Diksha Sundriyal
Apple TV+’s ‘Criminal Record’ returns for a second season, reuniting June Lenker with Daniel Hegarty. The previous season saw them working on opposite sides, but ending up solving the case together. The universe conspires to bring them back together once again, and this time as well, Hegarty is just as secretive about his true intentions as he was the last time. While June may know what to expect this time, given her previous experience with him, the way things unfold in the first episode, it seems that whatever she expects will fall short of what’s actually going on. SPOILERS AHEAD.
June Connects a Murder to an Old Case
June Lenker is posted to keep an eye on a protest taking place on Suffolk Square. The leader’s speech is being carefully monitored, with a lawyer advising the cops on whether or not the speech includes words for which he can be arrested. Meanwhile, a swarm of anti-protestors gathers a few streets away, and evidently, the cops don’t seem prepared to handle that kind of crowd. By the time June gets the order to arrest the leader, because he has finally used the keywords that point towards a violent undertaking, the anti-protestors break through the police barricade and run towards the protest. Things get violent pretty quickly, and in the middle of this, a young man named Rohaan gets stabbed to death. Lenker also notices a familiar face before they don a mask.
The police department comes under scrutiny for how the protest went out of hand. Lenker visits the victim’s family and feels personally connected to the case because Rohaan died in her arms. She cannot get his last image out of her head, but when she tries to become a part of the investigation, she is told to stay away. That, however, is not enough to keep Lenker away, especially as the face of the masked man keeps flashing in front of her eyes. She identifies him as Billy Fielding, who was arrested for brutally murdering his girlfriend, Cerys Jones. Meanwhile, Hegarty visits his old friend, Tony, in Redheath prison. It is also revealed that his daughter, Lisa, has moved to Scotland, to the Isle of Findhorn, which means that they aren’t really on great terms at the moment.
But Hegarty is not there to chat about his daughter. He asks Tony about a man named Cosmo Thompson, whom he later stalks. Lenker visits Cerys’ mother, Ashley, unaware that her movements have been captured by people already keeping an eye on the place. Lenker is alarmed when she sees water coming out of the apartment. She breaks in and finds Ashley unconscious on her sofa, while her bathtub overflows with water. Lenker takes Ashley to the hospital in her car. On the way, she tries to make small talk, then turns the conversation to Billy. But that only upsets Ashley, forcing Lenker to give up the conversation. Meanwhile, it turns out the people keeping an eye on Ashley’s place are cops working under Kim Cardwell. He relays the part about Lenker’s visit to Hegarty.
Lenker and Hegarty’s Paths Cross in an Unexpected Manner
Lenker’s search for Billy starts with Redheath prison, where he was incarcerated. When she tries to get an interview with him, the prison officials evade questions, eventually telling her that Billy has been moved away from Redheath. She knows they are lying, but for now, there is nothing she can do about it. Things are also a bit shaky at home. She and Leo go for couples therapy, and given that they seem to be on rather cordial terms, the therapy seems to be working. Their conversation is interrupted by a text Lenker receives from Hegarty. At the meeting, they start with catching up. He asks her about her job and how the gross mismanagement on the part of her superiors led to the tragic events at the protest.
She points out that he is supposed to be retired, but it turns out that he has just moved departments. He is now working for Intelligence. The conversation turns back to the protest, and she tells him about the strong suspicion that she saw Billy Fielding at the protest. He confirms her theory with a clear picture of Billy at the protest. It turns out that he escaped from Redheath, and before the news could be made public, the events at Suffolk Square happened. With Billy being found on the scene, the police department couldn’t admit to their mistakes without getting serious flak for it. So, rather than telling the world about Billy’s escape and his subsequent involvement in the violence at the protest, they decided to catch him and put him back in prison first.
Hegarty Makes Lenker an Offer She Cannot Refuse
Hegarty is in charge of the investigation, and he offers Lenker to join him too. While Lenker knows better than to get in bed with someone like Hegarty, this is her only chance to get justice for Rohaan. She shares this with Sonya, who is strongly against any form of collaboration with Hegarty. She doesn’t have to remind Lenker how duplicitous the man is, but Lenker has no other choice. She reveals that Rohaan’s granddad has been sending her messages, which she cannot understand because they are in Punjabi. Sonya listens to them and translates them for Lenker. In the messages, she hears the pain in the old man’s voice, which helps her understand Lenker’s point of view.
However, this doesn’t change the fact that Hegarty is a sneaky, manipulative man who must have an ulterior motive that is not clear to them yet. So, she asks Lenker to keep her eyes open and never trust Hegarty. Meanwhile, the surveillance of Ashley’s house proves results when Billy shows up there. She manages to run him out of her house, which leads the cops to chase after him. Kim and Hegarty are also on the scene, proving just how important it is for them to get their hands on the guy. As the pursuit intensifies, it becomes clear that Billy is headed towards the canal, so Hegarty and an officer chase after him.
Billy jumps through a gap to reach the other side of the canal, but when the officer chasing after him tries to cross the same gap, his leg slips and he falls into the water. Billy is caught by surprise. He knows if he keeps running, he won’t be caught, at least not today. But then, he sees the officer face down in the water, knowing that if he leaves, the officer will die. Eventually, he chooses to save the officer. He jumps into the water and gets himself out. Around the same time, Hegarty shows up and is shocked to find his officer on the verge of death. He gets Billy away from the injured and likely dead man.
He tells Billy to stay put while he checks on the officer. A flustered Billy tries to explain that he came back to save the officer. When Hagerty doesn’t respond, Billy calls him by his first name, “Dan.” This proves that not only does he know Hegarty, but they are familiar enough to be on a first-name basis. This shows that Sonya was right, and Hegarty is not telling Lenker the whole truth about the situation. The episode ends with Hegarty telling Billy never to call him by his name again, showing that Billy slipped, and if it happens again, it could cost Hegarty everything.
Read More: Criminal Record: Is the TV Show Inspired by a True Story?
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