Cracker Season 1

Season 1 Episode 1
The Mad Woman In The Attic
Written by: Jimmy McGovern
Produced by: Gub Neal
Directed by: Michael Winterbottom
Originally Screened: 27/09/93 (Part 1), 04/10/93 (Part 2)

As Fitz starts lecturing at a Manchester University his wife Judith learns that he has raised £5,000 on their mortgage to fund his gambling debts and promptly leaves him, taking their daughter Katie with her and leaving him with their son Mark. The day after, Fitz hears about the brutal murder of a former student, Jacqui Appleton and contacts the young woman's parents to offer his assistance in catching the killer. He finally meets DCI Bilborough of the Greater Manchester Police who reluctantly hires Fitz in order to gain a confession from their prime suspect, Thomas Francis Kelly, who jumped or fell from the train on which the girl was murdered. Kelly is claiming to be suffering from amnesia, something Bilborough is very doubtful of, but as Fitz helps him to try and recover his memory it seems that someone else may be the culprit. Kelly is released into Fitz's care, but despite interviewing him and appearing to get somewhere, Bilborough remains unconvinced by Fitz's skills and throws him off the case. Realising that Kelly isn't responsible for the murders, Fitz pleads with Penhaligon to help him track down the real killer. She agrees and together, and without Bilborough's knowledge, they track down Michael Hennessy via his father on another train where they prevent the murder of another young woman and arrest Hennessy, solving the case in the process. Fitz and Penhaligon later return Kelly to the monestry when he was staying before.

Season 1 Episode 2
To Say I Love You
Written by: Jimmy McGovern
Produced by: Gub Neal
Directed by: Andy Wilson
Originally Screened: 11/10/93 (Part 1), 18/10/93 (Part 2), 25/10/93 (Part 3)

Fitz is arrested for causing a breach of the peace while trying to speak to Judith and their daughter Katie, now staying at Judith's father's house. To get out of detention he extracts a confession from Sean, a young man with a stutter who has been joyriding a bus around the streets of Manchester. Despite Fitz's advice that he needs psychological help, Sean is released on probation and before long he and girlfriend Tina resort to murdering a man named Kevin Cormack, a loan shark to whom they owe money. Bilborough leads the investigation with Fitz giving help (and flirting constantly with Penhaligon). The police begin by interviewing Cormack's debtors. DS Giggs ends up interviewing Tina and is lured back to her flat at a later date with the promise of sex and then killed by her and Sean, as they fear he will realise they had been lying over Cormack. Fitz keeps trying to talk to Judith, and on learning she is going out to dinner with Graham, her therapist, takes Penhaligon to the same restaurant which doesn't work out quite as well as he expected. Sean and Tina record a video of themselves, masked, for the police telling them that the killing was in 'self defence'.

When Fitz sees the video he immediately realises the man is Sean because he sings rather than speaks. The police head for Sean and Tina's flat, only to find them gone. Bilborough is furious to learn that Sean was released despite Fitz's warnings and calls in Beck and Penhaligon for an explanation. Tina and Sean then target Fitz as their next victim, but realising who Tina is as soon as he meets her Fitz has her arrested by Penhaligon. Fitz is soon interrogating Tina, and desperately trying to make her reveal Sean's whereabouts. Judith turns up at the police station, and reveals that she wants to return home. Fitz is pleased until she reveals however that she slept with Graham, news Fitz reacts badly too. Tina later reveals that Sean's next victim will be her blind sister Sammy, and the police go on a race against time to stop him. It is Fitz eventually who has to enter the house where Sean is holed up with Sammy to persuade him to not to go ahead with his plan to blow up the house. As Fitz manages to get Tina'a sister out, it seems even he can't save Sean.

Season 1 Episode 3
Written by: Jimmy McGovern
Produced by: Gub Neal
Directed by: Simon Cellan Jones
Originally Screened: 01/11/93 (Part 1), 08/11/93 (Part 2)

Tim, a 14 year old boy, is found hanging from a tree in the woods but the police pathologist concludes that he was murdered first and then hung. The boy's English teacher, Nigel Cassidy, then attempts suicide by threatening to jump off the roof of a building but is eventually persuaded by Fitz not to. Because of this, Cassidy immediately becomes the prime suspect in the case, and everyone including Fitz is convinced he is the killer. Fitz is also convinced that Cassidy is gay, and uses this to try and give motive to Cassidy's guilt. Bilborough is anxiously awaiting the birth of his first child and becomes increasingly stressed as the case progresses. Fitz's problems also still continue - he is still unable to forgive Judith for sleeping with Graham, despite her return to the family home and he still remains attracted to Penhaligon. Cassidy is eventually released pending further investigations, news that doesn't go down well with Tim's father who proceeds to ram a JCB through the window of Cassidy's flat, forcing Bilborough to put Cassidy in a hotel overnight with Fitz and Beck. Penhaligon tells Fitz she is planning to go on a two week holiday and asks him to go with her, to which he agrees.

During the night in the hotel Fitz, despite some bickering with Beck, manages to gain what he thinks is a confession from Cassidy. Bilborough's wife also finally gives birth to a baby boy. It appears the case is solved. Just as the police and Fitz are celebrating their result, Fitz enters into one last meeting with Cassidy. Cassidy drops a bombshell, announcing that he didn't actually kill Tim - but he refuses to withdraw his statement, claiming he as good as killed Tim as he was the last person to see him alive and he drove him away the night he died. Unable to live with himself should an innocent man go to prison, Fitz desperately tries to persuade Bilborough not to go ahead with the press conference announcing they have charged Cassidy. Bilborough refuses, claiming he is unable to go back and tell Tim's family and his bosses that he was wrong. Fitz then tells Bilborough that if he goes ahead and charges Cassidy then "they are finished". Bilborough charges Cassidy anyway. As Bilborough goes ahead with the press conference it is clear he is now having doubts too but it doesn't stop him. Fitz then returns home and proceeds to back out of his planned holiday with Penhaligon.