Battle-scarred from their conflict, Rachel and Janet are determined to move forward. Rachel aims to give her career her best shot, and not be bogged down by the chaos of her personal life, while Janet wants the opportunities she feels she deserves. Scott and Bailey find themselves in front of the promotions board, being interviewed for the post of sergeant.
Syndicate 9’s new Sergeant is thrown in the deep end with a historical missing person’s case. Their biggest challenge is to hide their contempt for the poor police work that hampered the original investigation.
After promising that the chaos of her personal life was behind her, Rachel is torn when she discovers that her mother's new boyfriend is a violent domestic abuser. Janet goes on her first date, but gets cold feet at the last minute. The murder of a gay man has all the markings of a hate crime, but why is his friend struggling to answer some simple questions?
Gill introduces her new sergeant to Will Pemberton, an ambitious detective superintendent on his way to the top. Unbeknownst to her, Rachel and Will have been enjoying a passionate yet discreet affair. The case of the week involves the murder of a woman in a Manchester hotel. With only a necklace and the name Lola to go on, Syndicate 9 try to piece together her last known movements.
Unable to get over being second choice for the sergeant's job, Rachel punishes Janet for not telling her.
Troubled by Gill's comments about her relationship with Will Pemberton, Rachel gets cold feet about accompanying him to an awards ceremony. When a couple are shot at close range in their pub in the early hours, their son Simon feels utterly alone, having lost his sister Carla when he was three.
Suranne Jones
DC Rachel Bailey
Lesley Sharp
DC Janet Scott
Tony Mooney
DC Pete Readyough
David Prosho
DC Ian Mitchell
Amelia Bullmore
DCI Gill Murray