History YMMV / NewTricks

** [[WolfInSheepsClothing Annabel Skinner]], from season 10's "The Little Brother", was a former associate of the notorious [[ConMan Larry Goftmon]]. To steal Florence Epstein's money, [[TheVamp she seduced Florence's husband Jonathan]] until he was so under her spell he agreed to murder Florence and steal her money. They [[ColdBloodedTorture tortured her bank details out of her]], before bludgeoning Florence to death with a [[DropTheHammer hammer]]. No longer needing him, Annabel turned Jonathan over to the police. However, Goftmon double-crossed her and ran off with the money. Desiring vengeance, not just against Goftmon but also the accountant Peter Sale--[[MisplacedRetribution despite him being unaware of their plan and being cheated himself]]--she [[NeckSnap violently murdered]] Sale's sister Margaret Kirby and [[DeadPersonImpersonation stole her identity]]. After six years of searching she found Goftmon, but couldn't find Sale. Devising a plan, she set up a trail directing towards him and got acquainted with Esther Lane. [[BitchInSheepsClothing Playing the role of a caring sister who wanted to tell her brother he was an uncle]], she thus sent Brian on the trail to find Sale. Skinner then tipped the police about Gofton's new alias, before strangling him and leaving the body for Brian to find. Finally finding Sale, Skinner disabled the police officer who was guarding him and tried to murder him. When Brian interrupted her, she tried to strangle him too. A manipulative violent [[TheSociopath sociopath]], Skinner even described herself as "[[CardCarryingVillain fundamentally nasty]]".

** [[SmugSnake Ricky Hanson]], the series's only recurring antagonist and Jack Halford's ArchEnemy, is mid-tier LondonGangster described by Jack as "the biggest thieving, murdering, lying piece of shyte I've ever laid eyes upon." Taking over the "[[ANaziByAnyOtherName Twenty-Fours]]" in the 80's, Hanson used them as a front for his drug ring. When Ray Harris told him that two student activists had infiltrated his group, Hanson personally murdered them, then had their bodies hidden under Harris's conservatory, [[UngratefulBastard incriminating him]]. By 1996, Jack and Sandra Pullman were investigating Hanson for three murders, including that of his own brother. Realizing they were getting too close, Hanson ran over Jack's wife [[TheLostLenore Mary]], laughing as he did; it took two years for Mary's wounds to kill her. When his son, Luke, was wrongly accused of arson, Ricky abandoned him to nine years in prison to save himself, and also stole Luke's girlfriend. In season 3's finale "Congratulations", Ricky confessed to Jack he killed Mary, [[WouldYouLikeToHereHowTheyDied tormenting him with the details of the event]]. In season 4's premier "Casualty", Ricky tried to slowly run Jack over but was forced to flee. Sneaking into Jack's hospital, Hanson assaulted the nurse then almost smothered Jack. Interrupted by Brian Lane, Hanson tried to strangle him. In season 6's "The Last Laugh", when the reinvestigation into the student's disappearance led back to him, Hanson set his goons on Gerry's informant.

** [[SmugSnake Ricky Hanson]], the series' only recurring antagonist and the personal ArchEnemy of [[TheMentor Jack]] [[TheLancer Halford]], was a mid-level LondonGangster described by Jack as "the biggest thieving, murdering, lying piece of shyte I've ever laid eyes upon." Starting out in the 1980s, Hanson took over the "[[ThoseWackyNazis Twenty-Fours]]" to use them as a front for his drug ring. When Ray Harris tipped him off that two members were really student activists, Hanson personally murdered them, then had their bodies hidden under Harris's conservatory, [[UngratefulBastard incriminating him]]. By 1996, Jack and Sandra Pullman were investigating Hanson for three murders, including [[CainAndAbel his own brother]]. Realising they were getting too close, Hanson ran over Jack's wife [[TheLostLenore Mary]], laughing as he did; it took two years for Mary's wounds to kill her. When his son, Luke, was wrongly accused of arson to save himself, Ricky left Luke to be sentenced to nine years in prison, and also stole Luke's girlfriend Lysette Perry. In the season 3 finale "Congratulations", Ricky confessed to Jack he killed Mary, tormenting him with the details of the event. Losing it, Jack attempted to kill Ricky; failing in the season 4 premier "Casualty", Ricky tried to slowly run him over but was forced to flee. Sneaking into Jack's hospital, Hanson assaulted the nurse then almost [[SickbedSlaying smothered Jack]]. Interrupted by Brian Lane, Hanson tried to strangle him. In season 6's "The Last Laugh", when the reinvestigation into the student's disappearance led back to him, Hanson set his goons on Gerry's informant Polish George. When their uncharacteristic mercy tipped Gerry that Polish had dirt on Hanson, Polish let slip that Lysette is Hanson's daughter. Learning that his father never told him he was with his half-sister broke Hanson's hold over Luke, leading to him finally being put away. Arrogant, coarse and brutish, Hanson was nothing more than a cruel thug, if an intelligent one.

