieberman: I think, for me, the keyword that would best describe every single positive aspect of THE FALL is “unapologetic.” The series is unapologetically dark, opting to show serial killer Paul Spector’s heinous acts without any sort of warning before them or light “relief” to follow. There are also no excuses made on the villain’s behalf. No, he’s not just some disturbed loner, as many fictionalized accounts of monsters like Spector would paint him: He’s a seemingly normal family man, who’s adored by his children and would be absolutely forgettable…if only viewers weren’t aware of what he did in his spare time. THE FALL doesn’t shy away from the idea that even the most seemingly innocuous men among us can, and will, be the most dangerous people imaginable.
And then there’s the unapologetic feminist bent, for which THE FALL has received a lot of praise. Stella Gibson is a walking, talking lexicon of feminist rhetoric. Rather than painting this as something special or drawing a lot of excessive attention to it — either negative or positive — the characterization just is. Gibson defies any stereotypes associated with the well-known “strong female character” and is, quite frankly, above all of that. She is who she is, and if you don’t like it? Too bad. She is, to badly quote Christopher Nolan’s THE DARK KNIGHT, the hero we deserve. I could continue to write a love letter to this character, but I basically already did as a guest contributor on Just About Write’s “Strong Women Series.” So, moving on.
Last but never least, there’s Gillian Anderson’s performance. This, too, falls into my general theme of “unapologetic,” as she’s unapologetically talented. Given some of the interviews I’ve seen and heard, she’d probably disagree. But too bad. I’m unapologetically in awe of just how fully she’s slipped into pretty much every character she’s ever played; and her portrayal of Stella Gibson is, by far, one of her best turns. So there.
Amy Imhoff: Honestly, I think the creep and suspense factors are very strong and make for highly compelling television. Too often, I have a general idea of where things are going; but with this show, that is not the case. I love not knowing! Dornan’s serial killer vibe is understated, which makes him way more scary — because he’s smart and deliberate. I also find the way Stella handles the men she’s surrounded with at work to be inspiring because she is just not taking their shit. I do wish at times she had a bit more levity; but that is just not Stella’s vibe, which I can totally respect. I think Gillian often plays these uber-serious people who are wound pretty tightly because she herself does not seem like an overly serious person; rather, she has a sense of humor and mischief about her. Both Spector and Stella are deadly serious, and I think both need to be. I am also quite fond of Danielle Ferrington; I quite like the actress that plays her, Niamh McGrady. Supporting cast is A+ all around. Oh, and Stella’s little ways of enticing Spector to be in contact, like wearing the nail polish on camera – that was just cool.
Erin Allen: Obviously, Gillian Anderson is the draw, but there are a lot of strong aspects that make THE FALL a great show. Besides being aesthetically appealing, the show touches on important, topical issues like feminism and misogyny. The cat-and-mouse cop drama is given new life with these characters and the interesting sub-plots. In other words, you come for Gillian and you end up staying for, well, Gillian, but a whole slew of other reasons, too.
I love the commentary this show makes on rape culture and sexism. I’ve read criticism that it sensationalizes violence against women, but you can’t really address the subject without portraying it. It sheds light on the conversations we should be having, especially in these times of Brock Turners and Donald Trumps. Stella smartly and poetically shoots down sexism when it’s directed at her or when sexist thinking gets in the way of her investigation. She breaks down the conventional thinking of how a woman is supposed to behave. For example, when she ends up sleeping with a married man, it is suggested to her that she should’ve thought to ask if he was married even though he wasn’t wearing a ring. The way she answers when she’s being questioned points out the major double standard. She approaches a man to fulfill a sexual desire and gets judgement. She expertly shuts this down: “Man fucks woman. Subject man, verb fucks, object woman. That’s okay. Woman fucks man. Woman subject, man object. That’s not so comfortable for you, is it?” Anderson said she was surprised that the scene where she met James Olson was shocking to people. We need to move towards a reality where that behavior isn’t shocking. A woman going after what she wants and a woman wanting sex should not be surprising nor should it be condemned.
