Rivals – As the episode opens, DI Rachita Ray (Parminder Nagra) is freshening up in the lady’s restroom when DS Clive Bottomley (Steve Oram) barges in to confront her for putting them in danger and not following procedure. He says if she wants to ruin her career don’t involve them. She sarcastically apologizes for driving too fast. DC Liam Payne (Sam Baker Jones) informs her that the car got away and the occupants were wearing guerilla masks. DCI Kerry Henderson (Gemma Whelan) says Patrick Holden (Patrick Baladi), who specializes in kidnapping cases, will be working alongside them. Ray takes it personally. Henderson assures her that it is nothing more than standard procedure. Holden promises not to interfere with her investigation into Megan Parks and Frank Chapman. Ray tells her team that it is vital to find out what connection Ravinder “Rav” Mochani (Taha Rahim) has to the Chapman family. Rav is hearing impaired and wears a hearing aid. Ray questions if whoever abducted Rav may be intending to kill him. In a moving van, Rav frantically removes his hand restraints and retrieves a set of keys.

An informant, Tyler (Sam Pote) tells DC Charlene Ellis (Witney White) and Holden about a warehouse in Sparkbrook. Elsewhere, Ray and DS Kwesi Edmund (Peter Bankole) execute a search warrant of Sharan Mochani’s (Syreeta Kumar) house. Upset, Sharan denies any knowledge of why Rav was abducted. Priya Mochani (Priyasha Kumari) assures them that Rav never killed anyone. Sharan intervenes to try to stop forensics from seizing Rav’s laptop. Ray suggests it contains pertinent information about the crime. Sharan insists Rav is innocent in the murder of Frank Chapman. In a remote location, Rav can be seen in a van parked inside a warehouse. Ray tells Edmund that Sharan is desperate to find Rav before they do. Holden notifies her of the warehouse in Sparkbrook. A short time later, the police storm the warehouse to find the van empty. Ray requests available CCTV footage near Haverhill Industrial Estate. She questions if Tyler tipped off the kidnappers.

As someone approaches, Rav puts the cloth around his mouth and arms behind his back. Two masked individuals pull him out of the van and force him into a building. At the police station, Payne shows Ray a photo of a young girl that Frank Chapman sent Rav three days before he was killed. Four other photos, one of which is of the same girl, were sent to another recipient(s). The first photo appears to have been taken near the BT Tower in Birmingham. A short time later, Henderson and Ray are having a drink at a local pub. Henderson says a member of her team voiced concerns about how she is running the investigation. Her suggestion is cut short when Ethan Henderson (Cian Barry) and another man approach.

Ellis questions why Superintendent Ross Beardsmore (Ian Puleston-Davies) and Henderson have a problem with Ray if she took down a corrupt DCI Hunter. Elsewhere, Ray feels discriminated against because she didn’t get the job that she applied for. Hiroka McGregor (Naomi Yang) insists racial discrimination complaints are the only way to enforce change. Ray stresses the need for her team to trust her.

Sharan denies any knowledge of Rav’s correspondence with Frank. Holden shows her the photo of the young girl found on Rav’s laptop. She says it is not her grandchild. Ray warns against withholding information from the police but Sharan doesn’t relent. Rav’s DNA wasn’t found inside the warehouse in Sparkbrook. In the meantime, Ellis and Payne canvas the neighborhood around BT Tower.

Ray shows Suzie Chapman (Lauren Drummond) and Dave Chapman (Michael Socha) a photo of the young girl. Suzie and Dave deny any knowledge of Rav or the girl in the photo. Ray questions why they pushed Frank’s wake forward without a body. Suzie says Frank would have wanted his family together. Elsewhere, Donate Malek (Fiz Marcus) claims to have seen the girl in the photo with Dawn Hughes (Ella Dunlop) who denies the allegation. Looking around the flat, Ray locates the girl in a closet and pills on the countertop.

