Monsters Recap Part II

**Spoiler Warning:** *This article contains content relating to the plot and/or storyline*

This is Part II of the recap for the episode "Monsters". The details of the first part of the episode can be found here.

## Details

### After Danny's Waldron's First AC-12 Interview

Steve heads into the carpark under AC-12 checking his phone. He walks towards his car and when he reaches it he finds the driver's door open. He looks around and slowly approaches to check the car. He looks to see if anything has been placed underneath. DS Sam Railston a young beautiful woman in a bright dress, steps out from behind a pillar and says *"There isn't a bomb under it. But there ought to be."* Steve realises what he forgot, and she confirms that she's book a table, somewhere ridiculously expensive. Steve says he supposes he had that coming, he leans over for a kiss, but she dodges him. He asks her what is he going to do with... opens his boot and retrieves a large bouquet of flowers. She smiles, he wishes her happy anniversary and they kiss.

We cut to Danny running down a street, in exercise gear. His pace is relentless, and he goes up and down steps pushing harder and harder. He pulls up, exhausted and vomits.

We see him at work, watching as the AFOs leave the station on an operation without him. He looks dejected and sits down at the computer, over the top Rod is glaring at him. and Hari is ignoring him. Danny walks off, Rod follows and Jackie follows him. Jackie sarcastically tells Hari not to worry they've got this as he doesn't move from his chair. Danny heads into the stairwell. Rod catches up to him and wants to know what happened with AC-12. Danny asks for their stories first. Rod says they stuck to the story, mate. Jackie says that they didn't give them a lot of choice. Danny says that they all stuck to the story then. Jackie wants to know what Danny expects, he says that they go through the motions and AC-12 will hit a brick wall and close the case. Jackie asks if they are expected to play along for that whole time, and Danny says it worked so far. Rod aggressively says *"So far."* Danny asks what's his problem and Rod confirms his problem is what actually happened. Danny then makes a dig at Rod, saying that they both know which of the two of them is the bigger man and Jackie definitely does than walks away.

In Hastings's office, Hastings, Dot, Steve and Kate discuss the possibility of Kate taking an undercover role in Danny's unit. Dot thinks it's a long shot, Steve says that Kate was kept out of the interview room on purpose to give them that option, and they should use it. Dot thinks it's a bad idea. He says that the fact that their statements are similar is not suspicious, they were given 48 hours and what else were they likely to do. Steve thinks it's a good idea and says that the question is whether their story adds up and whether they are really as loyal as they appear, and the only way to get the inside story is with Kate on the case. Dot thinks the risk of embedding an undercover officer in a firearms team is a much higher level of jeopardy than a normal undercover assignment. Kate cuts in and says that she can handle it.

We next see the AFOs out in the pub, Kate is walked in by McAndrew who says it's their regular thing first Wednesday of every month. McAndrew introduces Kate and Kate Francis and the team say hello. Rod, Jackie and Hari are in a group talking together. Danny walks in and Jackie says "you've got to be kidding me." Danny walks over to them and says alright, they are all quiet until Rod comments that Danny doesn't usually come to this event. Danny says he thought a bit bonding might be a good idea. Jackie offers to get him a drink, and he asks for still mineral water. Rod looks very angry and decides to walk away. Hari actually talks to Danny to ask how is and Danny says he's fine, and Hari confirms he's good too. Then he decides to help Jackie with the drinks and walks away. Danny looks around and he sees a pretty woman looking at him, she smiles.

McAndrew walks over with Kate and introduces her and then walks off. Kate says she's been assigned while, and Danny finishes he thought that it's while he's chained to a desk. Kate says *"They give you the firepower but when you actually do what’s necessary, suddenly you’re a pariah."* Danny scoffs at her summing it up and asks where she's posted from. Kate says East Mids Danny makes a cross with his fingers at that, Kate laughs.

