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Changed line(s) 188 (click to see context) from:
* DidntThinkThisThrough: [[spoiler: It obviously never occured to him why it was a bad idea trying to assassinate Spector in broad daylight while being surrounded by at least a dozen cops]]
to:
* DidntThinkThisThrough: [[spoiler: It obviously never occured to him why it was might be a bad idea trying to assassinate Spector in broad daylight while being surrounded by at least a dozen cops]]
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Changed line(s) 116 (click to see context) from:
* CorruptBureaucrat: Strongly downplayed and only for season 1; While he goes along with the corrupt dealings of Chairman of the "Independent" Policing Executive Morgan Monroe and other local high-ranking police officers,going so far as undertaking a few half-hearted attempts to derail Gibson's investigation to his bosses' whims, he's clearly not happy about it and come season 2 strongly regrets not being more assertive against people coercing him, overlapping with BeleagueredBureaucrat.
to:
* CorruptBureaucrat: Strongly downplayed and only for season 1; While he goes along with the corrupt dealings of Chairman of the "Independent" Policing Executive Morgan Monroe and other local high-ranking police officers,going so far as undertaking a few half-hearted attempts to derail Gibson's investigation to his bosses' whims, he's clearly not happy about it and come season 2 strongly regrets not being more assertive against people coercing or manipulating him, overlapping with BeleagueredBureaucrat.
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Changed line(s) 114 (click to see context) from:
* BerserkButton: Hurting or even the possibility of endangering children really sets him off,[[spoiler: which is why having indirectly caused Sally Ann Spector attempting Murder-Suicide as a result of him insisting to prosecute her for aiding and abetting hits him particularly hard.]]
to:
* BerserkButton: Hurting or even the possibility of endangering children really sets him off,[[spoiler: which is why having indirectly caused Sally Ann Spector attempting Murder-Suicide MurderSuicide as a result of him insisting to prosecute her for aiding and abetting hits him particularly hard.]]
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Changed line(s) 114 (click to see context) from:
* BerserkButton: Hurting or even the possibility of endangering children really sets him off,[[spoiler: which is why having indirectly caused Mary Ann Spector attempting Murder-Suicide as a result of him insisting to prosecute her aiding and abetting hits him particularly hard.]]
to:
* BerserkButton: Hurting or even the possibility of endangering children really sets him off,[[spoiler: which is why having indirectly caused Mary Sally Ann Spector attempting Murder-Suicide as a result of him insisting to prosecute her for aiding and abetting hits him particularly hard.]]
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* RealMenLoveJesus: While being a deeply flawed man, he takes his catholic faith pretty seriously though he's often catching himself questioning it due to the state of the world, especially thanks to pedophile priests like Fiachra Jensen.
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Changed line(s) 114 (click to see context) from:
* Hurting or even the possibility of endangering children really sets him off,[[which is why having indirectly caused Mary Ann Spector attempting Murder-Suicide as a result of him insisting to prosecute her aiding and abetting hits him particularly hard.]]
to:
* BerserkButton: Hurting or even the possibility of endangering children really sets him off,[[which off,[[spoiler: which is why having indirectly caused Mary Ann Spector attempting Murder-Suicide as a result of him insisting to prosecute her aiding and abetting hits him particularly hard.]]
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*Hurting or even the possibility of endangering children really sets him off,[[which is why having indirectly caused Mary Ann Spector attempting Murder-Suicide as a result of him insisting to prosecute her aiding and abetting hits him particularly hard.]]
Changed line(s) 115,116 (click to see context) from:
* CorruptBureaucrat: Strongly downplayed and only for season 1; While he goes along with the corrupt dealings of Morgan Monroe and other high-ranking local police officers,going so far as undertaking a few half-hearted attempts to derail Gibson's investigation to his bosses' whims, he's clearly taking no joy in it and come season 2 regrets not being more assertive against people coercing him, overlapping with BeleaguredBureaucrat.
* CommanderContrarian: Spends an obnoxious amount of his on-screen appearances opposing Gibson's investigation strategy for mostly political or PR reason (though on a few occasions he seems to genuinely believe doing the right thing), taking often the role of the ObstructiveBureaucrat by default.
* CommanderContrarian: Spends an obnoxious amount of his on-screen appearances opposing Gibson's investigation strategy for mostly political or PR reason (though on a few occasions he seems to genuinely believe doing the right thing), taking often the role of the ObstructiveBureaucrat by default.
to:
* CorruptBureaucrat: Strongly downplayed and only for season 1; While he goes along with the corrupt dealings of Chairman of the "Independent" Policing Executive Morgan Monroe and other local high-ranking local police officers,going so far as undertaking a few half-hearted attempts to derail Gibson's investigation to his bosses' whims, he's clearly taking no joy in not happy about it and come season 2 strongly regrets not being more assertive against people coercing him, overlapping with BeleaguredBureaucrat.BeleagueredBureaucrat.
* CommanderContrarian: Spends an obnoxious amount of his on-screen appearances opposing Gibson's investigation strategy for mostly political or PRreason reasons (though on a few occasions he seems to genuinely believe doing the right thing), taking often the role of the ObstructiveBureaucrat by default.
* CommanderContrarian: Spends an obnoxious amount of his on-screen appearances opposing Gibson's investigation strategy for mostly political or PR
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Added DiffLines:
* CorruptBureaucrat: Strongly downplayed and only for season 1; While he goes along with the corrupt dealings of Morgan Monroe and other high-ranking local police officers,going so far as undertaking a few half-hearted attempts to derail Gibson's investigation to his bosses' whims, he's clearly taking no joy in it and come season 2 regrets not being more assertive against people coercing him, overlapping with BeleaguredBureaucrat.
