This episode of Annika starts earlier in the day. The suspect was spotted heading towards the dry dock and DI Annika Strandhed (Nicola Walker) is in the suspect’s vehicle. When the vehicle stops, DS Michael McAndrews (Jamie Sives) tries to speak to the suspect who pulls the pin from a grenade. DS Tyrone Clarke (Ukweli Roach) attempts to open the trunk and save Annika. After the grenade explodes, Michael finds that Annika and the others are safe. At the pub, Michael asks Annika if Morgan (Silvie Furneaux) ever speaks to her dad.

Annika says no before Michael takes a pork pie to Morgan for her birthday. Once she is alone, Annika tells the viewer that Morgan is speaking to her dad now. She steps outside and tells a story that reflects her feelings on what she calls fateful parenting. Michael steps out and nearly catches her singing the song. He reveals that a phone has just been dropped off at HQ with a murder recorded on it. At the station, Michael and Annika watch the video on the burner phone which isn’t registered to anyone. Michael shows her a picture of the girl who dropped off the phone and left straight after.

They speak to DC Blair Ferguson (Katie Leung) and Tyrone who are trying to track her down. Blair says the geotagging was off, but the timestamp suggests the murder happened at 11 two nights ago. Annika and Michael notice the sound of a buoy in the video. It could be the deep water ones in Dunoon Govan near the Erskine Bridge. Annika wants to get a dive team out to all of them. DCI Diane Oban (Kate Dickie) interrupts to tell Annika that she got her a car. Blair and Tyrone find the woman driving a white moped near George Square.

They end up hitting the girl before she flees on the moped. Despite having her cornered briefly, she manages to escape. Diane tells Annika she thinks it is a bad idea for her to be working, but Annika says otherwise. She asks Annika to do a hot debrief which is quicker. They agree it’d be good to capture anything they learn from Annika’s car exploding. Diane reminds her she can follow up with a psychologist if she wants. Then, she gives Annika the keys to her car because it is the only thing available at short notice. Astrid McAndrews (Cora Bissett) arrives to pick up Morgan. Michael says Aisha Dunn (Chelsea Quaison) is 17 and had the moped for six months.

When they visit her mother, Justine Dunn (Patricia Panther), she tells them she doesn’t know where Aisha is. Justine reveals that Aisha bought the moped with her own money. Annika checks her bedroom and finds the window open so she suspects Aisha has climbed out of it. While waiting for the dive team, Blair walks a trail behind her to a homeless camp. She finds someone inside. Seconds later, she calls Annika to confirm they have a body and a witness. Annika sees Aisha climbs a ladder nearby so she asks Blair for a minute. Despite her fear of heights, Annika manages to reach Aisha. She warns Aisha that having a phone with a dead person on it is a bad look.

Aisha claims she stole a phone from an Asian guy who was looking at it. She thinks he was around Annika’s age and on his way home from work. At school, Morgan signs her mother up to be a parent volunteer for the upcoming trip. Annika goes to the scene where she discovers that the victim’s name is Dean Malone. They suspect he was knocked out from behind before being dragged into the water. Michael says the scarf may have come off in a struggle. Blair says the witness saw a man holding someone thrashing about under the water before he ran off toward Thornwood. When Annika asks about the phone, she is told digital forensics are getting the SIM clones.

It was bought from a place in Cessnock. Tyrone suggests taking Aisha to the station to see if she can point anyone out. Later, Michael says the victim worked for Red Line Cruises as an entertainment manager but was sacked for gross misconduct three weeks ago. While they check out his home, Annika talks to Michael about what would happen to Morgan if something happened to her. Annika eventually says she’ll try this another time. She asks Michael to get the doorbell cam nearby checked. Annika returns home with the victim’s fish. Morgan has set up her tent in the house. She begins telling Annika about Michael’s daughters who she describes as nice.

Morgan thinks she might babysit for them although Annika believes she’ll be busy. Annika learns that Morgan signed her up to help with the upcoming school trip. Morgan finds the guppy Annika brought home. Next, Annika admits Michael will likely ask why she waited 16 years to tell him he is Morgan’s father. She knows he might disappear to sea, but this is about having backup for Morgan. Annika just needs Michael to keep Morgan safe. Kimi Blake (Elysia Welch) is asked by Blair why she fired Dean Malone. She explains that he picked up recreational drugs at various ports and supplied them to passengers.

