My Critique of Trial & Retribution
Trial & Retribution’s defining innovation was its forensic dualism, rigorously juxtaposing up-to-the-minute DNA analysis with the procedural grind of the courtroom. The celebrated split-screen technique formalised this tension, visualising competing evidential threads in a manner few contemporaries attempted.
Across twelve series, this structure delivered the procedural’s core satisfactions while systematically exposing institutional frailty: contaminated samples, coerced testimony, and the corrosive influence of media pressure. Yet the format grew repetitive; later runs suffered from attenuated episodes and diminishing narrative complexity, undercutting the show’s initial gravity.
Where peers like The Knock offered morale tales, La Plante’s drama pursued a bleaker, more systemic inquiry into fallible justice. For modern viewers, it remains a vital, if imperfect, artefact of late-nineties realism, its forensic pedantry and structural ambition still instructive.
Principal Characters & Performances
Detective Chief Superintendent Michael “Mike” Walker
David Hayman‘s portrayal of DCS Mike Walker is the bedrock of Trial & Retribution. Walker is a seasoned, methodical detective, a man defined by the weight of his caseload and a deep-seated, often weary, commitment to justice.
He operates with a quiet authority, more likely to observe from the edge of an incident room than bark orders. This understated quality makes his moments of frustration or moral outrage all the more powerful.
Hayman avoids cliché, presenting Walker as a complex professional navigating institutional politics, flawed colleagues, and the emotional toll of confronting brutal crimes. His partnership dynamics, first with Pat North and later with Róisín Connor, form the series’ emotional core, showing a leader who relies on and respects his team.
Walker’s journey is not about personal demons but professional integrity, making him a compelling and authentic anchor for the show’s detailed procedural world.
Detective Inspector Pat North
Kate Buffery’s DI Pat North serves as Walker’s principal partner for the first six series, and her character provides crucial balance. She is intuitive, tenacious, and often serves as the investigative engine, diving deep into the human elements of each case.
Her relationship with Walker evolves from professional respect into a trusted partnership, and later, a personal one when they become romantically involved. This storyline, particularly in Series III, added a layer of vulnerability and risk to her character.
North’s career trajectory, including a stint on the vice squad, allowed the series to explore institutional sexism and the specific dangers female officers face. Buffery’s performance grounds the character in resilience and intelligence, making her departure a significant turning point for the series and for Walker.
Detective Chief Inspector Róisín Connor & The Supporting Ensemble
Following Pat North’s departure, Victoria Smurfit joined as DCI Róisín Connor, partnering with Walker from Series Seven. Connor brought a different energy—confident, sharp, and with her own established methods, requiring Walker to adapt to a new dynamic.
The investigative team around them provided consistent texture. Dorian Lough’s DS David “Satch” Satchell was a reliable, grounded presence, while Barbara Thorn’s DS Barbara MacKenzie and Inday Ba’s DC Lisa West represented the dedicated rank-and-file.
The legal and forensic realms were populated by memorable recurring figures. Corin Redgrave’s barrister Robert Rylands QC and Simon Callow’s Rupert Halliday QC brought gravitas to the courtroom.
The forensic process, a series hallmark, was personified by Richard Durden’s Dr John Foster and later Gemma Jones’s Dr Jean Mullins, whose clinical insights often steered the investigations.
This ensemble, anchored by Hayman, created a believable ecosystem of professionals, each contributing to the show’s rigorous depiction of the justice system.
Key Episodes & Defining Stories
Trial & Retribution (Part 1 & 2) – 1997
The two-part story that launched the series remains its most definitive. It establishes the core formula: a meticulous investigation into the murder of a child, followed by the fraught legal proceedings.
The case against the unsettling Michael Dunn, played by a young Rhys Ifans, is compelling but built on shaky ground.
The genius of this opener is its brutal lesson in procedural failure. Just as the trial seems to secure a conviction, the revelation that a junior officer planted evidence shatters everything.
It’s a masterclass in narrative structure, using the split-screen to juxtapose police certainty with hidden truths.
Fans remember it for establishing the show’s uncompromising ethos. It refused a neat solution, instead delivering a profound commentary on confirmation bias, institutional pressure, and the fragile line between justice and retribution.
This was the mission statement.
Trial & Retribution II (Part 1) – 1998
The second story cemented the series’ ambition to tackle complex, psychologically dark crimes head-on. The investigation into the murder of Susan Harrow expands into a pattern of sadistic violence against women, including sex workers, immediately grounding the drama in uncomfortable social reality.
