After a great two-part story guest starring John Hannah, Silent Witness season 27 continues with a new story. Warning the recap ahead of episode three contains spoilers!
Again there are some big-name guest stars including Kevin McNally as Professor Peter Cherry and John Thomson as DCI Warren Bull. While Nikki and Jack fans will be pleased that there are some nice moments between the couple, who seem very happy.
The episode opens with a woman (Diveen Henry) — we later find out her name is Elaine — peering out from behind a curtain. She looks worried. "Coming darling," she says to her children, shutting her curtain. Meanwhile, an old lady throws a ball for her dog to chase only it ends up on the shore of the Thames. This being Silent Witness she obviously discovers a body!
Jack's been boxing
We then see Jack in a truly brutal fight. Jack wins the fight, knocking the opponent to the floor. There seems a hint that Jack's memory is fuzzy in some way, is this setting up a plotline with Jack possibly having memory problems due to the boxing or could we be reading too much into this? Only time will tell.
Back to the body near Hammersmith Bridge. Jack's injured after his fight and Nikki asks if it hurts. "Only when I breathe replies Jack". "I hate mud," he adds before Nikki quips: "But you like getting punched in the face!" The pair are in seriously flirty form, which comes to an end when they are interupted by DCI Warren Bull. He makes the fair point that perhaps they should get on with their work before the tide comes in.
We meet Professor Cherry
We move to a lecture theatre, where Cara is watching Professor Peter Cherry talk about crime scenes. A person takes down some posters outside the lecture theatre about the professor.
Back to the first woman we saw, Elaine, and she's reporting a man missing. It's her husband. Is he the dead man?
Jack has bitten his tongue and having trouble communicating. At the university, Cherry is going for a deanship. He is supported by Celeste (Isobel Wood) and Haidar Alam (Ashley Margolis), who worship him. They wish him luck with his interview panel.
Cherry bumps into Cara, whom he praises for her excellent work. He says they will find her a work placement.
Nikki concludes the man drowned. No alcohol traces. Significant head injury and Nikki believes the injury happened before he died. No weapon was found. No wallet or money. No drugs. Robbery's possible motive suggests the cop.
Gabriel is shocked to learn that Jack won his fight, giving the state of him. Gabriel is dressed to impress. Nikki is taken by Gabriel's shoes and says Jack should get some!
Nikki wonders if the dead man was pushed from the bridge to his death. Jack finds what looks like blood at the bottom of the bridge. Cara visits the lab and brings a friend, Vanessa (Maeve Courtier-Lilley). Vanessa doesn't appear to be very nice. They have a project together. Jack gives them some advice.
Gabriel asks Jack to train him to fight! Next second they're in the gym together, comparing very different music tastes.
Elaine arrives at the station. Meanwhile, a traffic warden takes an unrealistic amount of time to put a parking ticket on a van, which we presume belongs to the victim. No way would it have taken that long to get a parking ticket in London!
Another body
Cherry is furious when he's told he hasn't got the job. One of the interview panelists reminds him there's a student complaint about some of his controversial views. "The complaint, the controversy, is just your excuse, shame on you!," he blasts.
DCI Bull hopes that a camera near Hammersmith Bridge might shed light on how the man fell to his death. But it's not working. Jack sees the camera has been tampered with.
We see a man at what looks like a posh health club. Cherry walks in and addresses the man, Harrison (Richard Keep), as he's getting changed. Cherry threatens him that he will soon know what it's like to have his career ruined by an allegation.
It turns out Gabriel has got the job Cherry wanted! He tells Jack and Nikki he's been appointed Dean of the School of Criminology. But he will still be at the Lyell.
Vanessa appears to be using Cara to do her work for her. Vanessa also fancies Jack.
Bull suspects he's found who the dead man is. Elaine is called into the Lyell to ID the body of her husband.
Harrison is dead! "Like a sauna in here," quips Bull, as Nikki and Jack inspect the body in the sauna.
Gabriel says he knows the victim, Harrison. He was on the interview for the job he's just been given.
A third victim
A man accuses a woman of faking his drug test results, sending him to jail. Cherry is there. "100s of cases, Valerie… you ran the lab". Valerie (Kaye Wragg) issues denials. Cherry replies: "All those people in prison, nothing to do with you?!"
Jack is in a bar. Vanessa walks in without Cara. She is trying to pull Jack. Cara messages Jack, clear Vanessa hasn't asked Cara along. A disgruntled Jack walks out, leaving a fuming Vanessa.
Cara is angry that Jack won't help her if Vanessa is around. He doesn’t make clear to Cara why he's refusing to see her with Vanessa about.
The first victim is called Ant Robinson and he was an electrician. Did he cut the wire so no one would see him jump from the bridge? Or was he pushed?
Jack and Nikki discuss Cara and then share a moment.
Valerie comes home to find something burning on the stove, next minute she has gone up in flames and is burnt to death. We then see a masked person. The episode ends with Nikki taking a late phone call...
