Showtrial season 2 follows the story of a high-profile climate activist named Marcus Calderwood, who names a serving police officer as his killer just moments before he dies. Soon a quest for the truth gets underway as the trial of the decade begins, but not everyone is being entirely honest about what really happened the night of Marcus's hit and run.
The final episode of the series opens with the defense going into court and changing Justin's plea to guilty to manslaughter. The prosecution isn't happy, stating there isn't enough time to get their hands on the psychiatric reports they need so Grainne asks for the judge to send the jury home for a two-week pause.
We then flash forward two weeks and Mani goes to Sam's office to see Claudia. Sam isn't there and Mani and Claudia talk about his research into suicide and Mani is still hurting that his dad was considering taking his own life after what happened with his mum.
Meanwhile, Sam is talking through what has happened with his therapist and he gets upset talking about how much Mani means to him. His therapist tells him this episode might be caused by his medication and suggests he change to a different anti-anxiety medication. While she is writing his new prescription, the therapist makes small talk about the trial, and Sam explains the prosecution hasn't accepted their manslaughter plea and so it is now a matter of whether or not Justin going to prison for life or not.
Meanwhile, Felix goes into a bike shop to find out whether they sold a set of bike pedals around the time of the hit and run that matched the model of Marcus's bike. They did - however, it was a cash purchase and the CCTV is wiped every week, so while he doesn't have concrete evidence, the man in the shop told him it was a woman and she had an accent. Felix tells Helen that the woman the shop owner described matched the description of Patrick's wife, Elena, meaning that Justin didn't act alone and could have had an accomplice. He wants to put this information on his blog, but Helen begs him not to - not only is it contempt of court, but also could ruin both their careers.
Sam sees Justin in prison and they talk about his interview with the prosecution psychiatrist. Sam then asks about Patrick Norris and the bike pedals. Justin says he didn't notice the pedals and won't go any further, refusing to tell Sam more.
As the trial restarts the protestors outside are shouting for 'Justice for Mascus' while holding signs about Felix's blog, Indifference Kills. As he tells Sam about the evidence he got from the bike shop, Sam tells him he should present it to the police and to write it online is contempt of court... and it isn't long before Felix is arrested.
Grainne and Sam prep Justin for his day in court and tell him he needs to behave if he wants to get the jury on his side. Sam relays the bike pedal purchase evidence from Felix and tells Justin if the prosecution uses this, it will make the murder look premedicated and blow their case out of the water. Justin says they will never get Patrick because only one person can bring him down, and that person won't because they would be implicating themselves. Justin says there is more, but before he can say anything else, Grainne comes in and tells them it is time to go to court.
With the trial back underway, Sandra goes back into the witness box and is asked about Justin's mental health. Grainne asks what his mental health was like when she told him she was pregnant and she describes how he took her in the car and drove at over 100 miles per hour to the spot where Daniella had died in her accident.
Next Justin is in the witness box and Grainne asks what happened the day Marcus died. He tells her he didn't go out to kill him, but went to his house after seeing another protest that stopped an ambulance from getting to a hospital. We then see Justin remember them arguing before Marcus rode off and Justin followed in his car. We then see Marcus cycling in front of Justin's car, sticking his middle finger up at him. Justin recounts how he kept hearing Daniella's voice in his head and something snapped, so he closed his eyes, put his put down and drove into him. He denies moving Marcus from the side of the road but admits to picking up the bike and helmet and putting them in his car before driving off.
Next, the prosecution questions Justin and asks if he didn't move Marcus, then who did. Justin can't answer but admits to disposing of the bike and helmet in the lake. He says he doesn't know where the helmet camera is, as it should also be in the lake. He tells the court he is truly sorry for what happened and manages to keep his cool when the prosecution outlines what they believe happened the day Marcus was killed.
In the back room, Justin tells Sam he knows he is looking at a lot of years piled on if he is found guilty of murder... Sam agrees that 25 would be his best hope. Justin says he would still be younger than Sam when he gets out if he was found guilty of manslaughter... but if he went down for murder, 25 years in segregation would mean he would have to carefully explore all his options.
Southgate and Leila agree that they need to speak to Patrick and Elena Norris again as if they helped him tamper with evidence then it would mean they could prove that it was premeditated and therefore murder. When they get to Patrick's house no one is in, but Southgate and Packham know they are being watched through a security camera, and sure enough moments later Southgate's phone pings with a photo from Patrick showing him and his wife on a plane.
The next morning we discover Patrick has escaped to Ecuador on a privately chartered plane, paid for in cash by a known cocaine smuggler.
In court, Grainne questions Dr. Towler and he confirms he spoke to Justin about his childhood and his abusive father before writing his report. He says Justin has a performative tendency and a habit of speaking about himself in the third person but is at the top end of intelligence. Towler also confirms that he believes Justin uses humour to hide his true feelings and is suffering from PTSD. He also confirms that he interviewed Sandra.
Next, Dr. Potts is in the witness stand and tries to counter Dr. Towler for the prosecution. He claims things Justin said were inconsistent with a sudden loss of control after the hit and run and that he thought he had the right to take the law into his own hands.
That evening, Felix comes out of the police station and tells the other protestors that he has been charged with contempt of court and is willing to go to jail if it means justice for Marcus. Meanwhile, Helen tells Leila that the police now have Felix's phone and will be reading his messages, and she reveals that she is his source. Leila asks why, and she says Whitley is the reason because she is fed up with him covering up so many police shortcomings.
In court, the defense and prosecution make their closing statements before the jury goes off to make their decision. The jury comes back and announces they have found Justin guilty of murder and that 10 of them agreed with the decision and 2 disagreed. The judge tells the court that considering everything the minimum sentence Justin will serve is 35 years before he can be considered for parole. Justin looks stunned as the court absorbs this turn of events.
Later, Sam tells Justin that they will appeal the sentence, that it was politically motivated and that they can get it reduced. But Justin shouts that Sam still doesn't know everything, and he wants to tell him now. He says the prosecution was right, he gambled and he lost - it all came down to a bet with Patrick. If Justin won, his debt to Patrick would be written off. If he lost, he would have to hit Marcus on his bike.
Justin goes on to explain how he hit Marcus with his car and then put his bike and helmet into the boot. He realised the pedal was missing and told Patrick he would have to deal with that, so he got Elena to get a set of new ones and change them in case the bike was ever found in the lake. Justin explains Patrick kept the camera off the helmet as a souvenir, and that he is friends with some very dangerous people on both sides of the law. He adds that he did what Patrick told him because he was worried about keeping Sandra safe. That's the reason he hasn't brought Patrick into the whole thing because it is the least he can do for her. Sam asks if he feels remorse for killing Marcus but Justin avoids the question by saying he will always believe Marcus killed Daniella and her unborn baby. Justin asks him to make sure Sandra is looked after before saving he will set his own tariff.
At the end of the episode, we see Justin led to his cell, while Leila and Sam chat on the steps of the court. Leila offers Sam her condolences for losing the trial, and they say Southgate is trying to get Patrick. Leila also reveals she knows about the pills that Sam tried to buy online and that she got Southgate to drop it. He thanks her and at the end of the episode he reunites with his son Mani and the pair go for a beer.
All five episodes of Showtrial season 2 are now available on BBC iPlayer. The series will also air on Sundays at 9pm on BBC One.