Stella is careful of how she presents information from the investigation to the public, being mindful of how the media skews things: “Let’s not refer to them as innocent. The media likes to divide women into virgins and vamps. Angels and whores. Let’s not encourage them.” We’ve seen recently that this trend still exists and, in fact, still runs rampant in our culture. We clearly see men controlling and manipulating women through Spector’s violence, but the show also portrays many of the different ways this happens. Jimmy physically and emotionally abuses his wife. Burns drunkenly forces himself on Stella. Eastwood pointedly questions her on some of her decisions. There are also subtler ways this manipulation occurs, too, and I appreciate that the series addresses them. It’s important to Burns that Stella feels guilt. He is offended when she makes a comparison between Spector’s depravity and his behavior towards her in her hotel room. “It’s not the same, but you crossed a line.” Just because it isn’t as atrocious as Spector’s crimes doesn’t excuse the act.
During my last rewatch of THE FALL, I had a dream where someone broke into my home and attacked me. I screamed and screamed as loud as I could and my husband sleeping next to me (in the dream) never woke up despite the noise I made. This is so indicative of how raging misogyny attempts to silence women. It wasn’t so much that I was getting attacked; it was that I was not being heard that scared me. In a scene in season one, Spector is watching Stella on the news. He mutes the TV, literally taking her voice away. Taking our voice away makes it easier for men to view us as objects. THE FALL brings the importance of women’s voices to the forefront and examines society’s way of trying to silence them.
Laura Mastantuono: I should quote Erin. Definitely, the draw was Gillian Anderson. I started watching this show last year after hearing lots of praise about it, and I wasn’t disappointed. Truth to be told, even if curiosity about Gillian playing this role and how great Stella Gibson was made me press play for the pilot, I was completely surprised and astounded by the cinematography and how unapologetic (as Shana said) the writers were in presenting the theme and plot. Usually in this kind of procedural, viewers get to see the behind the scenes about the detective’s or hero’s life, but this series showcases the double life of Spector and makes an almost perfect portrait of a sociopath (with him and young Katie).
The fact that the show ties the dark aspects of the scripts with its color palette, choice of camera angles, and movements and sound, it almost seems obvious to be pointing it out, but it’s a perfect example to study in film school. And not every show does it. There’s nothing lazy about how this show is constructed; and adding the more than stellar performances by the cast, it makes it addictive.
And then there’s the feminist aspects that Shana described so well. Stella Gibson is the kind of character we wanted but didn’t get. She just is this character; and even if you might speculate about what has happened to her, you don’t actually know. And it’s wonderful. Why? Because in life, when you’re drawn to a person or look up to someone, you don’t always get the backstory — it is the way it is. And Stella rules.
Lissete Lanuza: Obviously, the answer to this question is Gillian Anderson. I started watching for Gillian, without any idea what the show was about. It could have been about her staring at a wall for forty minutes every episode, and I still would have given it a shot. It’s Gillian. After I started watching, however, I fell in love with the show – and it wasn’t just because of Gillian. (Even if, to this day, she remains my favorite thing.)
First of all, the show is a treaty on feminism. There are few characters on TV who just exist in the way Stella Gibson does. Like Shana said, she is who she is, and THE FALL doesn’t treat the fact that she’s basically a role model like it’s a big thing. THE FALL just allows Gillian to be this woman, to inhabit her, and that sends an even bigger message than if they’d been trying to point out at every step how great and different she is.
But that’s the thing about this show – they present their story and let us draw our own conclusions, not just about Stella, but about Paul, and about almost every character and storyline. There’s no explanation, because the show treats us like adults who can reach our own conclusion, and that makes it both refreshing and addictive.
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What, if anything, would you like to see done differently and/or avoided altogether if it hasn’t yet happened?
Shana: Real talk: I have no idea how anyone, on any planet, could possibly ship Gibson with Spector. There have been times when Stella Gibson’s obsession with catching Paul Spector has been misinterpreted by some viewers — most egregiously so when she ran to him, not Merlin DS Anderson, at the end of THE FALL’s second season — and I just…I need to put that to rest. The motivation, according to Gillian Anderson herself, was Gibson’s need to see Spector brought to justice. There’s nothing else there, folks. Let’s do better and stop being so enamored with the “good girl likes bad boys” trope that we take it too far and actually want a serial rapist and murderer to hook up with the law enforcement officer in charge of nailing him to the wall, ok?
