Spoiler Warning: This post contains a detailed Synopsis of the 5th Episode of Season 2 of Ashes to Ashes

The episode opens with Alex asleep on the sofa, with the TV on. The TV then turns on with Keith Harris and Orville, talking about Alex and saying she is at the hospital but Orville is still sad, even though Alex thinks he should be happy.

We then cut to the team chasing a French truck which pulls over and Chris goes over to have a word with the driver. While Chris chats with the driver Gene and Ray transfer someone who is gagged and taped from the boot of the Quattro into the truck, and then let the truck drive off.

In the car Chris and Ray bring up a newspaper headline in the Sun, on recent events on police corruption (Supermac and Jarvis) and how the police are more hated than ever. Gene then gets a call about a burglary at 2 Stanley Road, which Alex insists they take as it is her future in laws, after Gene initially wants it to go to uniform.

At the house, we see her future father in law being taken away in an Ambulance after being hit over the head which will cause him to become death. After interviewing Marjorie (Mum in law) we find out what has been taken which includes £1000 and a necklace and then meet Alex’s future husband, a 14 year old Peter who is asked to put out Molly the cat. Alex is aggressive towards Peter as he abandoned her and Molly (child) when she was 6 months old.

A friend Gaynor Mason then comes round asking what has happened and agrees to look after Peter, we also find out she has a Spanish ex boyfriend. Marjorie then describes the burgler, and we find out he wore a mask of Margaret Thatcher which Gene recognises as “Metal Mickeys” trademark. During the “interrogation” of Mickey, Ray is initially unenthusiastic only hitting him once, until he returns back to normal and beats him with more enthusiasm.

Alex then goes to the hospital, and runs into Peter who is confused how Alex knows so much about him. Alex then visits Brian, who she talks to and confides about the future in, even though he is deaf and will suffer permanent hearing loss. Alex then promises to help find out who did it to him as he will be a good Grandfather to Molly.

Back at the station, Gene insists that everyone is squeaky clean, we also see Ray fill in an army recruitment form. The team is less than enthusiastic about helping Alex, until Viv comes in and says the team that the fingerprints at the burglary came back as belonging to George Staines, a notorious criminal who has been dead for 2 years and whose capture would make a good headline.

While visiting Staines mother Elsie, Gene and Alex find a lot of money in her biscuit tin. They then find out that Metal Mickey was the one who identified George’s body and she denies having any savings. They then bring in the rest of the Staines gang for interrogation who deny knowing anything.

While Alex and Chris interview Metal Mickey, Gene is getting an angry phone call from the commissioner who is demanding results. As the interview is going nowhere Alex leaves and gets a reluctant Ray who is continuing filling in the Army application form. After Ray talks to Metal Mickey, he says he knows nothing about the Burglary at the Drakes but admits George Staines is alive and wanted to go to Spain after asking him to identify the body of a dead tramp as him. Hearing this they bring in Gaynor Mason who admitted to having a Spanish boyfriend.

Gaynor doesn’t admit to anything, and Gene puts her in a cell overnight as he thinks she knows something. Alex then gets a message from Viv which was left by “Boris Johnson” a man in his mid fifties and a similar height to Gene on a card saying Luigi’s 22:15.

In the cell Gaynor tries to seduce Ray comparing him to Clint Eastwood, who admits to wanting to join the army as cops are no longer seen as heroes but hated by some. Ray then leaves the cell.

At Luigi’s that evening, “Boris” does not turn up but instead leaves a note saying sorry I missed you. Later on though in the empty station as Alex works on the case he walks in on her and introduces himself to her as Martin Summers. Alex then pulls a gun on Martin and he then gives Alex information about “the real world” to prove where he is from and he tells her that he thinks they are the only 2 people there from the “other world”, and admits to being a disgraced retired cop.

Martin then tells her that Operation Rose could be the way out of this world for her, but he wants to stay as he only has a slow painful death waiting for him, but he can live the life he wants in the 1980′s. Alex then works out that Summers wants her to be corrupt and he leaves and says that he does not have much time to wait for an answer and she does not either. The next day she asks Shaz to look up information on him, which she agrees to do.

The next day Gene had Elsie brought in even though she will have nothing to do with it, in order to put pressure on George as he thought the world of her. Gaynor then passes them and as she leaves Elsie says hello to her, and says she visited her the previous day. In the interview with Gaynor, Gene agrees to pay her if she brings in George, but insists on Cash on Delivery. The plan fails though as later that night they find Gaynor unconscious after being hit on the head with a rock and Chris and Ray accompany her to the hospital

They the visit the Drakes who had received £500 in the post, Alex then goes to see Peter in his room. Alex then finds the stolen necklace in his room and thinks he robbed her parents. He then runs off and she complains to Gene about him and what he does in the future who is bemused by her complaints given he is just a 14 year old boy.

A little later they get a call from Ray and at the hospital find out that Gaynor Mason is actually George Staines, who has had half a sex change operation, women on top but still male below. Gene is his normal diplomatic self when interrogating “Gaynor” and ends up getting kneed for his trouble, but Gaynor cant get away.

Gaynor then tells them that Peter attacked her out of self defence when she chased him after he spotted her wearing his Mums necklace. Gaynor had visited Elsie, to say goodbye and left her the money after feeling remorse and asks them not to tell her the truth.

Gene then goes to see Elsie, and asks her why she sent the Drakes the money, and she says as the money did not belong to her and she felt sorry for them. Alex then goes see Peter and winds him up about sending him to jail, while she seems to make up with him, after she leaves she still thinks Peter is a creep.

Back at the station Shaz tells Alex that she could not find any information on Martin Summers, and Alex then speaks to Gene about him not collaring George Staines but instead arresting Gaynor Mason for the robbery. Alex then compliments Gene and offers to buy him a drink.

At the end of the episode at Luigi’s Alex convinces Ray not to join the army by tearing up his application when saying she will act as his referee. Alex then sees Martin again with Gene watching from a distance and turns his offer down despite being willing to do anything to see Molly again. Martin responds by telling her that he expected her to say that, but Operation Rose may change her mind. Luigi then tells her that he thinks she did the right thing.