Following Lindsay's murder conviction on the season finale, season 7 opens with Lindsay being sentenced to life in prison. Bobby tries to keep it together, and chooses Rebecca to lead Lindsay's appeal. Meanwhile, Jimmy is hired by a woman who kidnapped a little girl many years ago, to anonymously inform the girl's mother that she is safe and sound. That action opens up a huge can of worms, resulting with the false arrest of the woman originally accused of the kidnapping.
A year after the shooting incident which wounded them both Gently persuades a disillusioned Bacchus to accompany him to Newcastle where vagrant Simon Thomas has died in police custody. He was apparently part of a protest group demonstrating against the demolition of houses for building clearance, a demonstration which turned into a riot where policeman Ashton was fatally wounded. Resentful of the investigators the local police close ranks though all deny a revenge killing. When WPC Coles, who found Simon's corpse, is apparently forced to resign on grounds of negligence Gently believes she is taking the rap for her male colleagues. Discovering the true motive for Simon's death Bacchus regains his confidence as he helps Gently arrest the real killer.
A year after Gently and Bacchus were shot in Durham Cathedral it looks like Bacchus has had enough of the police; he may have healed physically but he feels it is no longer what he wants to do. Gently tells him he must work a month's notice though.

The case opens after a riot in Newcastle; a policeman was badly injured and the chief suspect was taken to the station where he screamed as he was put in his cell; the next morning he is found dead by a young WPC. Gently and Bacchus are called in to find out what happened although everybody assumes the dead man was a drug addict who assaulted a police officer so they don't really care… Gently does though. As the investigation gets underway it becomes apparent that the man had been badly beaten. It looks as though he was probably killed by a policeman seeking payback for the attack on his friend but nobody wants to talk.

As the previous series ended I thought it might be the last, or at least the last to feature Bacchus as I feared he'd died so it was a pleasant surprise when not only did the series return but so did Bacchus. I'm glad he survived as his character has always been entertaining as he voiced his unsympathetic views! The story was solid; nicely leading the viewer to believe one thing before revealing a very different truth. The cast did a fine job; especially regulars Martin Shaw and Lee Ingleby. The episode nicely captured a period when cities were being 'modernised' with the demolition of old slums and the building of tower blocks… the 'housing of the future'. It certainly has a grittier feel than many murder mysteries; with one or two notable exceptions the police are shown to be more interested in protecting themselves than seeing justice done. Overall I thought this was a fine opening episode; I hope the rest of this series is as good.