Law & Order UK “Dependant” Recap & Review

Law & Order UK “Dependant” (based on the original Law & Order episode “Phobia”) provided a case that was a real wake-up call for Kate Barker. Jake Thorne had reservations about bringing on a defense barrister into the Crown Prosecution Service, and Kate’s behavior with this case seemed to prove him right. Kate’s naïveté almost cost the CPS the case when she trusted her friend – who happens to be the defense barrister – with information on tactics Jake was planning to use to prove his case. Once Kate’s breach in conduct came to light, both Jake Thorne and CPS Director Henry Sharpe erupted in outrage. (It was fun to see both Peter and Dominic have a collective conniption.) It wasn’t until DS Ronnie Brooks used his detective skills to yank out of Kate her hang-ups with the case, allowing Kate to have an epiphany and get to the bottom of the murder. Overall, the writers did a fine job this entire series in bringing a new character into the fold and giving her an interesting personality. Likewise, new DI Wes Layton (Paterson Joseph) fit in right off the bat and we’ve been given just enough of his story to be compelled to want more.

This was Paul Nicholls final episode with the series and it appears that, unlike his character’s predecessor Matt Devin, DS Cam Casey goes out with a whimper instead of a bang. I enjoyed Paul Nicholls a lot in this role and am sorry to see him go.

The one character that shines in this Law & Order UK series is Ronnie Brooks, played perfectly by Bradley Walsh. Since the beginning of Law & Order UK, Bradley (along with excellent writers) has taken Ronnie Brooks from a cookie cutter jaded Lennie Briscoe clone to a character with top notch detective skills coupled with compassion and caring for his colleagues, his family, and victims. Maybe the fact that Bradley has been with the series since day one has given his character the most depth, but I also believe that Bradley’s acting talents have lot to do with making Ronnie Brooks such a well liked and nuanced character.

Overall, “Dependent” was an interesting case that, in my opinion, improved a bit on the original. Giving Kate the chance to redeem her massive screw up with the case hopefully will give her the opportunity to bring some trust back into her working relationship with Jake and Henry. It was a perfect close to series 7.

Here is the recap:


Cast:
Bradley Walsh - DS Ronnie Brooks
Paul Nicholls - DS Sam Casey
Paterson Joseph - DI Wes Leyton
Dominic Rowan - Jacob Thorne
Georgia Taylor - Kate Barker
Peter Davison - Henry Sharpe

Guest stars:
Kelly Gough - Jen Fallows
Josh O'Connor - Rob Fallows
Nicola Sanderson - Soco Joy Ackroyd
Adam Astill - Gareth Wilks
Jessica Gunning - Angela
Lee Whitlock - Dean Carter
Glynis Barber - Sue Pendle
Ashley Bannerman -Lisa Longwood
Leila Mimmack - Ruth Pendle
Stuart Organ - Aaron Walker
Adrian Christopher - Police officer
Elliot Knight - Neil Jenkins
Lucas Hare - Custody Sergeant
Raquel Cassidy - Lydia Smythson
Christopher Colquhoun - Andrew Lintin
Gillian McCutcheon - Judge Blake
Anniwaa Buachie - Clerk


A young couple, arguing as they walk near St. Anne’s Estate, stumble upon a man’s dead body. Later, with DS Ronnie Brooks, DS Sam Casey, and Joy from the forensics team on the scene, they find that the dead man, Richard Peters, has bruises on the back of his hand, a cut on his lip, and a blow to the head. The young couple didn’t see anyone. They also find there is an empty pram on the scene – and the baby bottle is still warm. Ronnie also hopes that the baby is.

Later, at M.I.U. in interrogations, Ronnie and Sam speak with Gareth Wilks, the partner of Richard Peters and parents of young Leo, and ask about the details of Rick’s usual day. Gareth and Rick fostered Leo when he was 4 months old and applied to adopt. His biological mother was a drug addict. Gareth gives them a photo of Leo and explains Leo needs seizure medication twice a day for epilepsy.

Afterwards, Ronnie, Sam, and DI Wes Leyton watch CCTV footage from the area where Peters was murdered. They see a van enter, and Angela explains it belong to Dean Carter, who has a previous for assault and theft. Ronnie notes that a Carl Simpson was jointly charged at the time, and he also was charged for possession of indecent child images. Ronnie wonders if Dean and Ronnie had a shared interest, and Wes tells them he wants patrol teams looking out for the van and wants no high speed chases in case Dean has Leo.

Sometime later, Ronnie and Wes leave M.I.U. as the van was spotted by a uniform at Borough Market and it looks like it is stopping. Ronnie explains that Sam is at the north side of the river with his team just in case the guy makes a break across the bridge. As Wes moves for the driver’s side of his car and ask if Ronnie is going with him, Ronnie comments that Wes is driving and Wes replies “Yes, I’m gonna drive.”

At Borough Market, Ronnie and Wes wait in the car and Ronnie radios the other units to ask if they are in position. Wes says they are ready to go and Ronnie orders the other cars to move in. They do so and police cars race in to block off the van. Ronnie asks Dean to open the van and when Dean asks if they have a warrant, Wes says they have a missing kid and he doesn’t need one. Wes opens the back door of the van – but there is no Leo inside.

Later, Dean is at M.I.U. in interrogation, and he denies knowing anything about a missing kid. Ronnie gets information from Angela and then tells Dean his friend Mr. Turner confirmed he was there to visit him at the flat. Turner also explained Dean was offloading stolen goods. Ronnie continues to press on the issue and about the missing child, and when Dean asks for a deal, Ronnie curtly explains it is not a good day to deal with him. Dean sighs and explains there was a bloke and a bird standing outside on the street, they were there when he drove in and drove out. She was white and he was black, both in their late 20s. He did not see them enter the flats. Dean asks if he can go, and Wes replies of course he can – as soon as he charges him.

Afterwards, Wes complains about the amount of time they spend on Dean Carter. Ronnie calls him over to see a CCTV video showing a lorry being followed past the gates by a white woman and black man. They did not see them leave as there are no CCTV camera over the exit gate. Wes suggests to see if Gareth Wilks recognizes them.

They speak with Gareth and show him the photos of the woman and he identifies her as Ruth Pendle, Leo’s biological mother, but he has never seen the man before. He says the last time they saw Ruth, Leo was still in their foster care and as soon as they adopted, they cut contact. When Ronnie asks if Gareth has an idea where to find Ruth, he suggest Ruth’s mum.

Later, Ronnie and Sam speak with Sue Pendle, who hasn’t heard from Ruth since she left rehabilitation 3 months ago. She had been in there on and off since Leo went into care. Sue paid for her to go into the best place and get the best help but Ruth could not stay clean. Ruth idolized her father, who was a genius. Then he had an affair with someone not much older than her and Ruth started failing her exams. Sue found out too late someone at college gave Ruth cocaine to help her stay awake. Sue feels she should have spotted it but didn’t – not until she told her she was pregnant. She had progressed to heroin by then. When Leo was born, he had to be weaned off it. She refused to tell Sue the name of Leo’s father. She suggests to try Ruth’s roommate from rehab, they were inseparable.

At the home of Lisa Longwood, a persistent Ronnie gets Lisa to open the door and when she does so the officer pushes his way in. Lisa is evasive about Ruth Pendle. When Ronnie mentions he has a missing boy and does not have time for games, Ruth steps out and identifies herself and asks if Leo is missing.

