As the curtains draw open on the climactic episode of "Unforgotten," Dr. Leanne Balcombe, portrayed with grace by Georgia Mackenzie, affirms the deceased's masculinity and draws attention to the telltale duo of bullet-shaped apertures piercing the cranium. She surmises that the body might have occupied the premises as long as Precious Falade did. Meanwhile, DCI Jess James, whose intensity is aptly captured by Sinead Keenan, is determined to unravel the identity of the former occupant. Haunted by unanswered questions, she ponders over their failures to implicate Tony Hume at Precious's murder scene, conviction burning bright in her eyes.
DS Murray Boulting, played with conviction by Jordan Long, approaches Tony (Ian McElhinney), who is busy packing his belongings for a flight. Elsewhere, Fran (Carolina Main) and Karen (Pippa Nixon) engage in a whispered conjecture about Karol's mystifying withdrawal and immediate redeposit of 2,000 pounds, wondering how he managed to reclaim his laptop without parting with a dime.
Upon arriving home, Jess discovers Steve (Andrew Lancel) slumbering, a picture of unrepentant tranquility. Elsewhere, Emma (Hayley Mills) encounters Ebele (Martina Laird), nestled in her vehicle's embrace, asleep. Tapping gently on the glass, Emma informs Ebele that they have no wish to converse. Suspecting her of newspaper espionage, Emma is stunned when Ebele reveals herself as Tony's estranged daughter.
Steve confesses to Jess that his lips met her sister's only in a fleeting kiss, never crossing the threshold of intimacy. He justifies his deceit by recounting feelings of abandonment, seeking to inflict pain in kind. His vacillations between leaving and staying ring hollow in Jess's ears, leaving her skeptical of his every word.
Ebele opens her heart to Emma, detailing how she learned of her parentage on her 18th birthday and reached out to Tony five years hence. Emma inquiries about their subsequent relationship, to which Ebele responds that it has been almost exclusively financially transactional. She has journeyed here with the urgent desire to voice her grievances before it becomes impossible. She charges Emma with complicity, accusing her of enjoying privileges, comfort, and happiness built upon the sufferings of her kin. Ebele's fury knows no bounds as she curses Emma and declares her unending hatred for both her and her father, despite having accepted his monetary reparations.
Karol and Tony's incarcerated figures loom large in the narrative. Leanne meticulously retrieves fragments seemingly from bullets, while Murray strives to procure a decade-long list of tenants. Post-call, he reveals to Fran a bombshell: Ebele Falade was the tenant from May 2015 to August 2016. The revelation reaches her via the radio waves.
During Karol's (Max Rinehart) interrogation, he narrates how budget slashes decimated local authorities, forcing them to shoulder doubled responsibilities amidst a maelstrom of neglected individuals, the, and those in crisis. The relentless strain led to a toxic blame culture, isolating Karol and precipitating dark angry fixations and photographic deviations. In late 2015 and again in February 2016, Karol faced brutal attacks. Roughly a week subsequent to that second assault, Karol captured his initial photograph within the confines of the London Underground. Karol laments that one is conditioned to feel alienated merely for being different, and subsequently physically assaulted for embracing that uniqueness. He clarifies his relentless pursuit of photography as a fleeting, albeit morally questionable, escape—a crumb of solace amidst the storm. Precious had stumbled upon his upskirting photos on his laptop, leveraging them for extortion.
Jess astutely noted Karol's money deposit, hinting at his potential innocence in directly paying Precious. Meanwhile, Jay (Rhys Yates) visited the hospital, bearing flowers for Sophie Coulson. Karol recounted seeing a vehicle parked outside her driveway; upon entering, he called out her name but found no one. The sitting room floor was drenched, and his laptop, stationed in a corner, beckoned him to retrieve it and flee. As he departed, an elderly man, armed with a mop and bucket, stood at the corridor's end, startled by Karol's presence. Karol, informing the man of his visit to see Precious, described him as being in his twilight years, perhaps in his late 60s or early 70s. Haunted by the fear that Precious had downloaded the compromising images, Karol resolved to flee England, believing she would exploit them to blackmail him further.
