 DCI Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister) is back but he s no longer the self styled  Sheriff of Manchester . Flanked by his faithful sidekicks, Ray Carling (Dean Andrews) and Chris Skelton (Marshall Lancaster), and drawn by the action and intrigue of the London Met, Gene s turned his attentions to taking on the  southern nancy  criminal scum. However, Gene did not expect to be thrown together with a sexy, intelligent, DCI Alex Drake. Single mother to daughter Molly, Alex has rapidly risen through the ranks of the Met, and in the modern world of 2008, skilfully uses psychological profiling to capture suspects. When Alex and her daughter are kidnapped, she makes a daring attempt at escape, resulting in a horrific accident. Alex suddenly finds herself in 1981 interacting with familiar characters, not just from her own life-time, but also from the detailed reports logged by none other than Sam Tyler, which Alex has previously spent months pouring over. Alex is ripped from her current world of sexual equality and respect in 2008, and finds herself opposite an arrogant fellow DCI, in a two tone,  New Romantic  80 s London with a soundtrack of Adam Ant, Roxy Music and The Human League ringing in her ears. Alex finds some of Gene s team has dispersed yet others, loyal as ever, are still in tow. Now a technological whiz kid in the squad s surveillance team, DC Chris Skelton has clearly moved with the times, along with a tight-permed DS Ray Carling who s keen to experience London s nightlife. Frustrated by each other s stubbornness, the friction between Alex and Gene heats up. However, as the two titans collide, it becomes apparent there is more than just a professional tension emerging.