Later, Ruth is in M.I.U. interrogation as Ronnie questions her about why she was at the flat where Richard Peters was killed. She denies being there but Sam continues to press the issue. She continues to deny involvement and Ronnie and Sam explain Leo’s illness and his need for medication. She thinks they are lying to get her to tell them where Leo is. Ronnie mentions they found a business card she had for a solicitor and asks why she would need one, and she thinks it is none of their business. Ronnie says they will ask him and when Ruth says her solicitor is not allowed to say anything, Ronnie counters that those rules tend to get forgotten when a child’s life is at stake. She stares back at them and says nothing.

At the office of Aaron Walker, Ronnie and Sam explain the situation and Ronnie presses. Walker explains that Ruth was seeking advice on how to overturn the adoption – it is impossible for Ruth but not for the father of the child, who was not identified on the birth certificate and therefore he can contest it. He knows the father’s name, and Ronnie continues to explain the urgency of the matter. Walker caves and says the father is Neil Jenkins and he doesn’t have a contact address for him. Ronnie curtly thanks him and he and Sam move to leave.

At M.I.U. Central Headquarters, Ronnie and Sam again press Ruth on Neil’s whereabouts, and she says she hasn’t seen him since she became pregnant. Sam points out the man in the CCTV photo with her, and Ruth remains silent. Sam explains there are 126 Neil Jenkins in London and the length of time it would take to go through them all and the time wasted which puts Leo at risk. Ruth replies if she tells them where Leo is, social services will never let he see him again. She swears she is clean of drugs and she did that for Leo, he is the only thing her life is worth living for. Ronnie shows her information from web forums on parents with children with epilepsy and the issues they must deal with. Ronnie explains Leo’s adoptive parents have been giving him regular medication but Ruth thinks it will not hurt him for a few days. Sam gives an example of how this is a dangerous assumption. Ruth cries about missing Leo and wanting to be with him, but Ronnie gently continues to pressure her. Ruth asks if they promise to look after him and Ronnie promises. She says to tell him his mummy loves him, and Leo is with his dad at 36 Garston Court. Sam races off and Ronnie tells Ruth she did the right thing.

At the home of Neil Jenkins on Garston Court, there is no answer at Neil’s door so Ronnie has them break down the door. Neil and Leo are not there, but an officer says a man with a boy has been spotted on the roof. Ronnie tells him to get there as quick as they can.

They get to the roof and Neil and Leo are there. Ronnie talks to Neil to try to calm him. Ronnie explains Leo’s illness and that Ruth did not know. Ronnie continues to gently press Neil to turn Leo over to him and do the right thing for Leo and not for himself, as that is what good dads are all about, putting themselves second.

Afterwards, Sam and Ronnie exit the building, with Ronnie carrying Leo to a very happy Gareth. Sam explains the paramedics will taken them to hospital to check Leo over. Gareth sees Neil being taken away and asks if that is who killed Rick, and Ronnie tells him to leave that to them.

Law & Order UK “Dependant” Episode Information

Photo by ITV

Here are the details for a new episode of Law & Order UK, “Dependant” which will air on Sunday, August 18, 2013 at 9PM on ITV. This episode is the series 7 finale and Paul Nicholls final episode.


Law & Order UK “Dependant” Air Date August 18, 2013 (9 PM Sunday ITV)

A gay father is found beaten to death and his adopted son is missing. DS Ronnie Brooks (Bradley Walsh) and DS Sam Casey (Paul Nicholls) track down the baby’s biological parents, Ruth Pendle, a recovering drug addict, and Neil her former boyfriend, who are taken into custody. But their stories don’t match up so who is guilty of murder and why?

And there is tension in the CPS offices when Kate Barker (Georgia Taylor) struggles to view the case objectively and puts the outcome in jeopardy.

This is a story about the system failing vulnerable people and how far a mother will go to be reunited with her child.

# # #

My recap and review of Law & Order UK "Dependant" can be found at this link.


Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Law & Order UK “Mortal” Recap & Review

Law & Order UK “Mortal” was based on the original Law & Order episode “Golden Years” (season 4, episode 11). “Mortal” was a well written episode that presented an interesting case of an old woman who appears to have died at the hands of her granddaughter who was presumably starving her to death. The granddaughter was having financial difficulties and her grandmother’s death would mean a windfall and a solution to her money problems. But it quickly becomes clear that what looks like murder is not going to be an easy case to prove for Jake Thorne. On top of this, Jake seems to be suffering from a guilty conscience regarding his own mother’s illness and death.  Kate Barker thinks he's taken action against Connie Moran because of his own guilt, and later Jake realizes maybe it did have influence. But, did Jake cut Connie too much slack for the same reason - his own guilt? This was one of those cases where, despite the verdict of not guilty, I still wonder if Connie DID help to accelerate her grandmother’s death. Yes, the jury got the correct verdict, but that doesn’t mean that Connie Moran was innocent. Jake made a compelling argument that there were just too many lies and convenient coincidences. Sadly, Jake lacked the glue that held the whole case together – hard evidence.

Here is the recap:


Cast:
Bradley Walsh - DS Ronnie Brooks
Paul Nicholls - DS Sam Casey
Paterson Joseph - DI Wes Leyton
Dominic Rowan - Jacob Thorne
Georgia Taylor - Kate Barker
Peter Davison - Henry Sharpe


Guest stars:
Sandra Voe – Harriet
Alexander Perkins – SOCO Pete
Adjoa Andoh – Lilly
Jessica Gunning – Angela
Jan Francis – Caroline Moran
Natasha O’Keefe – Connie Moran
Ony Uhiara - Vanessa Andoula
Osi Okerafor – Olivier Dando
Ann Akin – Cecile Bakama
Daniel Casey – Gordon Urquhart
Nick Brimble – Dr. Hastings
Charles Daish – Jonathan Norton
Lewis Reeves – Darren Portman
Ramon Tikaram –Vijay Prasad
Paul Darrow – Justice Prentice
Grainne Keenan – Administrator
Anniwaa Buachie - Clerk



An elderly woman, trying to catch her cat who has run off in the building, enters her elderly friend Jenny Moran’s flat to find it ransacked and Jenny dead on the floor next to her bed.

Later, DS Ronnie Brooks is on the scene, along with the forensics team, to find Jenny is heavily bruised from either a beating or a fall. Ronnie speaks with the neighbor, Harriet Pelham who explains her cat Ignatius who went into Jenny’s flat. She didn’t see anyone but realizes someone took Jenny’s silver carriage clock that used to be on the mantle next to the Virgin Mary. Ronnie goes into the other room and look at the mantle with no clock, and wonders if all this was for a clock. He picks up the statue of the Virgin Mary and says it’s Mater Dolorosa – Our Lady of Sorrows.

At the morgue, Ronnie and DS Sam Casey speak with Lilly who explains there were no signs of trauma on Jenny’s body, and no evidence of violence at all. She adds that Jenny’s not eating did not help, and she had hypertension, diminished organs, kidney failure, dehydration and loss of adipose tissue, plus low levels of insulin and her glycogen was through the roof – she knows how she ended up, just not how.

At M.I.U., Ronnie and Sam speak with DI Wes Leyton, explaining they don’t know how Jenny died. Sam says she died about 12 hours before she was found. The only thing missing so far is the silver carriage clock. The neighbor’s cat seems to be the only witness. Wes speculates it was a robbery and she interrupted them, and Ronnie explains her poor physical condition. Angela enters and explains that the next of kin are in the family room and Wes suggests Ronnie handle it and that Sam should check with the usual suspects – pawn shops and fences – for the clock.

Ronnie speaks with Jenny’s daughter in law Caroline and granddaughter Connie. Connie had the most contact with Jenny, and Jenny did not want to leave her home to move elsewhere. Connie explains that Cecile Bakama lived with the grandmother for the last 6 months as a caregiver. Ronnie explains there was no sign of anyone living there, and Connie explains when she was there Tuesday Cecile was there playing Boggle with Jenny. Ronnie asks where she got Cecile from.