After trying to justify his actions, Dean implicated the lifeguard named Richie McEvoy. Blair asks if she has an address for Richie before stepping away to speak to Annika. Blair tells her that she has been pregnant for a couple of months. Annika offers to knit it something, but Blair pleads with her not to do that. Aisha is taken to the train station to see if she can find the man who had the phone. Tyrone tells Michael he is going for inspector and will be looking for a transfer. When Annika joins them, Aisha points at the man she saw with the phone. They eventually stop Rihan Harijan (Pal Aron).

Michael explains he has been an insurance broker for 20 years and lives in Shorelands, but he has no nominal record. Annika and Michael question whether Aisha got the right person or lied. Blair shows them the footage from the doorbell cam. After Dean leaves his flat at lunchtime, a man in a Red Line Cruises hat is caught on camera. They believe it is Richie McAvoy (Joe Rising). The description provided by the woman in the tent doesn’t match Richie’s appearance. Blair and Tyrone are tasked with speaking to Richie. Rihan is questioned. He says he hasn’t been mugged and he still has his phone. Rihan goes on to say the guy was killed two nights ago when he was with his sister at the cinema.

He says the title was French and had the worse Rose in the title. When Annika asks why he ran, Rihan claims he dodged his fare. Michael doesn’t believe that since they found train tickets in his wallet. Blair tells Tyrone about her pregnancy. Back at the station, Annika and Michael question whether they should let Rihan go. Annika wants to check his alibi first at least. Richie confirms he is the man on the video and says he was catching up with Dean. He went out to a couple of bars on Bath Street. As for the hat, Richie claims Dean borrowed it from him. There is a bar where guys working for Red Line get a discount if they’re wearing a hat. Richie says he left him at Gregor Street.

Michael shows Annika pictures of Morgan at home with his kids. They speak to Nila Harijan (Liz Jadav) who confirms they were at the cinema together. Nila says he doesn’t like people much. At the station, they watch a video of the insurance guy at a cab with Dean. They see a fight they call brutal queue jumping. The cab is registered to Jaden Stanton who was in the military and did time for assault. He is from Cessnock which is where the Burner is from. They receive a message on the cloned burner phone asking for payment. Rihan insists he has never hired a hitman.

He is questioned about the footage of him getting hit by Dean Malone. Then, he gets into a cab driven by Jaden. Eventually, Rihan comes clean and admits he regretted it straight away. He is told he will help them catch the hitman. Annika and Diane work out the details of the operation. Diane reminds her that she didn’t do the debrief. Rihan prepares to meet Jaden. Before long, they realize that Jaden (Martin Pemberton) is going to be late. Blair tells Annika she is going to tell the father tonight. Jaden finally arrives on a boat before Rihan to told to follow the instructions provided to him.

He asks if he is going to prison after this. When Rihan messes with his earpiece, Jaden throws his phone in the water and flees. Jaden is taken down after shooting a flare towards Annika. Michael has to chase down Rihan who hits his head and crashes to the ground. Later, Michael and Annika talk about Blair’s pregnancy. Annika tries to tell him about Morgan, but he doesn’t give her the chance. Morgan tells Annika that she crossed her off the list so she doesn’t have to volunteer. Annika returns to the car but can’t get the doors open. She briefly talks about the situation with Michael before the episode ends.

 

Annika Review

The second season of Annika started off with a decent episode that wasn’t too exciting or too underwhelming. The investigation into the murder was okay although it was a little dry and never seemed to get going. Annika speaks to the camera as usual and that is somewhat different even if it is unnecessary.

If the second series is going to succeed, it’ll have to lean heavily on the personal lives of the main characters with Blair being pregnant and Annika hiding a secret. The primary issue is that these things will probably be scattered throughout the scene and loosely tied in. In the meantime, each episode will primarily focus on a murder and investigation like this one that doesn’t quite hit the target.

Truthfully, the episode was okay but it doesn’t hit the other recent highs with Nicola Walker. Some viewers will enjoy it more than others who may find it dull. This episode scores a 6 out of 10. Recaps of Annika can be found on Reel Mockery here. Find out how to support our independent site at this link. Learn more about advertising on Reel Mockery here.