* CommanderContrarian: Spends an obnoxious amount of his on-screen appearances opposing Gibson's investigation strategy for mostly political or PR reason (though on a few occasions he seems to genuinely believe doing the right thing), taking often the role of the ObstructiveBureaucrat by default.
* CommanderContrarian: Spends an obnoxious amount of his on-screen appearances opposing Gibson's investigation strategy for mostly political or PR reason (though on a few occasions he seems to genuinely believe doing the right thing), taking often the role of the ObstructiveBureaucrat by default.
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Changed line(s) 182 (click to see context) from:
* CrazyJealousGuy: Almost immediatedly starts violently obsessing about Spector and assumes that he and his wife must have an affair, just because Spector reported him to social services for DomesticViolence against his wife.
to:
* CrazyJealousGuy: Almost immediatedly starts violently obsessing about Spector and assumes that he and his wife must have an affair, just because Spector reported him to social services for DomesticViolence DomesticAbuse against his wife.
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Changed line(s) 182 (click to see context) from:
* CrazyJealousGuy: Almost immediatedly starts violently obsessing about Spector and assumes that he and his wife must have an affair, just because Spector reported him to social services for being physically abusive.
to:
* CrazyJealousGuy: Almost immediatedly starts violently obsessing about Spector and assumes that he and his wife must have an affair, just because Spector reported him to social services for being physically abusive.DomesticViolence against his wife.
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*CrazyJealousGuy: Almost immediatedly starts violently obsessing about Spector and assumes that he and his wife must have an affair, just because Spector reported him to social services for being physically abusive.
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Changed line(s) 185 (click to see context) from:
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: A misogynist antisemite who aside from thinking that Spector must have a thing for his wife just because he's showing her some (superficial) empathy, also immediatedly assumes that Spector must be jewish because of his surname and takes it as just another reason to dislike and harass him. Also he's, as befitting for a unionist militant, apparently bigoted against Catholics.
to:
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: A misogynist antisemite who aside from thinking that Spector must have a thing for his wife just because he's showing her some (superficial) empathy, also immediatedly assumes that Spector must be jewish because of his surname and takes it as just another one more reason to dislike and harass him. Also he's, as befitting for a unionist militant, apparently bigoted against Catholics.
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Changed line(s) 183 (click to see context) from:
* DidntThinkThisThrough: [spoiler: It obviously never occured to him why it was a bad idea trying to assassinate Spector while being surrounded by at least a dozen cops]]
to:
* DidntThinkThisThrough: [spoiler: [[spoiler: It obviously never occured to him why it was a bad idea trying to assassinate Spector in broad daylight while being surrounded by at least a dozen cops]]
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Changed line(s) 188 (click to see context) from:
* TooDumbTooLive: [[spoiler: While it may not be a surprise considering how much of a hotheaded idiot he is, he not only attempts to assassinate Spector in broad daylight while surrounded by a dozen cops but also starts this by shooting one of the Detectives first, getting unsurprisingly immediatedly shot and killed when the others return fire.]]
to:
* TooDumbTooLive: TooDumbToLive: [[spoiler: While it may not be a surprise considering how much of a hotheaded idiot he is, he not only attempts to assassinate Spector in broad daylight while surrounded by a dozen cops but also starts this by shooting one of the Detectives first, getting unsurprisingly immediatedly shot and killed when the others return fire.]]
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Changed line(s) 188 (click to see context) from:
* TooDumbTooLive: [[spoiler. While it may not be a surprise considering how much of a hotheaded idiot he is, he not only attempts to assassinate Spector in broad daylight while surrounded by a dozen cops but also starts this by shooting one of the Detectives first, getting unsurprisingly immediatedly shot and killed when the others return fire.]]
to:
* TooDumbTooLive: [[spoiler. [[spoiler: While it may not be a surprise considering how much of a hotheaded idiot he is, he not only attempts to assassinate Spector in broad daylight while surrounded by a dozen cops but also starts this by shooting one of the Detectives first, getting unsurprisingly immediatedly shot and killed when the others return fire.]]
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Changed line(s) 188 (click to see context) from:
* TooDumbTooLive: [spoiler. While it may not be a surprise considering how much of a hotheaded idiot he is, he not only attempts to assassinate Spector in broad daylight while surrounded by a dozen cops but also starts this by shooting one of the Detectives first, getting unsurprisingly immediatedly shot and killed when the others return fire.]]
to:
* TooDumbTooLive: [spoiler.[[spoiler. While it may not be a surprise considering how much of a hotheaded idiot he is, he not only attempts to assassinate Spector in broad daylight while surrounded by a dozen cops but also starts this by shooting one of the Detectives first, getting unsurprisingly immediatedly shot and killed when the others return fire.]]
