Spoiler Warning: This post contains a detailed Synopsis of the 4th Episode of Season 2 of Ashes to Ashes

The episode opens in Luigi with “A Division” taunting Gene and the crew over his upcoming transfer to Plymouth by singing songs in a West Country accent. Things start to degenerate with Ray and Chris throwing rolls at “A Division”, Gene and Alex make their exit in a semi-suspicious fashion as a fight starts between Ray, Chris and Vic and the much larger “A Division” party after Chris and Ray voice suspicions that there is something going on between Alex and Gene. Alex and Gene are in fact heading back to the station and plant a bug in Supermac’s office. We also find out that Supermac has been involved in multiple dodgy operations including a Gold Bullion job and has gathered hundred of thousands of pounds, of which there is no trace.

The next morning, the team find Gene and Alex asleep in his office further raising their suspicions, and a pregnant Jackie Queen (reporter from Life on Mars, Season 1 Episode 6) walks in with Gene’s coat and claims that he is the father, which Gene denies as he thinks no matter how drunk he was, he would never sleep with her. Jackie reveals her additional reason for visiting while annoying Alex is that she is writing a piece on missing teenage girls concentrating on one in particular Rachel Lessing, and that she is getting fobbed off by the Met. When Gene speaks with Vic, it turns out Supermac is the one behind the lack of investigation.

Despite Alex’s objections they head to the coach station to see if they can spot anything dodgy and they see a dodgy looking bloke talking to a teenage girl. As they start to follow, Alex gets a radio message from Dr. Death who has put a rose in her pocket. They follow him to a pub and see him taking pictures of the girl (Debbie) in her underwear. While interrogating the man (Gordon) they discover he sends Virgins to special parties run by Ralph Jarvis and that Rachel is Jackie’s niece.

At the station they find that Ralph Jarvis was arrested in 1977 on suspicion of murder but had an Alibi, so they decide to bring him in. The interview is entirely unproductive as Ralph and his lawyer denies everything. When Gene sets the team to looking for Rachel, Supermac bursts in angrily and orders them to not bother Ralph Jarvis and orders them to get arrests and drop everything else including the search. Gene ignores Supermac and orders the team to bring in a few homeless people and charge them with stealing stuff in lost property. Gene and Alex then go into his office, close all the blinds and lock the door further raising suspicions that something is going on between them.

In his office Gene shows Alex some dodgily obtained bank statements showing some officers with suspiciously large bank balances who are linked to Supermac, and that Chris and Ray appear clean. The bug they planted in Supermacs office then picks up a confrontation between Supermac and Jarvis where Supermac tells Jarvis to not bring attention to himself and their deal and sounds like it ends with Supermac punching Jarvis when Jarvis mentions Supermac’s daughter. Their private conversation is interrupted by Jackie Queen who shows them that Supermac and Jarvis attended Hendon (Police training college) together before Jarvis dropped out.

They then get Shaz to dress up in casual clothes and Chris plants a bug on her so Shaz can pretend to be a homeless runaway that was picked up to find out more about the parties, and  Chris comments that Sam Tyler taught him when Alex complements him on his handling of the bug, Alex tries to find out more about Sam from Jackie but doesn’t get anywhere. Shaz is successful and gets an address from them for the parties.

Gene and the team go to the house which looks abandoned, but find nothing suggesting that the judge they got the warrant off or someone in his department tipped off Supermac or Jarvis. When they wonder if they have the right address Jackie’s niece Rachel walks in asking if this is where they have the party. At a celebration at Luigi’s Gene ends up proposing to Jackie, but finds out he did not sleep with her after all, and Jackie was playing a prank on him. The good humour doesn’t last though as Rachel ran off again.

Jackie ends up sleeping at Alex’s and we find out more about Sam Tyler’s post Life on Mars life, that he married Annie but did not have any children, and was happy once he stopped fighting whatever he was fighting. Jackie wrote his obituary for the paper and said he was the most loved man she had ever met. Jackie asks if Alex and Gene are an item which is quickly dismissed, and says that Gene Hunt was not put on Earth to have kids but has other work to do.

Alex then has a nightmare where Molly is kidnapped by Jarvis, and is woken by a phone call from Dr. Death who says she has caused trouble by getting Supermac agitated and that what she does has consequences. As Jackie comforts an upset Alex, an angry looking Gene walks in and tells Alex to get dressed. They end up driving to the river as they found a dead girl, it turns out not to be Rachel but is Debbie, the girl they met getting photographed earlier.

Back at the station as all the evidence seems to have dried up, Gene tries to appeal to Supermac’s lost decency but doesn’t get anywhere. Gene then fill in Ray and Chris on what is going on, Ray and Chris are disbelieving but stay loyal when giving the chance to leave. Supermac interupts the conversation and arrests Alex on corruption charges and then proceeds to search Alex’s flat and they find planted evidence including money, drugs, suspicious amounts in her bank statements, and Televisions from Kevin Hales apartments. Before she is taken back to the station she mentions the man phoning her leaving her Roses, which Supermac says he knows nothing about.

In a show interview, Alex says nothing and is sent home after she collects her things, Shaz and Chris are completely supportive, though Ray asks where did the new TV come from. Before Alex leaves, Jackie gets a phone call from Rachel which says she is going to a party and to tell her Dad she is fine. Back at Alex’s she has a TV vision where Molly calls up Roland Rat and says she wants her Mum back who is currently in an Ambulance. Jackie and Gene then arrive to take Alex on the search of Jarvis’ house as Jackie knew something was wrong with Rachel as Rachel’s dad had been dead for 5 years.

In the initial look around of the house Gene shoots a guard dog, and they find out that the house is not Jarvis’ but is actually Supermacs as they find a large portrait of him and his daughter. They also find one of Debbie’s scarves, hearing noise they find a party with lots of girls including Rachel and lots of men. While they initially plan to bide their time, they are forced to take action when Jackie is brought in by a guard.

Back at the station Gene confronts Supermac, Supermac intially acts tough but looks slightly shaken when Alex shows him Debbie’s scarf, Gene asks him if he (Supermac) can live with what he has become and walks out. The interview with Ralph Jarvis goes nowhere and Rachel cannot make herself identify Ralph Jarvis as the man who held her captive when she wanted to leave.

It looks like Gene and Alex have lost as they follow Ralph Jarvis out of the station, when Supermac appears. Supermac draws a gun, shoots and kills Ralph Jarvis when Ralph goes to hug him, he then puts the gun to his mouth. Gene rushes in and tries to stop him but Supermac still ends up shooting himself. As he lies on the floor dying Supermac tells Gene that he is sorry asks him to forgive him (which Gene does) and that it is not over and something bigger is coming “Operation Rose”.

In a somber office, Gene redraws the line against police corruption and raises a toast to Supermac “there but for the grace of God”. At the coach station Alex and Gene, see off Jackie and Rachel off, and Jackie asks Alex if she is sure there is nothing going on. Back at Luigi’s Gene and Alex have a fairly somber talk raising the question of what is “Operation Rose” and Alex evades Gene question about Jackie’s comment. Alex then gets a phone call from Dr Death and he says she may be right about them helping each other, and suggests they meet alone. As he hangs up Alex see’s a picture of a Rose on Luigi’s board which shakes her when she realises what it may mean.