Dive into the chilling premiere of "The One That Got Away," a Welsh noir thriller that weaves a complex tale of murder and unresolved love. Set against the stark beauty of Pembrokeshire in the dead of winter, the first episode introduces us to a small town haunted by its past and on the brink of a new terror.
The episode opens with A&E nurse Abbi Rayner, played by Bethan Maclean, preparing to leave for Paris with her boyfriend, Darrell (Rick Yale). The tranquility is shattered by a text from her ex, Ryan Moss, urging a meeting in the woods. This ominous exchange is the last we see of Abbi before she vanishes. The last person to see her alive, aside from a mysterious stranger by the sea, is her colleague and fellow nurse, Helen (Rhian Blythe), who is also the wife of local detective Rick Sheldon (Richard Harrington).
When Abbi goes missing, Helen sends her husband Rick to the station, setting in motion a chain of events that will unearth long-buried secrets. Abbi's car is found abandoned with a packed suitcase, suggesting a hasty departure or worse. As the police scour the woods, they encounter Darrell, frantic and convinced that Ryan, who has a history of manipulating Abbi, is responsible for her disappearance.
The discovery of a young woman's body under a tarpaulin in the woods confirms their worst fears. The victim's face bears bruises, and her neck shows ligature marks, reminiscent of the 'Heart Knot Murders' that terrorized the community twelve years prior. The police are faced with a chilling question: is the original killer back, or is this the work of a copycat?
DCI Alan Vaughan (Ioan Hefin), Rick's superior, recalls the urgency of the original case, where two nurses were murdered in a similar fashion seven days apart. Fearing a repeat, he brings in DI Ffion Lloyd (Elen Rhys), who had worked the original case with Rick. Their professional reunion is fraught with personal tension, as their past relationship ended when Rick left Ffion for Helen.
As Ffion and Rick delve into the case, they visit Ryan's house, a chilling environment adorned with disturbing images and sketches of Abbi. The detectives are met with a wall of creepiness, but no clear evidence. Ffion's personal life also intrudes, as she visits her parents, revealing her father's advanced dementia and her sister's resentment.
The investigation takes a new turn with the discovery of a rented caravan by the sea, belonging to Ryan Moss. Inside, they find a positive pregnancy test, raising the possibility that Abbi was pregnant and that this could be a motive for her murder. The detectives speculate that Darrell, in a fit of rage, could have killed Abbi and hidden Ryan's body to frame him.
The episode concludes with a shocking revelation when Anna Jennings (Eiry Thomas), the terminally ill ex-wife of the man convicted for the Heart Knot Murders, comes forward. She claims to have been with Paul Harvey the night the second nurse was killed, providing him with an alibi that could potentially exonerate him. This bombshell not only casts doubt on the past conviction but also suggests that the community's nightmare might not be over.
As the first episode ends, the shadow of a watcher looms over Rick's house, where his wife and children are left vulnerable, raising the stakes for the detectives and adding a layer of personal danger to their pursuit of the truth.
"The One That Got Away" begins with a gripping premise, blending a murder mystery with the personal demons of its lead characters. The first episode sets the stage for a suspenseful series that promises to delve deep into the darkness that lies beneath the surface of a seemingly quiet town.