ITV Karen Pirie season two ending explained as devastating murder case solved
After a lengthy three-year hiatus, the much-anticipated return of Karen Pirie has graced our screens with its second series on ITV. Adapted from Val McDermid's acclaimed Inspector Karen Pirie novels, the drama features Outlander star Lauren Lyle as the eponymous protagonist, portraying a bold and spirited Scottish detective "with a quick mouth and a tenacious desire for the truth".
The latest series, entitled A Darker Domain, sees Pirie embroiled in yet another cold case, peeling back layers of deception to unearth the grim realities shrouded in secrecy and a tangled web of potential motives.
The three-part season exposes the 1984 kidnap of a charming heiress to a vast oil fortune, Catriona Grant, and her two-year-old son Adam. They were brutally taken and held at gunpoint outside a fish and chip shop in Fife, with the ransom notes leading to an uncontrollable press storm.
However, as the kidnappers retreated into silence and the police investigation hit a dead end, the fate of Catriona and Adam remained shrouded in enigma, reports the Mirror.
The discovery of a corpse connected to the original kidnapping, the first shred of evidence in decades, propels Pirie and her squad into what could be the defining case of their careers, all while under the watchful eye of Catriona's father.
"As Karen delves deeper into what happened in the autumn of 1984, political grudges and painful secrets reveal themselves, and it soon becomes clear... the past is far from dead," hints the tantalising synopsis.
Karen Pirie season two ending explained - what happened to Catriona Grant?
In a startling revelation, it turns out that Catriona (portrayed by Julia Brown) was complicit in her own abduction.
Motivated by a desire to retaliate against her father Brodie (played by James Cosmo) upon learning that he had exploited Fergus (John Michie) - Adam's covert biological father - to conceal the fatalities caused by his oil operations, Cat and her boyfriend Mick (Mark Rowley) orchestrated a faux kidnapping.
Her plan was to abscond with her father's wealth and start afresh with Adam, but this scheme was thrown into chaos when Mick's mates Andy and Kevin got entangled in their plot. Mick, sceptical of Kevin, aimed to keep Cat's involvement in the kidnapping under wraps, leading to a heated debate about whether they should disclose the truth to Kevin.
When Kevin eavesdropped on their dispute, he threatened to expose the truth to Brodie, prompting Cat to shoot him in the head, resulting in his death. His body was discovered years later, triggering the commencement of the investigation.
However, his remains weren't the only ones unearthed. Pirie's team stumbled upon Cat's body in a cave, with viewers soon discovering that her mother, Brodie's former wife Mary (Frances Tomelty), was responsible for her death following an emotional confession.
Fergus and Brodie had uncovered Cat's role in orchestrating the entire kidnapping, and arranged a meeting with Mick, Andy and Cat to hand over the money. Unbeknownst to them, Mary had trailed them armed with a gun, intending to frighten off the actual kidnappers, oblivious to the fact that her daughter had been aware of the whole situation all along.
Upon reaching the cave, she fired two shots, accidentally killing Cat and triggering a collapse that left her trapped inside.
Mick, Andy, and Adam managed to get away, while Brodie and Mary concealed the truth for years, clinging to the hope that Cat had somehow survived.
They weren't the only ones to discover the truth however, as Adam, re-named Gabriel after Mick raised him in Italy, learned who he really was and about his biological father and mother.
The case ends with the arrests of Mary and Brodie, and Adam meeting his biological father Fergus, who is also on trial, but choosing to continue living his life with Mick in Malta, as he couldn't be reached by the Scottish authorities there.
"There's no joy in closing a case like this, no joy, no celebration," Karen reflects as the series draws to a close.
"Because my job is about finding answers, and I hope those answers bring peace.
"But sometimes they aren't the answers that anyone wants to hear, people aren't who you expect them to be, victims don't always fit the ideal narrative.
"Money and power can help you re-write history until even you believe it, but [in the end] everyone needs the truth, so I'll keep looking for it."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
23 minutes ago
- Daily Record
This Morning's Alison Hammond says 'I'm going' as she announces ITV break
This Morning hosts Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary shared an important update with ITV viewers at the beginning of Thursday's show. During Thursday's episode of This Morning, Alison Hammond shared with viewers that it would be her last appearance before taking a well-deserved summer break for the upcoming weeks. As the programme drew to a close, Alison and her co-presenter Dermot O'Leary embraced warmly, with her parting words being: "See you in September, bye!" Dermot hinted at his feelings of being disheartened at the start of the show, confessing to the audience just minutes into the broadcast that he was feeling upset. Curious, Alison enquired about his sadness, to which he responded: "I'm sad because it's your last day for the summer! I'm sad because I won't see you next week." Alison encouraged him with a cheerful: "Aw, not sad; be happy for me! Be happy." In a sweet gesture, Dermot began presenting Alison with individual flowers from the set while she spoke about her plans for the summer, reports the Mirror. She continued: "You know what? I'm going to have a little holiday. I'm going to do some housework. It's going to be great, and I'm going to be watching you on the telly." The 50-year-old presenter also informed the audience that on Friday, they could tune in to see Dermot hosting alongside Loose Women star,Olivia Attwood. Earlier in the year, it was revealed that 34-year-old Olivia would be joining the team of This Morning hosts over the summer as regulars Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley take their breaks. While being interviewed by Ben and Cat on the show, Olivia shared her excitement about her new role, saying, "I'm going to be doing a couple of shows in the summer, I'm very excited to be joining you guys." She expressed her delight, saying: "It's a huge honour. I've obviously grown up watching this show, and being part of the Daytime team with the Loose Women has been the best experience. This just feels like a very natural progression." Ben and Cat have shown their full support for Olivia, assuring the ITV favourite that she'll do a 'brilliant' job in her new role. Over the next few weeks, ITV audiences can expect to see personalities such as Rylan Clark, Sian Welby, Rochelle Humes, Craig Doyle, Emma Willis and Josie Gibson taking turns to present This Morning.
