Gone on ITV1: DS Annie Cassidy is tracking a killer, but is the real monster her husband?
He's a creep, but is he a murderer?
Gone continues to ramp up the pace as the ITV thriller heads towards it’s dramatic conclusion, and episode 4 unveiled another sinister threat in the shape of DS Annie Cassidy’s husband Craig.
Yes, there had been signs. But the mask well and truly slipped in the latest episode (Monday, March 16) revealing DI Craig Stanhope to be little more than a bully.
And, as his true character became clear, viewers learnt something very crucial about Annie, too. In a series centred around the death of music teacher Sarah Polly, with a side dish of toxic masculinity, the lead character was as much as a victim as anyone.
A people-pleaser at heart, Annie tries to keep her estranged husband happy, and is haunted by a case she wasn’t able to solve – the case of missing girl Tina Bradley. But is the real villain the wolf in sheep’s clothing at her very door?
***Warning: spoilers from Gone episodes 1 to 4 ahead***
Who is Annie’s husband DI Craig Stanhope in Gone?
At first, DI Craig Stanhope appeared to be an ordinary, unremarkable bloke. In fact, he even seemed to care for his estranged wife Annie. At the beginning of the ITV series Gone, we saw him attempt to rekindle things with her, wanting to prove himself to her without taking things too fast. Although some might call his behaviour love-bombing. All this after he ruined their marriage by having an affair with a younger woman.
More recently, he offered to help Annie out with a cold case that means so much to her. But his motivations here are becoming clearer. As Annie fixates on the present-day investigation, Craig finds himself unable to keep his jealous and manipulative sides in check, forcing Annie to reckon with the truth of their relationship…
Gone episode 4 recap: What happened in latest instalment?
In Monday’s episode, Annie and her colleagues began to see things in a new light as fresh information emerged. The spotlight focused on two suspects – Sarah’s husband Michael Polly, and her lover Stephen Sedgwick – as both were forced to account for their movements on the days surrounding Sarah’s disappearance.
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At first, Annie felt frustrated in her role as Family Liaison Officer. But she soon started to realise how she could use it to her advantage. Her strange bond with Michael deepened as he began to share his regrets about the difficulties of his marriage. And Annie could relate to much of what he said about blaming himself because of a cheating spouse…
Meanwhile, Annie began to let her guard down with estranged husband Craig. Knowing exactly how to win her back, he offered to help her on the Tina Bradley cold case haunting her from years before. But he soon turned hostile.
In episode 4, his ‘good behaviour’ well and truly changed for the worse. When Annie missed a restaurant date with him because of an important development at work, he showed his nasty streak. He accused her of “playing games”, when in fact he of all people should understand the unpredictable schedule of a copper. He even lashed out at another punter in the restaurant.
As if we hadn’t guessed already, Craig wasn’t a nice guy. Not at all. And it might have taken a heart to heart with Michael Polly for Annie to realise…
At the end of the episode, Craig showed up at Michael Polly’s house demanding to see Annie – putting her professional life on the line. In shocking scenes, Michael tried to protect Annie from an angry Craig, and the pair ended up fighting. Of course, Craig abused the situation by arresting Michael for assaulting a police officer.
Could Annie’s husband Craig be the killer in Gone?
One thing is for sure, DI Craig Stanhope is not a pleasant person. He cheated on Annie when they were married, and appears to be controlling her now. Turning up at her work and demanding to see her is a massive abuse of his position – both as a DI and a husband.
But is Craig capable of murder? And could he somehow have been involved in Sarah Polly’s death? Some TV viewers think so.
One viewer wrote on X: “It’s Craig! He’s the guilty one #Gone.”
On Reddit, someone said: “What’s the story with the ex-husband ? At the start, he was a mystery man. Then he was an ex. Then he was an ex who ran off with a younger woman. By the end he’s a complete psychopath.”
A third had an interesting theory , saying: “I assume the ex-husband is going to end up being the one who had killed Tina 20 years ago. Especially with him flirting with the young waitress. He had cheated with a young woman, his temper, and then Annie mentioning to Tina’s mum that her and Tina were friends.”
That’s a very good theory!
Read more: Gone on ITV: Did Michael Polly really kill his wife Sarah? Top 5 suspects in the frame