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Changed line(s) 181 (click to see context) from:
* ContrivedCoincidence: Was not only one of Paul Spector's clients but also happens to be an acquaintance of ImmoralJournalist Ned Callan, which gives him the means to track down his wife.
to:
* ContrivedCoincidence: Was not only one of Paul Spector's clients but also happens to be an acquaintance of ImmoralJournalist Ned Callan, which gives him the means to track down his wife.wife [[spoiler: and later attempting to assassinate Spector]]
*DidntThinkThisThrough: [spoiler: It obviously never occured to him why it was a bad idea trying to assassinate Spector while being surrounded by at least a dozen cops]]
Changed line(s) 187 (click to see context) from:
to:
* TooDumbTooLive: [spoiler. While it may not be a surprise considering how much of a hotheaded idiot he is, he not only attempts to assassinate Spector in broad daylight while surrounded by a dozen cops but also starts this by shooting one of the Detectives first, getting unsurprisingly immediatedly shot and killed when the others return fire.]]
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Changed line(s) 181 (click to see context) from:
* ContrivedCoincidence: Was not only one of Paul Spector's clients but also happens to an acquaintance of ImmoralJournalist Ned Callan, which gives him the means to track down his wife.
to:
* ContrivedCoincidence: Was not only one of Paul Spector's clients but also happens to be an acquaintance of ImmoralJournalist Ned Callan, which gives him the means to track down his wife.
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Changed line(s) 186,187 (click to see context) from:
* The Fundamentalist: While he doesn't seem to be a particularly devout Protestant, he's apparently fueled enough by his sectarian background to be heavily bigoted against catholics and jews.
to:
* The Fundamentalist: TheFundamentalist: While he doesn't seem to be a particularly devout Protestant, he's apparently fueled enough by his sectarian background to be heavily bigoted against catholics and jews.
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Changed line(s) 184 (click to see context) from:
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: A misogynist antisemite who aside from thinking that Spector must have a thing for his wife just because he's showing her some (superficial) empathy, also immediatedly assumes that Spector must be jewish because of his surname and takes it as just another reason to dislike and harass him and, as befitting for a unionist militant, is apparently also bigoted against Catholics.
to:
* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: A misogynist antisemite who aside from thinking that Spector must have a thing for his wife just because he's showing her some (superficial) empathy, also immediatedly assumes that Spector must be jewish because of his surname and takes it as just another reason to dislike and harass him and, him. Also he's, as befitting for a unionist militant, is apparently also bigoted against Catholics.
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Changed line(s) 183 (click to see context) from:
* HateSink: A violent former unionist militant turned low-life gangster who physically abuses his wife and later stalks and assaults her in a women's shelter, while also being generally a smug,needlessly confrontational and not particularly bright Jerkass, and as if not bad enough, a raging antisemite to boot. [[spoiler: Therefore no one was missing him when he was shot dead at the end of season 2]]
to:
* HateSink: A violent former unionist militant turned low-life gangster who physically abuses his wife and later stalks and assaults her in a women's shelter, while also being generally a smug,needlessly confrontational and not particularly bright Jerkass, asshole, and as if not bad enough, a raging antisemite bigot against jews and catholics to boot. [[spoiler: Therefore no one was missing him when he was shot dead at the end of season 2]]
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Changed line(s) 183 (click to see context) from:
* HateSink: A violent former unionist militant turned low-life gangster who physically abuses his wife and later stalks and assaults her in a women's shelter, while also being generally a smug,needlessly confrontational and not particularly bright [*Jerkass Jerkass], and as if not bad enough, a raging antisemite to boot. [[spoiler: Therefore no one was missing him when he was shot dead at the end of season 2]]
to:
* HateSink: A violent former unionist militant turned low-life gangster who physically abuses his wife and later stalks and assaults her in a women's shelter, while also being generally a smug,needlessly confrontational and not particularly bright [*Jerkass Jerkass], Jerkass, and as if not bad enough, a raging antisemite to boot. [[spoiler: Therefore no one was missing him when he was shot dead at the end of season 2]]
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Changed line(s) 183 (click to see context) from:
* HateSink: A violent former unionist militant turned low-life gangster who physically abuses his wife and later stalks and assaults her in a women's shelter, while also being generally a smug,needlessly confrontational and not particularly bright *Jerkass, and as if not bad enough, a raging antisemite to boot. [[spoiler: Therefore no one was missing him when he was shot dead at the end of season 2]]
to:
* HateSink: A violent former unionist militant turned low-life gangster who physically abuses his wife and later stalks and assaults her in a women's shelter, while also being generally a smug,needlessly confrontational and not particularly bright *Jerkass, [*Jerkass Jerkass], and as if not bad enough, a raging antisemite to boot. [[spoiler: Therefore no one was missing him when he was shot dead at the end of season 2]]
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Changed line(s) 181 (click to see context) from:
* ContrivedCoincidence: Was not only one of Paul Spector's clients but also happens to an acquaintance of AmoralJournalist Ned Callan, which gives him the means to track down his wife.
to:
* ContrivedCoincidence: Was not only one of Paul Spector's clients but also happens to an acquaintance of AmoralJournalist ImmoralJournalist Ned Callan, which gives him the means to track down his wife.
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Changed line(s) 181 (click to see context) from:
* ContrivedCoincindence: Was not only one of Paul Spector's clients but also happens to an acquaintance of AmoralJournalist Ned Callan, which gives him the means to track down his wife.
to:
* ContrivedCoincindence: ContrivedCoincidence: Was not only one of Paul Spector's clients but also happens to an acquaintance of AmoralJournalist Ned Callan, which gives him the means to track down his wife.
