No 12323, Tuesday 22 May 2018, Spinner

Someone to spell out the theme and theme words

ACROSS
1   Call captain instead of vice-captain at the start to provoke (6) INCITE IN(-v+c)CITE
4   Spinner, upset, is describing unending period of stress (8) EMPHASIS {ME<=}{PHASe}{IS}
10 Candy for devoted worker (7) FONDANT {FOND}{ANT}
11 River turning west a second time on Russia’s borders (7) NIAGARA {AGAIN<=}{Ru..iA}
12 Pain is masked by nicety (8) NUISANCE {NU{IS}ANCE}
13 Watch and tend endlessly to get tip (6) CAREEN {CARE}{tENd}
15 Age of multimedia content (4) TIME [T]
16 Leader of the pack quickly drove around part of town with some henchmen onboard (9) SPEARHEAD {SPE{AR{He...n}EA}D}
20 With no empty chair, standing maybe an indicator of having fitness? (9) EDIBILITY crEDIBILITY
21 Spirit very low? Takes a bit of understanding! (4) SOUL {SO}{Un...g}{L}
24 Self-important guy loses head getting over quiet depression (6) UPPITY {gU{P}{PIT}Y}
26 Finish off rookie in battle (8) COMPLETE {COMP{L}ETE}
28 They speak about wife as they cut wood (7) SAWYERS {SA{W}YERS}
29 Truth is perhaps a lie wearing extremely radiant finery, at the end! (7) REALITY {Radi{A+LIE}*anT}{f...rY}
30 Every one that woman loves ultimately dies (8) PERISHES {PER}{1}{SHE}{l..eS}
31 Guide helped to eat greens every now and then (6) LEGEND {LE{GrEeNs}D}

DOWN
1   Extensiveness of one tiny, transforming glove for arm (8) INFINITY {1}{N{FIN}ITY*} Fin/Arm? See comments
2   Fraud dismissed with involvement of money established (9) CONFIRMED {CON}{FIR{M}ED}
3   Crowns brilliant artisan in knight’s absence (6) TIARAS ARTISAn*
5   Heart of witness stands in the way of rolling back ill-defined judgement (4) MIND {DIM}<= over {witNess}
6   After hollering initially, every engineer comes to grips with commercial issue (8) HEADACHE {Ho...g}{E{AD}ACH}{E}
7   Play for second position with league basically lost (5) SPACE {S}{PlACE}
8   Lengths of time with woman produces kids (6) SPAWNS {SPA{W}NS}
9   Pick fancy scarf wraps from store (9) STOCKPILE {STO{PICK*}LE}
14 A thousand of them form a unit designed to shut war (9) WATTHOURS* (From KiloWatt Hour)
17 Pay raise issue back in the day (2,3,4) AT ONE TIME {ATONE}{EMIT<=}
18 They help one improve oneself, essentially (8) ABETTERS {A}{BETTER}{oneSelf}
19 Having the backing of those running the show, unfairly duel by taking drugs (4-4) BLUE-EYED {DUEL+BY}* over {EE}
22 Aggravates, manages with raise (4,2) RUNS UP {RUNS} {UP}
23 Record deceased’s identity, for starters (1-5) L-PLATE {LP}{LATE}
25 Pressure on holder, after dropping point, to show competency (5) POWER {P}{OWnER}
27 Sri Lanka, say, sent on a wild goose chase that's endless (4) ISLE  mISLEd

GRID

Bhargav's Talepiece

The bouncer and the dancer - Part 43

With Rita having CONFIRMED her joining the team, SS was on cloud nine. The three together could SPEARHEAD his plan to take over Shangri-la, after his leasing a portion and commencing his Club INFINITY operations.

First his EMPHASIS should be to build up crEDIBILITY with the people of the hamlet. Then put his heart and SOUL into his plan to INCITE the residents with some seductive dances.

What he had in MIND was that  AT ONE TIME the bouncer should leave the place by himself. Then entire Shangri-la will be his without any payment!

The four came to Shangri-la in a car which CAREENED inside just missing a huge tree.

SS had in his excitement  COMPLETELY forgotten Uncle Sam and his POWER to foil his plan by proving to be a constant HEADACHE.

What happened next?