BBC One’s Death Valley enters its penultimate hour this Sunday with a high-profile case that pulls its leads into personal territory. Episode 5 sees Janie (Gwyneth Keyworth) and John (Timothy Spall) investigating the death of Welsh actor Anthony Hart, stabbed mid-event at a murder mystery weekend.
The case comes with pressure. The victim was a national figure. His sister Helena, played by Patricia Hodge, is an old friend of John’s. Tensions rise as the team uncovers a property feud, a fractured family name, and a very different portrait of the man behind the celebrity image.
It’s the most personal case yet for both leads. Janie pushes to prove herself as DI material. John reopens emotional ground with Helena while wrestling with the case’s emotional fallout. Their paths diverge, then intersect again through a connection neither of them saw coming.
Written by Paul Doolan and directed by Simon Hynd, the episode sets up a final reckoning. With just one hour left, the series is tightening its grip on Janie’s long-telegraphed promotion arc while showing its hand on the deeper costs of unresolved history.
Death Valley continues Sunday 8.15pm on BBC One.