Changed line(s) 184 (click to see context) from:
* PoliticalyIncorrectVillain: A misogynist antisemite who aside from thinking that Spector must have a thing for his wife just because he's showing her some (superficial) empathy, also immediatedly assumes that Spector must be jewish because of his surname and takes it as just another reason to dislike and harass him and, as befitting for a unionist militant, is apparently also bigoted against Catholics.
to:
* PoliticalyIncorrectVillain: PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: A misogynist antisemite who aside from thinking that Spector must have a thing for his wife just because he's showing her some (superficial) empathy, also immediatedly assumes that Spector must be jewish because of his surname and takes it as just another reason to dislike and harass him and, as befitting for a unionist militant, is apparently also bigoted against Catholics.
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None
*ContrivedCoincindence: Was not only one of Paul Spector's clients but also happens to an acquaintance of AmoralJournalist Ned Callan, which gives him the means to track down his wife.
*HateSink: A violent former unionist militant turned low-life gangster who physically abuses his wife and later stalks and assaults her in a women's shelter, while also being generally a smug,needlessly confrontational and not particularly bright *Jerkass, and as if not bad enough, a raging antisemite to boot. [[spoiler: Therefore no one was missing him when he was shot dead at the end of season 2]]
*PoliticalyIncorrectVillain: A misogynist antisemite who aside from thinking that Spector must have a thing for his wife just because he's showing her some (superficial) empathy, also immediatedly assumes that Spector must be jewish because of his surname and takes it as just another reason to dislike and harass him and, as befitting for a unionist militant, is apparently also bigoted against Catholics.
*PoliticalyIncorrectVillain: A misogynist antisemite who aside from thinking that Spector must have a thing for his wife just because he's showing her some (superficial) empathy, also immediatedly assumes that Spector must be jewish because of his surname and takes it as just another reason to dislike and harass him and, as befitting for a unionist militant, is apparently also bigoted against Catholics.
Changed line(s) 183 (click to see context) from:
to:
*The Fundamentalist: While he doesn't seem to be a particularly devout Protestant, he's apparently fueled enough by his sectarian background to be heavily bigoted against catholics and jews.
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Changed line(s) 86 (click to see context) from:
* DrivenToSuicide: When his brotherhood with James Olson is about to be exposed, he takes the coward's way out in a police office.
to:
* DrivenToSuicide: When his brotherhood with James Olson is about to be exposed, he takes the coward's way out in a police office.commits suicide while being interrogated.
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Changed line(s) 25 (click to see context) from:
to:
* WhatTheHellHero: She's criticized for having an affair with Olson. She snarks back and criticized Jim for doing the same thing prior to the events of the show.
Added DiffLines:
* ActionGirl: One of the few PSNI officers who works in the task force to hunt down Spector.
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Added DiffLines:
[[folder:Main]]
!!DSI Stella Gibson
->'''Played By''': Creator/GillianAnderson
Stella Gibson is a Detective Superintendent in London’s Metropolitan Police who arrives in Belfast to conduct a review into a murder case that has not progressed in the month since the investigation started.
She has experience of the kind of high profile and complex case that the Police Service of Northern Ireland are facing, and it is this skillset that ACC Jim Burns believes can be brought to bear.
Her personal life is an enigma, but Gibson is committed to the cause not her loved ones. She is a fighter through and through and anyone not part of the solution is part of the problem.
----
* DeadpanSnarker: How she takes care of any unwanted reception towards her presence, especially from the natives.
* DefectiveDetective: Her staunch attitude really rubs other people the wrong way.
* DudeMagnet: Stella is a very attractive woman and most of the men she interacts with in-series have a thing for her.
* FairCop: Played by Gillian Anderson no less.
* FishOutOfWater: Stella has been away from Belfast for a while.
* GoodIsNotNice: Stella is rather frigid and cold towards others, which alienates many people around her.
* GoodIsNotSoft: Stella is very vocal about wanting Paul to rot in a cell and not die getting away with his crimes.
* HeroWithBadPublicity: She's disliked by some of the PSNI because she's an English woman there to review their investigation. There are also local thugs who try to intimidate her while she is at work on the streets.
%%* MarriedToTheJob
* NotSoStoic: Most notably when she watches the video file of Rose Stagg's kidnapping.
%%* SophisticatedAsHell
%%* TheStoic
!!Paul Spector
->'''Played By''': Creator/JamieDornan
Paul Spector is the other side of Stella Gibson’s coin. He is a husband and a father but it is his actions that come to define him. He too seeks to control the world around him, but unlike Gibson he wilfully transgresses the very rules of society that she seeks to enforce.
His family might induce some sort of feelings of love, but it also provides him with the outward appearance of normality. On the surface at least he is socially competent, persuasive and manipulative. By creating a fantasy and putting it into action he believes he creates his own highly controlled existential reality, his personal microcosm.
He works as a bereavement counsellor and in fact his unique lack of empathy makes him a superficially competent one. However, it is the activities that he carries out in the shadows of society that reveal Spector’s true character.
Paul Spector is a serial killer. This is his addiction, and like any addict he needs more of the drug each time to reach a similar high.
----
* BeardOfEvil: It's PermaStubble in the first series and an outright creepy beard in the second.
* BigBad: Of the series.
* ConsummateLiar: Part of how he's able to get away with his crimes and successfully fool his wife for so long.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Serial killer he may be, but he genuinely does love his wife and children.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: For a serial killer, Spector actually has many standards. In fact, he seems to be a pretty stand-up guy if you put his whole misogynistic serial killer shitck aside...