Later, Ronnie tells Wes that he spoke to the agency and Cecile arrived in England from the Congo 3 years ago and she had a good record. Ronnie adds the agency said Cecile went back to the Congo 2 months ago as her visa expired. Wes suspects that Cecile told the agency she was going home but instead stayed with Jenny and asks Ronnie if he suspects things went wrong with Cecile. Ronnie adds that the agency said another Congolese girl joined the agency around the same time as Cecile and she may know where Cecile lives.

On Smithson Street who speak with Cecile’s friend who explains Jenny was always sick but it never stopped her from going to mass and Cecile is the same. She doesn’t know the name of the church but says Cecile is the one who needs forgiveness as she is a thief. She explains that Cecile stole her boyfriend, Olivier Dando, and they can find her in his flat and there aren’t enough Hail Marys in the world for what she’s done.

At the home of Olivier Dando, Ronnie and Sam attempt to see Cecile but Olivier feigns not being able to speak English. When Ronnie speaks to Olivier in French, Cecile, standing in the room, tells Olivier it is okay. They tell her Jenny is dead and when Sam asks if they can come in, Olivier asks in English if they have a warrant and when Ronnie and Sam try to talk they way in, Olivier says no warrant, no looking, and tries to shut the door on them. Sam stops him and ask Cecile why she wasn’t at Jenny’s the day she died. Cecile explains she was fired by Connie. Olivier says that is enough and slams the door.

At the home of Connie Moran, Connie says she didn’t fire Cecile, and then wonders if Cecile killed her grandmother. Connie said things did go missing from the flat but it wasn’t worth it to fire her because her grandmother was doubly incontinent and it wasn’t like they had caregivers lining up down the street. She didn’t mention this before because the person broke in and Cecile had keys.

Back at M.I.U., Wes comments that Connie has a point – unless Cecile was covering herself pretending it was a break in. Ronnie does not think Cecile is that clever, but Olivia has previous convictions for burglary and a robbery charge that was later dropped. Wes speculates Olivia got the keys and it was payback for Cecile’s firing, but Ronnie reminds him Connie says she did not fire her. He tells Ronnie to go back to Olivier’s and this time with a warrant, and Angela walks up and says they may not need to, the clock has been found.

Later, Ronnie has Cecile in interrogation with her brief, explaining that a pawn broker told them a couple had been in to pawn a silver carriage clock. He identified Olivier from a photo and gave a good description of Cecile. The brief says his client explained that Jenny gave it to her, and Ronnie comments that she pawned a present. Cecile tries to talk but the brief cuts her off. Ronnie continues to press the issue and Cecile says Olivier didn’t do anything, he only broke down the door. She explains that they knocked and there was no answer and she told him to kick in the door and they found Jenny on the floor. Ronnie asks about the flat being ransacked, and Cecile explains she was looking for her pills, but her pills weren’t where they should have been. But it didn’t matter, Jenny was already dead. She did not call 999 as she did not want to be send home, she needs to earn money to send home what she can, and this is why she pawned the clock. She claims she gave the keys to Connie when she was fired. She only went back because she was worried about Jenny – she was fired because Connie caught her giving extra food and water to Jenny. Connie told her not to, and at first, she tried to do what Connie asked but the amounts got smaller and smaller and Jenny was so thin. It broke her heart. The brief hands to Ronnie instructions from Connie which explains how much food and water to give to Jenny and when. Ronnie sees that on Monday it was a small glass of water and Monday a half of a potato. The brief calls Connie’s instructions a how-to on starving her grandmother to death.

Afterwards, Ronnie explains this to a stunned Wes. Wes asks if they can prove Connie wrote this, and Ronnie says Olivier’s MO is about waving crowbars about, not withholding carrots.

Later, Ronnie and Sam wait outside the church and meet up with Connie who is there trying to arrange Jenny’s funeral. They asks her about Jenny’s food intake, and that Jenny starved to death. Sam shows her the instructions they got from Cecile, and Connie admits that she had to write it out as Cecile did not get it. Jenny’s kidneys were a problem and her liquids had to be restricted and she was just doing what she was told. Sam asks by who?

Ronnie and Sam speak with Dr. Hastings who explains that Jenny was in chronic renal failure along with a host of other ailments. He did tell Connie to monitor Jenny’s water, salt, potassium intake and he has no idea if it helped. Jenny changed consultants 6 months ago. His office got a phone call saying she would not be coming in any more, and when Sam asks if Jenny made the call, Dr. Hastings explains that her granddaughter did.

Later, while Wes tends to his bonsai tree, Ronnie explains what the doctor said but that the feeding instructions were Connie’s work, it was the first he’d heard about them, Ronnie adds that Connie said she was going to change Jenny’s doctor but no one has requested Jenny’s medical records. Wes thinks there are easier ways to kill someone, but Ronnie counters that there are not crueler ones. Wes asks about Connie’s motive, and Ronnie replies she is the only next of kin. Wes wonders if maybe there is a will, and Ronnie adds that where there is a will – and Wes finishes there is a relative.

At the courtrooms, Ronnie and Sam speak with Jonathan Norton who has been Jenny’s solicitor for years. She had little money which she left to charity. She left a few items of jewelry to Connie, nothing of great value, but Connie did have Jenny’s flat.

Back at M.I.U., Angela informs Ronnie that according to the land registry, Jenny owned the flat outright but two months ago, Connie was made joint tenant. When Jenny died, Connie became sole owner and has just taken out a mortgage against it. Sam explains that 18 months ago, Connie was a witness to a car crash, and when she gave a statement she gave her occupation as a company director of Mogo Life Software. In the last two months they have been given three wind up orders. Ronnie comments that she is going bankrupt, but Sam counters not any more, all three creditors have just withdrawn their orders. Ronnie comments that someone has been paying the bills.

Law & Order UK “Mortal” Episode Information

Photo by ITV

Here are the details for a new episode of Law & Order UK, “Mortal” which will air on Sunday, August 11, 2013 at 9PM on ITV.


Law & Order UK “Mortal” Air Date August 11, 2013 (9 PM Sunday ITV)

Following a break-in, a frail, elderly woman is found dead in her flat. DS Ronnie Brooks (Bradley Walsh) and DS Sam Casey (Paul Nicholls) suspect a robbery gone wrong and treat it as murder.

Tipped off by the victim’s granddaughter, Connie ( Natasha O’Keeffe), the investigation turns towards the live-in carer who has gone missing. But the carer, Cecile, claims she was fired because she disobeyed Connie’s instructions not to feed her grandmother; Connie was starving her to death. Further investigations throw more suspicion on the granddaughter who is charged.

Despite her brief arguing that it is impossible to prove Connie is responsible for her grandmother’s death, Chief Prosecutor Jake Thorne (Dominic Rowan) has the bit between his teeth when he tells the jury Connie was the only real family the victim had, and she left her to die.

# # #

My recap and review of Law & Order UK "Mortal" can be found at this link.




Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Law & Order UK “Fatherly Love” Recap & Review

Law & Order UK “Fatherly Love” was a dramatic story adapted from the original Law & Order “Family Values” (season 5, episode 4). This is one of those original Law & Order stories that predates the start of Law & Order SVU; it was a murder case with a hint of a special victims-type storyline. “Fatherly Love” gave most of the attention to the detective work and less to the legal action, and, at the end, it’s Ronnie’s persistence that gets the real answer on who was the killer and why. I was a little disappointed that, with new character Kate Barker (Georgia Taylor), we didn’t get to see much substantive action from her in this episode. It does appear, however,  that she and Jake and getting along fine.  We did get to see a little more of DI Wes Leyton's (Paterson Joseph) personality and behaviors, and he is a very comfortable character and a good fit for the show.