Hari and Jackie are at the bar. Hari tells Jackie he thinks he's going to call it a night, Laila's not been sleeping well. Jackie looks at Danny and says she can't blame him. Danny sees Hari leaving and goes to talk to him, Kate watches until they are out of sight. Danny pushes Hari to make sure everything is ok, Hari says that his wife isn't sleeping too well. Danny pushes Hari, and says he doesn't feel he's 100% on board, Hari says he is, he just wants his wife to have an early night. Hari goes to walk away and Danny grabs his arm and says *"You need me to make the hard choices for you. Because I see what’s inside you. Jelly. The fact is, if we’d not stuck together, AC-12 would be charging the lot of us, not just me. Worth bearing in mind, when you’ve got that nice little family to provide for. Love to Laila."* Danny walks off at that and Hari looks shaken.

Back in the bar, Danny pulls himself together as Kate watches and he notices the pretty woman from earlier looking at him. He decides to introduce himself. He is quite shy but manages to be sweet and gentlemanly. Rachel O'Connor introduces herself and they shake hands. He buys her a drink and they get chatting. He walks her home later and tells her it was lovely to meet her. He stares at her for a second, lost for words, and manages to ask if he can kiss her. They have a brief kiss and he pulls back asking if he can get her phone number. Danny reads his out 07700 922621. He thanks her and says for her to have a good night. She decides to grab him and they have a much longer kiss.

The next day in South Ferry Station at the pistol range Hari is getting some practice in, working off some stress. Kate is next to him also getting some practice. She waits until they've both finished and asks Hari if she could talk to him. They walk into the garage and asks what was going on between him and Danny, she couldn't help but notice them in the pub. Hari says he's always given him a hard time. Kate says but you all stood up for him after he killed a suspect. Hari doesn't say anything so Kate asks him straight if it happened like they said it did. Hari says his advice is not to ask, that she doesn't have a clue what he's capable of. Kate looks worried.

Kate goes outside to call Steve and tells him that if there is a wobble in the squad it's Hari. Steve goes over the tapes of the interviews with the rest of the squad, and their stories line up neatly, they all confirm the suspects fired first and they returned fire. When he looks at Hari's interview, Hari looks nervous when talking about what order the shots were fired in, why he didn't return fire and why there was a patch of gunshot residue 5 metres away. Hari says he didn't hesitate, but the suspect was already down and it all felt like it happened in the same moment, and that the gunshot residue must have been the suspect moving when he fired.

### First complete Interview shown with Hari Bains by AC-12

On May 21st 2015, Dot and Steve are at Hari's home for a follow-up interview. Steve says he knows it's difficult being confined to desk duty, Dot adds especially when he didn't fire his weapon. Hari takes this personally and says he didn't choke. Steve says they didn't say that, and they know there are trust issues talking to AC-12,and that no-one wants to seem like they're telling tales, but they don't want to let a bent copper off the hook. Steve says his record shows that he is an honest cop, and they can see that this is bothering him. Steve uses his full name Harinderpal but is corrected that it's Hari. Hari admits that he told Danny to let the suspect go but they were in pursuit and it wasn't like he was going to carry out a hit with half the force on his tail. Steve interprets this as Hari saying Danny was out of control, Hari says that isn't what he said. Steve pushes and asks about the patch of gunshot residue away from the body. Hari says that they act as if every copper is bent until proven clean, and he is clean. Dot asks him to prove it and tell them what really happened. Steve asks why there was so much gunshot residue from the suspect's firearm on Danny, what did he really do when claiming to secure it. Hari thinks about it for a second and then decides he can't do it, he tells them there is no way he's testifying against Danny Waldron.

Steve and Dot leave Hari's house and unbeknownst to them Danny is watching suspiciously from across the street.

### After First Interview with Hari Bains by AC-12

Dot and Steve are updating Hastings on their interview. Dot says that Hari is damn if he does and damned if he doesn't. Steve says they'll be able to compel him if they can reach the threshold, he'll go with the flow to save his own neck. Hastings says they are a long way from threshold yet. Gill Biggeloe, legal counsel for AC-12, strolls into the Hastings office, without knocking, as she is on a phone call, she says goodbye and hangs up while everyone in the office has risen at her arrival. She announces that the Police Federation are pushing back against the treatment of Danny. She says she received a three-page email from their lawyer. They want him operational again and his firearm permit reinstated unless the can show *"substantive suspicion of crime and/or misconduct and/or Endangerment to Public Trust."* Steve says they have all three.