** In his day job as a grief counselor, he recognizes that one of his patients is a victim of spousal abuse. He goes out of his way to help her (though helping her seemed to be incidental to the fact that he was stalking Annie Brawley and his patient happened to live nearby while he was casing Brawley's home), facing punishment at his job and harassment by the husband's former gang buddies.
** After causing a distracting riot at the psychiatric unit, Spector goes well out of his way to strangle fellow inmate Mark Bailey to death, after hearing that he raped and murdered his 12 year old sister.
* FreudianExcuse: His mother killed herself when he was 7 and he was later sexually abused in an orphanage.
* FauxAffablyEvil: A psychopath, but he acts polite enough.
* FightingIrish: He's Northern Irish and his blatant violence ramps up in the last Season, along with the killings.
* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler:Downplayed, he kills himself and doesn't face legal justice for his crimes.]]
* LackOfEmpathy: Paul doesn't seem to have any concept of other people as being people, which makes him ironically excellent as a detached grief counselor.
* LeanAndMean: He keeps himself in wiry, muscular shape.
* MurderSuicide: [[spoiler: At the end of series three, Spector strangles Bailey and then himself, the former act being to hide himself in the man's room where he wouldn't be found right away.]]
* NearDeathExperience: Spector appears to undergo one after being shot.
* NotSoStoic: Most notably when his children are mentioned.
* PantyThief: Part of his MO is stealing his victims' underwear as a prelude to killing them.
* PervertedSniffing: He smells his victim's hair clippings and underwear.
* SerialKiller: Targeting successful women in their thirties.
* TheSociopath: His LackOfEmpathy, his ability to lie effortlessly, and his thrill-seeking, i.e. stalking and serial killing, definitely strongly points in this direction.
* TheStoic: Paul almost always has an eerily cold and calculating disposition, even in tense situations.
* VillainProtagonist: Is the series' {{deuteragonist}}.
* VillainousBreakdown: He viciously assaults Stella and breaks Anderson's arm after Stella gets under his skin during his last interview.
* WistfulAmnesia: Appears to have lost six years of memories after the events of the season 3 opening. Considering he has no brain injury that could have caused amnesia, evaluations to determine whether he is FakingAmnesia ensue.
* WouldHitAGirl: He assaults Stella after the interview was concluded. This forced the PSNI to immediately detain him for assault.
%%!!Sarah Kay
%%->'''Played By''': Laura Donnelly
%%A young professional woman who is targeted by Spector.
%%----
%%* HelloAttorney
%%* KindHeartedCatLover
%%* MsFanservice
!!Sally-Ann Spector
->'''Played By''': Bronagh Waugh
Sally Ann is Paul’s wife and mother to their children, Olivia and Liam. She works as a neonatal nurse and whilst she is caring she is also no-nonsense. Capable and mature, Sally Ann looks at her happiest with a baby in her arms.
----
* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:Due to pressure mounting from the PSNI and partly from the public on lying for Spector after he's outed as a serial killer, she drove herself and the kids to the sea to drown in the SUV. Two bystanders saw this and rushed in to rescue them.]]
* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: She's never able to pick up on Paul Spector's crimes until the police outright tell her.
%%* MamaBear
!!Rob Breedlove
->'''Played By''': Creator/MichaelMcElhatton
Belfast Chief of Police.
----
* DeadpanSnarker
* DirtyCop: He's a belfast chief who's involved with a prostitute ring.
* DrivenToSuicide: When his brotherhood with James Olson is about to be exposed, he takes the coward's way out in a police office.
* VillainousFriendship: With James Olson.
%%!!DCI Matt Eastwood
%%->'''Played By''': Stuart Graham
%%!!Garrett Brink
%%->'''Played By''': Frank [=McCusker=]
!!PSNI Patrol Off. Danielle Ferrington
->'''Played By''': Nimah [=McGrady=]
Dani Ferrington is a PSNI patrol officer. Intuitive and sensitive, Ferrington is also physical and tough. Given the opportunity to shine, Ferrington grabs it with both hands, and so when Gibson invites her into the heart of the investigative unit, Dani is determined to prove her worth.
----
* TheAtoner: Works with the task force to hunt down Spector.
%%* DeadpanSnarker
%%* FairCop
* MyGreatestFailure: She and her partner were just outside Sarah Kay's house when Spector was attacking her. They didn't notice it until the PSNI dispatch came through and informed all units of a dead body.
!!Morgan Monroe
->'''Played By''': Creator/IanMcElhinney
----
* CorruptPolitician: Influences ACC Burns to make sure the investigation doesn't implicate his son, Aaron. When he later finds out that there's strong evidence against Aaron, he tells Aaron to get away from Belfast.
!!ACC Jim Burns
->'''Played By''': John Lynch
Burns is the Assistant Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland. Policing here is political and Burns is under increasing pressure from the Chairman of the Independent Policing Executive, Morgan Monroe. It was Burns’ idea to bring in Gibson to review the Alice Monroe murder enquiry.
----
* ButtMonkey: Everything seems to conspire against him.
* DirtyOldMan: He still has a thing for Stella Gibson despite being a married man.
* DrowningMySorrows: He realized that he was wrong in trying to implicate Sally Ann for helping Paul in covering up his tracks and thus, started to drink again in the middle of the third series.
* OffTheWagon: In the second series, he breaks 5 years of sobriety and tries to [[spoiler:rekindle his affair with Stella]] because he indirectly warned Aaron Monroe to flee Belfast.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Didn't want the first few murders to be linked together. He changed his mind after he realizes that there's strong evidence for it and that Monroe is trying to do things behind his back.