I always enjoy the visual side of Law & Order UK, with its nice location settings that gives viewers (especially those outside the UK) the feel for London and the surrounding area.

While the outcome of this episode was predictable, the story was well written and well acted. It portrayed the scheming side of a husband who has a predilection for young girls, and the anguish that has cause for all those that he touched, literally and figuratively.

Here is the recap:


Cast
Bradley Walsh - DS Ronnie Brooks
Paul Nicholls - DS Sam Casey
Paterson Joseph - DI Wes Leyton
Dominic Rowan - Jacob Thorne
Georgia Taylor - Kate Barker
Peter Davison - Henry Sharpe

Guest Stars
Barney Walsh – Kit
Josh Williams – Theo
Graham Bryan – PC George Denmoor
Kirstin Foster – Officer Two
Rory Keenan – Sean Harte
Charlotte Hope – Holly Leigh
Terry Dwyer – Sara Hays
Jodie Comer - Jess Hays
Patrick Baladi – Richard McGrath
Eleanor Matsuura – Sophie Cohen
Jessica Gunning - Angela
Adjoa Andoh – Lilly
Raji James – Simor Alforth
Sophie Colquhoun – Kim
Colin Maher – Eddie
Brian Doherty – Ged
Valerie Edmond – Liz Booth
Julien Ball - Dr. John Crossley
Amerjit Deu – Judge Asif Pathan
Pip Torrens - Philip Nevins


At the Albert Bridge, two guys who appear to be stealing a car parked on the bridge are stopped by police. The police find the vehicle is registered to Charlotte Leigh and when the guys say she went off to get some patrol, the officer questions this as Charlotte left her purse behind.

Later, DS Ronnie Brooks and DS Sam Casey are on the scene. Sam explains that the husband is frantic as he has no idea where Charlotte is. The two guys tried to start the car but it is a keyless ignition and the fob has to be in the car. Ronnie comments that the fob was sitting in her purse, just 2 feet away. Ronnie suggests they check CCTV to see if she went for a walk with anyone - or – maybe she “went for a dip.”

At the Leigh home, Ronnie and Sam speak with Charlotte’s husband Sean who last saw her in the morning when she went to work. He went to the pub and got home after midnight but she works late and he thought she was at the office, she is a property developer. Sam asks if everything is alright at work or if there are money problems, and Sean says all is fine. Sam’s questions make Sean wonder if she killed herself, then admits that she did try suicide once, a few years ago and before his time when she was still with Holly’s dad – she took an overdose.

Elsewhere, Ronnie speaks with Holly who said at the time she was at a concert at school and got home about a half nine. Her mother was there at the time. Holly wants to go look for her but Ronnie suggests her mom would want her to be home when she got back. When Holly starts to get upset over the issues, Sean steps in and stops the questions.

Later, at M.I.U. headquarters, Ronnie and Sam bring DI Wes Leyton up to speed. Sam wonders if Charlotte was not planning on leaving. Ronnie does not believe she has been kidnapped but Sam wonders if the husband would not have told them about a ransom note. Wes comments that she attempted suicide once before and they now find her car on the Albert Bridge. Sam adds there are no CCTV cameras on the bridge. Ronnie suggests they ask around with her close friends,

At the home of Sara Hays, Ronnie and Sam find that Charlotte was planning a trip to France and already booked the house and doubts she was planning to kill herself. Her previous suicide attempt was not that – she was on pain killers and accidentally double-dosed. Sara’s daughter Jess enters and says she got her mother’s text on Charlotte and she had not spoken to her, she wasn’t in. She asks to be excused. Sara asks Ronnie and Sam if they spoke to Charlotte’s ex and Sam looks surprised to hear of an ex. He is Richard McGrath, and Sara says to say he is a drunk and violent pig would be unfair to pigs. He fractured her jaw, which is why she was on the pain killers. She knew he was violent but she finally left him. Holly still sees her father but Holy did not tell Charlotte, Sara had to pick her up from there once. He has a flat in Battersea, near the bridge.

At the home of Richard McGrath, Ronnie and Sam question him and he last saw Charlotte last weekend, he had been a good boy and she granted him a supervised hour visit with their daughter. He spoke to Charlotte last night, Holly was not answering her phone and Charlotte called him in a panic accusing him but she was not there. Holly said she was at a concert and he believed her. He got the call at 8:27. He got a cab to get to Edinboro to meet a contractor the next morning. He is an architect which is how he and Charlotte met, she finds the properties and he did the schemes, until they split up and she turfed him.

At Leigh and Cohen Properties, Ronnie and Sam find that Richard was useless and a nightmare when he worked there. He was just there last week as Charlotte was trying to help him get treatment as a condition of access to Holly. The cleaner he got the more he could see her. They find Richard had been arrested for assault just a few weeks ago.

Back at M.I.U., they hear a frantic recording of a call Charlotte made to police where she yells “Richard NO!” Angela apologizes for not having the recording sooner. Wes asks what were Charlotte’s movements the night she disappeared. Angela explains that Charlotte called Richard at 8:27 and the call lasted for 8 minutes. A car picked Richard up for the airport at 9 and they have him on a flight to Edinboro the evening. Wes wonders if that is enough time but Ronnie thinks the timing is too tight. As they muse over the issue and Sam comments they don’t have a body, Angela gets off the phone and informs them they have now.

Later, Wes, Ronnie, and Sam arrive at the location by the river where the body is found. It is Charlotte.

At the medical examiner’s, Lilly tells Ronnie and Sam that the cause of death is intra-cerebral hemorrhage, compound fracture of the occipital hone. But Lilly believes that the hit occurred before the jump as there was no water in Charlotte’s lungs. Ronnie comments she was dead before she hit the water.

At M.I.U., Ronnie and Sam question Richard with his brief. He denies any involvement in her disappearance. He says she never set foot in her place and as forensics went all over his place they should know that. Ronnie says Charlotte took away Richard’s whole life and he must be bitter. Richard admits he is, but so are plenty of divorced fathers. Sam outlines all of Richard’s behavioral problems and with Charlotte gone, Richard would have sole custody of Holly. Richard replies that a daughter whose mother is dead, asking how is that for a parenting strategy?

At the Thames embankment, they speak with a police officer about where the body was pulled out and the officer thinks that body was likely not dumped for the Albert Bridge but from the west, maybe in Richmond. Sean, Holly and Charlotte live there. Ronnie does not think Richard would have had enough time to kill Charlotte and then get back to his place and pick up a cab to the airport. Charlotte went into the river 2 minutes from her home and Ronnie wonders who helped her off that bridge

At the Leigh home, Ronnie questions Holly who is very skittish. When Ronnie mentions her stepfather Sean, she gets more upset. Ronnie explains that Holly may have been the last person to see Charlotte alive. Holly says she didn’t exactly see her, the lights were on so she thought she was there. She didn’t check because of her dad, they had a massive fight before they went out and she could not cope with part 2. Her mother hated Richard and Holly said she wished her mother was dead.

