Épisode #1.4

Where the final episode excelled was with Paul Bethell realising that he was suddenly at the cutting edge with the exhumation of Joseph Kappen in order to carry out the DNA testing.

His bosses at South Wales police were unsure if they could give permission. He has to persuade possibly the Home Secretary. He also needs to get the ok from the victims families as well as Kappen's own.

There was always the possibility that Kappen could be cleared. Phil Rees pursues an alternative suspect which upsets Bethell.

The final episode of Steeltown Murders tried to tie up plenty of threads. Once again the fictional aspects of the story got in the way in my opinion.

The exhumation part started to drag. It did lead to an eventual emotional moment for the victims families.

The list of suspects comes down to do, a dead man and a man who still refuses to give a DNA sample, but Paul is convinced that his man is Joseph Kappen, but he has a hard time convincing the powers that be to order an exhumation.

What a quality conclusion, it has been an excellent series, and here it gets the conclusion it deserved. Ed Whitmore cleverly kept things subtle, opting not to go for a big reveal, it all felt very factual, the identity of the killer that is.

What those families must have gone through, waiting and not knowing, on the other side of the coin, where Kappen's family must have felt, this was a powerful story.

Philip Glenister I salute you, fabulous from start to finish, I don't honestly think I've seen him give a finer performance.

9/10.