The episode opens in a flashback, with DI Liz Lyles (Siobhan Fenneran) inviting DS Paul Brandice (Barry Ward) in. Seeing his wedding band, she immediately apologizes. He kisses her and accepts her offer. In the present, Liz calls Rezan Crowther (Zora Bishop) but gets her voicemail. DS Raj Kholi (Chaneil Kular) opens the door, gets in the passenger’s seat, and asks if she is avoiding him. She asks how he found her. He suggests it was a lucky guess and informs her that Eddie Crowther (Alec Newman) was found hanging in his cell. She insists he was killed. He admits to not initially believing her but Eddie’s death changed his mind. She insists a senior British intelligence officer, John Gibson/Nigel Frankton (Jonathan Cake), shut him up before he could talk to her. He says that is impossible. She swears it is the truth and starts walking toward the house with him in tow. He says DCI Hannah Wheatley’s (Katherine Kelly) search turned up nothing. Utilizing a screwdriver, Liz forces the lock open and promises not to be upside if he turns back. Once inside, she believes Frankton, not Crowther, has been in control all along and is desperate to cover up something. He urges her to report Frankton. She discovers divorce papers with Paul’s signature and a photo of her sister. A frantic Jasmine Nyles (Jodie Price) alerts her that Sid Nyles’ (David Hayman) disappeared while they were walking around Landsdown Park. Raz questions if Sid’s disappearance is linked to Crowther’s case.

A short time later, Liz arrives at Landsdown Park. Jasmine claims Sid asked her to fetch some milk for his heartburn and when she returned, he was gone. She says they would walk from Sid’s house to the park when she was young. Liz drives to Sid’s house and runs inside to find him lying on the floor. She and Jasmine try to help him up but he complains of leg pain. Liz sends Jasmine to call 999 because Sid may have suffered a hip fracture. She props his head on two pillows. He explains what happened up to where he forgets. He suggests they take care of each other through their troubles. She nods and apologizes for everything going on. She expresses her desire to make him proud of her. He assures her that he is proud of her. She admits to making a mess of things at work by getting involved with the wrong person. He believes she is Katherine. She steps away and has a flashback of Paul before remembering her sister’s photo. She removes it from a wall hanger, turns it over, and discovers a USB stick and a microchip stored in a plastic bag. She tries to install it on her phone but the file won’t open. Jasmine tells her the ambulance is en route. Liz asks her to stay with Sid while she sorts things out at work.

Soran Ahmadi (Waj Ali) studies the microchip. Liz questions if it is linked to Crowther’s heroin operation. He denies being involved with the daily operations. She pleads with him to point her to someone who can help her make things right for her family. A short time later at a restaurant, Liz takes a seat across from a man and asks if he is Yaran Nouri (Phillip Arditti). He says no. She tells him that Soran said to tell him that she is trying to bring down the people who hijacked his movement. He escorts her to a more discrete location. She asks if was involved with the Kurdish Independence Movement. He claims that is all behind him. She shows him the microchip. Recognizing it, Yaran says Crowther and the Kurdish leaders struck a new deal where they got better weapons for their involvement in Iraqi operations which benefited them none. She suggests someone other than Crowther was in control. He says Crowther would have no interest in Iraq, so he left. The man watching them walks away. As she is leaving, Tommy Jardine (Tom Christian) pulls up next to her car. She flees into the alley and calls Raj. Jardine listens in on their conversation. Liz tells Raj to turn off his phone and meet her at the intersection of Cryer and Barclay. When Raj arrives, Liz approaches the car. An armed Jardine forces her into the car and orders Raj to drive. Liz accuses him of killing Paul. Jardine boasts of tracking Raj via his phone. Liz suggests DCI Amanda Kelman (Nadine Marshall) had given him access to their phones.

Jardine gives Raj directions to a remote area and orders him and Liz to get out of the car. Pointing his gun at Liz, he asks if she found something that belonged to Jimmy McLennan (Kris Hitchen). She claims to have hidden it in the car. Raj charges Jardine and orders Liz to run. Jardine shoots Raj and fires a shot at Liz but hits the car. She throws something to distract him before fleeing into the woods. He pursues her. She falls over a ravine, gets up, and hides behind a tree. After he passes, she runs back in the direction she came and calls 999. She flags down a Les Franks & Son truck driver. As she climbs into the truck, she looks up to see Jardine watching her.

