DCI Banks

10 Worst Episodes of DCI Banks

A thrilling drama based on the novels by Peter Robinson. Stephen Tompkinson and Andrea Lowe star as the tenacious and stubborn Chief Inspector Alan Banks and the feisty and headstrong Detective Sergeant Annie Cabbot.

Written by Sophie and last updated on nov 24, 2022.

PS: The following content contains spoilers!

PPS: I will admit that parts of this page was written with the help of AI - it makes my work so much easier to not start from a blank page!

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DCI Banks - S3E2

#10 - Wednesday's Child (2) (Season 3 - Episode 2)

Campbell admits to kerb crawling but claims to have met Kyle in the arcade by chance and sent him home whilst the dead boy is named as Andre Petri, who died of a heroin overdose and lived near the Heaths. His sister tells Annie that she was amazed how flush he was and it turns out that the arcade was the recruiting ground for under-age drug dealers. Banks suspects the leader is Chivers, a cab driver with previous convictions, who has disappeared with a female accomplice but Helen believes that Katy is not so innocent and is involved with Chivers to get Paul to pay a ransom which he will share with her. Annie shadows Paul as he delivers the money but loses him. Eventually Banks catches up with Chivers and finds that things are not as they first appeared to be.

The episode was rated 7.72 from 111 votes.

DCI Banks - S3E1

#9 - Wednesday's Child (1) (Season 3 - Episode 1)

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11-year old Kyle Heath escapes a couple claiming to be social workers who try to force him into their car but next day his mother Katy tells Banks and Helen that they returned and abducted him and the phone number they gave her is false. Mr and Mrs Harris who live opposite confirm the visit but are critical of Katy's parenting and Kyle's behaviour. When heroin is found in the floor-boards of Katy's house Annie believes Kyle was taken to force Katy to give them to the abductors but Katy denies knowledge of it. She suggests Kyle's father, her estranged partner Paul Cain, is the culprit though evidence suggests that Kyle is the actual drug dealer, earning money to spend at an arcade with headmaster Mark Campbell. Then a young boy's corpse is found - though it is not that of Kyle.

The episode was rated 7.72 from 156 votes.

DCI Banks - S5E2

#8 - To Burn in Every Drop of Blood (2) (Season 5 - Episode 2)

The post mortem into the daughter of crime boss Steve Richards reveals that her death isn't a simple suicide – could someone else have been involved? And if so, who? While the violent Richards conducts his own unique brand of investigation, the focus shifts once again when the team discover that despite Kat's confession, she can't have murdered Damon Horsley. The break comes when evidence is uncovered that puts Kyle Finn, who found Horsley's body, in the spotlight, and under questioning he confesses to something truly shocking ‐ but Banks already knows he's lying, the real murderer has been hiding in plain sight all along.

The episode was rated 7.70 from 231 votes.

DCI Banks - S5E3

#7 - A Little Bit of Heart (1) (Season 5 - Episode 3)

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When a devoted husband and father goes missing, a ransom demand takes Banks and his team on a journey into the Chinese community.

The episode was rated 7.69 from 227 votes.

DCI Banks - S1E2

#6 - Playing with Fire (2) (Season 1 - Episode 2)

After Tom McMahon becomes the third victim following some suspicious fires, Alan realises that he is now attempting to catch a serial killer. His superiors warn him to keep his distance from the Aspern family who are trying to lodge an official complaint against him. Banks is determined to locate the ringleader of the art forgery scam which links two of the victims. Annie continues to see Mark Keane, despite Banks’ warnings. After Banks finally discovers the true identity of ‘Morrison’, he quickly realises that Annie could be in real danger.

The episode was rated 7.63 from 219 votes.

DCI Banks - S1E4

#5 - Friend of the Devil (2) (Season 1 - Episode 4)

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DC Templeton's body is discovered, and Annie becomes convinced that the murder is connected to that of Lucy Payne. The suspect in the Daniels murder case is cleared, so DCI Banks must establish how the real murderer was able to avoid detection.

The episode was rated 7.62 from 107 votes.

DCI Banks - S4E3

#4 - Buried (1) (Season 4 - Episode 3)

A husband and daughter find it hard to deal with their grief after the body of wife and mother Anaan Kamel is discovered washed up by an underground river. Marcus Leyton, a former employee of Anaan and Raheel’s law chambers becomes the main suspect.

The episode was rated 7.59 from 142 votes.

DCI Banks - S1E3

#3 - Friend of the Devil (1) (Season 1 - Episode 3)

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DCI Banks assigns DS Cabbot as SIO when the mutilated body of a woman is found on the Yorkshire Moors, while he investigates the murder of a teenaged girl whose body has been found in a storage room. Annie discovers that her victim was Lucy Payne.

The episode was rated 7.56 from 119 votes.

DCI Banks - S5E1

#2 - To Burn in Every Drop of Blood (1) (Season 5 - Episode 1)

The crime drama series returns with the first episode of a two-part story. When a victim of a frenzied attack is found in the woods with his head caved in, initially the team wonders if it is a random attack or related to the location - where a local girl recently committed suicide. Banks, however, has a theory of his own. When the victim is identified as small time drug dealer Damon Horsley and Banks uncovers a link to local crime boss Steve Richards, he is convinced the hitherto untouchable Richards had a part in the murder.

The episode was rated 7.56 from 248 votes.

DCI Banks - S1E1

#1 - Playing with Fire (1) (Season 1 - Episode 1)

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In the first episode, DCI Alan Banks is taken to a canal where there has been a fatal fire. The crime is far from straightforward, and as another body is discovered the motive, as well as the intended victim, become increasingly unclear. However, the discovery of what appears to be a Turner landscape suggests that at least one of the victims was involved in an art forgery scam.

The episode was rated 7.32 from 283 votes.

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