Time to say goodbye to Harry, as the team investigate a disturbing case – literally!

No more Nikki and Harry  

Its been a long wait for this two-parter to reach our screens (unless you were lucky enough to catch it on Netflix/Itunes before they realised their mistake), after being postponed following its likeness and possible negative influence on an ongoing court battle – that’s now completed and thankfully without being prejudiced by this episode. After seeing the episode you can see how right that decision was. But it’s also tinged with sadness that this is to be the final episode Tom Ward appears in following the news he has left his role as Harry Cunningham; seemingly a development after production had finished? As there is no final goodbye or send off for Harry.

As much as the production values and grisly corpses can’t be dismissed as anything but brilliant, this episode I suspect would be a difficult episode for most to watch. The story focuses on a group of Asian mini-cab drivers lead by Umar who are grooming young white teenage girls, drugging them and then locking them in a room, while men come and go to horrifically rape the poor girls. Its hard-hitting stuff and not for the faint hearted. The death of a tattooed man and a corpse in a suitcase all add to the body count.

Emilia Fox shines in this episode as she tries to save Shannon, who managed to escape the gang but got hit by a car, leaving her incapacitated in hospital fearful of her attackers returning. Elyes Gabel as Umar (You remember? The guy who was in Casualty who played the nice doctor; how things change) does a convincing portrayal of someone confidently smarmy who controls the gang and girls; a vile character hidden behind a smile. Meanwhile Younis is uncomfortable with what’s happening but still airs on the creepy obsessive side, but comes good in the end – well apart from the dying part.

The additions of Sam Troughton as DI Johnny Vickers and Thusitha Jayasundera as DS Ayesha Masood were both welcome. Personally i would be happy to see both characters remain in the next series. Jayasundera bringing the much-needed empathy in such a dark subject matter, while Troughton balances it out with “an empathy bypass,” as he generally niggles at the team with his incessant note taking.

It’s not all doom and gloom though, there’s some great comedy elements in this episode from Harry been literally shook in the bath by building work; to Nikki’s incessant cries of “Are you awake” when said building work forces him to move in with Nikki. Of course I’m sure he could have moved in with Leo, but then we wouldn’t be able to experience all those near misses, the unresolved tension, while we shout and get frustrated at the TV when they get so near and yet so far. No happy ending for Harry and Nikki…but at least he gets out alive!

Let us know what you thought of Tom Ward’s final episode in the comments below.