Plot

Superintendent Tennison (Dame Helen Mirren) investigates a seemingly straightforward drug murder that she believes is linked to a smugly smooth crime boss.

Superintendent Jane Tennison (Dame Helen Mirren), on a new beat, investigates the killing of a drug runner, with the runner's employer, "The Street" (Steven Mackintosh), as her prime suspect. Meanwhile, The Street is conducting his own investigation into the killing, with the help of his team of hoodlums and his vicious Rottweilers. And as Tennison rankles that her subordinates accuse her of sleeping her way to the top, she begins an affair with her married supervisor.—Bil Boozer <bilboozer@gsu.edu>

[Part One]

Jane Tennison (Helen Mirren) leaves her flat in the morning and drives through Manchester. When she stops at a red light she sees a boy steal a briefcase from the car behind her. She goes to a school to give a talk about the police. The school children are suspicious of the police. She asks the pupils what they want from their lives; one of them in particular responds in a confrontational manner, a boy we later come to know as Campbell Lafferty (Joseph Jacobs).

Elsewhere, a young mother is forced to let some men into her flat, which they use as a drug lab.

Tennison arrives at a press conference where the local police chief, Martin Ballinger (John McArdle), is talking about the success of the police in bringing down crime rates. Tennison tells Ballinger she's been in Manchester for ten days without being put to proper work. When his phone rings about a gun death, he gives her the case. She arrives to meet officers Gerry Rankine (David O'Hara) and Clare Devanney (Julia Lane) at the scene along with a number of sharpshooters. A young man, Nazir Ahmed, is dead in the second floor of a flat building, and another person is in the flat. Suddenly a local celebrity of sorts who goes by the name of The Street (Steven Mackintosh) appears; against Tennison's commands he goes into the flat and brings a young wounded man out and into the police's arms.

Rankine and Devanney investigate the flat, but they don't find a weapon, and they don't expect many witnesses to come forward in an area weary of the police. Tennison goes to the hospital with the wounded man, Michael Johns (Ray Emmet Brown). The Street also comes, but refuses to talk to Tennison. Officer Henry Adeliyeka (John Brobbey) tells her that The Street, Clive Norton on his birth certificate, is a gang leader and familiar to the police. Tennison goes over the scene of the crime; the unidentified shooter must have waited in the flat and shot at the two young men with an automatic. She goes to Ballinger expecting to choose her own team, but he says she'll work with what she's got. She puts her staff to work.

The next morning Tennison goes to see Michael Johns in the hospital, but he won't talk. She and Adeliyeka also go see Norton in his home; she challenges him, but he doesn't budge. Meanwhile, DI Devanney goes to see Deborah, Nazir's girlfriend who's had previous run-ins with the police, who says he had been powdering down the drug shipments he was handling. When Devanney tells Tennison at the station, Tennison reprimands her for not letting her know about Deborah sooner. Meanwhile, Rankine meets with his informer Tony Rice (David Norman), one of Norton's henchmen, who insists Norton had nothing to do with the murder. Rankine and Tennison gather they might be looking at the beginnings of a gang war. That night Ballinger takes Tennison out for dinner, and they debate the realities of drug crime. Tennison overhears some of her team making fun of her in the next room.

Tennison wakes up in Ballinger's bed. She leaves when his wife calls on the phone. Later at the station Tennison says it was a one-time thing, but Ballinger tells her he wants to see her again. At the home of the Lafferty family that morning, Michael Johns comes for breakfast with his girlfriend, Janice Lafferty (Marsha Thomason). Her brother Campbell storms out of the house when he sees Michael. Campbell is soon at the police station, where he claims he was the one who shot and killed Nazir. Noreen Lafferty (Gabrielle Reidy) is summoned; she is protective of her children, but also a drug wreck herself. Tennison interviews Campbell, but doesn't buy his story.

