The Tower season 3 is a gritty crime thriller starring Game of Thrones favourite Gemma Whelan, based on Kate London's third novel and adapted by screenwriter Patrick Harbinson, who promises this will be the best series yet.
The second episode opens with Sarah and Lee going to visit Ryan at home to get a witness statement about the night that Spender was killed. He's nervous about what they might ask him and he replies 'no comment' even though Sarah reminds him that he is a witness and not a suspect. However, their conversation takes a turn when Ryan's hand moves towards a hidden knife, and they realise he has a weapon on him. Sarah asks him to hand it over for her and Lee's safety, which Ryan does. But when Sarah sees it is a zombie knife, she is forced to take it off him, although she says she won't charge him for having it this time.
While Lizzie and Kieran are talking at work she admits that she gave Sarah the reg of the car that picked Ryan up after she questioned him for the GHB charge. He is annoyed, but she explains she didn't have any choice.
Meanwhile, Elaine calls Sarah and tells her that the same car that collected Ryan that afternoon is the same one that killed a woman in a hit-and-run the night before. We know this woman is Lexi. They go to the scene of the crime and quickly work out this was murder. PC Arif Johar tells Sarah he got an ID for the victim by asking the other women working on the same street that night and says her name is Alexandra Moss, but she goes by the name of Lexi.
They find Lexi's address and go to her flat at Portman Tower where they find her drugs stash. While there, Lee arrives and tells them the car that killed Lexi had fake number plates and was hired from a rental company using a fake name. But while they are processing this news, Sarah gets a call from Mary Shaw, Kieran's wife, who threw him out in season 3 episode one. She says she needs to tell her something, and they arrange to meet at the station that afternoon.
Ryan meets with his friends, only to learn that Lexi has been killed and that it was their boss, Shakiel Oliver, who ordered it. Ryan seems shaken and goes to see Steve, who he offloads to, getting upset about Spencer again while Steve supports him. He tells Steve all about Lexi's murder and that Shakiel is responsible as revenge for her setting up Spencer and Ryan. While he is there, he also describes the man who killed Spencer as being black, tall and with a bird tattoo on his neck.
Over at homicide command Sarah, Elaine and Lee are piecing together their evidence for Lexi's death and work out how it could be connected to Spencer's murder.
Sarah and Elaine go to the tower block where Shakiel is meant to be working from and they see the setup in the basement where he has been holding his meetings. While they are there an elderly resident tells them they need to stop Shakiel as he has been taking over the building, but before Elaine can ask him more questions, Sarah spots something and stops her. Once the man has gone, Elaine asks why Sarah stopped her from asking questions and she says they have walked into an undercover police operation and need to be careful. Elaine can't work out how Sarah knows, but it is because of the cigarette papers left on the table that are the same ones that Steve uses.
As Lizzie is transcribing a conversation between Steve and Ryan, she works out the connection between Sarah's case and the Lexi they are talking about on the tape. She tells Kieran it isn't right that they could have potentially warned Lexi that she had a target on her back before she died, but Kieran tells her that it would blow the whole of Operation Perseus and that they are focusing on bringing down kingpin Shakiel but have to play the long game.
Mary comes to meet Sarah and tells her that she has evidence about the Portland Tower case that would blow the whole thing open again. She won't tell Sarah what she knows but orders a proper meeting. Sarah warns her that if it is as significant as she says it is, she could be in trouble herself for perverting the course of justice, but Mary says she doesn't care. Sarah says she will need to meet with DSI, but Mary makes her promise she will be at the meeting, too, becasue she's the only one she trusts.
Lizzie goes to see Michelle Jones, a friend of Lexi's who was working on the same street the night she was killed. She refuses to talk, and when Lizzie offers her witness protection she turns it down. However, when Lee goes to see the same witness later that day, he is bemused to hear from Michelle that the police have already been there to speak to her. When he describes the police officer to Sarah, she realises he is talking about Lizzie but keeps quiet.
Sarah goes to visit Lizzie at home, having worked out she is involved in an undercover operation that has links to the two murder cases she is working on. She is annoyed when she's met with a wall of silence from Lizzie, who, of course, can't say anything because of the agreement she signed when she joined Operation Perseus. When Sarah says she knows that Lizzie is working undercover with Steve, Lizzie feels backed into a corner and under pressure she IDs the man in the CCTV photo that Sarah shows her - confirming it is Jurral, the man who works for Shakiel.
Shakiel comes to see Steve and wants to take him for a drive so they can talk, but Steve is just on his way back from the shops and tells Shakiel he has ice cream in his bag and needs to take them inside first. While in his flat, he finds a mic and hides it in a pouch that he puts in his pocket.
Shakiel takes Steve to the fancy private school that his sons both go to, telling him that he has everything he has ever wanted, but has a big 'move' coming in that will make what has happened between the South London gangs so far look like child's play. He tells Steve he's doubting if he should go through with it, wondering if he is pushing his luck, but Steve tells him he needs to listen to his gut instinct.
Over at Jurrel's house, the police arrest him in what has to be the best scene of the series so far as Elaine flattens him with a car door when he tries to make a run for it. As he is shoved into a police car, Sarah and Lee find the white hire car that was used in Lexi's hit-and-run in his garage and they have enough to charge him for murder - must have taken Jurrel ages to think of that hiding place for the car!
While working late on Operation Perseus, Kieran is surprised to see his boss, DCI Tim Bailie at the door. He isn't there for a social visit though as after a little bit of small talk, it becomes clear he wants to know what evidence Mary has on the Portland Tower case. Kieran plays dumb and tells him that he will sort Mary, and asks not to be taken off the undercover operation just because of his marital problems.
Later he storms over to Sarah's house, fuming after being told by Bailie that her girlfriend is Julie Woodson, Farah Mehenni’s old teacher from season 2. They argue about lines being crossed and it is clear there is still no love lost between these two.
At the end of the episode, we see Steve asleep at night, only to be woken by two strangers in his house who are standing by his bed and holding a gun to his head. They demand he get up and shove him out the front door. Trying to remain cool he asks if he can get his shoes, but they tell him that he won't need them where he is going... who are the men and why do they want Steve?
The Tower season 3 airs every night from Monday, September 2 until Thursday, September 5 at 9 pm on ITV1. You can also catch it via ITVX.
