The seventh episode of Ridley's second season, titled "The Memory Jar Part 1," delves into the mysterious disappearance of Tara Dunning, played by Emily Stott. The episode begins with a sense of urgency as Tara yells at Leo, indicating they are in a hurry. Her husband, Rob Dunning (Tachia Newall), warns her about the flooded Colden Road, but Tara seems determined to take the risk, setting the stage for her eventual disappearance.
As the day unfolds, Tara doesn't show up to pick her son, Leo, from school, prompting the school to call Rob. He picks up Leo and takes him home, while Tara is shown speeding down the road, ignoring a call from Rob. This sequence of events sets the tone for a thrilling investigation that follows.
At the police station, DCI Paul Goodwin (Terence Maynard) and DI Carol Farman (Bronagh Waugh) discuss Tara's case with DC Darren Lakhan (George Bukhari). They confirm that Tara's disappearance is being treated as a critical incident, and the case is already a hot topic on social media. The village group, led by Simon Beamish, the landlord of the local pub, The Two Tubs, has over 200 members discussing the case.
Carol contacts Alex Ridley (Adrian Dunbar) to brief him on the case, and Alex agrees to meet her at Tara's house. They speak to Rob about Tara's disappearance, and he claims no concerns about her behavior, mentioning that Tara works part-time at a local café and has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Rob insists that Tara would never harm herself, providing a glimpse into their relationship and Tara's mental health struggles.
Sarah, Rob's sister, and Leo join them, and discussions turn to a public plea and obtaining a DNA reference sample. Carol suggests using Tara's hairbrush, and she and Alex speak to Sarah outside, where Sarah reveals that Tara had threatened to leave Rob before due to his inadequacies.
Meanwhile, Harry Bentham (John Michie) discusses potential changes to the pub with Annie Marling (Julie Graham), and at the station, Darren confirms Rob's alibi, placing him 25 miles away from the scene when Tara disappeared. Ridley mentions Tara's bipolar diagnosis, and they learn that her vehicle was near Colden Crags around 4 p.m. the previous day.
Carol and Paul speak to the media about Tara, and the police discover her vehicle with blood on the windshield. Dr. Wendy Newstone (Georgie Glen) informs Carol and Alex that secondary tracks suggest a second vehicle may have been involved, and they find a phone under the passenger seat, which needs to be checked for a match.
The investigation leads them to Celia Machin (Maggie Steed), who has early-onset Parkinson's and was not focused when she last saw Tara. Celia shares an incident involving a customer, Jason Dover, who made inappropriate comments towards her and was warned off by Tara. At the station, Darren reveals that Tara had purchased a train ticket and had visited the station car park multiple times in the past three months.
Dr. Vikram Assi (Ash Tandon) leaves the hospital for parole board meetings, and Rob tells Carol that Tara volunteered at a charity shop in Renton. He also expresses that his sister never gave Tara a chance. Carol learns that Jason Dover has previous arrests for sexual assault, and they question him at the pub. Jason denies any wrongdoing and claims he was working near Coatbridge on the day of Tara's disappearance.
As the episode progresses, Alex speaks to Jack Farman (Tareq Al-Jeddal), who is cleaning up trash and feels like he's let his mother down. Wendy confirms that the blood in the abandoned vehicle is Tara's, and they find an unaccounted for palm print on the exterior driver's door window.
The episode concludes with the discovery of Celia's body at the bottom of her stairs, suggesting she was pushed. Ridley finds a card for Jason's business, and it's revealed that Celia died from a C1 fracture of the spinal cord, indicating a slow and painful death. The presence of dark woolen fibers on Celia's body and the lack of a connection between Jason and Tara's medical records add to the mystery.
"The Memory Jar Part 1" is a gripping installment of Ridley's second season, offering a complex narrative with multiple suspects and motives. The episode masterfully weaves together the personal and professional lives of the characters, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats as the investigation unfolds.