That’s not really even a flaw that I’ve seen in terms of THE FALL’s execution, but it’s really all I’ve got. I mean, it’s not like I can be like, “hey, Gillian, stop having chemistry with everything that walks” or, “Yo, Jamie. Stick to playing the creeper, but try not to look as enamored with your costar as everyone else is,” can I?
Amy: I am violently opposed to Spector being shipped with anyone. He’s a disgusting, vile person, and I feel super sorry for his wife and kids. I don’t think Stella has actually met her match in terms of someone I can ship her with. I like DS Anderson, but I don’t think he is her equal. I do want to see a few more moments of relaxation; although, with this being the last season, we are unlikely to get that. I loved the scene in the bar with Stella and Reed (Archie Panjabi); it gave Stella a rare few moments to be herself and relax. I always find those tiny moments we see characters with their guards down.
Erin: I do not want them to drag out Spector’s condition with the “will he or won’t he survive” approach. Either he lives, and we have more sparring between him and Stella…or he dies and we go through the consequences of everything. I do not want to see a big deal made about Stella going to Spector instead of Anderson when they were both shot. She and Anderson slept together, like, one night? She’s been working on this case for months and has been personally compromised. It was not surprising to me that she went to Spector. I do not want Reed’s existence to be ignored and would like an explanation for why we aren’t seeing her.
The first two seasons fit in a lot in a small number of episodes. There were several sub-plots and most of them worked, but some of them made it convoluted. I could’ve done without the neonatal/baby Mitchell story line and less of the bit about the criminal extracurriculars of Aaron Monroe. That being said, I am impressed with how much story they can fit in and still have it methodically paced. I hope season three is a bit more streamlined, yet still maintains that pace.
We have been afforded very little insight into Stella’s background, and that has made her intriguing. The bits we did get were fascinating. I would like to see more of this. It can be parceled out sparingly or deeply examined. I would be happy with either, but I don’t want it to fall away completely.
In season one, Marion Kay told Stella that she feared her sister would be forgotten. Alice Monroe’s murder was given most of the media attention. Stella told her that she would not forget. I hope the show makes good on her promise. The emphasis naturally declined in season two with the abduction of Rose and with Spector’s arrest. And with the media frenzy that will surround the shooting, it could decline even more.
Laura: Agreeing with Erin and Amy, I want Reed to show up again. Her character was great, and Archie Panjabi is a great actress, whose chemistry with Anderson was undeniable. But what I’m really intrigued to see and know is a bit more about Stella’s past. Am I being inconsistent because of what I just said to answer the first question? Maybe. To be honest, yes, not having information about our hero — or just getting tidbits — during the first two seasons was a well done strategy to make the viewers wonder. However, knowing this might be the last season (taking into account that Cubitt said there might be a season four in a few years), I want to know more about Stella’s life or maybe get her a happy ending — as happy as THE FALL’s aesthetic can give.
Lizzie: No shipping, please. Never, ever. That’s my main one. I know people tend to see female lead/male lead, these two are destined to be together. I know in most cases it is like that, but THE FALL is not that show. It isn’t. If it was, I probably wouldn’t be watching, not because I dislike shipping per se (anyone who knows me knows that’s not the case), but because there are characters you are just not meant to ship. Gibson and Spector are those characters. And just because Gillian has chemistry with absolutely everyone doesn’t mean we should see past what the show has clearly presented. CLEARLY.
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What are your hopes for the new season as it comes to Netflix? What are you looking forward to?
Shana: Oh, man. I just want THE FALL to hurry up and get all those new episodes on Netflix, but then I want it to never end. Somehow, I feel like that’s an unrealistic expectation…but whatever.
I think, more than anything, I’m simply looking forward to as much of the same as is possible. Obviously, I don’t want the plot to drag out — it’s time for Spector to be punished already — but aside from that, I’m very much of the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality. I can’t wait to see more of Stella Gibson being sick of incompetent men and educating the masses on how to treat women. I need her to teach me more about how “maleness is a kind of birth defect,” all while making sure one of the most vile of criminals is brought to justice. Or if, as is so disgustingly the case in the real world, Spector somehow goes free, I want to see what kinds of lessons we learn from that.
