Doyle gets a desperate call from con-on-the-run Jack Stone - whom he remembers from his days back on the force.
Serial villain Jack has been in hiding since a big robbery job where his fellow gang members were captured and imprisoned - but where he managed escape justice.
Thought dead, Jack has actually been hiding in the loft of his family home - where he yearns to spend time with his wife and young children who share his secret with him.
But it seems his whereabouts has been rumbled by someone who had a massive grudge against him... after the family's pet cat and dog are poisoned, it appears his children may be next on the list, and he desperately needs Doyle and CI5's help.
As with many episodes from the final season, this is an unusual one that deviates from the familiar formula. It's not really a case for CI5 at all - but Cowley relents, and allows the squad (and Doyle) to help out his old 'buddy' from the past.
It does get to be a bit sentimental at times - the plaintive music score underlining this perhaps a bit too much, but isn't without some good twists and turns and set-pieces along the way.
The pre-credits sequence of the family's cat prowling around by night makes for an atmospheric and unusual introduction, and we get to see that Doyle really cares about the rascally Jack and wants to help him with all the CI5 resources at his disposal.
It maybe lacks the full-on action, wit and grit of some of the best stories, but definitely isn't the worst episode. Additionally, fans of the BBC's long-running Grange Hill series will recognize a young Melissa Wilks as Jack's daughter.
Serial villain Jack has been in hiding since a big robbery job where his fellow gang members were captured and imprisoned - but where he managed escape justice.
Thought dead, Jack has actually been hiding in the loft of his family home - where he yearns to spend time with his wife and young children who share his secret with him.
But it seems his whereabouts has been rumbled by someone who had a massive grudge against him... after the family's pet cat and dog are poisoned, it appears his children may be next on the list, and he desperately needs Doyle and CI5's help.
As with many episodes from the final season, this is an unusual one that deviates from the familiar formula. It's not really a case for CI5 at all - but Cowley relents, and allows the squad (and Doyle) to help out his old 'buddy' from the past.
It does get to be a bit sentimental at times - the plaintive music score underlining this perhaps a bit too much, but isn't without some good twists and turns and set-pieces along the way.
The pre-credits sequence of the family's cat prowling around by night makes for an atmospheric and unusual introduction, and we get to see that Doyle really cares about the rascally Jack and wants to help him with all the CI5 resources at his disposal.
It maybe lacks the full-on action, wit and grit of some of the best stories, but definitely isn't the worst episode. Additionally, fans of the BBC's long-running Grange Hill series will recognize a young Melissa Wilks as Jack's daughter.