Karol indulged in self-pity, berating himself for his actions and questioning his sanity. He steadfastly maintained that he hadn't seen Precious since June 26th. Karen later revealed, through DNA evidence, Jay's parenthood of Precious and Eric Royce. The body discovered in the garden was that of Joseph Bell, Precious's son with David Bell. Jess speculated that Ebele might have been unaware of her second grandson's existence, but her primary concern was uncovering Jay's acquaintances. Murray confirmed that the bullet retrieved from Waterman Road originated from the same gun used to slay Precious. Fran emphasized their desire to place Hume at the crime scene on June 26th.
Ebele confessed to Dave that Tony likely possessed the flat's keys and even footed the bill for her brief getaway. She speculated that her father had placed Joe there as well, leaving Dave aghast, as he believed she had never known her father. She rushed off, leaving her question unanswered. When questioned about his granddaughter's murder, Hume denied any familial ties, prompting Jess to remind him of Precious Falade. She unveiled the decades-long standing order he used to financially support Ebele.
Tony vehemently denied any involvement in Precious's or Joseph Bell's demise, claiming ignorance of both individuals and his whereabouts at the time. Evidence of a payment at an Esso station in Hammersmith on June 26th was presented, situated near Waterman Road. Subsequent inquiries about his presence at the house with cleaning supplies on June 27th were met with silence. Jess revealed a covertly obtained ID, positively identified by Karol, linking Tony to the scene. Graham Saville (Mark Oosterveen), Tony's attorney, advised his client before Tony invoked his right to remain silent. Jess exhorted him to share his version of events. Karol, burdened by his confession, prepared to unveil a secret to his parents.Cheryl, also known as Hebe Beardsall, informs Jay of her intention to take a temporary residence with Jordan, urging him concurrently to get his life in order. Tony reveals that his knowledge of Ebele only dawned upon him when she was in her early twenties, stemming from a fleeting romance he had with her mother back in 1963. Upon discovering his daughter's existence, he promptly offered financial assistance, albeit their subsequent interactions were minimal and primarily initiated by Ebele's discretion. He acknowledges being aware of Ebele's daughter but hadn't maintained contact until late 2015, when she unexpectedly reached out for financial help.
A couple of weeks prior to her demise, Tony received a call from Ebele, informing him that Precious was homeless. With Waterman Road vacant at that time, he granted her access by providing keys. On the fateful night, a man claiming to be Precious's son called Tony from Waterman Road, issuing threats and demanding money. Tony swiftly contacted Ebele, who agreed to rush there, but Tony, driven by concern, decided to head over as well. Arriving first, Tony encountered Joseph in a distressed state, threatening violence against both him and Precious unless he accompanied him to an ATM and handed over thousands of pounds. Suddenly, Joseph brandished a gun and pointed it at Tony. In an unexpected twist, Precious lunged at him, causing the gun to discharge and strike Tony in the head. As Tony attempted to assist the injured Joseph, another shot rang out. He glanced around and saw Precious had shot herself in the chest. Both had passed away instantly, leaving Tony with no opportunity to seek assistance.
Afterward, Tony recounts how he broke the news to Ebele and agreed to dispose of Joseph's body before leaving her with her daughter's. When questioned about why he later contacted the police and revealed the bodies' location, Tony confesses to having panicked. He denies knowing about Precious being concealed in the fireplace, insisting that Ebele had informed him she was buried somewhere in the woods. Tony vows his truthfulness before being escorted to a cell.
Meanwhile, Jess informs Sunny of their need for Ebele. Upon returning home, Jess's mother shares that Steve harbors deep affection for her. Ebele is subsequently arrested and shares her harrowing past with Sunny and Jess. She explains that her parents arrived in the country after the war, making her a second-generation Nigerian. At seventeen, she secured a cleaning job at a city stockbroker's firm where her parents also worked. One evening, after indulging in drinks with colleagues, she stayed late and encountered the son of one of the directors. He coerced her mother into having drinks with him and subsequently raped her. When Ebele confessed to her parents, they blamed her. Traumatized and unsupported, she opted not to report it to the police but later discovered she was pregnant. She wrote to the son, who never responded, prompting her to reach out to his father, Henry Hume. Visiting his office, she was met with a stark ultimatum: either drop the matter or face termination for herself and her parents.After Ebele's birth, her mother penned a heartfelt letter, intended for her eyes only on her 18th birthday, and entrusted it to a local solicitor before taking her own life by plunging into the Thames. Ebele's grandparents, convinced she was a harbinger of evil, subjected her to a torrent of shame and self-loathing that shaped her young life.