Clive pursues Sharan. Rav is being held hostage in an undisclosed location. At the police station, Henderson warns Ray against hooking up with Ethan. Ray sarcastically says their wedding will be canceled. Ballistics officer (Mustafa Chaudhry) informs Ray and Edmund that one of the bullets found in Frank’s body is from a semi-automatic Taurus, no longer in circulation, and the other is from a 9mm semi-automatic Glock. Two different bullets from two different guns. Elsewhere, Clive follows Sharan to a graveyard where she meets an unidentified man. He gives her something before fleeing. At the police station, Payne informs Ray that the girl suffered no physical trauma. A Delhi orphanage sent Rav a health check performed on Sajna Agarwal (Aroop Shergill) in India. The girl in the photo is the same girl in the previous photo. Payne says it is fake. The address is that of Dawn’s. A short time later, Dawn claims to have previously dated Rav who dropped the girl off at her flat. She last saw him at 10:30pm last Sunday. Ray believes Rav witnessed Frank and Megan’s murders.

Sharan tells Ray and Holden that a man gave her a photo of Rav and demanded what she knows about his dealings with Frank. In an undisclosed location, Dave watches Degsy (Jordan Pearson) torture Rav. A short time later, Rav refuses to talk and spits in Dave’s face. Dave calmly walks away. A gun cocking can be heard in the background. At the police station, camera footage shows Rav’s abduction.

A child supporter worker (Victoria Howell) tells Ray that Sajna will be moved to a secure location. Sajna made Ray a bracelet. She recognizes Rav in a photo. Ray receives a call from Payne saying Rav and two masked men were caught on camera near an abandoned gym. Ray heads to the location ahead of the firearm unit. At the police station, Clive curses under his breath. Edmund orders Payne to notify Holden and reach Ray on the radio. Clive warns against it to keep the others from finding out that she is going in without backup.

Outside the abandoned gym, Ray calls Payne to ask for an update on the firearm unit. Payne urges her to wait until her backup arrives in about nine minutes. Ignoring his advice, she emerges from the vehicle and cautiously approaches the building. She is utilizing her phone when a shot rings out. She enters the building and ascends the steps to the second floor where a boxing ring is set up. She discovers a deceased Dave lying on the floor nearby. Footsteps descending the stairs can be heard in the background. The episode ends.

 

DI Ray Review

An informant, Tyler tells Holden that Rav is being held hostage at a Sparkbrook warehouse. When Ray and her team arrive, there is no sign of Rav. Forensic testing does not put Rav in the warehouse. The kidnappers reach out to Sharan demanding information regarding Frank and Rav’s business dealings. Ray believes Sharan knows something and wants to find Rav before the police do.

Frank sent Rav a photo of a seven-year-old Indian girl. Sajna was taken from an orphanage in Delhi and flew to Birmingham. Ray tracks her to Rav’s ex-girlfriend, Dawn’s flat. Sajna was assessed and transported to a secure Social Services facility.

A cyclist captures Rav’s abduction that takes place outside an abandoned gym. Refusing to wait for the firearm unit, she is outside the gym when a shot rings out. She finds Dave dead on the second floor. The killer flees a few minutes later.

 

The flow is hindered by poor editing. Night and indoor scenes are a bit too dark. The acting is by far the show’s strongest element. The director and writer do a great job getting the point across without too much filler. Story progression is still moderately slow to compensate for side stories with little substance.

In mannerisms and procedurals, DI Rachita Ray reminds me very much of DCI Lauren McDonald in “McDonalds & Dodds.” Both are known to ignore police procedures to solve crime. Of course, some people will view this as a good quality but when it puts the public and others in danger, it is entirely the opposite.

Per modern guidelines, the show is laden with social agendas. When it comes to crime dramas, politics are sometimes a key factor but it shouldn’t target a specific race, gender, or class. The episode deserves a 4.5 out of 10.

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