Silent Witness episode 7 review: Another new face and a fist fight for Jack
Newcomer Genesis Lynea makes her debut as forensic ecologist Simone Tyler in this double-header set in the world of underground boxing.
It's likely that the majority of Silent Witness fans are still recovering from the shock ending of last week's double-header – which saw popular newcomer Adam Yeun (Jason Wong) brutally killed off in just his second week on the show – but Nikki Alexander and Jack Hodgson have little time to dwell on the tragic death this week. Instead, they're thrown into a brand new case that takes place in the world of boxing – and by the end of the instalment that backdrop has clearly taken its toll, with Jack himself seen throwing a few punches. Meanwhile, the case also saw the introduction of another newcomer in the shape of Simone Tyler (Genesis Lynea), while there's some more Hodgson family drama to enjoy as well.
The episode begins with the death of Kieran Johnson, whose body crashes on top of a stolen car being driven by a mysterious couple. It becomes clear almost instantly that most of the injuries suffered by Kieran were not caused by the fall itself, but rather by a fistfight before the fact. Further inquiries lead Jack and Nikki to a boxing gym owned by "women's boxing pioneer" Michelle Lafferty, where it transpires Kieran was a regular. Here we find a couple of potential suspects, including brothers Lee and Ben Coogan – the latter of whom it appears is the big hope of Michelle, who we intriguingly see tell him that she "knows what he's been through".
We also meet Noah, Kieran's brother, who is suspiciously unmoved by his brother's death, and Kieran's wife Teresa, who appears rather more affected. It soon emerges that Noah and Teresa had actually been having an affair and, what's more, had been planning to run away together. Meanwhile, some fishy financial statements reveal that £20,000 had been transferred from Kieran's account to Teresa just after his death.
Later, a memory stick found in one of Kieran's daughter's teddy bears reveals that Ben's brother – who is essentially acting as his agent, has recently had contact with boxing promoter Glen Scowcroft. Some investigating by Jack and DI Lisa Brodie (guest star Danielle Henry) reveals that that same promoter was regularly paying Kieran £5,000 in cash – it appears that the deceased had been blackmailing him over the footage. When questioned, Glen denies this, claiming the video on Kieran's USB was a deepfake and also revealing that he had previously dropped Kieran as a client. Crucially, he also says that Kieran had resented Ben for the latter's success and had wanted to settle their problems once and for all with a fight.
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The suggestion here is that Ben could have ended up killing Kieran in this grudge match, but when Lisa asks Ben about this he denies it ever having taken place, and is backed up by Michelle Lafferty – although it seems clear that she is trying to protect him. However, some later research by Nikki and newcomer Simone Tyler reveals that Kieran hadn't actually died due to injuries sustained during a boxing match, rather he had been suffocated with a microfibre bag.
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Towards the end of the episode, we meet some underground boxing bigwigs who are owed money by Ben's brother, Lee. It appears that Lee had been making money betting on his brother's fights, and also that these people are none too happy about Ben having made the move to legitimate boxing following his signing with Glen. After Ben's first legitimate fight, Lee is found and beaten up, but not before Nikki and Jack follow them, with Jack soon getting caught up in the intervening punch up. Later, when treating Jack's wounds, Nikki spots something curious about them – they contain the same plaster of Paris remnants that were found on Kieran's wounds, presumably indicating that the man who fought with Jack had also been involved in the murder.
Then, at the end of the episode, we see Ben fleeing in a panic from his underground boxing match – with the final moments of the episode seeing him crushed against a wall by a car. It's still a little unclear exactly what's going on, but at the moment it all seems to be pointing towards the shady organisers of this underground boxing ring. Everything is certainly well-poised for tomorrow's second part.
As for newcomer Simone, early signs point towards her being an exciting new addition to the Lyell crew. We've already seen a few glimpses into her private life, including a fun exchange with her mum (who was dressed as Tina Turner) and the revelation of a secret relationship with Lisa, the investigating officer on the case. Lisa makes mention of the fact that Simone is incredibly secretive, and this personality trait seems like one that could continue to play a part going into future episodes. It's also clear that, where previous newcomer Adam had no shortage of confidence, the same is not true of Simone, who appears to suffer from a bit of self-doubt. Hopefully, a few weeks working with Nikki and Jack will help her come out of her shell, and fingers crossed she doesn't meet an untimely demise – her forensic ecology expertise brings a fresh new angle to the show.
Meanwhile, Jack's brother Ryan has been released from prison on probation, but it's clear that his troublemaking days aren't behind him yet. Early in the episode, we see him sneaking out, defying his probation orders, and it soon turns out that he's hiding a gun in the house – something which Jack is understandably none too pleased about. Then at the end of the episode, we learn that his father Connor has discovered the gun and been beaten up by his son in the ensuing bust-up, with Ryan then fleeing with all his cash and cards. And then we also saw Jack secretly taking DNA samples from his brother – presumably to try and clear up the issue of Cara's parentage once and for all. It's certainly a dramatic time for the Hodgson clan...
Silent Witness continues on BBC One on Tuesday 28th September at 9pm. Check out what else is on with our TV Guide, or visit our Drama hub for all the latest news and features.