%%!!Prof. Tanya Reed Smith
%%->'''Played By''': Archie Panjabi
%%A pathologist who is assigned to the murder investigation.
%%----
!!James Olson
->'''Played By''': Ben Peel
A Detective Sergeant.
----
%%* CowboyCop
* DirtyCop: [[spoiler:He's in cahoot's with Rob Breedlove. This isn't explored in much detail in later seasons.]]
* PetTheDog: Drops the cop-lawyer rivalry and takes a moment to comfort [=McSwain=] when the latter learns of Sarah Kay's murder.
* PoliceBrutality: Olson forces a suspect to spit out his gum by squeezing his jaw.
* SurprisinglySuddenDeath: [[spoiler:He's shot multiple times in the back just as he's about to enter his home.]]
* VillainousFriendship: [[spoiler:With Rob Breedlove.]]
* WeHardlyKnewYe: [[spoiler:Killed in the second episode.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Recurring]]
%%!!Kevin [=McSwain=]
%%->'''Played By''': Gerard [=McCarthy=]
%%A lawyer and friend of Sarah Kay. They work at the same firm.
!!Ned Callan
->'''Played By''': Nick Lee
A Belfast journalist, keen on impressing himself upon Gibson and exposing the failings of the PSNI.
----
* IntrepidReporter: Believes himself as one, although in reality, his means of getting the latest dirt on the PSNI are downright unethical.
%%* {{Jerkass}}
%%!!Annie Brawley
%%->'''Played By''': Karen Hassan
%%A young accountant who catches the eye of murderer Paul Spector.
%%!!Rose Stagg
%%->'''Played By''': Valene Kane
%%!!Glen Martin
%%->'''Played By''': Emmett Scanlan
%%A Detective Constable assigned to the investigation.
%%----
%%* {{Pornstache}}: In the first series
!!Katrina "Katie" Benedetto
->'''Played By''': Creator/AislingFranciosi
A 15 year old girl who babysits Spector's children.
----
%%* TheDragon: [[spoiler: To Paul Spector Series 2.]]
* FilleFatale: Paul's married and uninterested but that doesn't stop her trying to come onto him and tempt him.
* LoveMakesYouCrazy: [[spoiler:Though she come to learn about Paul's crimes, she still tries protect and help him by giving him alibis]].
* SmittenTeenageGirl: She has a massive crush on Paul. Paul, however, doesn't reciprocate, [[spoiler:though he has no problems with taking advantage of her feelings in a non-sexual way, as he manipulates her into helping him with disrupting the police's investigation]].
** Slightly bites her back when a teen accosts her, rightly accusing her of having a sick obsession in the 3rd season.
%%!!Aaron Monroe
%%->'''Played By''': Eugene [=O'Hare=]
%%----
%%* JerkAss: You can see him act like one when he was questioned at first by the PSNI.
!!James Tyler
----
* DarkAndTroubledPast: He tells Paul during a counsellor meeting that he did bad things before he got married. It's implied that he got involved in the sectarian fighting during the Troubles.
* SpannerInTheWorks: [[spoiler: His involvement in shooting Spector derailed the investigation in the 3rd season, giving him amnesia.]]
!!August Larson
->'''Played By''': Krister Henriksson
----
* ThereAreNoTherapists: Despite his intentions to help Spector, nothing works in the end [[spoiler:since Spector assaults Stella and Tom and severely attacks him before he commits suicide]].
!!Sean Healy
->'''Played By''': Eugene [=O'Hare=]
----
* AmoralAttorney: How some in the PSNI see him since he's defending Spector. He doesn't feel fazed after he saw Spector take on Stella and Tom, planning to at least use an insanity plea to get him off serious charges.
!!Wallace
->'''Played By''': Ruth Bradley
----
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: After she witnessed Paul assault Stella and Tom in a PSNI interrogation room, she realizes that she can't possibly defend him in court since the public backlash would be strong on why they would defend such a blatantly violent man.
[[/folder]]
----
!!DSI Stella Gibson
->'''Played By''': Creator/GillianAnderson
Stella Gibson is a Detective Superintendent in London’s Metropolitan Police who arrives in Belfast to conduct a review into a murder case that has not progressed in the month since the investigation started.
She has experience of the kind of high profile and complex case that the Police Service of Northern Ireland are facing, and it is this skillset that ACC Jim Burns believes can be brought to bear.
Her personal life is an enigma, but Gibson is committed to the cause not her loved ones. She is a fighter through and through and anyone not part of the solution is part of the problem.
----
* DeadpanSnarker: How she takes care of any unwanted reception towards her presence, especially from the natives.
* DefectiveDetective: Her staunch attitude really rubs other people the wrong way.
* DudeMagnet: Stella is a very attractive woman and most of the men she interacts with in-series have a thing for her.
* FairCop: Played by Gillian Anderson no less.
* FishOutOfWater: Stella has been away from Belfast for a while.
* GoodIsNotNice: Stella is rather frigid and cold towards others, which alienates many people around her.
* GoodIsNotSoft: Stella is very vocal about wanting Paul to rot in a cell and not die getting away with his crimes.
* HeroWithBadPublicity: She's disliked by some of the PSNI because she's an English woman there to review their investigation. There are also local thugs who try to intimidate her while she is at work on the streets.
%%* MarriedToTheJob
* NotSoStoic: Most notably when she watches the video file of Rose Stagg's kidnapping.
