Posted by Criminal Record, the Apple TV+ series develops the mystery about Hegarty: what is he hiding, how was he involved with that past case?
The way the TV show Criminal Records is slowly developing its plot is particularly fascinating. The story revolves around an old case in London that ended up with a black man, Errol Mathis, in prison for murder. Many years later, a young police officer, June Taylor, develops suspicions about Errol’s case: she believes he’s innocent, and the investigation against him was tainted by a group of detectives with a history of racism.
The biggest part of the mystery in Criminal Record spins around DC Daniel Hegarty. He was the one who ran the investigation on Errol Mathis years before. His conduct is often ambiguous: he’s hiding something; he’s covering up for two of his old colleagues, Kim and Tony. At the same time, we see him focused on being a good detective, and he also cares about Patrick, Errol’s son. For the whole plot, Criminal Record is pretty good at leaving the doubts active on us: is Hegarty a villain? What is he hiding? What was his role in Errol Mathis’ case, and what’s with his daughter Lisa?
If you pay enough attention, you will notice how every character in Criminal Record holds the same ambiguity. You can see it even in June Lenker, the protagonist: she’s undoubtedly a good character, trying to pursue the truth, attacked by many, and even challenged by her husband. However, she shows signs of paranoia about her condition as a black woman (we see how she talks with her son in Episode 5), and that’s how the plot wants to constantly confuse us about the characters’ attitudes. The same happens with Hegarty: there is something he’s hiding, he has a controversial relationship with Kim and Tony, and the plot clearly hints at something they used to do together, something that needs to stay hidden. Nevertheless, that doesn’t make Hegarty automatically a villain, and the plot intentionally keeps this question open. Similar to the suspicions we had about his involvement in the drug business: elements were pointing at his guilt, but then, at the end of episode 5, we discover he was buying drugs because his daughter has an addiction. It’s a perfect symbol of how things go around him: Hegarty could have done something bad, sure, but he may always have a good intention behind his actions. After all, what really makes someone a villain?
In Criminal Record Episode 7, we start discovering the truth about Errol Mathis and that investigation. There were suspicions about Errol but no objective evidence. No facts, as Hegarty calls them. There was massive pressure on Hegarty from the department, who wanted to make an example out of Errol after the street violence of those days. Errol’s alibi was not confirmed; Hegarty was asked to do everything possible to charge him. So, DC Hegarty ultimately used Errol’s memory loss against him, convincing him that he was guilty of that murder. Errol listens to his son’s words and starts believing he’s a bad guy. That day, Errol will give a full confession, guided by Hegarty.
So Hegarty has this guilty conscience about that case because he extorted that confession with manipulation, skipping facts. His two colleagues, Tony and Kim, are racist, and he somehow needs to cover something related to them. The real question isn’t whether Hegarty is hiding something but whether that makes him a villain. Is one mistake enough to make you bad? Interestingly, the same question could also apply to Errol Mathis.
The plot of Criminal Record is very careful, it keeps its secret for as long as possible, so we’ll probably discover the complete truth at the end. But the evolution of Hegarty is fascinating to see, episode after episode.