Daily Mirror
24 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Chris Hughes' baby plans with JoJo Siwa after sharing intimate details on love life
Former Love Island star Chris Hughes shared his baby plans with his singer girlfriend JoJo Siwa, whom he bonded with after they met on ITV's Celebrity Big Brother earlier this year Love Island star Chris Hughes revealed he'd 'love to have children' with JoJo Siwa as their relationship continues to grow after meeting on Celebrity Big Brother earlier this year. The TV personality, 32, said he and dancer JoJo, 22, discuss their future together, including marriage and children. The duo met each other on ITV's Celebrity Big Brother and immediately got along like a house on fire. She was dating Kath Ebbs at the time, but fans speculated about her connection with Chris as the two were inseparable in the house, with them massaging each other and napping in each other's beds. Not long after the show ended, the two revealed they started dating and have been sharing intimate details into their romance with fans online. In a new chat with US Weekly, Chris discussed his relationship with JoJo and said: "When you're besotted with each other and in love with someone I think it's fun to look forward to those things. "Of course I want to get married to her, I would never shy away from that. And one day I want to have children. We both come from extremely loving families and very wholesome families who care for you so it would be nice to reciprocate that going forward. One day I'd love to have children, it would be an absolute dream for sure." Chris recently revealed JoJo has given his testicles their own names. Speaking to E! News about what she calls the family jewels, he said: "She calls my balls Jimmy and Timmy." He (not so) smoothly went on to point out the pattern JoJo follows with nicknames. She previously said she wanted to call her future kids, Freddy, Eddy and Teddy. Chris, 32, said: "She must love the rhyming lingo within her life," before sharing his thoughts of his future children having rhyming names. "I don't know about those names. I have names that I like. I'm still kind of undecided on them." Meanwhile, Chris recently took to Instagram to share an update on his life, with the upload showing a telltale sign the duo's relationship is moving up the gear. Despite Chris living in the UK and JoJo, 22, being stateside, the pair are regular visitors to each other and showing they are making the long distance work. In his recent social media post, Chris shared an image of a framed photo in JoJo's family home which shows the pair lovingly embraced. The picture is sitting beside other photos of JoJo and her loved ones. In another, the reality star tagged his partner's mum, Jessalyn, in a post as the clan enjoyed a takeaway. Chris wrote in the caption: "Had the best few days. It's so beautiful here." And the note comes as speculation grows about whether Chris will make the move stateside permanent.
Daily Mirror
24 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Tom Kerridge's 'easy' diet change that helped him lose 11 stone
Tom Kerridge is back on our screen in his new ITV series Tom Kerridge Cooks Spain Tom Kerridge, the celebrity chef, is back on telly this Thursday evening (July 24) with a brand new ITV series that takes him on a culinary journey through Spain. The 51-year-old embarks on a road trip in northern Spain to meet local food producers who share his passion for fresh ingredients and cooking. Throughout the programme, Tom delves into Spanish cuisine and culture, cooking up a feast using local produce and offering tips on how to recreate the dishes at home. He'll discover the link between Santona and anchovies, and meet the locals, including fishermen and women who keep the town's traditions alive. Away from the limelight, Tom has made significant changes to his health in recent years due to fears about his mortality. The Michelin-starred chef, known for tantalising the nation with delicious dishes on Saturday Kitchen and Great British Menu, has now revealed the secret behind his impressive weight loss, reports Devon Live. Alongside giving up alcohol and incorporating exercise into his daily routine, Tom experienced a remarkable transformation. He has shared that his diet included eating vegetables, tinned beans and eggs, as well as cutting out sugar to curb his snacking habits. "Over three years, I lost eleven stone and devised my own low-carb diet regime built around ingredients that are known to trigger the release of dopamine, the 'happy hormone' in your brain," Tom previously shared on his website. He continued: "If you're struggling with your weight and need to shift unhealthy pounds, this approach makes it easy, and is guaranteed to make you feel happier in the process." The life-altering transformation has prompted the celebrity chef to encourage families to dedicate more time to preparing nutritious home-cooked meals. Tom has pointed to his own remarkable 11-stone weight loss as motivation for others looking to drop the pounds, achieving his results through a straightforward dietary adjustment. The Gloucester-born chef, who previously admitted to beginning drinking sessions with a pint of Negroni cocktail before consuming 15 pints on an ordinary evening, chose to give up alcohol at 40 or risk not making it to 50. He told The Mirror in 2020: "I stopped drinking all by myself. I knew what I wanted to do and then I got on with it. It was all about mental strength. "I have an addictive personality. People ask me whether I'm an alcoholic, but I think it could have been anything, it's just that alcohol was the thing I found. Maybe I am an alcoholic, I don't know." Tom added: "Some days are really, really hard and some days are easy. Most of the time it's not relevant in my life. I channel all that old drinking energy into work now." Speaking recently to Lisa Snowdon and Andy Goldstein on the We're Not Getting Any Younger podcast, Tom looked back on his choice to quit drinking more than a decade ago due to health concerns. Offering a candid glimpse into his personal life, the 51 year old explained that his terror of perishing before reaching 50 prompted him to make the dramatic choice to give up booze entirely. He explained: "I'm absolutely loving the way that I'm living but I can't (carry on). It is going to end and it will all end really really badly, so I just stopped." Alongside his television fame, Tom has also built a thriving empire with his string of eateries.