The focus shifts to the manipulative power of the suspect, Damon Morton, and the culture of fear among his employees. This episode is a reason to watch for its deepening of the show’s psychological dimension, moving beyond a simple whodunit to explore coercion and complicity.
It reinforced Lynda La Plante’s skill at crafting narratives where the crime reveals wider societal fractures. The unflinching forensic detail and the split-screen technique are used not just as style, but to dissect the mechanics of predation and the painstaking work required to confront it.
Trial & Retribution III (Part 1) – 1999
This episode is pivotal for character development and thematic bravery. While Walker investigates the disappearance of paper girl Cassie Booth, Pat North, now on the vice squad, confronts wealthy businessman Stephen Warrington over a harassment complaint.
The parallel narratives are expertly intercut, linking themes of predation and power. North’s personal ordeal—her professional judgment questioned, her safety threatened—is portrayed with tense realism.
It foregrounds the vulnerability of women within the system, both as victims and as officers challenging influential men.
Fans remember this for taking major risks with a core character, pushing Pat North into a deeply personal crisis. It demonstrated the series’ maturity, using its procedural framework to tell a gripping, character-driven story about institutional sexism and abuse of power long before such topics dominated the cultural conversation.
The World of Trial & Retribution
The series is firmly rooted in a recognisable, often gritty, British reality. Its primary landscape is the Metropolitan Police and the London criminal justice system, from the fluorescent-lit incident rooms and stark interview suites to the solemn wood-panelled courtrooms.
Crime scenes are not glamorous backdrops but authentic locations: inner-city council estates, suburban homes, seedy nightclubs, and the bleak anonymity of hospital mortuaries. The use of real London streetscapes grounds the drama, making the urban environment a character in itself—a place where violence can erupt in everyday spaces.
This world is populated by professionals doing a difficult job. The focus is on the process: the paperwork, the forensic analysis, the strategic legal meetings.
It’s a world of muted colours, procedural jargon, and moral grey areas, creating a compellingly authentic atmosphere that pulls you into the mechanics of each case.
Origin Story
Trial & Retribution was created by writer Lynda La Plante as a follow-on project from her groundbreaking series Prime Suspect. Produced by her company, La Plante Productions, for ITV, it was conceived as ambitious, feature-length drama.
Each story was originally split over two parts, allowing for deeper narrative exploration. The series was commissioned for ITV’s prime-time schedule, with early production led by Christopher Hall and executive production by La Plante alongside Liz Thorburn.
It was filmed on location in the UK, primarily London, and utilised a recurring ensemble cast, building continuity across its distinct, case-driven stories. From its first broadcast in October 1997, it was clear this was a serious, procedural drama with a distinct visual identity.
Narrative Style & Tone
Trial & Retribution’s signature is its rigorous, methodical tone. It is a police procedural fused with courtroom drama, prioritising intellectual puzzle and legal consequence over action or sensationalism.
The most distinctive stylistic feature is its innovative use of split-screen, often showing three simultaneous images.
This technique visually represents the multi-faceted nature of an investigation, contrasting police work with suspect activity or forensic analysis. The narrative typically follows a single major case across two episodes, allowing for thorough development of both the investigation and the subsequent trial.
The tone is consistently serious and naturalistic, focusing on the painstaking accumulation of evidence, the strategic manoeuvres of barristers, and the ethical dilemmas faced by all parties. It’s a drama of process, where a single procedural error can be as dramatic as any chase scene.
How is Trial & Retribution remembered?
Trial & Retribution is remembered as a cornerstone of late-1990s and 2000s British crime drama, a gritty, adult-oriented series that prized procedural realism. It solidified Lynda La Plante’s reputation for detailed, complex storytelling and is frequently cited for its innovative split-screen technique.
While it may not have achieved the global awards recognition of some contemporaries, it maintains a dedicated cult following. The series is regularly rebroadcast on drama channels and discussed by fans who appreciate its uncompromising approach.
It is recalled for David Hayman’s anchoring performance as Mike Walker and for storylines that tackled difficult subjects without flinching. In television history, it stands as a sophisticated and influential example of the genre, a show that trusted its audience to engage with the intricate, often frustrating, machinery of justice.
In Closing
For those seeking a crime drama of substance, built on character and process rather than spectacle, Trial & Retribution remains a profoundly rewarding watch. Its intelligence and integrity have ensured its enduring appeal.