Review: Love/Hate's 'Red Wedding' won't be forgotten quickly

It seems like everyone in the entire country is talking about Love/Hate today, and if they're not talking about it, they're thinking (tweeting) about it. Stuart Carolan must have decided to evoke the wrath of Game of Thrones' writer George RR Martin as that episode was pretty much our very own answer to the Red Wedding. Nobody was safe, as characters we had come to know and love/hate were slaughtered left right and centre. Bodies bleedin everywhere by the end, so there was.

The episode began in Spain where Terence 'Big Balls' told Nidge these rats he kept going on about needed to be taken care of, and first on the list was our favourite 'tart with a heart' Janet. We had thought this may be some sort of ongoing moral dilema for Nidge but nope, next thing we knew poor Janet was a goner and in pretty much the most gruesome way possible. Her poor aul knees. There'll be no talking to Aarton after this.

Nidge did seem to feel bad about it and all, but we're pretty sure his brand new shiny King Nidge runners took his mind off things. Seriously, who knew the key to Nidge's heart was a pair of trainers? Pity he didn't even get a chance to break them in but we'll get to that.

Meanwhile, Siobhan was busy giving another Oscar winning performance or else going way off script as she told Detective Moynihan about Git's death. That's not how we remember it Siobhan but whatever you say. Moynihan was so pissed off about all this that he went all Bad Cop, accosting Nidge on the side of the road and chewing up his tax disc. Shockin' stuff.

In the midst of all this, Fran was still running around trying to kill Nidge, even showed up at his old gaff, bless him. Deano at least would have kept him in the loop about Nidge moving house. As usual though, Fran couldn't keep his head down long and was spotted by Nadine who promptly snitched him up to the Gards.

Fran was a hero when he returned to the prison for his great escape but things took an incredibly dark turn for him later as Noelie and his mates appeared in the showers. To be honest, we won't go into any more detail than that, you know what happened, we know what happened, and our stomachs are still turning thinking about it.

The final moments of the episode were given to Siobhan and Nidge, where she finally got to have it out with evil uncle Nidgey about what he did to Tommy, and admitted she was the rat all along. Oh and that she had set him up for Git's murder too, she's some piece of work, wha'?

Nidge pretty much went all hulk on us then and God knows how that would have all gone if his young fella, Warren, wasn't there. The police were on their way though so we kind of knew how all of this was going to play out until, wait, who's that in the van? Out of left field pops the most peaceful pipe bomber in all the land who takes down Siobhan and almost Warren too before Nidge pulls him out of the way.

A cat and mouse chase began through the back garden as a devastated Trish watched Nidge and his new runners going as fast as they could to get away, but they were no match for Patrick. One bullet to the chest sent Nidge to the ground and with one last look at his son, Patrick fired the final bullet into his chest.

And that was it. Good night, g'luck, as the entire nation pretty much looked like this...

Just what in the name of merciful Jaysus was that? Did we just watch the last ever episode of Love/Hate? Is Nidge really gone? (We always feel a bullet to the head is FAR more conclusive). It was pretty much assumed there would be another series after this but perhaps Stuart Carolan's plan all along was to lull us into a false sense of security and then go out with a bang when we least expected it.

Although, perhaps the sixth series will just be the lot of them all in a hospital ward together. Nidge, Siobhan, Fran and Tommy, having the lols.

If there is a spin-off of any sort though it will have to go to Aido and Nadine, who truly are love's young dream. Between her oneliners and his cleaning skills they could really make it work, she is the new Janet now after all.