Tennison goes to see Michael Johns at his flat, and later so does Norton. Michael feels trapped. The police also discover a flat in the same building abandoned, and they search for tenant Robina Lowry. Her priest confirms that she's a witness to the murder, but won't say where she is. Meanwhile, Norton suspects a member of another gang, Outboard, of having to do with the shooting. At an abandoned swimming pool he unleashes his dogs on him. That night Tony Rice asks to see Tennison. She wears a wire tap, and they meet in a churchyard. Tony is scared of The Street; Tennison tries to make him talk, but then Tony's phone rings and we hear Street warning Tony. Tony runs.

In the morning Tennison tells Rankine she suspects someone in the police is working with Norton. She also releases Campbell Lafferty from detention, but two developments soon prove her wrong: A machine gun is found with Campbell's prints on it, and Devanney finds Robina Lowry, who confirms Campbell was the shooter. Before the police can bring Campbell back in he is kidnapped by Norton's thugs and brought to the swimming pool, where Norton has figured out the truth. Campbell wanted to get rid of Michael, who was his sister's boyfriend and his mother's drug dealer, but accidentally killed Nazir. To punish them both, Norton makes Michael shoot Campbell.

[Part Two]

Jane Tennison wakes up in the morning, distressed. Next, she's at the morgue where Campbell's mother and sister identify Campbell's body. Later at the station Tennison explains to her staff how Campbell was found dumped in a public restroom. Ballinger fears she might be too emotionally involved in the case, but Tennison wants to go on TV to move the case forward. Elsewhere, Clive Norton picks up the same kid Tennison saw stealing the briefcase, Willem (Kevin Knapman), and starts to teach him the trade. Janice Lafferty asks Michael if he had anything to do with Campbell's death.

Tennison gives an impassioned plea for help on national television; there is no result other than a prank by Norton. Tennison decides to pull Norton and Michael in for questioning over Clare Devanney's objections. Tennison interviews Norton, but she has no luck getting information out of him. She talks to Rankine about the possible mole; she thinks it might be Devanney and begins to exclude her from the investigation.

The swimming pool where Campbell was killed is found, and the medical examiner presents her findings from the autopsy of his body. Tennison goes to see Janice, who tries to convince her that Michael had nothing to do with the murder. Ballinger comes to see Tennison at night. They talk about Tennison's leak suspicions, but Ballinger doesn't think Devanney is involved. They sleep together.

At the station in the morning the crime scene report arrives; there's no clear link to Michael Johns or Clive Norton, but traces of several other bodies have been found in the pool drain. Tennison has to release Norton. She interviews Michael, who's been in detention overnight. He's distressed and at first silent, but when challenged he admits he shot Campbell. Just when Tennison is trying to get him to say who made him do it, Ballinger barges in because Michael has hurt himself by knocking his head into the table. He tells Tennison they wouldn't have been able to use such a confession in court. The police also learn that dog's teeth were found at the crime scene; The Street owns dogs.

DS Rankine has acquired criminal records that were missing from the station's own files. He informs Tennison that Chief Superintendent Ballinger has had dealings with Clive Norton and was the investigating officer on a case against him that went down the drain because of procedural errors. Tennison interrogates Michael again. While Ballinger is in the room she tells Michael about Norton's arrangement with a senior police officer at the station. Michael tells her that it was Norton who forced him to shoot Campbell. Michael expresses fear that Norton might hurt Janice; Tennison sets the wheels in motion to find her, but instead we see Norton abducting her.

In an old warehouse The Street tapes Janice's mouth and points a gun at her. Helped by Willem, Tennison finds the warehouse. She discovers Tony Rice's corpse, then finds Janice still alive in a hole in the ground. Norton turns up and holds Tennison at gunpoint. Ballinger walks in. Norton reminds him of their mutual agreement. When Ballinger doesn't speak, Norton gets nervous. As he turns his gun at Ballinger, police sharpshooters positioned by Ballinger shoot Norton dead. Janice is rescued and taken to hospital. Tennison reproaches Ballinger for his deal with Norton, which almost got her killed; Ballinger is unrepentant.