* MagnificentBastard: MI5 agent Stephen Fisher (played by Tim [=McInnerny=]) in Series 9.

** [[SmugSnake Ricky Hanson]], the series' only recurring antagonist and the personal ArchEnemy of [[TheMentor Jack]] [[TheLancer Halford]], was a mid-level LondonGangster described by Jack as "the biggest thieving, murdering, lying piece of shyte I've ever laid eyes upon." Starting out in the 1980s, Hanson took over the "[[ThoseWackyNazis Twenty-Fours]]" to use them as a front for his drug ring. When Ray Harris tipped him off that two members were really student activists, Hanson personally murdered them, then had their bodies hidden under Harris's conservatory, [[UngratefulBastard incriminating him]]. By 1996, Jack and Sandra Pullman were investigating Hanson for three murders, including [[CainAndAbel his own brother]]. Realising they were getting too close, Hanson ran over Jack's wife [[TheLostLenore Mary]], laughing as he did; it took two years for Mary's wounds to kill her. When his son, Luke, was wrongly accused of arson to save himself, Ricky left Luke to be sentenced to nine years in prison, and also stole Luke's girlfriend Lysette Perry. In the season 3 finale "Congratulations", Ricky confessed to Jack he killed Mary, tormenting him with the details of the event. Losing it, Jack attempted to kill Ricky; failing in the season 4 premier "Casualty", Ricky tried to slowly run him over but was forced to flee. Sneaking into Jack's hospital, Hanson assaulted the nurse then almost [[SickbedSlaying smothered Jack]]. Interrupted by Brian Lane, Hanson tried to strangle him. In season 6's "The Last Laugh", when the reinvestigation into the student's disappearance led back to him, Hanson set his goons on Gerry's informant Polish George. When their uncharacteristic mercy tipped Gerry that Polish had dirt on Hanson, Polish let slip that Lysette is Hanson's daughter. Learning that his father never told him he was with his half-sister broke Hanson's hold over Luke, leading to him finally being put away. Arrogant, coarse and brutish, Hanson was nothing more than a cruel thug, if an intelligent one.
** [[SerialRapist Alex Close]], from season 7's "Dark Chocolate", was an immoral small-time businessman, whose companies operated through the exploitation and overwork of illegal immigrants. Close proved to be an even more vile man, as he was also a SerialRapist who used his business's contracts to find victims. In 1992, he raped Jean Saunders at the chocolate factory where she worked, and then a few months later raped Eileen Harrison, permanently traumatising her. Close got around the mass DNA screening by forcing someone else to go in his place. When in 2001 his abuse of illegal immigrants was exposed, Close fled the country to Poland. Returning nine years later, he started a new business, this time using Polish immigrants, and immediately resumed his spree by attempting to get a bakery contract so he could rape his next target. When he failed, the undeterred Close resorted to regularly going as a customer, until he knew the layout well enough to rape Helen Vestry.
** [[HeroismAddict George Mackie]], from season 7's "Where There's Smoke", was a talented fire investigator respected for his [[ConsummateProfessional dedication and knowledge]]. However, he was secretly also a serial arsonist, later claiming to having started sixty-four separate fires. He would place homemade firebombs in his targets, then after the fire burned out, he would turn up to analyze it and [[GloryHound bask in the praise he received for his "insight"]]. In 1996, one of Mackie's bombs caused the Union club to burn to the ground, killing four people, including the club's owner, and causing seven hospitalizations. Shortly afterwards, Mackie retired and thus the fires stopped. UCOS's reinvestigation of the Union fire inadvertently inspired Mackie to come out of retirement. Breaking into David Swallow's house, he set up another bomb; Swallow was himself a survivor of the Union Club fire who had been left with first degree burns over half his body. Mackie then set another bomb in Stuart Russel's house, this one nearly killing Jack, Brian and Gerry along with Russel. [[BitchInSheepsClothing Underneath all his charm and seeming helpfulness]], at heart Mackie was nothing more than a shameless AttentionWhore, happy to commit wanton destruction and kill innocent people just to [[ItsAllAboutMe stroke his own ego]].
** [[WolfInSheepsClothing Annabel Skinner]], from season 10's "The Little Brother", was a former associate of the notorious [[ConMan Larry Goftmon]]. To steal Florence Epstein's money, [[TheVamp she seduced Florence's husband Jonathan]] until he was so under her spell he agreed to murder Florence and steal her money. They [[ColdBloodedTorture tortured her bank details out of her]], before bludgeoning Florence to death with a [[DropTheHammer hammer]]. No longer needing him, Annabel turned Jonathan over to the police. However, Goftmon double-crossed her and ran off with the money. Desiring vengeance, not just against Goftmon but also the accountant Peter Sale--[[MisplacedRetribution despite him being unaware of their plan and being cheated himself]]--she [[NeckSnap violently murdered]] Sale's sister Margaret Kirby and [[DeadPersonImpersonation stole her identity]]. After six years of searching she found Goftmon, but couldn't find Sale. Devising a plan, she set up a trail directing towards him and got acquainted with Esther Lane. [[BitchInSheepsClothing Playing the role of a caring sister who wanted to tell her brother he was an uncle]], she thus sent Brian on the trail to find Sale. Skinner then tipped the police about Gofton's new alias, before strangling him and leaving the body for Brian to fin.. Finally finding Sale, Skinner disabled the police officer who was guarding him and tried to murder him. When Brian interrupted her, she tried to strangle him too. A manipulative violent [[TheSociopath sociopath]], Skinner even described herself as "[[CardCarryingVillain fundamentally nasty]]".

