It’s finally the season finale of Annika, my favourite gem of a show with Nicola Walker. This episode should clear up all the questions and conversations I’ve been having about it, right? Or we should just have another series! Oh let’s do THAT! Paging Nick Walker! Let’s roll into my recap of Annika S1:E06 after the break for one last time this series.
We open with DI Annika Strandhed (Nicola Walker – she has her own tag! I’ve recapped a metric tonne of her shows, including legendary Last Tango in Halifax, the beautiful River, the complicated Unforgotten, the confusing Collateral, so many. I did not recap The Split for one reason: I was going through an extended and painful divorce. Guess who has two thumbs, is officially divorced plus four days, and writes extremely detailed recaps of rad TV??? So maybe I can finally look at it) standing in front of her front window staring at the sea.
Her daughter Morgan Strandhed (Sylvie Furneaux) asks if she’s pining for Dr. Jake Strathearn (Paul McGann) but Annika says she’s deep in the sort of contemplation that often results in only the best poetry.
Annika and Jake are apart because he was once Morgan’s therapist and it’s not a good idea to mix therapy and being a stepdad.
I mean, I’d murder to have a stepdad that was a therapist but then not if I had to get rid of my actual stepdad, he’s aces.
Does Annika tell us a LIMERICK?!
I mean, that’s sort of poetry, isn’t it?
We’re usually steeped in literature on Annika; today we’re in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night as someone has washed up on the shore of Glasgow Scotland. Annika is head of the Marine Homicide Unit, her team is already on site taking pictures and collecting evidence.
DC Tyrone Clark (Ukweli Roach) has our victim’s name, but it’s who Viola McAskill named as her next of kin that draws attention.
Annika’s second in command is DS Michael McAndrews (Jamie Sives) who is surprised but not unhappy to see Annika on his doorstep early in the morning.
Michael’s daughter wanders in, she’s adorable. He about collapses when he hears about the identity of the victim from the drink, Viola is actually connected to Michael’s brother Adie McAndrews (Andy Clark).
I’m distracted by the three stuffed animals we saw Michael re-stuffing in the kitchen last episode while he and Annika bantered.
Annika and Michael talk to Adie, but in theory Michael is there as a brother, not an interviewer. Adie says he and Viola broke up, without any sort of convincing reason. He doesn’t have an alibi either. Annika carefully brings up possible domestic violence, she takes Michael aside so he knows he’s off the case.
Michael knows his brother was lying about where he was, will it be for the worst reason?
Tyrone debriefs Annika and DC Blair Ferguson (Katie Leung) on what we know so far, we’ve got an approximate time of death and a possible previous case of domestic abuse.
*There has been a case all over the news about a young YouTuber recently murdered by her partner, domestic abuse is just…everywhere. I know there’s a lot of societal failings exposed in the coverage and I know outrage and attention doesn’t extend evenly so I won’t go on about it. Also because I know next to nothing about the particulars, it seemed perverse to follow a sure death so closely. I can imagine it felt more visceral because so much of it was communicated live.
Blair scours the scene where Viola was found, happening across a locknut from a V-named vehicle. Tyrone and Annika attend Viola’s workplace where a perky but bemused Kate Verdi (Iulia Isar) waits at a smashed display case. She is shocked to silence to hear of Viola’s death. She had called the police only moments before to report a smash and grab robbery of a medal.
There is blood outside the shop; the medal stolen was a military cross whose owner Gurpreet Mattu (Taqi Nazeer) was angry with Viola.
They find Gurpreet at work.
Why do they always run?? Hahahaha and Annika says the same.
Gurpreet runs until he find himself near a ledge to climb out on, he’s not giving back the medal!
Annika gingerly drags herself along the ledge to listen. I think she may have a fear of heights?
But it takes Tyrone to calm Gurpreet by having him talk about how his grandad earned his medal.
Blair interviews Taylor Mackie (Susannah Laing) who is a hard, hard woman with a lot of tight smiles. I think she’s part of the new alibi given by Adie, but she doesn’t back up anything he said.
She calls Michael ‘Rapunzel”, that was worth the price of admission.
The fact that things keep getting more terrible for Adie – he owns a Vauxhall like the one popping locknuts where the body was found – means he is absolutely innocent so now I’m staring at the ancillary people wandering about. Viola was very actively moving on from Adie, she was online dating several men and women at the same time.
Everything is awkward with this Michael-shaped hole in the war room. Annika checks in with her boss DCI Diane Oban (Kate Dickie) on how to handle it. Diane was in that situation, she just pushed harder. Does Annika have someone to talk you? Well. We know.