Gill says they don't have Public Trust as the Operation Damson remains unreported in the press, as per a legal Suppression Order. Gill wants to know about the other two. Steve says that there is a strong suspicion that Danny was adjacent to the suspect when suspects firearm was discharged and that he moved the gun. Gill says that Danny answers all those questions plausibly in his interview, and his team back him up. Dot says they believe they can detach Hari from Danny's version of events. Gill wants to know if this is on tape and they admit that it isn't.

Hastings advises that they have an undercover officer probing for weaknesses, Gill asks if she's found any, Hastings says not yet but it's early days. Gill says so that's a no. Hastings tells her he knows a bent copper when he sees one. Gill says she's been appointed so that their cases don't get pulled apart in court, to everyone's embarrassment. Hastings says that they'd be embarrassed if Danny managed to do something like this again and that they are protecting the public and sometimes that means having to protect them from their own officers. Gill says that the legal case is weak, and juries don't convict police officers for killing suspects. She's got no option, she's going to have to recommend that they are returned to active duty and their firearms permits are reinstated. Gill walks out.

The boys look at each other and Steve says *"What? She running our investigations now?"* Hastings looks severely unimpressed.

### Tower Block Operation

Back in the armoury at South Ferry station, on 1 June 2015, a team of AFOs are signing for their weapons and ammunition. McAndrews is briefing them about the Op, a search of premises. Class A drugs. The residents are known to be in possession or have access to firearms. We see Danny loading his gun next to Kate, he tells her it's good to be back.

Two vans full of AFOs arrive at the Tower Block location and they all pile out. Kate grabs her G36 and cocks it. Danny moves across to the entrance, followed by Kate, Hari, Rod and Jackie. He signals them to stop and another officer comes forward with an enforcer to smash the door in. Danny runs into the building and shouts "Armed Police!"

Danny begins surveying inside the Tower Block and reaches the bottom of a set of stairs, he yells armed police again. He orders Jackie, Rod and Hari to secure the lower rooms and asks Kate to follow him. Kate and Danny slowly move up the stairs. Kate backs Danny up as he goes to enter a room. They survey the room but there is no one there. Danny tells Kate to check the landing. With her back turned Danny does a quick search of the room and finds an illegal pistol. He tells Kate to check in with the others, who are still checking, and he picks up the gun and puts it inside his jacket. He goes back out and tells Kate to move and they move across to the flat opposite. Danny doesn't hear anything yells armed police and kicks the door in. Same process as before they sweep the flat and find nothing. Suddenly there is movement behind a garden chair. Kate raises her gun about to shoot and Danny yells no and pushes her gun aside as a small child reveals himself. Kate is horrified about what she nearly did. Danny tells her to check her safety and stand down. Kate is shaken. Danny radio's in for the search teams to enter and that they need an ambulance and social services. He goes to the child and begins talking to him.

The child is seen being carried out of the block by another police officer. Kate walks out of the building and pulls out her phone and calls her husband, Mark Fleming, and asks if she can speak to her son, Josh Fleming, as she'll be busy later. She cheers up when she hears his voice. Danny walks out of the building behind her and glares at her, then walks off.

Back in the armoury, the team returns their weapons and ammunition. When Danny and Kate are left, Danny pulls Kate aside and tells her that it's not going to work. Kate says that she feels terrible about what happened, what nearly happened. Danny says he makes the decision about who is right for his team, no-one else, and it's nothing personal but she's just not up for the job. Kate says she made a mistake but she'll learn, and that she doesn't give in. Danny says he doesn't give in either and it's best she puts in for a transfer, save him having to turn nasty.

### After the Tower Block Operation

In the squad room later Rod and Jackie are getting a cup of tea together, but not talking. Rod makes a big deal of walking away to get milk. Kate finds him outside having a cigarette, she joins him. Kate tries to make small talk with him, and he starts out polite then tells her that he doesn't want to talk, he isn't feeling social. Jackie comes out and stands there. Kate decides to stub out her cigarette and goes back inside to let them talk. She watches from the garage as Jackie tries to put a hand on his back and he jerks away. They have words about ignoring Danny, but Rod can't handle it and storms off back inside away from her.