%%* SophisticatedAsHell
%%* TheStoic
!!Paul Spector
->'''Played By''': Creator/JamieDornan
Paul Spector is the other side of Stella Gibson’s coin. He is a husband and a father but it is his actions that come to define him. He too seeks to control the world around him, but unlike Gibson he wilfully transgresses the very rules of society that she seeks to enforce.
His family might induce some sort of feelings of love, but it also provides him with the outward appearance of normality. On the surface at least he is socially competent, persuasive and manipulative. By creating a fantasy and putting it into action he believes he creates his own highly controlled existential reality, his personal microcosm.
He works as a bereavement counsellor and in fact his unique lack of empathy makes him a superficially competent one. However, it is the activities that he carries out in the shadows of society that reveal Spector’s true character.
Paul Spector is a serial killer. This is his addiction, and like any addict he needs more of the drug each time to reach a similar high.
----
* BeardOfEvil: It's PermaStubble in the first series and an outright creepy beard in the second.
* BigBad: Of the series.
* ConsummateLiar: Part of how he's able to get away with his crimes and successfully fool his wife for so long.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Serial killer he may be, but he genuinely does love his wife and children.
* EvenEvilHasStandards: For a serial killer, Spector actually has many standards. In fact, he seems to be a pretty stand-up guy if you put his whole misogynistic serial killer shitck aside...
** In his day job as a grief counselor, he recognizes that one of his patients is a victim of spousal abuse. He goes out of his way to help her (though helping her seemed to be incidental to the fact that he was stalking Annie Brawley and his patient happened to live nearby while he was casing Brawley's home), facing punishment at his job and harassment by the husband's former gang buddies.
** After causing a distracting riot at the psychiatric unit, Spector goes well out of his way to strangle fellow inmate Mark Bailey to death, after hearing that he raped and murdered his 12 year old sister.
* FreudianExcuse: His mother killed herself when he was 7 and he was later sexually abused in an orphanage.
* FauxAffablyEvil: A psychopath, but he acts polite enough.
* FightingIrish: He's Northern Irish and his blatant violence ramps up in the last Season, along with the killings.
* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler:Downplayed, he kills himself and doesn't face legal justice for his crimes.]]
* LackOfEmpathy: Paul doesn't seem to have any concept of other people as being people, which makes him ironically excellent as a detached grief counselor.
* LeanAndMean: He keeps himself in wiry, muscular shape.
* MurderSuicide: [[spoiler: At the end of series three, Spector strangles Bailey and then himself, the former act being to hide himself in the man's room where he wouldn't be found right away.]]
* NearDeathExperience: Spector appears to undergo one after being shot.
* NotSoStoic: Most notably when his children are mentioned.
* PantyThief: Part of his MO is stealing his victims' underwear as a prelude to killing them.
* PervertedSniffing: He smells his victim's hair clippings and underwear.
* SerialKiller: Targeting successful women in their thirties.
* TheSociopath: His LackOfEmpathy, his ability to lie effortlessly, and his thrill-seeking, i.e. stalking and serial killing, definitely strongly points in this direction.
* TheStoic: Paul almost always has an eerily cold and calculating disposition, even in tense situations.
* VillainProtagonist: Is the series' {{deuteragonist}}.
* VillainousBreakdown: He viciously assaults Stella and breaks Anderson's arm after Stella gets under his skin during his last interview.
* WistfulAmnesia: Appears to have lost six years of memories after the events of the season 3 opening. Considering he has no brain injury that could have caused amnesia, evaluations to determine whether he is FakingAmnesia ensue.
* WouldHitAGirl: He assaults Stella after the interview was concluded. This forced the PSNI to immediately detain him for assault.
%%!!Sarah Kay
%%->'''Played By''': Laura Donnelly
%%A young professional woman who is targeted by Spector.
%%----
%%* HelloAttorney
%%* KindHeartedCatLover
%%* MsFanservice
!!Sally-Ann Spector
->'''Played By''': Bronagh Waugh
Sally Ann is Paul’s wife and mother to their children, Olivia and Liam. She works as a neonatal nurse and whilst she is caring she is also no-nonsense. Capable and mature, Sally Ann looks at her happiest with a baby in her arms.
----
* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:Due to pressure mounting from the PSNI and partly from the public on lying for Spector after he's outed as a serial killer, she drove herself and the kids to the sea to drown in the SUV. Two bystanders saw this and rushed in to rescue them.]]
* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: She's never able to pick up on Paul Spector's crimes until the police outright tell her.
%%* MamaBear
!!Rob Breedlove
->'''Played By''': Creator/MichaelMcElhatton
Belfast Chief of Police.
----
* DeadpanSnarker
* DirtyCop: He's a belfast chief who's involved with a prostitute ring.
* DrivenToSuicide: When his brotherhood with James Olson is about to be exposed, he takes the coward's way out in a police office.
* VillainousFriendship: With James Olson.
%%!!DCI Matt Eastwood
%%->'''Played By''': Stuart Graham
%%!!Garrett Brink
%%->'''Played By''': Frank [=McCusker=]
!!PSNI Patrol Off. Danielle Ferrington
->'''Played By''': Nimah [=McGrady=]
Dani Ferrington is a PSNI patrol officer. Intuitive and sensitive, Ferrington is also physical and tough. Given the opportunity to shine, Ferrington grabs it with both hands, and so when Gibson invites her into the heart of the investigative unit, Dani is determined to prove her worth.