But does she, right now?
It’s interesting, how they talk about Michael needing clean lines and his Better Homes and Garden homelife. Did he not have that growing up?
Tyrone and Blair talk to Michael at his house. Blair drops the “Rapunzel” and we all squee with joy some more.
Morgan has turned 16; Annika decorated and sings! But Morgan wants to get together with her girlfriend later instead of hanging out with her mum. Booooooo. But yay!
*Ahhhhhh my oldest turned 13 today and I didn’t decorate for the first time ever and now I am positive I should have. Booooo
Blair’s tracked down a date Viola was supposed to have at the right time on the night in question; will Leila ( from Hepcat Tattoos be yet another (albeit fetching) red herring?
Michael shows up outside the station, he and Annika get into a shouting match about his brother’s lack of alibi and absconding. I laughed out loud when he said she should go on and “catch the killer with the complete works of Chaucer” and she shouts back “it’s TWELFTH NIGHT!”
Tyrone heard a lot of that.
Me too!!
Adie comes out of hiding to meet with Michael, but shares absolutely nothing of value.
Annika and Tyrone’s interview with Leila is similarly unfruitful. She hasn’t been dating anyone, as it turns out, people have been using her picture to set up profiles to scam people out of money. When Annika asks why her, Leila explains.
Well. Yeah.
The Cyber Crime division did track down someone possible as a perpetrator, there are five other known victims of Leila’s picturesque charms. They’re off to investigate those, interrupted by Adie turning himself in.
Annika tries to explain Twelfth Night to me but I just don’t get it. There are women dressing like boys and girls dressing like men, though, so I’m in!
Adie offers up a strong defense, the detectives believe he didn’t kill Viola but they know he did something. They just need him to fess up, and quick. Ahhhh he was with Taylor, she didn’t want to admit that because she was ROBBING A LIQUOR STORE. I mean. Watch your friends, Adie.
Annika missed all this because she’s busy meeting one of FakeLeila’s (Viviene Taylor) victims, Lee Tanner (Thoren Ferguson). FakeLeila took seven grand off Lee, even before they even met. They will be talking this day. Annika wants to trace that call!
A very awkward phone call later, Annika has an address and an extremely angry large man on her hands. Exactly what has Lee done for his lady fair? He’s furious and out of control.
Holy shit just then he hits Annika as she’s speaking on the phone to Blair. They call Michael in oh thank god, Annika is alive, just in the boot of her own car.
FakeLeila packs up her gear, oh shite, Morgan has shown up at the police station looking for her mum because it’s her birthday.
I’m on the edge of my seat here!
Okay, here’s what happened with Lee and FakeLeila; she accidentally sent him a message meant for Viola about a meeting, which made him lose his mind.
It’s just that. We saw FakeLeila pack up a phone with ‘Lee’ written on the back. How could she mess up messages if she was being that careful?
Anyway, apparently FakeLeila managed to convince Lee that Viola was just some woman hassling her so he got rid of Viola for her.
What.
That’s so. Random.
Annika tries to explain Twelfth Night to Lee through the boot of her car, he doesn’t understand it either. Everyone arrives at FakeLeila’s too late, she’s gone.
Oh shit, no she’s not, Lee killed FakeLeila. The same way he killed Viola.
Annika tells us in the boot of her car that worst comes to worse, Morgan’s dad can take care of her. Right after he becomes aware of her.
*I blame ShirtyBurty on Twitter for making me replay those sentences over and over, I thought she named the dad and it seemed really, really important just then!
She talks loudly about Morgan having a birthday, trying to humanize herself and her life. Then we’re in a police chase and it’s just not going well! Lee is going to crash into the river! I’ve already given myself several welts with my nails and am periodically shrieking ‘oh god!’
He stops.
Michael appears out of the bushes, he’s there to talk but Lee has a grenade!
It’s just that I saw the last series of Unforgotten, you know?
Tyrone and Blair work on freeing Annika while Michael is chit chatting and then THE CAR BLOWS UP.
DON’T YOU DARE UNFORGOTTEN ME
DON’T YOU DARE!!!!!
The boot is open, did they get away? Did they get her??
They DID!!!!!!!!!
Everyone but Lee is okay!!!
And Annika’s car.
The team meets in the pub, Morgan joins, yay. Happy birthday Morgan! You get your mom!
And apparently your dad, Michael. Even if you don’t know it.
Oh goodness.
That was a ROLLER COASTER! And Michael, lovely caring Michael is Morgan’s dad and he doesn’t yet know it. I so hope there is a second series. Thank you for reading along, everyone, cheers!
