The Game | Series 2 Preview (5)

Return of the thrilling drama starring Jason Watkins, Robson Green and Sunetra Sarker. A year after surviving a brutal stabbing, Huw believes he has escaped the psychological grip of serial killer Patrick, now imprisoned for his crimes. But Patrick is not finished.

From behind bars, he begins a new game - one that reaches deep into Huw’s family, dismantling his moral compass and forcing him toward an unthinkable choice: stopping Patrick for good might just come at a devastating personal cost.

Episode 1: A year after surviving a brutal attack, former detective Huw has retreated to a remote coastal home with his wife Alice, determined to leave the past behind. Meanwhile, their daughter Margot is preparing to move in with her boyfriend Sam, a relationship Huw struggles to embrace. But their fragile peace is disrupted when letters begin arriving from imprisoned serial killer Patrick, proving that he still has the power to intrude on their lives...

Meanwhile, Detective Jenny Atkins is approached by Natalie Gower, whose husband Jonathan disappeared years earlier after becoming convinced he was being watched. Natalie is convinced that Jonathan was Patrick’s first victim, and Jenny begins to suspect there may be a connection worth exploring.

As Huw struggles to ignore Patrick’s attempts to draw him back into a dangerous psychological game, tensions begin to surface within his family. His daughter Margot experiences a series of disturbing incidents that leave her feeling increasingly vulnerable, while Alice becomes convinced that Patrick’s influence remains a threat to them all.

With old fears resurfacing and unanswered questions surrounding Jonathan’s disappearance, Huw finds himself pulled back toward the man he hoped never to face again. As Patrick’s shadow lengthens over every aspect of their lives, it becomes clear that imprisonment has done little to diminish his ability to manipulate those around him.

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Episode 2: Huw confronts Patrick in prison, demanding the truth about Jonathan Gower. Patrick calmly claims Jonathan was his first victim, killed before Patrick perfected his killing methods. A childhood teddy bear links Jonathan to Patrick’s repair shop, a detail confirmed by Natalie Gower, despite Jenny’s growing unease that Patrick is once again controlling the narrative.

Patrick intensifies his psychological assault on Huw and Margot when Jackie breaks into Margot’s flat, scratches out pictures of Sam, and steals Margot’s diary. Armed with Margot’s most private thoughts, Patrick weaponises her fears, forcing her to confront her buried resentment toward her father.

When Margot learns that Huw has secretly visited Patrick again, she explodes - convinced Huw is feeding Patrick’s power and even arranging for someone to stalk her. Huw, blind to the damage he’s causing, assures her he will close the Gower case and they can finally move on. But Sam sees the truth: Huw’s obsession with Patrick and influence on Margot is corrosive and endless.

Patrick then sends Huw and Jenny to what he claims is Jonathan’s burial site. Instead, they find a grotesque decoy - a mannequin buried with Alice’s necklace. Patrick has been playing them all along, just as he has been manipulating vulnerable inmate Ian after he caught Jackie and Patrick working together, coercing him into self-harm through fear and humiliation with Jackie’s help.

Jackie plants another seed of paranoia, telling Huw she despises Patrick so much she had to warn him that Patrick claims to be working with a corrupt police officer - hinting that even Jenny might be compromised. Patrick then makes his next move: in exchange for Huw agreeing to visit him monthly, he will lead police to Jonathan’s real grave in person. Jenny is adamant this cannot happen, convinced Patrick is engineering an escape. Huw knows the risks, but believes Natalie Gower deserves closure, no matter the cost.

Seeing the devastation Patrick is wreaking on Margot, Huw makes a fateful decision. When Patrick takes them out onto the moors to supposedly reveal Jonathan’s resting place, Huw will finally end it.

The Game returns Tuesday 1st September at 9pm on 5.