Back in the AC-12 office, Steve receives the file on the suspect Danny shot. Steve opens the file and every page is heavily redacted, there is barely anything left to read. Dot is curious and asks what's wrong, Steve shows him the file and is frustrated and says that they need an unredacted file. Dot says he'll sort it for him.

Steve is waiting outside Danny's flat for him. He watches him run home then gets out of his car. Danny spots him and tells him he should be there. Steve says that only applies if we are investigating you, and he says that Danny is off the hook. Danny wants to know what he wants, Steve asks again if he knew the suspect. Danny says no. Steve asks if he heard any rumours about him, if he'd heard his name. Danny says that he needs to caution him before he asks that. Steve says none of it's on the record, he just wants to know. Danny heads inside. Steve tells him that the suspect's file was heavily redacted, that if there is something larger going on here then Danny doesn't want to be left responsible for it.

Danny asks Steve if he runs, Steve says he doesn't have to no one is chasing him. Danny says *"I do. Miles, some nights. Tens of miles. It gets till every part of me hurts. But the one thing I know is, you keep going, through the pain, because if you stop, it's gonna hurt a whole lot more to get started again. When this is all done, Steve, I'll suffer for my actions. I'm under no illusions of a happy ending. But I ain't gonna stop."* Danny walks to his front door and Steve tells him that one thing they both know is that the easiest way to get away with killing someone is to be a police officer.

Hari and his wife Laila are on the sofa watching TV. His door rings and he goes to answer it. No one is there, but there is a small brown package on his doormat. He looks suspicious and tries to see if anyone is out there. He can't see anyone and brings the package back inside. In his basement, he opens the package and finds a burner phone. He opens the text messages and there is one which says "It's time". Hari looks worried and hides the phone in a draw.

The next morning, Hari is leaving his house. We see Danny across the street, he unzips his jacket and reaches for the illegal gun he took from the drugs house. He hesitates when Laila appears holding their young daughter. She kisses Hari goodbye. Danny decides against it and puts the gun away. Hari sees Danny and looks disturbed. Danny runs off.

In the South Ferry Stations Garage, McAndrew wants to talk to Hari, as she is concerned about the team's interpersonal dynamics. She says because of this she's going to disband Danny's squad. Hari asks what Danny has to say about that, McAndrew says he won't be the problem, getting other AFOs to work with him will be. Hari actually backs Danny up and says he knows he's not the easiest skipper to work for, but he's good at his job and that he's learning from him and would rather keep at it. McAndrew asks if he's serious. Hari says he is, that if she moves them now it looks like they messed up and that they didn't. McAndrew is surprised by his loyalty and thinks about what he said as he walks away.

### Danny Waldron's Visits Linus Murphy

On a very rainy day, Ronan Murphy's funeral is being held, there are only six people in attendance. Danny watches from a distance with binoculars. He focuses on one particular dishevelled male mourner. He lowers the binoculars and has the same face as when he first saw Ronan's picture in the briefing room.

We cut to this mourner in his house, putting dog food in a bowl. A small dog comes waddling over to eat her food, the man looks at the microwave as it pings. He pulls out his food and turns around, he is staring across at Danny, who is in full forensic suit and holding the illegal pistol at him. The man drops his food on the floor. Danny asks if he remembers him. The man shakes his head. Danny says that the man he buried today didn't remember him either. The dog starts barking at Danny, but he grabs her and tells her to get down and the dog listens. Danny puts a chair in front of the man and tells him to sit down. The man shakes his head and says no. Danny says *"Every time you don't do what I say, it gets worse. You'll sit, alright? But first, you'll take off all your clothes."* The man looks horrified.

The man is later seen naked having sat down. Danny secures him at the wrists and ankles to the chair with zip ties. Feeling calmer, Danny tells him that he never knew the man's name from earlier. He said that they did have a name for him though. He wondered for so many years, what he'd do if he ever saw him again. Danny says then he did see him, a photo in a briefing room and he was being set to meet him with a gun. Danny is getting very emotional, and struggling to hold back. Danny tells him that the gun he brought tonight isn't the same one, this one is illegal and untraceable, so he has no problem using it on him.

