Nicola Walker and Sanjeev Bhaskar are back for a second season of Unforgotten, exploring the investigation into another historic murder case.
Once again written by creator Chris Lang, the new six-part season with the discovery of body found in a sealed suitcase in the silt of the River Lea. With the body preserved but clearly having been there a number of years, detectives DCI Cassie Stuart and DS Sunny Khan begin the complicated task of identifying the victim and investigating his murder.
Through their inquiries, the body is revealed as middle-aged man David Walker who disappeared in 1990 leaving behind a wife and young son who is now in his early 30s. With four seemingly un-connected suspects emerging, the team are tasked with finding out who wanted David Walker dead and why?
Buy Season 1 on DVD on Amazon here.
Joining Nicola Walker and Sanjeev Bhaskar in Season 2 are Mark Bonnar (Catastrophe), Rosie Cavaliero (Prey), Lorraine Ashbourne (New Tricks), Badria Timimi (Killing Jesus), Charlie Condou (Casualty), Holly Aird (Identity), Nigel Lindsay (Poirot), Peter Egan (Downton Abbey), Will Brown (Bystander), Wendy Craig (Doctors) and Bryony Hannah (Call the Midwife).
Episode 1
Thursday 5 January 2017, 9pm
The new season starts with the discovery of body found in a sealed suitcase in the silt of the River Lea. With the body preserved but clearly having been there a number of years, DCI Cassie Stuart and DI Sunny Khan begin the complicated task of identifying the victim and investigating his murder.
With an expensive watch found on the body the only evidence to go on, the item is sent to forensics who suggest approaching a watchmaker who may have repaired it to find out more about its owner.
Meanwhile, we meet four seemingly un-connected suspects who may have a link to the victim – DI Tessa Nixon who is struggling with her loner son, nurse Marion Kelsey who works with chronically ill children, Brighton-based barrister Colin Osborne who is in the process of adopting a little girl with his husband, and teacher Sara Mahmoud who is interviewing for a new position in a school that needs turning around.
How do any of them link to the victim, though, and why would one of them kill him?
Episode 2
Thursday 12 January 2017, 9pm
With their victim now identified, Cassie and Sunny’s search for David Walker’s killer is underway. Having pulled a selection of partial messages and numbers from the pager found with his body, the team hope that BT will be able to track down their sources in the hope that this may shed some light on his final movements.
Whilst they wait, David’s wife Tessa Nixon is interviewed by Cassie and Sunny where she reveals that David suffered from depression, which had put a big strain on their marriage. As a result, when he went missing, she assumed that he has either suffered a breakdown or killed himself – she never considered that he’d been murdered.
It’s her son, Jason, who is most affected by his father’s murder though, struggling to come to terms with the fact that David didn’t leave them voluntarily all those years ago.
As the team reassess the initial investigation into David’s disappearance, a travel card is discovered with an address written on the back. Could these new pieces of evidence contain clues as to who killed David?
Episode 3
Thursday 19 January 2017, 9pm
Tensions are running high as investigations into David Walker’s murder continue. Jason, in particularly, is finding it difficult to process his father’s death, asking Cassie to see his Dad’s body following his outburst at stepsister Becca.
Meanwhile, Sunny meets James Gregory, David’s old school friend who relays what David told him about his abuse at primary school, revealing that David had managed to track down and confront the offending teacher before his death. However, Sunny’s conversation with James also uncovers some illuminating aspects of David’s lifestyle that may have contributed to his murder.
In Highgate, Cassie meets Marion and Elise’s mother, Joy Dunphy, who can’t think of any reason why her address would have been written on the travelcard found in David’s possessions. Their conversation does come around to Marion, however, which leads to a prickly interview between Cassie and Marion.
Episode 4
Thursday 26 January 2017, 9pm
With Sara’s revelation about her past to her husband sending shockwaves through their domestic bliss, she fights to make him understand. However, when Sara’s youngest son overhears their conversation, it seems that her secrets are coming back to haunt her in a very public way.
Meanwhile, Colin is backed into a corner when he’s blackmailed further by Flora’s mother, and when his phone is stolen it seems that he and Simon have few options left. Unbeknownst to him, the investigation into David’s death also starts to shed light on the reason for Colin’s departure from his city life, which may explain his subsequent breakdown.
Finally, a disturbing allegation about David’s past opens up a second line of enquiry for the team and Tessa’s relationships are threatened when she is questioned again about how much she knew about her husband’s life.
Episode 5
Thursday 2 February 2017, 9pm
Cassie turns her attention to investigating the goings-on at the Brentford house and the theory that one or more of the suspects may have been abused at the gatherings that took place there.
Following Sinead’s allegation that Marion suggested David as a potential IRA target, Marion is questioned for a second time. Asked if she ever attended parties at the house in Brentford in the early 80s, Marion assures Cassie that this wouldn’t have been possible as she was living in Ireland with her family, leaving the team at another dead end.
Meanwhile, the allegations against Colin whilst he was working in the city don’t seem to add up as the detectives look further into the case. Was his alleged victim telling the truth and if not, why would she lie?
Episode 6
Thursday 9 February 2017, 9pm
With each of the suspects having a motive, opportunity or connection to victim, David Walker, Cassie and Sunny try to join the dots to discover who actually killed him 25 years earlier.
Though Sara has provided reliable evidence that she was in Italy when the murder took place, Cassie suspects that it is too good – that it’s something put together by someone who knew that one day they’d need an alibi. Knowing that Sara came into contact with David whilst she worked as a prostitute and suspecting that she was abused by him as a child, the team wonder whether the case is part of a wider revenge plan.
Searching for answers about their childhoods, Cassie travels to Glasgow to talk to Colin’s father, Harry whilst Sunny pays a visit to Marion’s sister, Elise, and mother, Joy, who are heartbroken when they start to understand the truth about their loved ones.
Buy Season 1 on DVD on Amazon here.
Watch the Season 2 trailer…
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