Messiah - Episode Guide

DCI Red Metcalfe, married to the profoundly deaf Susan, meets new sergeant Kate Beauchamp and, along with Jez Clifton, they attend at the gruesome murder of chef Philip Blake, who was hanged and his tongue cut out and replaced with a silver spoon. Some time afterwards Red joins up with former colleague Duncan Warren, a divorced reformed gambler, to investigate the murder of bishop James Perch, clubbed to death and also with an apostle spoon in his mouth to replace his missing tongue. Several other murders follow, in all cases the victims were stripped but not robbed and their tongues cut out and replaced with spoons. Years earlier Red turned in his younger brother Eric for murder. Now Eric is out and living in a hostel but reluctant to see Red. However hostel warden, vicar Stephen Hedges, gives Red a key to the murders. Each victims bore the name of one of Christ's disciples and all were killed in the same way as their biblical namesakes.

Red is irate to find that Duncan Warren, desperate for money, has sold the story of the murder hunt to a journalist and has him removed from the case. Stephen Hedges tells Red that the five victims had jobs as well as names matching the disciples but Red is unable to prevent further murders, even though he is now aware that each victim will be killed on their namesake's saints day. Ultimately eleven men are slain, the one surviving namesake being Judas. Red discovers not only that the killer is a madman who believes he is the Messiah and immortal but that this is a person known to Red, who sees him as Judas - the last victim. In ending the reign of terror Red , helped by Susan, must fight for his life in a kill-or-be-killed confrontation with a lunatic who suffers an appropriate end.

Reconciled with Red Eric is murdered in a busy market , witnessed by Susan, who cannot identify the killer. Some days later Russ Collier and his sister Jenny are both killed, each with a cheese wire in their hand. They were suspects in the murder of loan shark John Hardy two years earlier but DCI Charlie MacIntyre released them and instead Davor Pasovic was convicted, protesting his innocence. Davor's brother Alexi is brought in but smooth lawyer Daniel Jameson ensures that no case is made against him and Red has cause to ask Charlie if he framed Davor purely to secure a conviction. Philip Stansfield is electrocuted by a railway line, the same location where Felicity Oldroyd was murdered. DI David Wilby arrested her married lover Des Braithwaite, who again claimed his innocence but Red finds out that Stansfield was also seeing her and lied about knowing her. Red believes that the victims were the true killers in the old cases being rubbed out by an avenger. However when Charlie's daughter Mandy is garrotted with a cheese wire Red believes that the killer is also out to punish police officers who made fatally wrong arrests and warns all his staff that their nearest and dearest are in danger.

Steve Jenner is slain at the opera and the assumption is that he was killed in mistake for Wilby's boyfriend Jonathan. In fact, after Wilby 's suicide, it is revealed that he was Wilby's secret lover and the police are baffled as to how the killer knew. Kate seeks out Jameson, who tells her that the link to the previous murders is the retired forensic scientist Dr Bannerman but then Bannerman's wife is also killed. Red learns that MacIntyre, Wilby and Bannerman were all involved in the murder of Carl Brown, for which Brian Herd was imprisoned, protesting his innocence. Duncan Warren also worked on the case and fears that his son Sam or new girlfriend police clerk Anna may be the next target of the avenger. Whilst Red visits the dying Herd in prison to establish any link to the current murderer the fact that the killer is so well-informed leads the team to surmise that it is somebody within the police ranks and they must act quickly to catch them.

As a prison riot erupts into violence, Red comes face to face with the ring leader: the man who once held him hostage and nearly drove him mad. But what they don't know is a killer's amongst them, preying on their weaknesses.

The death toll at the hospital continues to rise as the chief suspects are murdered. DCI Red Metcalfe uncovers the unwelcome connection between the victims. Ken Stott returns as DCI Red Metcalfe, Neil Dudgeon is DI Duncan Warren, Frances Grey plays DS Kate Beauchamp and Michelle Forbes plays Susan Metcalfe. The cast also features: Liam Cunningham, Michael Maloney, Catherine Russell, Tom Ellis, Sam Troughton and Claire Holman.

Red Metcalfe's analytical skills are stretched to the limit as he tries to fathom the workings of the mind of a killer determined to create their own Hell.

The serial killer continues the killing spree, and leaves a clue: the victims and their fates are inspired by the circles of Hell in Dante's Inferno.

Assisted by an authority on Dante, DCI Red Metcalfe knows the "sin" and "punishment" of the next victim, but struggles to establish how the victims are being chosen. Will he be able to locate the killer before the macabre sequence is completed?

DCI Joseph Walker's renowned instincts and tenacity of character are questioned as his personal demons invade his latest investigation.

DCI Walker discovers he was wrong about the bombing. The murders are connected and may be religious hate crimes.