List of Cracker episodes

After a young woman is found dead on a train, slashed to death with a straight razor, criminal psychologist Dr Edward "Fitz" Fitzgerald is hired by DCI Bilborough to help in the investigation. The prime suspect, Thomas Francis Kelly, however, claims to have amnesia, despite Fitz's attempts to crack him.

While Kelly continues to have no recollection about the murder, Fitz takes him into his custody and begins to believe in his innocence when a man claiming to be Kelly's priest commits the sin of confirming that Kelly confessed his guilt a while ago.

Fitz is drawn into a Bonnie and Clyde story when two young social outcasts, the mentally unstable Sean Kerrigan and the insecure Tina O'Brien, find each other and go on a crime spree.

DS Giggs is killed by Sean and Tina, who send the police a video of their intentions beforehand. Fitz recognises Sean from a previous encounter and lures them out. Tina accosts Fitz at a bar with the intention of murdering him, but she is caught and arrested, while Sean flees.

With the police closing in on him, Sean targets Tina's family in revenge for Tina's harsh upbringing, while Fitz pleads with Tina to cooperate with them before Sean goes too far.

A young boy, Timothy Lang, is found hanged in a nearby wood, drawing the ire of the city, and the main suspect is Tim's school teacher, Mr Cassidy.

Cassidy is arrested but set free because of lack of evidence. After he is almost killed by Timothy's father, he is placed in the custody of Fitz, who pressures Cassidy to confess. Cassidy then reveals he is innocent, but refuses to retract his confession so Fitz will share his guilt.

Albert "Albie" Kinsella Jr., a divorced and bitter manual worker, murders a Pakistani shopkeeper - the police, and Fitz, must find out why.

Re-hiring Fitz, the police become convinced that they are not dealing with a hood, but an ordinary citizen gone horribly wrong. As they investigate Albie's neighbourhood, Albie feigns cancer and fools DS Beck, with dire consequences when Albie lures Bilborough into a trap and stabs him to death. In his final moments, Bilborough identifies Albie to his comrades.

Bilborough is replaced by DCI Charlie Wise, who takes over the investigation. As the police close in on him, Albie reveals a few explosive tricks to carry out his revenge for Hillsborough.

A young girl missing for several days is discovered naked, covered in strange symbols and quoting the Bible. The trail leads to a fringe Christian sect and its charismatic leader, Kenneth Trant.

The police track down and arrest one of Trant's apparently learning-disabled workers after the girl dies in the hospital. Fitz cracks him and discovers his innocence, but he hangs himself out of guilt.

As Fitz begins an affair with DS Jane Penhaligon, he makes it his mission to crack Trant and his obedient family into admitting their guilt in murdering the young girl, while learning it will not be as easy as it seems.

Floyd Malcolm, a black taxi driver, lashes out at white men who disrespect him by raping their wives and destroying the evidence, and strikes at the heart of Fitz's personal life when Penhaligon is raped.

Convinced that Penhaligon was raped by somebody else, the police begin closing in on Floyd, while Penhaligon discovers a connection between her rapist and DS Jimmy Beck. Acting apparently on Fitz's advice, Floyd murders his next victim.

Floyd is captured, but his lawyer secures his release before he can confess, and he plans his revenge against Fitz while Penhaligon takes matters into her own hands with Beck.

The brutal murder and violation of a prostitute quickly lead the police to arrest David Harvey, while the death of Fitz's mother reunites him with his estranged brother, Danny. After four months of mental therapy, DS Beck returns to the force, to Penhaligon's discomfort.

After another prostitute is killed in an identical manner, the police tail and arrest David Harvey's brother, Father Michael. Though he is released due to lack of evidence, Michael casts his suspicion on David's wife, Maggie, who claims Michael killed one of her children.

Beck breaks down and admits to Fitz that he did rape Penhaligon, but makes Fitz swear to keep it secret. Fitz realises Maggie is the second killer and she is arrested before she can kill another prostitute. She confesses to her crimes which were revenge against the prostitutes David was sleeping with, costing them the money which would have raised their fifth child which Michael, who was aware of David's activities, convinced Maggie to abort, hence why Maggie holds him responsible for his death. Maggie also falsely confesses to the murder of the first prostitute to secure David's release, which drives Beck to his breaking point and leads to a devastating climax.

When the older Stuart Grady meets the teenage Bill Nash, the instant attraction between the two leads to murderous consequences. Meanwhile, the birth of Fitz's new son is not the solution to his marital strife that he expected, and Judith begins to seek solace with Danny.

An accident leads the police to apprehend Grady while Nash is still at large. As the police close in on him, Nash targets his former foster family, particularly their little boy.

Fitz becomes the target of a secret admirer who is willing to kill – and keep killing – to get his attention, understanding and love.

Fitz's personal life is thrown into disarray when his admirer targets his son, Mark.

While in Hong Kong on a lecture tour, Fitz is asked by the local police to help investigate the murder of a Chinese businessman.

Fitz returns to Manchester for his daughter's wedding, but is soon involved in another murder investigation when an American comedian is killed, apparently without motive.