* CompleteMonster: In there reinvestigations UCOS have faced a variety of criminals, these are the very worst:
** [[SmugSnake Ricky Hanson]], the series only recurring antagonist, was [[TheMentor Jack]] [[TheLancer Halfords’s]] personal ArchEnemy. A mid-level LondonGangster, described by Jack as “the biggest thieving, murdering, lying piece of shyte I’ve ever laid eyes upon.” Starting out in the 1980’s Hanson took over the [[ThoseWackyNazis “Twenty-fours”]] to use them as a front for his drug ring. When Ray Harris tipped him off that two members, Sarah Jones and Daniel Cobb, were really student activists Hanson personally murdered them then had their bodies hidden under Harris’s conservatory [[UngratefulBastard incriminating him]]. By 1996 Jack and Sandra Pullman were investigating Hanson for three murders (including [[CainAndAbel his own brother]]). Realising they were getting to close Hanson ran over Jack’s wife [[TheLostLenore Mary]], laughing as he did. It took two years for Mary's wounds to kill her. When his son, Luke, was wrongly accused of arson to save himself Ricky left Luke to nine years in prison. He also stole Luke's girlfriend Lysette Perry. In "Congratulations" Ricky confessed to Jack he killed Mary tormenting him with the details of the event. [[HeroicBSOD Losing it]] [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness Jack attempted to kill]] Ricky; failing in "Casualty" Ricky tried to slowly run him over but was forced to flee. Sneaking into his hospital Hanson assaulted the nurse then almost [[SickbedSlaying smothered Jack]]. Interrupted by Brian Lane, Hanson tried to strangle him. He got off thanks to an AmoralAttorney in "Spare Parts". In "The Last Laugh" when the reinvestigation into Jones and Cobb’s disappearance led back to him, Hanson set his goons on Gerry’s informant Polish George. However there uncharacteristic mercy tipped Gerry that Polish had dirt on Hanson, Polish let slip that [[VillainousIncest Lysette is Hanson’s daughter]]. Learning his father never told him he was with his half-sister broke Hanson's hold over Luke leading to him finally being put away. Arrogant, coarse and brutish, Hanson was nothing more than a cruel smart thug.
** [[SerialRapist Alex Close]] from Season 7’s “Dark Chocolate” was an immoral small time businessman, whose companies operated through the exploitation and overwork of illegal immigrants. However Close proved to be an even more vile man, being also a [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil serial rapist]] who used his business’s contracts to find victims. In 1992 he raped Jean Saunders at the chocolate factory where she worked, and then a few months later raped Eileen Harrison, permanently traumatising her. Close got around the mass DNA screening by forcing someone else to go in his place. When in 2001 his abuse of illegal immigrants was exposed, Close fled the country to Poland. Returning nine years later, he started a new business, this time using Polish immigrants, and immediately resumed his spree by attempting to get a bakery contract so he could rape his next target. When he failed, the undeterred Close resorted to regularly going as a customer, until he knew the layout well enough to rape Helen Vestry.
** [[HeroismAddict George Mackie]] from Season 7’s “Where There’s Smoke” was a talented fire investigator respected for his [[ConsummateProfessional dedication and knowledge]]. However secretly he was also a serial arsonist, later claiming to having started “sixty-four” separate fires. He would place homemade firebombs in his targets, then after the fire burned out, he would turn up to analyse it and [[GloryHound bask in the praise he received for his “insight.”]] In 1996 one of Mackie’s bombs caused the Union club to burn to the ground, killing four people, including the Club’s owner Mark Johnson, and causing seven hospitalisations. Shortly afterwards [[RetiredMonster Mackie retired and thus the fires stopped]]. UCOS’s reinvestigation of Union fire inadvertently inspired Mackie to come out of retirement. Breaking into David Swallow’s house he set up another bomb; Swallow was himself a survivor of the Union Club fire who had been left with first degree burns over half his body. Mackie then set another bomb in Stuart Russel’s house, this one nearly killing Jack, Brian and Gerry along with Russel. [[BitchInSheepsClothing Underneath all his charm and seeming helpfulness]] at heart Mackie was nothing more than a shameless AttentionWhore, happy to commit wanton destruction and kill innocent people just to [[ItsAllAboutMe stroke his own ego]].
** [[WolfInSheepsClothing Annabel Skinner]] from Season 10’s “Little Brother” was a former associate of the notorious [[ConMan Larry Goftmon]]. To steal Florence Epstein’s money [[TheVamp she seduced Florence’s husband Jonathan]] until he was so under her spell he agreed to murder Florence and steal her money. They [[ColdBloodedTorture tortured her bank details out of her]], before bludgeoning Florence to death with a hammer. No longer needing him, Annabel turned Jonathan over to the police. However Goftmon double crossed her and ran off with the money. Desiring vengeance, not just against Goftmon but also the accountant Peter Sale [[MisplacedRetribution despite him being unaware of their plan and being cheated himself]], she [[NeckSnap violently murdered]] Sale’s Sister Margaret Kirby then [[DeadPersonImpersonation stole Margaret’s identity]]. After six years of searching she found Goftmon, but couldn’t find Sale. Devising a plan, she set up a trail directing towards him and acquainted with Ester Lane. [[BitchInSheepsClothing Playing the role of a caring sister who wanted to tell her brother he was an uncle]] thus sending Brian on the trail to find Sale. Skinner then tipped the police about Gofton’s new alias, before strangled him leaving the body for Brian to find. All the while keeping taps by playing Margaret. Finally finding Sale, Skinner disabled the police officer who was guarding him and tried to murder him. When Brian interrupted her, she tried to strangle him to. A manipulative violent [[TheSociopath sociopath]] Skinner even described herself as [[CardCarryingVillain “fundamentally nasty”]].