One day, Ebele confronted her grandparents with a letter, revealing that Tony, the man she believed to be her father, had not responded honorably when she finally sought him out. Armed with his DNA and the results of a paternity test, she threatened to expose the truth to the public. She asserted that Tony's public persona was a farce, and whatever account he had given them of that fateful night was undoubtedly a fabrication. Sunny urged her to recount what she had witnessed firsthand.
Ebele recounted how Tony had phoned her in a panic, revealing that Joseph had threatened him. It seemed likely that Joseph had discovered Tony was his great-grandfather. Ebele had kept this secret from Precious for months, fearing it would jeopardize their financial arrangement.
Upon arriving at Waterman Road, Ebele was plunged into a scene of unspeakable horror. Tony claimed that her daughter had accidentally shot her son and then taken her own life. At the time, Ebele, unaware of Joseph's violent past in a young offenders' institute for gun assault, accepted Tony's version without question. However, her perspective has since shifted. She now views Tony as a deceitful villain capable of anything, though she remains uncertain of the true events that transpired that night. Tony had warned her that her criminal record might make the police skeptical of it being an accident.
Determined to protect Precious, Ebele vowed to take care of her. The next morning, she discovered workmen on the street outside her car. A few weeks later, she had plasterboard installed by a friend to seal off the painful memories. When questioned about Jay Royce, Ebele feigned ignorance, unaware of his connection to her story.
Sunny and Jess approached Jay, determined to uncover the truth about that fateful night, despite his skepticism that someone like him could stand against someone powerful like Tony Hume. They assured him that things would be different if he placed his trust in them.
At the police station, Jay revealed that he had been one floor up on the night in question, as his mother had forbidden him from meeting his grandmother or Tony. He saw Tony arrive ten minutes before Ebele and was waiting for them to leave when he overheard shouting coming from Joseph and Precious's apartment.
He witnessed his brother's countenance contort in rage as he gesticulated wildly towards Tony. In an instant, Tony's hand encircled Joe's neck, slamming him against the wall with a fierce warning that he had the power to erase Joe from existence. Joe retaliated by drawing a gun, prompting Tony to step back with hands raised in surrender. Precious, sensing an opportunity, lunged for the weapon, initiating a fierce struggle to wrest it from Joe's grasp. A deafening bang echoed through the room, and Precious collapsed to the ground. Tony demanded the gun, to which Joe reluctantly surrendered. As Joe knelt beside Precious to offer a comforting hand, Hume coldly executed him with a bullet to the back of the head. Ebele's wails pierced the air, while Jay seized the chaos as his cue to escape upstairs. Finding a concealed hiding spot, he remained there in seclusion for two long days. Upon emerging, the grim remnants of violence had vanished, and his mother's laptop lay abandoned in a drawer. Without hesitation, Jay fled the scene.
As Jay departed the police station, Jess engaged Sunny in a conversation about the factors shaping the lives of troubled youth like Jay. They once again interrogated Hume, who articulated the self-deceiving fabrications they clung to, insisting that the act was consensual and she had welcomed him. Unable to confront his true self, he extinguished her life. Tony confessed to shooting Joseph Bell, expressing his six-year long struggle to atone. Jess, however, scoffed, asserting that his actions were not an attempt at redemption but rather the catastrophic culmination of his life's work, forever branding him as a rapist who slaughtered his own great-grandchild.
Ebele paid Jay a visit at his apartment, introducing herself with a sense of formality. Jay revealed that he had initially claimed responsibility but then confessed to lying, clarifying that Precious had killed Joe in a desperate bid to seize the gun from him. Jay shoulders the blame for the devastation that befell their family. Jess apologized to Sunny for her earlier unprofessional demeanor, and they agreed to charge Hume with murder and rape. With the case unresolved, they headed to the bar to ponder over the complexities of justice and human nature.