Later, at Waterloo, Ronnie and Sam speak with Kim, who says she has been with the family for 3 years, just as Richard and Charlotte were breaking up. It got ugly. She says Charlotte and Sean argued sometimes and that Charlotte can be hard work and she treated Sean like an employee. She gave him an allowance and she thought Sean could do so much better. Ronnie comments that they heard the night Charlotte was killed that Kim dropped off Holly at a school concert. She said she did nut she did not stay, Holly was getting a lift back with her friend Jess and Charlotte said she could go home. Kim admits it is weird that Charlotte would leave Holly home alone but if Sean said that is what happened then it must be. When Kim leaves, Sam comments that it looks like the pretty nanny has a crush on the handsome husband. Ronnie says the bloke is like catnip and wonders about his alibi. Sam replies that before Sean went to the pub he said he was working overtime with an Eddie Markham.

Ronnie and Sam speak with Eddie who says is uncle Sean is a good fellow who is letting him stay at his flat. Sam finds a pair of ladies panties and Eddie admits sometimes Sean gives him the nod and Eddie has to make himself scarce. He doesn’t know the name of the latest but last week he saw a lass in there while he was pulling up. She had long brown hair and was quite young. He admits he and Sean were meant to be working late that night but Sean got a call and he said he had to go and said it was personal.

Later, Sam brings Ronnie a snack who is waiting in their parked car. Ronnie comments that Sean lied about working late so why don’t they see if he lied about going to the pub.

At Quinn’s pub, they find Sean is a regular and he came in just before the bell. He had a few whiskies and left around midnight. The bartender let him out back because his car was parked there, Sean said he had some stuff for the bins. But – the trash bins have already been emptied.

Back at M.I.U. Ronnie tells Wes that whatever Sean threw out, it is long gone at a landfill in Essex. Wes doesn’t have the resources to search the landfill. Sam pleads, saying this could be a potential lead. Wes says what they have is some guy who may or may not have put something in a bin. Angela walks in and informs them that the forensics are in from the Leigh house.

At the Forensic Pathology Lab, they find a faint patch of blood was found on the rug in the kitchen and they found traces of blood protein around the kitchen area. It is Charlotte’s blood. Ronnie suggests they see if Sean can explain what it is doing there.

Later, with Sean being questioned by Ronnie and Sam at M.I.U., he insists he did not kill his wife. He only threw out some old dust sheets in the bin. He admits he did not work late, he was on another job on private work and tried to pull a fast one and did not tell Eddie as Eddie would have let it slip. They ask him about the girl that he had in that flat and Sean says it was Holly. He adds she has made things difficult – she is obsessed with him.

Afterwards, with Holly at M.I.U. under questioning along with her father present, they explain Sean was cheating on her mother. Holly is very upset and she begins to cry. Ronnie asks about her alibi and she said she didn’t want to go home so she went to her dad’s house but he was not there so she let herself in. She doesn’t think anyone saw her there, she just watched TV. She did not want to back to her home because she thought Sean might come back. She explains that Sean has been coming on to her and she didn’t let him.

At CPS, Jake Thorne comments to Ronnie and Kate Barker that Sean is saying Holly is obsessed with him and Holly saying that Sean is grooming her. Jake adds that either way, mum ends up in the Thames. Jake instructs Ronnie to arrest them both on suspicion of murder and see whose story cracks first. Kate questions if Holly is capable of killing her own mother, and Ronnie explains what they found in the kitchen. Kate responds there is nothing to link her to the murder. Ronnie says Holly’s alibi is not strong. Jake comments that Holly matches the description of the girl who went into Sean’s flat. Ronnie replies this could be anyone, he admitted to being a lady’s man. Kate inquires if Ronnie has been to her school and spoken to her mates, girls talk.

At Newfield High School, they speak with the Dr. John Crossley about Holly and find she left the concert early and Jess Hayes said Holly was sick.

Ronnie and Sam speak with Jess who says it wasn’t a lie, Holly was in the toilet and did leave early. She tried to talk to Holly about that night but she was not answering her phone. Holly’s mom said boyfriends were off limits and that her mother even freaked over someone liking Holly’s profile photo. Holly was scared of her mother. Jess used to tell Holly to stick up for herself but stopped as Holly was defensive.

Afterwards, Ronnie tells Sam Holly left there wearing her school uniform and Sam says forensics took it in and it was still clean. Ronnie speculates she had a second uniform and they need to sweep that house again.

At forensics where the second uniform is being examined that was found in a carrier under the bed (and missed on the first search), Ronnie and Sam hear there was blood all over it and it is a match for Charlotte’s. Ronnie does not think Holly did this on her own.

Later, Ronnie and Sam arrest Sean, and afterwards, arrest Holly as she exits her school with her father. Jess stands by and watches.

At CPS, Jake and Kate watch a video of Holly’s interrogation. Kate thinks Holly is convincing but Jake wonders if the jury will believe her once they hear of her infatuation with Sean. As they discuss the issues with the case, Kate tells Jake that Holly’s school jumper was there and that Holly said she had gotten changed. Kate thinks Sean helped her and Jake counters that there isn’t enough evidence to support that. He wouldn’t enjoy putting away a 16 year old girl but if the jury decides she’s guilty, then they would have done their job properly. Henry enters the room and says that Ronnie has been in touch, Sean is ready to talk and is admitting to assisting but not murder.

At M.I.U., Jake and Kate watch the video feed of Sean’s interrogation. Kate says Sean is selling her out. In the room with Ronnie, Sean said he tried to let her down gently but Holly threatened to tell Charlotte that he abused her. He had no choice but to tell Charlotte himself . He says Charlotte was devastated, and Holly came home in the middle of it and they screamed at each other so he thought it was best to get out so he left. He went to the pub to drown his sorrows and when he got back, Holly was in the room sobbing. He does not think she meant to kill her. Ronnie reminds Sean he said he was moonlighting on another job and were there any witnesses. Sean says there was someone there who can prove he was telling the truth but he did not want to drag her into it. It was Jess.

Afterwards, Ronnie tells Jake and Kate he thinks Sean was hanging Holly out to dry and Kate reminds him her best friend is providing an alibi for him. Jake adds that Holly had a turbulent relationship with her mother, no alibi to speak of and forensic evidence pointing directly to her. Jake continues that he’s not saying he likes it, but they proceed with charging him with assisting an offender, and Holly with murder.

At Crown V Leigh, Jess testifies that Holly and her mother argued over her mother’s control. Jess did not think Holly had a boyfriend. As far as she knew, Holly’s relationship with Sean was good. After the concert, Jess says she went to see Sean about her mum and dad. Since they separated she missed having her dad around, and she did not mention this earlier as she did not want her mum to know.

With Sean testifying, he says he loves Holly like she is his own daughter, and her fixation started with loves notes left in her jacket pocket. The laughed it off as a schoolgirl crush and thought it would pass. Holly looks stunned. But it did not pass, it got worse. On the evening Charlotte was killed, Sean says he told her about Holly’s behavior and she was upset then Holly arrived home and it just exploded. With the tow of them screaming at each other he had to get out of there. He never imagined this would end in tragedy. He found Charlotte lying on the kitchen floor. In the gallery, Jess looks shocked and her mother asks if she is OK, and she nods. Sean goes on to say that Holly was in her room, shaking, and he asked her what happened. She kept saying she didn’t mean to, she didn’t mean to. Holly calls out “No, no!” and Sean looks at her and says he is sorry. Jake tells Sean to direct his answers to the jury. He testifies that Holly stated they fought, she pushed her mother and she fell back and hit her head. He tried to call 999 but Holly started screaming at him that if he didn’t help her, she would say he did it. He admits he helped dispose of the body and make it look like a suicide, adding that he panicked. He thinks this is his fault, if he hadn’t said anything.