----
* TheAtoner: Works with the task force to hunt down Spector.
%%* DeadpanSnarker
%%* FairCop
* MyGreatestFailure: She and her partner were just outside Sarah Kay's house when Spector was attacking her. They didn't notice it until the PSNI dispatch came through and informed all units of a dead body.
!!Morgan Monroe
->'''Played By''': Creator/IanMcElhinney
----
* CorruptPolitician: Influences ACC Burns to make sure the investigation doesn't implicate his son, Aaron. When he later finds out that there's strong evidence against Aaron, he tells Aaron to get away from Belfast.
!!ACC Jim Burns
->'''Played By''': John Lynch
Burns is the Assistant Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland. Policing here is political and Burns is under increasing pressure from the Chairman of the Independent Policing Executive, Morgan Monroe. It was Burns’ idea to bring in Gibson to review the Alice Monroe murder enquiry.
----
* ButtMonkey: Everything seems to conspire against him.
* DirtyOldMan: He still has a thing for Stella Gibson despite being a married man.
* DrowningMySorrows: He realized that he was wrong in trying to implicate Sally Ann for helping Paul in covering up his tracks and thus, started to drink again in the middle of the third series.
* OffTheWagon: In the second series, he breaks 5 years of sobriety and tries to [[spoiler:rekindle his affair with Stella]] because he indirectly warned Aaron Monroe to flee Belfast.
* ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Didn't want the first few murders to be linked together. He changed his mind after he realizes that there's strong evidence for it and that Monroe is trying to do things behind his back.
%%!!Prof. Tanya Reed Smith
%%->'''Played By''': Archie Panjabi
%%A pathologist who is assigned to the murder investigation.
%%----
!!James Olson
->'''Played By''': Ben Peel
A Detective Sergeant.
----
%%* CowboyCop
* DirtyCop: [[spoiler:He's in cahoot's with Rob Breedlove. This isn't explored in much detail in later seasons.]]
* PetTheDog: Drops the cop-lawyer rivalry and takes a moment to comfort [=McSwain=] when the latter learns of Sarah Kay's murder.
* PoliceBrutality: Olson forces a suspect to spit out his gum by squeezing his jaw.
* SurprisinglySuddenDeath: [[spoiler:He's shot multiple times in the back just as he's about to enter his home.]]
* VillainousFriendship: [[spoiler:With Rob Breedlove.]]
* WeHardlyKnewYe: [[spoiler:Killed in the second episode.]]
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Recurring]]
%%!!Kevin [=McSwain=]
%%->'''Played By''': Gerard [=McCarthy=]
%%A lawyer and friend of Sarah Kay. They work at the same firm.
!!Ned Callan
->'''Played By''': Nick Lee
A Belfast journalist, keen on impressing himself upon Gibson and exposing the failings of the PSNI.
----
* IntrepidReporter: Believes himself as one, although in reality, his means of getting the latest dirt on the PSNI are downright unethical.
%%* {{Jerkass}}
%%!!Annie Brawley
%%->'''Played By''': Karen Hassan
%%A young accountant who catches the eye of murderer Paul Spector.
%%!!Rose Stagg
%%->'''Played By''': Valene Kane
%%!!Glen Martin
%%->'''Played By''': Emmett Scanlan
%%A Detective Constable assigned to the investigation.
%%----
%%* {{Pornstache}}: In the first series
!!Katrina "Katie" Benedetto
->'''Played By''': Creator/AislingFranciosi
A 15 year old girl who babysits Spector's children.
----
%%* TheDragon: [[spoiler: To Paul Spector Series 2.]]
* FilleFatale: Paul's married and uninterested but that doesn't stop her trying to come onto him and tempt him.
* LoveMakesYouCrazy: [[spoiler:Though she come to learn about Paul's crimes, she still tries protect and help him by giving him alibis]].
* SmittenTeenageGirl: She has a massive crush on Paul. Paul, however, doesn't reciprocate, [[spoiler:though he has no problems with taking advantage of her feelings in a non-sexual way, as he manipulates her into helping him with disrupting the police's investigation]].
** Slightly bites her back when a teen accosts her, rightly accusing her of having a sick obsession in the 3rd season.
%%!!Aaron Monroe
%%->'''Played By''': Eugene [=O'Hare=]
%%----
%%* JerkAss: You can see him act like one when he was questioned at first by the PSNI.
!!James Tyler
----
* DarkAndTroubledPast: He tells Paul during a counsellor meeting that he did bad things before he got married. It's implied that he got involved in the sectarian fighting during the Troubles.
* SpannerInTheWorks: [[spoiler: His involvement in shooting Spector derailed the investigation in the 3rd season, giving him amnesia.]]
!!August Larson
->'''Played By''': Krister Henriksson
----
* ThereAreNoTherapists: Despite his intentions to help Spector, nothing works in the end [[spoiler:since Spector assaults Stella and Tom and severely attacks him before he commits suicide]].
!!Sean Healy
->'''Played By''': Eugene [=O'Hare=]
----
* AmoralAttorney: How some in the PSNI see him since he's defending Spector. He doesn't feel fazed after he saw Spector take on Stella and Tom, planning to at least use an insanity plea to get him off serious charges.
!!Wallace
->'''Played By''': Ruth Bradley
----
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: After she witnessed Paul assault Stella and Tom in a PSNI interrogation room, she realizes that she can't possibly defend him in court since the public backlash would be strong on why they would defend such a blatantly violent man.
[[/folder]]
----
