Episode list

DCI Red Metcalfe, married to the profoundly deaf Susan, meets new sergeant Kate Beauchamp and, along with Jez Clifton, they attend at the gruesome murder of chef Philip Blake, who was hanged and his tongue cut out and replaced with a silver spoon. Some time afterwards Red joins up with former colleague Duncan Warren, a divorced reformed gambler, to investigate the murder of bishop James Perch, clubbed to death and also with an apostle spoon in his mouth to replace his missing tongue. Several other murders follow, in all cases the victims were stripped but not robbed and their tongues cut out and replaced with spoons. Years earlier Red turned in his younger brother Eric for murder. Now Eric is out and living in a hostel but reluctant to see Red. However hostel warden, vicar Stephen Hedges, gives Red a key to the murders. Each victims bore the name of one of Christ's disciples and all were killed in the same way as their biblical namesakes.

Red is irate to find that Duncan Warren, desperate for money, has sold the story of the murder hunt to a journalist and has him removed from the case. Stephen Hedges tells Red that the five victims had jobs as well as names matching the disciples but Red is unable to prevent further murders, even though he is now aware that each victim will be killed on their namesake's saints day. Ultimately eleven men are slain, the one surviving namesake being Judas. Red discovers not only that the killer is a madman who believes he is the Messiah and immortal but that this is a person known to Red, who sees him as Judas - the last victim. In ending the reign of terror Red , helped by Susan, must fight for his life in a kill-or-be-killed confrontation with a lunatic who suffers an appropriate end.