** [[HeroismAddict George Mackie]] from Season 7’s “Where There’s Smoke” was a talented fire investigator respected for his [[Consummate Professional dedication and knowledge]]. However secretly he was also a serial arsonist, later claiming to having started “sixty-four” separate fires. He would place homemade firebombs in his targets, then after the fire burned out, he would turn up to analyse it and [[GloryHound bask in the praise he received for his “insight.”]] In 1996 one of Mackie’s bombs caused the Union club to burn to the ground, killing four people, including the Club’s owner Mark Johnson, and causing seven hospitalisations. Shortly afterwards [[RetiredMonster Mackie retired and thus the fires stopped]]. UCOS’s reinvestigation of Union fire inadvertently inspired Mackie to come out of retirement. Breaking into David Swallow’s house he set up another bomb; Swallow was himself a survivor of the Union Club fire who had been left with first degree burns over half his body. Mackie then set another bomb in Stuart Russel’s house, this one nearly killing Jack, Brian and Gerry along with Russel. [[BitchInSheepsClothing Underneath all his charm and seeming helpfulness]] at heart Mackie was nothing more than a shameless AttentionWhore, happy to commit wanton destruction and kill innocent people just to [[ItsAllAboutMe stroke his own ego]].

* PlayingAgainstType: Several examples over the years.
** Tim [=McInnerny=], known for playing foppish or pathetic characters on ''Series/{{Blackadder}}'' and an inept villain on ''Series/DoctorWho'', played the sinister MagnificentBastard MI5 agent Stephen Fisher in Series 9.
** [[spoiler:Richard Briers]], known for playing the pleasant [[spoiler:Tom Good in ''Series/TheGoodLife'']], played a villain in "Old Dogs".

* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: The reason Waterman is leaving the show - with the departure of all of the other members of the original cast Waterman has gone on record to say that he misses the chemistry he had with them and it's just not the same without them so he's decided to move on too.

* HeyItsThatGuy: [[Creator/SharonSmall Barbara]] [[Series/InspectorLynley Havers]] appears in "Queen and Country". Susan Jameson appears as a rich and attractive girl in ''UFO''.

* TheAce: Danny. The guy speaks Latin, has an answer for just about any question any other UCOS member asks him, can play football just by reading books on it and "applying basic physics", can shoot a basket from a long way away, is a good father, manages to get a steady girlfriend despite his know-it-all personality... Frankly, his only flaw is being a stick in the mud about it all.

* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Averted with Steve replacing Jack, as they are very different characters. Less averted for Dan replacing Brian, as they are both TheSpock and have family issues (though different ones) and for Sasha replacing Sandra.

* HeyItsThatGuy: [[SharonSmall Barbara]] [[Series/InspectorLynley Havers]] appears in "Queen and Country". Susan Jameson appears as a rich and attractive girl in ''UFO''.

* PlayingAgainstType: Several examples over the years. Tim [=McInnerny=], known for playing foppish or pathetic characters on ''{{Blackadder}}'' and an inept villain on ''Series/DoctorWho'', played the sinister MagnificentBastard MI5 agent Stephen Fisher in Series 9. [[spoiler:Richard Briers]], known for playing the pleasant [[spoiler:Tom Good in ''Series/TheGoodLife'']], played a villain in "Old Dogs".

* PlayingAgainstType: Several examples over the years. Tim [=McInnerny=], known for playing foppish or pathetic characters on ''{{Blackadder}}'' and an inept villain on ''Series/DoctorWho'', played the sinister MagnificentBastard MI5 agent Stephen Fisher in Series 9. [[spoiler:Richard Briers]], known for playing the pleasant [[spoiler:Tom Good in ''Series/TheGoodLife'']], played a CompleteMonster villain in "Old Dogs".

* HeyItsThatGuy: [[SharonSmall Barbara]] [[TheInspectorLynleyMysteries Havers]] appears in "Queen and Country". Susan Jameson appears as a rich and attractive girl in ''UFO''.

* PlayingAgainstType: Several examples over the years. Tim [=McInnerny=], known for playing foppish or pathetic characters on ''{{Blackadder}}'' and an inept villain on ''DoctorWho'', played the sinister MagnificentBastard MI5 agent Stephen Fisher in Series 9. [[spoiler:Richard Briers]], known for playing the pleasant [[spoiler:Tom Good in ''Series/TheGoodLife'']], played a CompleteMonster villain in "Old Dogs".

* MagnificentBastard: MI5 agent Stephen Fisher (played by Tim [=McInnery=]) in Series 9.
* PlayingAgainstType: Several examples over the years. Tim [=McInnery=], known for playing foppish or pathetic characters on ''{{Blackadder}}'' and an inept villain on ''DoctorWho'', played the sinister MagnificentBastard MI5 agent Stephen Fisher in Series 9. [[spoiler:Richard Briers]], known for playing the pleasant [[spoiler:Tom Good in]] ''[[spoiler:TheGoodLife]]'', played a CompleteMonster villain in "Old Dogs".

* HeyItsThatGuy: [[SharonSmall Barbara]] [[TheInspectorLynleyMysteries Havers]] appears in "Queen and Country".

* NeverLiveItDown: In-universe. Sandra has been in charge of [=UCOS=] for nearly a decade after she was attacked in the press for shooting a dog in self defence, considered a dead-end job; the group in general has a reputation as a refuge for washed-up has been cops and officers. This despite the fact that they have put away crime lords, drug lords, serial arsonists and killers, corrupt police officers (including the [[MoleInCharge deputy commisioner]]), and numerous other high-level crime figures, basically putting the rest of the Met to shame several times over.

* NeverLiveItDown: In-universe. Sandra has been in charge of [=UCOS=] for nearly a decade for accidently shooting a dog, considered a dead-end job; the group in general has a reputation as a refuge for washed-up has been cops and officers. This despite the fact that they have put away crime lords, drug lords, serial arsonists and killers, corrupt police officers (including the [[MoleInCharge deputy commisioner]]), and numerous other high-level crime figures, basically putting the rest of the Met to shame several times over.