The 'Ridley' Season 2 Finale Would Be Better Left in "The Memory Jar"

The final episode of the second season of Ridley opens as the search for missing Tara Dunning brings Ridley and Carol to speak once again to Tara’s husband, Rob, revealing the parts of her life she was keeping from him. Understandably upset and angry that Tara didn’t confide in him, Rob swears he knew nothing about her visits to her mother or that she’d been lying about her volunteer work. But when they break it to him that Tara is 16 weeks pregnant, Rob swings between denial and disbelief. Tara’s terrible postpartum experience had them both agreeing to no more children. When Ridley and Carol gently suggest Tara may have been having an affair, Rob throws them out.

DI Carol Farman: “I’ve spent my entire career trying to get women to be believed, and you’ve just made my job that much harder.” 

Darrell has been busy examining Celia’s laptop, which has the draft of a blackmail letter on the home screen. It’s intended for someone who’s been unfaithful and threatens to tell his wife. No names, but it sends Ridley off to revisit Dr. Vikram, who now conveniently remembers Tara called the morning of her disappearance and told him she was pregnant, to which he advised a termination. He doesn’t know who the father is, and he doesn’t know Celia. Tired of the evasion, Ridley tells him the search for Tara and the truth will continue with or without his help.

Annie comes around for dinner that evening at Ridley and, after some brandy, admits she thinks she made a mistake with Harry; he treats her like a glorified barmaid. The bar no longer feels like home, and she is appalled at Harry’s taste in renovation, chandeliers, and red velvet: “The place is going to look like a knocking shop.”

Meanwhile, down at the canal, two fishermen hear screams and, upon investigating, find a distraught woman wandering lost – it’s Tara, very much alive. 

The following morning, Ridley and Carol come to see Tara, who confesses to having an affair with Dr. Vikram; it ended badly. She had arranged to meet Vikram after she’d dropped Leo off at school that morning; he insisted she have an abortion, as he had a wife and children to consider. She tells them she refused to terminate her pregnancy; he responded by attempting to throttle her and then locked her up on his narrowboat (moored on the canal), effectively holding her prisoner. During those four days, Vikram told her Celia was trying to blackmail him. Carol breaks the news of Celia’s death; Tara blames herself.

But Dr. Newstone, busy with forensics aboard Vikram’s boat, starts poking holes in Tara’s stories. For instance, she claimed Vikram had used plastic restraints on her wrists, which Tara had cut off and left in the boat, but her wrists are unmarked. Similarly, she has no bruising on her throat from Vikram’s attack. Her DNA is all over the ship, and she left her cardigan behind. As Wendy sits Ridley down to give him the straight talk about postpartum depression, Darren visits the hospital to check the admission logs and chats with a hospital worker who tells him Vikram has been accused of fraternizing with a female patient. 

Vikram is brought in and admits he received Celia’s letter a few weeks ago. Most of what he tells them now adds up, but his story about being at a conference on the day of Tara’s disappearance collapses in the face of hospital records showing him on site. He dismisses the affair as “a lapse in judgment,” insisting he did no harm to her, and denies imprisoning her. He swears he didn't realize she was serious about having the baby until they were on their way to the appointment, whereupon he pulled over, threw her out of his car, and drove away.

Carol drives Tara home, where she is joyfully reunited with her son and husband. Carol, concerned about the family’s privacy, suggests they invite the press in for a photo call in the next couple of days to get the shutterbugs outside to leave and tells them the station will send a liaison officer to help. Ridley returns to Celia’s house, where he finds plastic ties in the kitchen drawer and her medication for her Parkinson’s. He calls Wendy to see if one of the drugs can cause drowsiness. She confirms it can and advises him to check out the black threads found on Celia’s body.

Ridley returns to the couple's home and takes Tara outside to talk. In the snowy landscape, Tara tells Ridley she’d phoned Celia after she and Vikram fought, and Celia’d driven out to pick her up, confirming Vikram’s version of events. Tara’s story of being kidnapped and imprisoned in the narrowboat was a complete fantasy. At this point, Ridley suggests they continue the interview at the station. There, Tara admits she let Celia take her in and was persuaded to stay, just that night, to think things over. However, Tara found Celia's mothering, well, smothering. Celia made her a heavily drugged sleep aid, settled her in the spare room, and then went to answer the phone, where she had a brief conversation with Jason. 

Livid, Tara confronted Celia, quickly escalating to physical violence and Celia falling backward down the stairs. Afraid of being locked up again, Tara didn’t call 999. Instead, she sat down on the steps and watched her friend die. As she did, she decided to frame Vikram, who needed to be taught a lesson. She scrubbed down the kitchen, waited until it was dark, and left for the narrowboat, borrowing Celia’s plastic ties for added credibility. In addition, the black threads on Celia’s body came from the cardigan Tara left in the boat.

Tara’s shocking confession is a sobering end to the season, and Carol’s mood lifts only when she meets Jack outside work, despite him claiming he’s only there to get a ride home. Meanwhile, Ridley hands Darren an envelope containing £5,000. Let’s hope this doesn’t come back to bite him should there be a Season 3. Annie and Harry are quarreling at the jazz club, and she ends with the announcement they’re over. He reminds her that she owes him money, Ridley’s cue to appear like a guardian angel and tell Harry to back off, calling him “as bent as a dog’s hind leg” and inferring the Crime Squad may be interested in his activities.

Annie gives Harry back the bracelet he gifted her, claiming it’s not her style. Ridley celebrates by singing a bouncy ballad that regrettably would not be out of place in the Eurovision Song Contest, and he and Annie raise their glasses to the jazz club – it’s been their constant all along.

Ridley Seasons 1 and 2 can be streamed in full on the PBS Masterpiece Prime Video Channel and on PBS Passport for members. As always, check your local listings and streamers.