Case file · Series 22, Episode 2
The Stitcher Society
A man acquitted of murder seeks acceptance in a heart-rehabilitation club before members of the close-knit society begin to die.
The 60-second case card
Should I watch this one?
A support group built around second chances is forced to decide whether one controversial acquittal deserves another hearing.
- Best for
- Heart-recovery club · Old acquittal · Revenge
- Mood
- Dark
- Team
- DCI John Barnaby with DS Jamie Winter
- Spoiler guidance
- Read the premise freely; open the marked sections only after watching. This is not a complete content advisory.
Why it matters
A support group built around second chances is forced to decide whether one controversial acquittal deserves another hearing.
A man acquitted of murder seeks acceptance in a heart-rehabilitation club before members of the close-knit society begin to die.
Toby Wagner returns to life in Tamworth Springs after being acquitted of killing Viola Deepdale. Reuben Tooms argues for his innocence and wants Toby admitted to the Stitcher Society, a group for people recovering from heart surgery, but other members are far less willing to forgive or forget.
Reuben's murder is followed by another death at the society's premises and a shooting presented as an accident. Barnaby and Winter must separate evidence about Viola's old case from fresh blackmail, private loyalties and the grudges circulating inside the club.
Break the seal: reveal the finding
The present murders expose how the earlier case was interpreted, who profited from that interpretation and how revenge can survive an acquittal.
Open the full research dossierProduction, cast, forensics, deaths and filming evidence
Credits, context and checked facts
The episode file
- TV series
- Series 22
- Episode number
- Episode 2
- Written by
- Jeff Povey
- Directed by
- Roberto Bangura
- Listed transmission date(s)
- 11 April 2021
- Reported filming period
- November–December 2020
- Detective
- DCI John Barnaby
- Partner
- DS Jamie Winter
- Pathologist
- Dr Fleur Perkins · Annette Badland
- Principal setting
- Tamworth Springs
- Casebook tone
- Dark
Check the credits, then follow the source trail for production and filming details. Counts below describe this archive’s records.
The fictional setting and the real filming sites are separate pieces of information. The exact-site desk has been checked, but the current published reference does not identify a reliable building match for this episode.
Credits and archive connections
- Writer ledger8 episodes credited to Jeff Povey
- Director ledger4 episodes directed by Roberto Bangura
- Release positionCase 128 of 144
- Story characterDark · Heart-recovery club · Old acquittal
- Location evidenceChecked · published source gap
The society's name refers to members who have recovered from heart operations—the group at the centre of the story is a social club as well as a support network.
The Casebook's published location reference does not yet identify a verified real-world site for this episode, so no building match is asserted here.
Sources for the production file
Published episode chronology and credits ↗Official ITV programme page ↗Filming-location reference index ↗The chronology is the reference for the credits shown here. A programme homepage does not independently verify a filming date or every production detail. Where multiple transmission dates are listed, territory attribution needs checking. Story, teleplay and adaptation distinctions require the original credit wording; links to external synopses may reveal plot details.
Selected episode credits
Guest cast on file
Selected profiles and published cast-list entries. Database records are linked individually; this is not a full transcription or an independent check against the end credits.
Hannah Waddingham
Published cast record ↗Jacob Fortune-Lloyd
Published cast record ↗Keith Allen
Published cast record ↗Harriet Thorpe
Published cast record ↗Peter de Jersey
Published cast record ↗The performers behind this case
Core cast
Actor profiles for the detective, investigating partner and pathologist credited to this episode.
Neil Dudgeon
John Barnaby · Detective Chief InspectorAn English actor whose television work before Causton included Piece of Cake, The Mrs Bradley Mysteries, Messiah and the sitcom Life of Riley. He also appeared in Midsomer Murders years earlier as a different character in Garden of Death.
- Messiah
- Life of Riley
- The Mrs Bradley Mysteries
Nick Hendrix
Jamie Winter · Detective SergeantAn English actor trained at the University of Exeter and RADA. His theatre work includes the National Theatre, Old Vic and West End, while his screen credits include Black Mirror, Marcella, The Crown, Legend and Suffragette.
- Black Mirror
- Marcella
- The Crown
Annette Badland
Dr Fleur Perkins · Police pathologistAn award-winning English actor with an extensive career in theatre, television, film and radio. Her many recognisable roles include Doctor Who, EastEnders, Outlander, Bergerac and pub landlady Mae in Ted Lasso.
- Ted Lasso
- Doctor Who
- EastEnders
Portraits are used only where a reusable licence or public-domain release has been verified. Publicity stills and stock photographs are not copied into this independent guide.
Forensic desk
Dr Fleur Perkins
- Credit
- Resident pathologist
- Played by
- Annette Badland
Fleur pairs forensic certainty with dry humour and a magnificently low tolerance for Midsomer nonsense.
Meet the Casebook pathologists →Spoiler-controlled deaths desk
Deaths recorded in this case
4 source rows represent 4 people in the current ledger.
Break the seal: reveal the death ledger
- Reuben Tooms
Murder · Stabbing or impalement
- Georgie Tremayne
Murder · Other recorded death
- Mack McInally
Murder · Gunshot
- Viola Deepdale
Murder · Other recorded death · historical or before the main case
Real place → fictional identity
What was filmed where?
The current episode-by-episode filming reference marks this episode's location information as still missing.
Building identities are cross-checked against the Casebook's published filming-location references. A named match describes the part used on screen, not the whole village and not necessarily an interior.
Wider filming areas
Places connected to this file
No real-place link is published here until it can be tied to a specific, sourced screen use.