Danny is wavering on the edge of breaking down and asks this man who he was to him. He confirms it was his nephew. Danny says he never knew they were related. He tells him that they had a name for him too. Danny has gotten really close to him now and asks him if he wants to know what his nickname was. The man shakes his head but doesn't say a word. Danny asks again. Danny starts sobbing and crying. He turns around trying to compose himself. He spins around and kicks him in the chest, toppling the chair backwards. He grabs the guys face and tells him that Ronan's death was too fast, but that he has time to make up for it with him.

We cut to Danny in the shower, vigorously scrubbing every inch of himself. He looks traumatized. Later we see him open a handwritten list of names with some spots of blood on it, some names are crossed off. We see the man with the dog was called Linus Murphy. Below is the list

* ~~Ronan Murphy~~
* ~~Linus Murphy~~
* Dale Roach
* ~~Tommy Hunter~~
* Patrick Fairbank
* Gary Blakefield
* Jame Colwick
* Peter Gresham
* Ian Collent
* Malcolm Severin
* Lee Greendove
* Craig Ringwood
* Simon Monkfield
* Martin Denmor
* Daniel Topping
* Paul Haleton
* Neil Oepping
* Roger Hyde-Albert

Danny looks at the names and you can tell he's relieving his childhood traumas. He closes the list and puts it in an envelope and writes DS Steve Arnott on it. He calls Linus's dog over and gives her some toast and pats her. His phone chimes and he picks it up, it's 1st June and Rachel has text him. She wants to see him again with a picture of her holding a wine glass. He looks pleased that she messaged him, then he gets upset and deletes her messages and starts to cry. His landline rings and he pulls himself together to answer it.

### Abbott's Lane Operation

We see Danny in the back of a van with other AFOs they are pulling out of South Ferry Station towards Abbott's Lane for an Op. McAndrew gives them orders over the radio. We see Danny, Hari, Kate, Rod and Jackie getting ready. Danny walks them towards the property and holds them so that the break-in team can open the gate lock and use enforcer on the door.  They rush in and Danny yells armed police. You can see lots of drug paraphernalia and a cannabis hothouse. People are in there and try to run away, but Rod yells for them to stop and show him their hands. They comply when they see the officers. Rod takes the first person and Jackie gets the next as Kate watches on. Danny asks them who else is in the house, they say no one.

Kate radios in their progress and is told to continue. Rod orders Hari, Jackie and Rod to go up and for Kate to stay downstairs. Kate says she’s good to go up but Danny isn’t listening to her. He sends them up and tells them to switch their radios to channel 2. Kate goes to adjust her radio and he tells her to stay on one. Danny stays with Kate as the other three go up the stairs. Kate complains at what Danny is doing, shutting her out. Danny tells her that she had an option to make it painless and tomorrow he’s going to tell McAndrew to bump her off the squad.

Hari calls Danny on the radio and tells him that he needs to come up and see what they’ve found. Danny says he’s on the way and tells Kate not to move a muscle. He gets out his pistol and cocks it and heads up the stairs. Kate looks around anxiously as she keeps her gun pointed at the two people in custody.

She is shocked as she hears a gunshot from upstairs, she shouts at the two residents to tell her who else was up there. They say again that there isn’t anyone in the house. Kate radios in that there were shots fired, but she has no further information. She runs upstairs hearing a man groaning. She walks into a room with Jackie, Hari and Rod standing around as Danny lies on the ground holding a gunshot wound to his neck, he's bleeding profusely. McAndrew is asking for further information. Kate calls in a status zero, saying there is an officer seriously wounded. Kate asks what happened but they won't say. Hari, Jackie and Rod look on with dismay as Kate tries to apply pressure to stop the bleeding. McAndrew calls in medical assistance. Danny is trying to tell Kate something and Rod wants to know what. The episode closes on Kate telling Danny to stay with her.