Law & Order UK “Paternal” Recap & Review

Law & Order UK “Paternal” brought viewers back to the standard procedural format, albeit one that was a little light on the courtroom drama. “Paternal” was adapted from the original Law & Order episode “Deadbeat” (season 7, episode 7) and “Paternal” followed the original storyline very closely. That is, until the end, where CPS decides to take quick action against the daughter of the murderer for her role in the conspiracy. (In “Deadbeat”, Jack McCoy placed the case file on the top of a pile on his cabinet implying a stall, and saying there was no statute of limitations on murder.)

After the emotional and intense first two episodes of this new Law & Order UK series, “Paternal” moved at a slower pace. It was not without of emotional drama, however. The struggles of a mother who is coping with her son’s fatal illness plus the high cost of care was a story  told with depressing realism.

For now, DS Sam Casey seems to be controlling his angst over his recent troubles.  But, it is obvious that he isn’t thrilled that they have to cause grief for the terminally ill young boy who will find himself with his mother and grandfather likely in jail. Although Kate seems to forget for which side she’s working, her defense experience will, in the long run, likely help them to plan offensive strategies. She and Jake seem to have made peace. We also get a glimpse into how DI Wes Layton keeps himself calm and collected: taking care of his bonsai tree. We also learn that, much to Sam’s chagrin, DI Chandler will not be returning as she is looking after her mother. Despite Sam’s uneasiness with Wes, I believe that Ronnie will be the stabilizing factor between the two.

It also seems that in this new series that Henry has developed more of a likeable personality – still strong and authoritative, but not so much so that he can’t interject a little humor here and there. I’ve always enjoyed Peter Davison during his “Dr. Who” days and have enjoyed seeing a bit of a playful side in Henry Sharpe in these last few episodes.

Here is the recap


Cast
Bradley Walsh - DS Ronnie Brooks
Paul Nicholls - DS Sam Casey
Paterson Joseph - DI Wes Leyton
Dominic Rowan - Jacob Thorne
Georgia Taylor - Kate Barker
Peter Davison - Henry Sharpe

Guest stars
Amanda Mealing - Eleanor
Michaela Cole – Maid
Alexander Perkins – SOCO Pete
Branko Tomovic - Jan Kopecky
Christopher Sciueref - Radek Kopecky
Jessica Gunning - Angela
Emmanuella Cole - Annie
Gemma Atkinson - Becky Bryson
Ian Bleasdale - Philip Donovan
Jo Hartley - Lindsey
Max Furst – Joe Donovan
Simon Lawson – Luke
Mark Cameron - Hancock
Davood Ghadami - Russell
Jack Beale – Court Clerk
Amerjit Deu - Judge Asif Pathan


A maid, entering a room at the Crossthorne Hotel for turndown service, finds a man laying on the floor, dead. Later, DS Ronnie Brooks is at the scene and hears that the man – Michael Trent - was shot once in the chest with a small caliber, maybe a 22. A person in another room heard a shot and thought it was a TV and a witness saw a man in the corridor wearing a green sweatshirt. It does not appear to be a robbery and there is no sign of forced entry. He has few clothes in the room and Ronnie thinks it is a fly in visit. Trent’s mobile phone rings and Ronnie answers it, pretending to be Trent, and tells the caller to come up to room 603.

As two men get out of the lift, Ronnie approaches and identifies himself. He questions the men as to why they are there and they are evasive, so he asks them to voluntarily come down to the station and answer some questions. Ronnie tells them the meeting with Trent is canceled..

At M.I.U. headquarters, DS Sam Casey and Ronnie question the men, Radek and Jan Kopecky, separately. They both have records. The detectives inform the men that Trent is dead. The detectives hear that Trent said he was coming to town and wanted to meet, Trent buys cars and the Radeks sell them.

Afterwards, Ronnie tells DI Wes Leyton that he is not charging the Kopecky brothers;  even though they carry their biceps between their ears, they are not stupid enough to go meet a bloke they have just killed. They don’t have anything bad on Trent. Sam tells them that the lab just confirmed that Trent died from a single shot from a .22 caliber gun. Ronnie says there was no sign of a struggle and no murder weapon or casings. Wes says all they have is the green sweatshirt. Angela approaches and gives them Trent’s bill and credit card details from the hotel. In Wes’s office, Ronnie explains that he thinks Trent let the killer in, and Wes wonders if he had a key card, telling them to find out how easy it is to clone one. As Wes sits down at his desk and tends to his bonsai tree Ronnie explains that the phone is a pay as you go. There was no room service on the bill so they wonder where the vodka came from.

At the nearby Wine, Spirits & More store, Ronnie and Sam speak with the clerk who shows them the security video with Trent making his purchase. She told Trent to put away his big wad of money which he continued to flash around, and he asked to be pointed in the direction of the hookers.

Back at M.I.U., Sam tells Wes that they couldn’t find that Trent picked up a hooker but Wes wonders if he did and she robbed and murdered him. Sam says Trent has a shared account with Rebecca Bryson and he tried Trent’s contact number but it keeps going to voice mail. Ronnie shows them Trent’s calls log with 7 calls to other mobiles, 3 to the same number, and one call to a dental practice. Sam notices the three calls were to Rebecca Bryson and the last call to her mobile lasted 7 seconds which Sam thinks is just enough time not to leave a message. Ronnie finishes that he rang her work instead – the next call was to the dentist’s office. Sam makes a call to the office posing as Rebecca’s neighbor saying he locked himself out. He finds out that “Becky” is taking the afternoon off for her birthday and she is on her way to London to meet her boyfriend. Wes tells them to keep calling her mobile and meet her at the train.

At Waterloo Station, Ronnie and Sam meet with Becky and they explain that Trent is dead. Later, at the medical examiner’s, she identifies his body and she tells them he was a copper.

At M.I.U., Becky explains that Trent was an undercover cop in Southampton and said he was tracking drug gangs and organized crime. Her phasing makes both Sam and Ronnie suspicious. She said they were engaged and he trusted her and they had a joint bank account as he needed somewhere to put all the spare money. She met one of his colleagues when he took ten grand out of the account to pay an informant. There was a letter for Gary Tully that she thought was for a previous tenant. He said there was an undercover deal he had to take care of with a big payoff – 250 grand.

Later, Ronnie tells Wes they never heard of Trent at Southampton and when Wes wonders if he was scamming, Ronnie says Trent was putting money INTO the account and 90% of the money belonged to him. After Wes leaves, Sam asks Ronnie if DI Chandler is coming back, and Ronnie says she is looking after her mum and that Sam will get used to Wes. Sam comments “bonsais and all” and Ronnie say Wes may trim tiny trees but he is still one of the good guys. Sam then says “bingo” saying that while there is nothing on Trent, he found that Gary Tully is wanted by family court for non-payment of maintenance. Ronnie says Tully has wife somewhere that he owes, he has for years, and wonders if she got tired of waiting,

At the home of Lindsey Donovan, Ronnie and Sam speak with her father, Philip, about Tully and explain he is dead, shot at a hotel. Philip is shocked he was in town, saying the bastard owes them about 100 thousand. Ronnie asks where he was yesterday at about 5PM and Philip says where he always is – loading sacks of dirty tablecloths. He unlocks the doors of his “Larry’s Laundry” truck as Sam asks how they can find his daughter. He tells them she is at Great Ormond hospital, her son Joe has leukemia.

