New Tricks is a British comedy-drama that follows the work of the fictional Unsolved Crime and Open Case Squad of the Metropolitan Police Service. Originally led by Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman, it is made up of retired police officers who have been recruited to reinvestigate unsolved crimes.
Written by Sophie and last updated on jan 04, 2023.
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!
UCOS re-open the case of Sean Docherty, a talented young poet whose burnt body was discovered ten years ago in the scrapyard of a known gangster. While Standing is convinced that the murder is related to Docherty's criminal connections, Lane is sure that the answer lies in his poetry.
The episode was rated 7.69 from 51 votes.
The body of a missing computer expert turns up in a hospital morgue under a false name, so the team reopens the investigation into his disappearance. The dead man worked for the Metropolitan Police, giving him access to a great deal of sensitive information—added to which, he was in contact with a group of online hackers. As the seasoned detectives unravel the mystery, Brian struggles to accept Steve as the new UCOS member, forcing Esther to intervene.
The episode was rated 7.75 from 61 votes.
McAndrew and Standing are sent to Scotland by Strickland for a week, to help the Glasgow Police try and establish a new UCOS section led by DCI Fiona MacDougall. While there, they end up being caught up in a cold case from 1993 featuring the murder of bookie James Soutar.
The episode was rated 7.80 from 50 votes.
UCOS re-open the investigation of a diplomat who drowned in the Thames just before Christmas 2008. Her eccentric twin sister believes that the Foreign Office is behind the death of her diplomat sister, making Pullman wonder if there might be some truth to Minnie's paranoia but Gerry is convinced there is another answer
The episode was rated 7.92 from 62 votes.
The team are called in to reinvestigate the disappearance of PE teacher Jason Bowe after a body is found on the perimeter of the elite public boarding school where he was employed. The investigation has come at a really bad time for the school, which is getting to welcome a former pupil, the Rt Hon Geoffrey Parkes MP, for the opening of a new computer centre.
The episode was rated 7.93 from 56 votes.
Retired DI Steve McAndrew from Glasgow joins the team to reopen one of his old cases when the DNA of a woman who went missing as a teen turns up at the scene of a petrol station robbery.
The episode was rated 7.93 from 59 votes.
The team investigate the death of a 16-year-old tennis star who fell—or was pushed—from a penthouse balcony after she lost an important match to a rival.
The episode was rated 7.94 from 52 votes.
The team investigate the murder of an East German immigrant, but they only have his mysterious final words to work with. As they attempt to piece together his remarkable story, Sandra attempts to gain the trust of his estranged daughter.
The episode was rated 8.00 from 54 votes.
Thirty years ago, Strickland and a group of his associates, including Stephen Fisher, were involved in a covert operation on behalf of MI5. Now, someone is trying to kill all the members of that group and Strickland turns to the UCOS team for help.
The episode was rated 8.10 from 48 votes.
Jack announces that he he has decided to leave the team, but before Sandra, Brian and Gerry can question his reasons, Whitehall figure Stephen Fisher shows up with one of his secret cases featuring the unsolved murder of a woman dating back around a hundred years. With only 24 hours to solve it, the team attempt to find time to get to the bottom of Jack's surprising decision and attempt to persuade him not to leave.
The episode was rated 8.11 from 72 votes.
