Ministry of Defence spooks try to silence the UCOS team when they reinvestigate the passing of British soldier Eric Trimble, in the final episode of the crime drama. Just weeks before a tour of duty in Iraq, Trimble, along with three other squaddies - Andy Merrill, Keith Sharratt and Ronnie Glazebrook - was sent to the MoD's Influenza Research Unit (IRU) to take part in a medical trial.



All four did a bunk one night, but Trimble never returned. He was later found beaten to passing two miles from the Unit. Was Trimble the victim of a racist attack or an Army cover-up, or was his passing a direct result of the experiments being carried out by the IRU? When the MoD's DI Hamilton tries to stifle the case and the Army becomes obstructive, Jack Halford and DAC Strickland form an unlikely bond that sees them breaking protocol to get answers.



With the three surviving soldiers now suffering from either serious psychological, drink or memory problems, the team hopes that the Unit's Dr Matheson can shed light on the true nature of the trials. Brian's behaviour, meanwhile, causes concern. He appears to have improved since being fooled into thinking he can drink just one glass of wine, however, his alarming new obsession is masking the truth.

Episode Viewers and Ratings

Season 5 Episode 8 of New Tricks resulted in a 0.00 rating in the 18-49 demographic.

New Tricks Season 5 Episodes...

• s05e01 - Spare Parts
• s05e02 - Final Curtain
• s05e03 - Face For Radio
• s05e04 - Loyalties and Royalties
• s05e05 - Couldn't Organise One
• s05e06 - Magic Majestic
• s05e07 - Communal Living
• s05e08 - Mad Dogs

New Tricks Show Summary

New Tricks follows the work of the Metropolitan Police Service's Unsolved Crime and Open Case Squad (UCOS). Led by Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman, it is made up of retired police officers who have been recruited to reinvestigate unsolved crimes.

The series title is taken from the popular expression "You can't teach an old dog new tricks". The "old dogs" are successful in adapting their skills and experience to modern policing, with their knowledge of past cases proving especially useful.