At the hospital, Sam and Ronnie speak with Lindsey as her son plays a video game on an iPad. In another room, she explains that Gary never bothered to see Joe and when they first got married he always had a lot of money. At first she did not mind his overnight business trips but it got harder when the women he was shagging started calling. They got divorced when she got pregnant with Joe and the day the divorce went through he took all the money from the accounts and left them with nothing. CSA tried to help but Tully was very clever, he claimed he was living abroad and created an umbrella company. She sold the house but had borrowed so much money against it there was hardly any money left. She moved in with her dad, who flog himself on his rounds while she looks after Joe. She says she will get a part time job...later. Ronnie asks where she was at 5PM yesterday and she said she was there with Joe, where she always is, and she did not kill Gary, she just wanted the money he owned them.

Afterwards, Ronnie and Sam are at the CSA office and hear about a web site created to help people avoid paying child support. They can’t prove how much Tully is earning and he has several IDs and mobile phones. Sam says Tully deals in used cars but hear that on paper, Tully is an employee on minimum wage. There is nothing they can do, they know about Joe but there is nothing they can do. The file says Tully is a potential bone marrow donor and that Lindsey and Philip are not a match. The closest they came to Tully was a few months ago when they found he was in Southampton so they sent their legal enforcement officer and by the time he got there, he wasn’t there.

Law & Order UK “Tremors” Recap & Review

Law & Order UK “Tremors” was adapted from the original Law & Order episode “Aftershock”, the Law & Order season 6 finale where Claire Kincaid met her untimely end at the hands of a drunk driver. “Aftershock” was a story told outside the normal Law & Order procedural format, featuring a look at how the characters reacted to an execution. “Tremors” is similar only in the focus on the characters reaction to a shocking event – the apparent suicide of a man who was found guilty of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility - for a train accident he caused. Also, as in “Aftershock” where Lennie Briscoe tries to reunite with his estranged daughter, Ronnie Brooks also tries to do the same with his, and he botches it in the process. But “Tremors” had some major story differences – like the focus on finding out that the suicide was in fact a murder and the subsequent resolution of that case. It was like watching a completely fresh story with a true mystery on how the story would resolve.

The story also brought some closure to Jake Thorne’s issues with his sick (now dead) mother, and at the same time, established more tension between Jake and his new colleague Kate Barker. Kate appears to be a bit of a loose cannon and her nosiness is not welcomed by Jake. I like the tension between these two and it adds a more interesting dimension to the legal side of the story. Dominic Rowan and Georgia Taylor have a nice chemistry together.

Sam appears to be completely falling apart, partly from likely post traumatic stress from dealing with the train accident, and troubles with his ex as he tries to keep contact with his young son. He’s also facing pressure from Wes, his new boss, who may not have the confidence in Sam as does Ronnie. Sam seems to be taking a turn to drinking to cope, and hopefully Ronnie's experience with that issue will help save Sam from getting in too deep.

All in all, this was a solid episode that struck a perfect balance between personal stories and a crime story. It provided interesting back stories on the characters we already know while providing a solid footing for the new. The scene at the train station where Ronnie steps in to prevent yet another death resulting from the train accident was a fine job of filming and editing. The closing scenes where we see how the day ends for everyone over the backdrop of Ronnie’s voice mail to his daughter evoked many emotions and was well acted and superbly written. I suspect the tremors from this episode may continue to resonate for some time.

Here is the recap:


Cast
Bradley Walsh - DS Ronnie Brooks
Paul Nicholls - DS Sam Casey
Paterson Joseph - DI Wes Leyton
Dominic Rowan - Jacob Thorne
Georgia Taylor - Kate Barker
Peter Davison - Henry Sharpe

Guest stars
Aidan McArdle - Finn Tyler
Alexander Perkins - Soco Pete
Adam Nagaitis - William Braxton
David Ajala - Gavin Dale
Adjoa Andoh - Lilly
Jessica Gunning - Angela
Badria Timimi – DPA Officer
Ebony Gilbert - Cathy
Joe Reynolds - Ben
Alexandra Guelff - Emma

The story begins with a brief recap from the previous episode, "Tracks".

At the Crown Court holding cells, DI Wes Layton and DS Ronnie Brooks are on the scene where Finn Tyler’s body lies. Wes speaks with Kate Barker as Ronnie checks with security man William Braxton who has to be swabbed for his DNA as he touched the body, and explains that DS Sam Casey will take his statement. Wes discusses with Ronnie how Finn got the cord in there that he used to hang himself, and Wes wonders if Finn wasn’t the one who smuggled in the cord – maybe someone gave it to him. As Wes walks off, Ronnie looks at Sam who is leaving up against a nearby wall, glaring back at him.

Back at headquarters, Sam tries to get back to work but Ronnie stares at him. Sam stops his work as Ronnie asks Sam what he was doing in the cell. Sam gets evasive, asking to be left alone, and Ronnie says Finn Tyler’s brief also saw him there and asks if he is supposed to leave that out of his statement. Wes enters and asks Ronnie for any news and Ronnie explains that CCTV is still down and Wes says he wants all the footage for the whole time Tyler was in the cell. Ronnie reminds Wes that Sam is supposed to be on rest days after the trial but Wes reminds him of staffing problems and the problems with Tyler dying while in custody. He says that Sam has to stay on until they find who gave Tyler that cord and until his killer is in the cell and the case papers are on his desk.

Meanwhile,  Kate Barker arrives -  in a dour mood - at the pub to meet with Jake Thorne and Henry Sharpe. She breaks the shocking news about Finn Tyler’s death to Jake and Henry. Henry takes his leave to handle the fall out and tells Jake to take the afternoon and buy Kate’s lunch, giving Jake his credit card. As Henry leaves, Kate glares at Jake, asking him if he doesn’t feel responsible – he could have accepted a plea. Jake argues back that he only feels responsibility to the families of the loved ones who Tyler murdered. They continue to spar on the issue and Jake stops and asks her what she wants. Kate replies a pint and Jake thinks defense barristers usually opt for something more expensive. Kate reminds his she is on their team now, and as he moves to get their drinks, he quietly says not to remind him. They turn to the TV to see Gavin Dale talking about how Finn murdered his son and his wife and 15 innocent people. Kate sighs.

At Holdborn Mortuary, the examiner breaks the news to Ronnie and Sam that Finn had abrasions and bruises on his neck that indicate Finn was murdered. She believes the killer held him down with his knee, choked him from behind with the cord, scraping his neck and then strung him up – textbook staged suicide.

At M.I.U. Central Headquarters, Angela shows Wes and Ronnie the video footage and the sign in logs. Wes is shocked to see Sam Casey appear and he turns to look at Ronnie.

Afterwards, Ronnie begs Wes to speak to Sam first but Wes won’t allow it, so Ronnie watches the video feed from the next room. Under questioning, Sam says he was there to get the property forms signed, but when it comes out that Ronnie had the forms and Sam had been in the area for 10 minutes off camera, Wes continues to question him and puts on some pressure. He tells Sam he is not under arrest and they want him to cooperate with the case. Sam doesn’t care what Wes or his rep thinks, and he gets up and leaves the room. Wes goes after him and Ronnie also tries to stop Sam outside the room.

Wes tries to talk some sense into Sam but Sam thinks they are wasting time, and Wes tells Sam if he walks out now he is making a big mistake. Sam says he doesn’t give a toss and Ronnie tries to calm him but Sam says he held that dead boy in his arms and hasn’t slept for months, and he shouts that every time he closes his eyes he sees that boy’s face and his dad’s face when he had to tell him his son was dead. Sam admits he went there to tell Tyler how that felt and to try to feel that pain but he couldn’t do it because being a police officer came first. Sam says he swears he turned around and walked away. Wes reminds him it was a slow walk as he was off camera for ten minutes, and then suspends him pending further investigation. Sam storms off.