Outside the autopsy room, Kelman and Wheatley look through the window at Crowther’s lifeless body. Kelman suggests his assailant is someone affiliated with him. Wheatley says it may be linked to what is going on with Liz. Kelman assures her there will be an injury. Jardine arrives and tells Wheatley that Raj was shot but he is alive. He says the 999 call came from Liz’s phone. Elsewhere, Liz leaves DI Richard Bewley (Andrew Knott) saying she is in trouble and needs his help. A video message from a withheld number pops up on her phone. She pushes play to see Sid in a hospital bed and Jasmine sitting next to him. Frankton calls from a withheld number, threatening to harm Sid and Jasmine if she doesn’t give him the microchip. Upon arriving at the McLennan safe house, Liz finds the door unlocked and goes inside where Frankton is waiting. She asks if it was always his intention to kill Paul. He says Jimmy knew more than what he told the police. He asked Paul to locate the safe house, so he could take care of Jimmy but Paul turned on him. She asks if it was his idea for Paul to have an affair with her. He claims to have only asked Paul to do whatever was necessary to get close to the McLennan family. Drawing his gun, he asks her to hand over the circuit board and USB stick. She places them on the countertop. While retrieving the devices, he says the gun is evidence she was working with Crowther and she wanted to take her life where her corrupt lover died. She calls him a “psychopath.” Frankton admits to giving weapons to the enemies of their enemies. Claiming the files from the USB are stored on her phone, Liz threatens to send them to DCI Arun Kapoor (Ace Bhatti). He says they are encrypted accounting records but when combined with the circuit board serial number, they could be damaging. She hits him and a physical struggle ensues. She grabs a knife and stabs him. He drops his gun. Liz kicks it across the floor and goes to retrieve it. He charges her and they wrestle for the gun. Frankton gets it when the police arrive. She kicks him in the groin. An armed tactical officer apprehends Frankton without further ado.

Wheatley and Bewley approach. Frankton threatens to finish Liz as the tactical officer escorts him to the van. Grimacing in pain, Liz warns Wheatley that Frankton’s guy is threatening her daughter at Norris Green Hospital. Wheatley tells Bewley to send Jardine and a team there immediately before arresting Liz for violating her bail conditions. Later, Wheatley informs Liz that the man at the hospital was Elliot Hughes (Joseph Millson). She says ACC Rory Davenport (Ian Pirie) took custody of Hughes and Frankton. Liz explains how Frankton was supplying the Kurdish separatists with guns. Wheatley says DS Sue Beardsley (Akia Henry) notified her of the security alert at the McLennan safe house. Wheatley describes her as a “brilliant detective” but what she has uncovered is scary and she won’t do anything else to help her. Outside of the police station, Kelman admits to giving Frankton the location of Amy McLennan’s (Tilly Kaye) interview, framing Raj, and tampering with the hospital CCTV footage. Liz accuses her of facilitating Paul’s murder. Kelman claims Hughes and Frankton killed Paul and her job is hanging on the line because she is also being investigated. Liz asks if Paul was a liaison. Kelman suggests Frankton transferred Paul to the Protected Persons Unit to gain access to the McLennan safe house. She believed the intelligence operation was sanctioned and Paul did also. Liz threatens to go to the media. Kelman assures her that no one will believe her. Liz says if they did it together, their story would be more believable. With one final task looming, Kelman tells Liz that Hughes and Frankton will be dealt with in-house and Crowther will take the blame. Liz insists people deserve to know the truth. Kelman urges her to drop it so she can resume her career.

Sid tells Liz that he doesn’t want or need a caregiver. Jasmine assures Liz that she can handle Sid. He says no one would blame Liz if she stayed home. She expresses the need to go. A short time later, Liz arrives at the church. Raj tells her that he was offered a promotion with the Met. She suggests it is payback for keeping his mouth shut. He promises to speak up if it will make a difference. She says he deserves good things. He says they both do. Liz attends Paul’s funeral. After the service, Bewley says Paul has gone from villain to hero. He claims Paul had the McLennan safe house location before their affair started. She has a flashback of being intimate with Paul. Jasmine calls her to say Sid and the caregiver hit it off. Liz tells her that everything will probably be okay. She tosses a rose on top of Paul’s casket.

 

Protection Review

A very disappointing finale. Six hours invested into a series that ends without a resolution. It feels all for nothing. This is possibly the first crime drama I’ve watched where all but one detective is too afraid to expose corruption inside the police force and British intelligence. With it being unlikely that the series will be renewed, viewers will surely feel cheated.

The finale deserves a 4 out of 10. Get more Protection recaps here. See what others are saying about the series by clicking the link. Check out our advertising packages here. Support our platform by clicking the link.