Although I’ve muted and blacklisted all things THE FALL on social media in order to avoid spoilers for the new season while it airs on the other side of the world, I’ve still managed to hear whisperings of the series’ new focus on providing more background for the main characters. If that’s true, I’m so ready for it. Stella Gibson has been somewhat of an enigma during the series’ first two seasons; I’d love to know more about what made her who she is. What’s with the mysterious journal entries? And how did she become just so…everything? I’m very much looking forward to finding out more about this character, even if it means slowing the plot down ever so slightly.
And, of course, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t simply ready to have more Gillian Anderson on my television, doing Gillian Anderson things. Bonus for more of Jamie Dornan: Anyone who looks like that but makes me hate him so completely is obviously doing his job of playing a creep very, very well.
Amy: I have not watched a single thing, so I am spoiler-free! I used to be a spoiler lover in my youth, but I find that I enjoy a show more if I remain mostly unspoiled. I hope for what Stella hopes for – that Spector lives so she can punish him and take him down in a war of minds and not of bullets. I’d also like her new boytoy not to die, but he probably will. I also want to see Stella getting the recognition in her department and in the media for being a badass – she is obviously not well-liked at work. She is efficient and doesn’t suffer fools, so of course these bros have a problem with her. Everyone has this sort of grudging respect for her, and I’d like it to grow beyond that.
Erin: The first two seasons delved into the relationships between children and their parents, as well as the effects a parent’s actions can have on their children. This has been one of the most fascinating subject matters addressed. I would hope to see how Spector’s children react to the events and how they are handled by the adults. How will Olivia react to Katie’s role in all of this? Or her mother’s? I would like to see how Stella’s past might relate to what’s happening. She seemed very anxious while in the room when Olivia met with Spector. It seemed like something was there, and I hope it is explored. Spector supposes Stella’s relationship with her father was somehow deviant. “It reads that way to me,” he says. His upbringing certainly played a part in the man he became: How has Stella’s? Stella suggests to Annie that she use the band on the wrist coping mechanism, that “it worked for me some time ago.” What kind of situations has she had to overcome?
I would like to see more Bad Ass!Stella and more Snarky!Stella. The little glimpses of those sides of the usually stoic woman were some of my favorite moments. She can scare the piss out of a gang of dude bros, and she can tease Jim about his shoe selection. She can say she has hundreds of degrees with a straight face and also put idiots in their place. “You should really and truly fuck off” was a thing of beauty.
I would like more one-on-ones between Stella and Spector. Their interactions, whether on the phone or face-to-face, were nothing short of riveting. I hung on every word. Every breath. It was captivating even when they weren’t interacting, but their scenes were intercut. Both seasons did this intercut between the two of them looking into a mirror. And all the discussions on doubling and mirroring was reflected (see what I did there?) in those sequences. I hope this theme continues.
I am interested in seeing the fates of Rose, Katie, and Sally Ann. If Rose survives, how will she confront everything that has happened? Will she blame Stella? How will Stella shoulder that guilt? Katie is so psychotic, I am curious to see if she cracks. I also hope she is brought to justice for her part and not overly protected because of the technicality of being a minor. Sally Ann has a long, hard road ahead. How will she deal with the betrayal of her husband and the damage done to her children? How will she deal with being guilty and being a victim? I hope all these issues are addressed.
Oh, and I hope we see more of Stella in uniform.
Laura: At Spoilertv, the team reviews UK-based shows as they air, (a good part of the team is from there). I’m reviewing the show up to the BBC dates, so I might have to sit this one out. Spoiler-free comment: It’s superb, and Gillian Anderson’s performance leaves you asking how she acts this well in every episode. It’s almost as if she has a superpower, and the subtlety in her tone of voice, looks, and portmanteau add more layers to the character. You just have to stare in awe.
Lizzie: I feel like, most of all, I want to enjoy it. I want them to give me a proper conclusion. Some shows I’m fine with open-ended; this one, however, is not one of those. I want everything to be squared away. Like, I need closure. I also want everyone on this show – and this planet – to realize what an absolute treasure Gillian Anderson and Stella GIbson are. And, I kind of want Spector to live and be punished. Death doesn’t even seem like enough at this point, does it? Maybe I just have this immense desire to see Stella win – and win BIG. Either way, I have the sense I’ll enjoy it. It’s been so good so far that, well, expectations. I have plenty of those.
Make sure to tune in when THE FALL season 3 begins streaming on Netflix in Latin America and the U.S. on October 29.