After the Flood series 2 picks up a full year after that jaw-dropping series 1 finale – and if you’re scratching your head trying to remember exactly how it all ended, you’re definitely not alone.
The new series finds PC Joanna Marshall dealing with the fallout from everything she uncovered. She’s separated from her husband Pat after learning he’d been in Sergeant Phil Mackie’s pocket for years, taking bribes and covering things up. Now Pat wants to put things right by helping bring Mackie down – even if it lands him behind bars.
Back in February 2024, After the Flood series 1 left viewers absolutely furious thanks to a huge cliffhanger. In the closing scenes, Jo confronted DS Phil Mackie (Nicholas Gleaves) in hospital, moments after giving birth to her daughter, Eve.
By then, we knew Mackie – Jo’s surrogate father figure since the death of her real dad – was corrupt to the core, with blood very much on his hands. So before series 2 gets underway, here’s a full recap of what went down in After the Flood series 1…
***Warning: spoilers from the ending of After the Flood series 1 ahead***
Sophie Rundle as Joanna Marshall in After the Flood series 1 (Credit: ITV)
What happened in After the Flood series 1?
After the Flood series 1 centred on heavily pregnant PC Joanna Marshall (played by Sophie Rundle) as she investigated a suspicious death following a devastating storm. A man’s body was discovered trapped in a lift in an underground car park after catastrophic flooding – and that man turned out to be Daniel Eden.
Jo simply couldn’t let the case go. But as she dug deeper, it became clear she wasn’t just chasing a killer. The truth was far worse: the murderer was one of her own. Sergeant Phil Mackie – her boss, mentor and a father figure after the death of her dad, Brendan Marshall – was responsible.
Mackie wasn’t just guilty of murder. He’d been corrupt for years, pocketing illegal payments and pulling strings. Even more devastating for Jo, her husband Pat had been dragged into it too.
By the end of series 1, Mackie had successfully manipulated both Jo and Pat into silence. And as series 2 begins, a year later, he’s still holding all the power. The question now is how long that can last.
Who killed Daniel Eden?
Daniel Eden was killed by Sergeant Phil Mackie – but he wasn’t acting alone. Several other officers and witnesses were present on the night Daniel died.
Daniel had met Mackie and others to discuss a dodgy insurance scam involving Jack Radcliffe’s supposedly “stolen” farm equipment. Daniel and Lee Ellison were overseeing the shipment, while Mackie and Pat ensured there’d be no police interference. Keith – Pat’s brother-in-law – was also involved through his import-export business, although he wasn’t at the meeting. Mackie later stitched him up for the scam, and Keith ends up back on the scene in series 2 after being released from prison.
When tensions flared during the meeting, Mackie lost his temper and struck Daniel with a plank of wood, killing him. Daniel had made offensive remarks about Mackie’s wife Sarah – a local politician – and her affair with property developer Jack Radcliffe.
Sarah, Jack and Pat were all present when Daniel was killed. Some agreed to cover it up willingly, others were forced into silence. Also there was Lee Ellison (Jonas Armstrong), whose involvement would ultimately help Jo uncover the truth.
Corrupt Sergeant Mackie and his former ally Jack Radcliffe (Credit: ITV)
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