"Like most things that end with you hanging upside in a deserted warehouse... it started with a really good idea..."
The gang decide to sell a fake of a Picasso painting; "A Small Cat in the Garden" that had recently been stolen. Small issue; the crew sold a fake to its original owner; Petre Sava. They have to find the original painting within six hours, or they'll never get Mickey back from him.
Written and directed by Adrian Lester.
Tropes:
- An Offer You Can't Refuse: The crew have to find the painting, or Mickey is...well, as Sean later elaborates from what gory details he can muster after his research, shipped off into a human trafficking ring, which won't be pretty for Mickey.
- The Bus Came Back: For Cyclops.
- Crazy Enough to Work: Given the time crunch, this happens twice:
- Ash calls the intercom of the McCrery brothers to reveal they were in a bind. The guys who had stolen the painting, but it had since been moved. Even he's surprised by the Brass Balls of Ash, and almost helps them on that alone.
- The crew's plan to get the painting back from Harry Holmes, the new owner, is to steal it in broad daylight, as the alarm systems will be off. It was, until the police arrive and they retrieve the (fake) painting, putting the gang at square one. They do the same plan again in when Harry retrieves what they all think is the real painting again, with success.
- Death Glare: The crew gives one to Mickey when he asks why they didn't just steal the original painting.
- Did Not Think This Through: The episode is a nutshell. Don't sell back a fake of a painting to the original owner of the painting.
- Fatal Flaw: Vanity. Both get a fake painting to save face at the end to keep up their reputations among peers.
- Formula-Breaking Episode:
- The show structure is thrown out for this episode for the most part, as while there is a hastily put together con near the end involving the real painting being switched for the fake one and two factions warring to get it back, it's not the central focus of the story; getting Mickey back and finding the painting to save him is.
- This episode is also more comedic than usual too, with the return of Bill Bailey and his character "Cyclops", not seen since Series 5. Dolly has a lot of Cringe Comedy in her scenes, often forgetful of info the gang needs to get Mickey back, and Sean has to what appears to make out with her to get information from her (leaving him completely traumatised). Even Petre Sava is more Affably Evil, despite his reputation for being merciless.
- Genius Ditz: Dolly, the art forger. She's intelligent enough to forge a Picasso painting, well-connected enough to know where all the paintings are, but suffers extreme levels of Attention Deficit... Ooh, Shiny! when directly asked. The show doesn't make it clear if it's an act or a genuine mental condition that makes her forget things.
- Here We Go Again!: Played for Laughs, as Mickey reads a false newspaper story of another painting being stolen, suggesting they'd make a fake to sell.
- Hidden in Plain Sight: The real painting is in the hotel room the McCrary brothers are staying at, one which Emma and Ash frantically search. It's simply hanging up on a wall, something Ash only notices at the last minute when entering the room a second time."Now that's clever."
- Pass the Popcorn: When Harry and Petre's gangs get into a fight, the crew watch on as they squabble for ownership of the painting.
- Person as Verb: Ash doing a "Mickey Waffle", which is when Mickey talks without any substance to buy time or not admit fault.