As Sam walks out of the building, Ronnie chases after him and Ronnie tries to calms Sam but also asks what Sam was doing for those 10 minutes.  Sam is crying and admitted he wanted to go in there and tell him what Finn Tyler had done and how it feels every time he kisses his boy goodbye all he can see is that kid dead in the train. Sam finally admits he just sat down by the cell door and cried like a baby. As Sam continues to cry Ronnie tries to console him and encourage him that he is a good copper and he will come through this. Sam swears he did not see Tyler. Ronnie thinks Tyler was already dead when Sam went down there. Sam asks if Ronnie believes him and Ronnie says yes he does.

At the Crown Court holding cells, Ronnie speaks with William Braxton about how long Tyler was in the cell before he was found. William said Tyler was brought back down right after sentencing so maybe an hour. Ronnie says they’ve only seen 45 minutes of CCTV footage and William said maybe it was 45 minutes, he wasn’t clock watching.

Back at the pub, Jake and Kate mull over the menu and Kate is not hungry, her client just killed himself.  Jake's phone rings, it is a call from "Cara" and he ignores it. Again Jake and Kate spar over the situation and as Kate questions Jake’s feeling any guilt, he says he was doing his job. She wonders if he ever opens up and cuts the bullshit and wisecracks and just gets real. Jake says nothing.

Law & Order UK New Series BBC America Promo

Here is the U.S. promo for Law & Order UK, which will premiere the new series in the U.S. on Wednesday, August 7, 2013 at 9PM ET on BBC America. Law & Order UK stars Bradley Walsh, Paterson Joseph, Dominic Rowan, Georgia Taylor, Paul Nicholls, and Peter Davison. Don’t forget to check out the new series overview on my blog at this link: Law & Order: UK Series 7 Overview, New Cast, Episode Information (Press Release)





Check out my blog home page for the latest Law & Order information, on All Things Law And Order.

Also, see my companion Law & Order site,These Are Their Stories.

Law & Order UK “Tracks” Recap & Review

Law & Order UK returned for a new series of episodes and with 2 new cast members Georgia Taylor and Paterson Joseph. Joseph, as DI Wes Leyton, replaces Harriet Walter (DI Natalie Chandler), and Taylor, as Kate Barker, replaces Freema Agyeman (Alesha Phillips). Both Joseph and Paterson have great chemistry with the established cast, and both characters have interesting backgrounds that are sure to make for some compelling storylines. This may be even more pronounced for Kate Barker, who comes to the CPS team immediately after contentious interactions with Jake Thorne on a case where she served as defense barrister. The situation make be even more uncomfortable for Jake considering CPS Director Henry Sharpe hired Kate to assist Jake without Jake’s input. It goes without saying he doesn’t care for her footwear fashion sense. either.

“Tracks” was adapted from the Law & Order episode “Locomotion” which was the season 15 finale. The teleplay for "Tracks", written by Emilia di Girolamo, was crisp and tight; in my opinion she is one of the best writers that has ever graced the Law & Order brand. As two new characters were introduced in this episode, she quickly create a history with Ronnie and Wes, and created tension between Jake and Kate without detracting from the story of the crime. Her no-nonsense style moves the story along quickly, yet still builds drama and allows for nuanced characters.

I also must admit that I am quite partial to the production and filming style of Law & Order UK, which places the characters in interesting London venues where each character is presented in the best possible setting and lighting. It’s one of the things I look forward to – it’s simply enjoyable for my eyes to watch.

I also enjoyed the ending cliff-hanger, where it appears Sam gets himself in a bit of a pickle with the death of Finn Tyler. Thankfully we only have to wait until next week to find out how that story begins to play out. I also am anticipating the tension between Jake and Kate – and maybe even with Henry and Jake over Kate's hiring. It should make for some interesting fireworks.

All in all, a great start to the new series!

Here is my recap:


Cast
Bradley Walsh - DS Ronnie Brooks
Paul Nicholls - DS Sam Casey
Paterson Joseph - DI Wes Leyton
Dominic Rowan – Senior CP Jacob Thorne
Georgia Taylor - Kate Barker
Peter Davison – CPS Director Henry Sharpe


Guest stars
Kristian Demetriou - Max Dale
Belinda McGinley - Marnie Dale
Craig Stein - Train Driver
SOCO Pete – Alexander Perkins
Jessica Gunning – Angela
Samantha Barron - SGT Barden
Adam James - Michael Gennis
Catherine Grose - D.C. Kim Smart
Miles Mitchell - Zack Coulton
Rachel Leskovac -Amanda Tyler
Raffiella Chapman - Ellie Tyler
Aidan McArdle - Finn Tyler
Raffiella Chapman - Ellie Tyler
Chris Cowlin - Security Guard (as Christopher Cowlin)
Fraser James - Dr. Toby Marsh
Adam Nagaitis - William Braxton
Fraser James – Dr. Toby Marsh
Karen Archer – Justice O’Neill
David Ajala – Gavin Dale
Alan McKenna – Dr. Holdsworth
Daniel Coonan – Daniel Haleton
Jack Beale – Court Clerk
Adam Nagaitis – William Braxton


Marnie Dale and her son Max are on the Country Trains commuter line when the train horn sounds and a violent crash occurs, the passengers being thrown in all directions.

Later, DS Sam Casey arrives on the scene of the accident while rescue personnel work the scene. Sam enters the train, quickly hears a sound and realizes someone is still alive. He finds a Max Dale laying under some rubble and calls for help. But help does not come quickly enough, and despite Sam’s screams for help and attempt to keep him alive, Max dies. Ronnie arrives and tells Sam there are hundreds injured and 12 dead, Sam sadly tells him it’s 13.

Outside the train, Ronnie is surveying the damage when DI Wes Leyton arrives ad Ronnie explains what has occurred so far. The car that was across the tracks, causing the crash, was found with no driver inside and the car has over 100 speeding tickets tagged against it over the last 6 months. The car crashed through an access gate. Wes tells Ronnie to ID and interview the passengers. Wes notices that Sam looks affected by the incident and Ronnie explains about Sam finding the young boy who died. Wes tells Ronnie to make sure Sam gets counseling. Before Wes leaves, he recounts some fun times in the past with Ronnie.

Later, Ronnie and Sam interview Mr. King, the train driver, who explains how he tried to stop. Ronnie does not think this is an accident. The speak with Pete who is working on the car, and says when they get the car back to base they can cut into it and get the VIN number. Sam is upset, saying that Pete has nothing.

At M.I.U. Central Headquarters, Angels shows Ronnie, Sam, and Wes the footage of the car crashing through the gate. This did trigger the alarm but by the time Haleton Security radioed the train it was too late because it happened at a Haleton shift change. They suspect the person knew the timing and could be an employee of the rail company or security. They can’t see who is in the car as the camera is set to track people climbing over the fence, not cars crashing into it. The site was secured at 6:55 and they are checking more footage to see if the driver escaped farther down the line.

At the accident processing site, they find that no one on the train saw anything, and now they are up to 15 dead - 16 if you count unborn babies. Ronnie gets off the phone and tells Sam the VIN has been located.

Back at M.I.U., Ronnie tells Wes the car belongs to Michael Gennis, and when Wes says the name rings a bell, Ronnie explains that Gennis put his wife in a coma and he claims self defense. But, there was a hung jury and CPS is retrying the case, thanks to Alesha Phillips. She cited the retrial as an example of CPS having zero tolerance for domestic violence. She takes that came train every morning but was not on it as she has been promoted to Senior Prosecutor CPS Northwest, but Ronnie thinks Gennis would not know that. Sam explains Gennis beat the shit out of his previous wife and got scared and withdrew her statement and she emigrated to get away from him. Wes tells them to get a warrant.