Episode 4 of *The New Force* kicks off with Carin visibly shaken and understandably stunned by the harrowing events involving Jack. Her body bears the unsightly marks of their encounter, a testament to the violence she endured, while Siv remains far from placated with her. Ingrid steps in as the mediator, attempting to soothe the simmering tensions between them, yet it's evident that Carin's ordeals are far from over.
At the police station, Carin confers with Oscar, seeking any scrap of information about Jack Hellman. The detectives have yet to apprehend him, and Fischer, the head of the Detective department, is none too pleased with Carin's persistent inquiries, effectively showing her the door. Oscar, however, does his utmost to shield her from further repercussions.
In an unexpected twist, Carin's mother arrives at the station out of the blue, catching Carin completely off guard. They've been estranged for two years, a rift partly fueled by Carin's father and his abusive behavior. Carin has deliberately avoided reconnecting with her family due to this unresolved trauma. She remains in denial, unwilling to heed her daughter's concerns, but Carin's worry for her mother's well-being is palpable. "You can't save the entire world," her mother finally remarks, leaving their relationship hanging in the balance, unresolved.
Carin is a coiled spring, on edge and ready to snap. She unleashes her pent-up frustration on a husband during a domestic dispute in the street. Meanwhile, Arne is gearing up to propose to Carin, extending an invitation for a dinner date the following evening after a night of revelry. But Carin's mind is preoccupied with the looming threat of Jack, leaving little room for romance.
As for Siv, she's carving out her own niche at the station, gradually winning over the skeptics. She outshines her partner, Rossi, when she successfully apprehends a suspect, a feat that sends ripples of excitement through the station. Siv even joins in the office banter aimed at Rossi, exchanging knowing glances with Oscar amidst the camaraderie.
However, after Carin's earlier intervention with Fischer, Siv is barred from entering the detective department. Siv perceives this as Carin deliberately undermining her prospects for a promotion and, that afternoon in the locker room, she issues a stern warning to Carin. Determined to assert herself, Siv decides to invite Oscar out for a drink, just the two of them. As they sit and sip their drinks, Siv candidly confesses that she has no intentions of settling down or starting a family anytime soon. She is driven by a desire to prove to everyone that she can hold her own alongside the men at the station.
Part of this resolve stems from her lingering resentment towards her mother, who, without Siv's consent, entered her into a beauty contest when she was just 17. Her mother's intention was to set her up with a suitor, but that was far from the path Siv envisioned for her life.
Meanwhile, Ingrid discovers a newfound sense of empowerment, which Wallin keenly observes. He offers her praise, albeit indirectly, but her friends are too preoccupied with their own squabbles to pay her any real attention. Wallin begins to mold Ingrid in his own image, taking her out for shooting practice. Ingrid proves to be an exceptional marksman, but the situation edges dangerously close to becoming perilous.
Carin, on the other hand, continues to pursue her investigations alone, inquiring about the taxi Monica took that fateful night. However, her solo efforts are short-lived as Jack reappears, demanding his money. With few alternatives, Carin turns to Arne and fabricates a story about needing 15,000 kroner for her mother. He agrees to lend her the money, but it also entails involving his mother in the process.
Back at the station, a jealous Rossi seeks retribution against Siv by posting incriminating photos of her on the wall. Siv promptly tears them down and discusses the incident with Oscar outside. The conversation inevitably leads to a passionate kiss between them.
On her way out to a planned dinner with Arne, Britt Holmberg arrives at the station. She is an officer from Stockholm Taxis and has crucial information for Carin. It turns out that Britt was the one who drove Monica that night. She offers to take Carin to the location in question, but the urgency of the situation means they must go immediately. Naturally, this causes Carin to miss her significant dinner with Arne, where he was planning to propose to her.
Undeterred, Carin willingly gets into the taxi and is dropped off in a sordid part of town. She is instructed to venture down a dark alley alone. There, she stumbles upon a place called Salong Solveig, which matches the description of the salon Monica had mentioned.
Unfortunately, fate took an ominous turn when Jack abruptly turned up at Carin's residence right in the midst of her absence, as she was off conducting an investigation. With an air of menace, he insisted on getting his money back. Poor Arne found himself at the receiving end of Jack's aggression, facing threats and being roughly handled in the process.
Just as the situation seemed to spiral out of control, fortune intervened in the form of a couple of police officers who arrived on the scene. With swift and decisive action, they managed to apprehend Jack and place him under arrest.
Meanwhile, back at Arne's place, Carin found herself shut out, her access denied as a consequence of her deceitful actions. Amidst this chaos, Jack, now in custody, found himself at the police station where an intriguing exchange of glances occurred between him and the District Chief, leaving an air of mystery hanging in the air.
