Virdee series 1 has come to a tense finale with the Bradford detective facing a high-stakes confrontation with the killer - but was villain Jai Pawa finally caught in the thrilling ending?

In episode six, DI Harry Virdee was left with an impossible choice when the killer issued a horrifying ultimatum... How far would Harry go to save his wife Saima? And at what cost to his city and the law?

Running out of time and options, Harry (Staz Nair) set the stage for a brutal reckoning in a desperate ploy to gain advantage...

The series ended with multiple twists and turns, and ultimately DI Virdee's career ended up being even more connected to that of his criminal brother-in-law...

Here's a recap of Virdee series 1 in our ending explained, as well as news on series 2.

***Warning: spoilers from the ending of Virdee series 1 ahead***

Virdee ending explained: Who was the serial killer?

In Virdee season 1, DI Harry Virdee had the unpleasant task of investigating a serial killer who was targeting the South Asian community in Bradford. And these were some seriously sick murders. A strong stomach was needed, that's for sure...

Eventually, Harry found out that it was former kingpin and Riaz's old boss Jai Pawa (Ramon Tikaram) who was behind all the disturbing killings. Why? It was all a bid to expose Harry and Riaz. Pawa wanted them sent to prison, where he wanted them to suffer.

In the penultimate episode, we discovered that Pawa had Harry's wife Saima as hostage. He subsequently offered to trade Saima for Sophie, the other person who crossed him.

Why did Jai Pawa target Harry?

Jai Pawa's history with Harry and Riaz was eventually revealed in the form of flashbacks. In 2017, we saw a very different version of Pawa. At that time, he was at the top of his game, organising a major shipment of drugs.

Crucially, Riaz was part of Pawa's team. But more significantly perhaps, Riaz's girlfriend Sophie (Nichola Burley) was actually married to Pawa back then. Well, that definitely explained the grudge!

The flashback also showed how police - namely Harry - arrived at the scene. In a non-too-subtle move, Harry 'arrested' Sophie, but told her to "keep it together, we're nearly done". So Sophie was clearly complicit in Pawa's demise.

Back in the present day, Pawa told Harry that he knew Riaz was the leak and the reason why he got sent to prison. While Pawa was in jail, Riaz then used £30 million of Pawa's drugs to float his own business and pay Harry off.

Naturally, years later, Pawa wanted revenge against Harry and Riaz. He wanted them to confess and rot in prison as he had.

Virdee ending recap: Who killed Jai Pawa?

At the end of Virdee series 1, Riaz shot Jai Pawa in the head, having first helped his sister escape from the warehouse where he was holding her.

Later, as the gang wars continued, Riaz also shot rival kingpin Vasil Shala (Andi Jashy), hence getting rid of two of his biggest rivals at once.

However, what he didn't know at the time was that his sister Saima watched the whole thing unfold.

After Riaz solved the problem of Pawa, and saved Saima, Harry was forced to partner up with brother-in-law Riaz (Vikash Bhai)... He agreed to the partnership in a bid to get his wife back safe.

After Riaz killed Pawa, he and Harry agreed to continue working together. From then on, they would form a partnership with shared responsibilities. That meant that Riaz would also be able to call the shots.

Of course, the police force knew nothing of this. They believed that Pawa had killed Vasil, and that Pawa's death pointed at a new kingpin.

What else happened at the end of Virdee?

• At the end of Virdee series 1, it looked like DS Khalil Amin (Danyal Ismail) may have begun to suspect her partner Harry's morally ambiguous grip on the law.
• Elaine Tan's character Rebecca Armitage told Khalil that she'd be investigating the Greater Yorkshire Police and rumours of corruption.
• Harry discovered that Sophie and Riaz had been together for years, despite her being in 'witness protection'.
• Saima was horrified to learning that her brother and husband were caught up in criminality. She told Harry that she didn't know who he was anymore. However, Riaz advised Harry to blame him for everything to save his marriage. They also agreed never to say anything about Paul King, the racist who Harry stabbed and killed when he was a teenager. Riaz took the blame for that, too.
• Harry and his dad Ranjit attempted to make peace. They met, and had a heart to heart, with the possibility of a better relationship in the future.

Will there be a series 2 of Virdee?

BBC One has not yet confirmed if there'll be a series 2 of Virdee, but it's looking likely.

After all, the detective series is based on the AA Dhand's bestselling novels, and there are more to be adapted. Series 1 saw the book City of Sinners bought to life in the six-part series.

Virdee, a detective of Indian heritage, has so far featured in four novels, starting with Streets of Darkness. It was first published in 2016. The fifth in the series, The Chemist, is due in May 2025.

A spokesperson gave little away, telling us: "One series of Virdee has been commissioned."

However, like multiple detective dramas, including Unforgotten, Death in Paradise, Silent Witness, and The Bay, Virdee has the potential to run for years.

Broadcasters rarely commission a new series until they know how the last one has done. So watch this space for more info about a possible series 2 of Virdee.

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Virdee series 1 ends on Monday, March 17, 2025 at 9pm on BBC One. All episodes are on BBC iPlayer.