The Blame on ITV: Who killed Sophie Madsen? All the theories after episode 1
DI Emma Crane and DI Tom Radley investigate the tragic murder of a 16-year-old ice skater...
The Blame episode 1 delivered quite the emotional punch, as Michelle Keegan’s DI Emma Crane investigated the tragic death of a 15-year-old girl.
Sophie Madsen was reported missing in the (fictional) town of Wakestead, before police found her dead body in the woods. Her killer had struck her on the back of the skull with a large rock, causing her fatal injuries. It was no way for a young, promising ice skater to die.
Emma and her partner DI Tom Radley identified their main suspect. But, as the case progresses, an unexpected lead comes to light…
The Blame episode 1 ended with DI Tom Radley himself very much in the frame for the murder. But did he really do it? There are the theories…
***Warning: spoilers from The Blame episode 1 ahead***
The Blame episode 1: Who killed Sophie Madsen?
It’s early days, but a police officer could well be the killer. Not only are DI Emma Crane’s fellow colleagues vile misogynists, they even had a connection to young ice skater Sophie Madsen…
Just weeks before her death, a police officer saw Sophie crying in a car which had pulled over at the side of the road. The driver, her skating coach Kyle Frasier, was behind the wheel. Red flags waving left, right, and centre here… Failing to talk to Sophie away from her potential abuser, the police officer walked away – leaving her in a potentially dangerous situation.
To make matters SO MUCH worse, the copper then found a picture of Sophie online which he printed out and draw obscene pictures on. This doesn’t make him a killer, but it makes him a terrible cop. And also marks him out as a wrong’un. That goes for most of Emma’s male colleagues, who did not take Sophie seriously when she later came in to report a sexual assault at the hands of her coach.
Of course, coach Kyle Frasier is top suspect, having made unwanted advances towards her. He then sacked her from the skating team when she refused him. What a creep. Whether he killed her or not, he is guilty of sexually assaulted her and should not be working with children. Also, he lied about his alibi…
Did DI Tom Radley kill Sophie Madsen?
At the end of The Blame episode 1, another suspect came to light – Emma Crane’s partner DI Tom Radley.
The clues had been staring us in the face. Firstly, he was too good to be true. Then, when his relationship with Emma tipped from professional to sexual, it was clear that something bad was about to happen. Not to mention the way he offered to “help” Emma with the investigation, when really he wanted to stop her from seeing any incriminating evidence.
At the end of episode 1, Emma had managed to get her hands on dashcam footage of the night Sophie was murdered. Not something Tom had factored into his cover-up.
On the footage, Emma saw Tom getting into a car with the victim. Oh dear Tom. Not looking too promising is it?!
Theories after The Blame episode 1
After The Blame episode 1, the top suspects being dangled like juicy carrots are DI Tom Radley and coach Kyle Frasier. But it’s likely to be neither of them. After all, the writer and cast have teased plenty more twists to come. And it’s rarely the culprit pinpointed in the first episode…
Talking about the villain of the show, actress Michelle Keegan – who plays DI Emma Crane – told us: “I don’t know one person who would guess that ending! I’d put money on it. That’s why [writer] Megan is so brilliant. All the twists and turns she puts in there, all the fingers being pointed at different people and then no one will see that ending coming.”
Douglas Booth, who portrays DI Tom Radley, added: “The show certainly keeps us guessing as to who it is. I would challenge the idea of a single antagonist though. For me, the real villain is the toxicity of the system and how it traps people and erodes their moral core. The police do amazing work, and I have a lot of respect for them. It’s absolutely not an easy job to do, but there’s clearly a toxic culture that lives within it that lets both the public and the service down.”
Ian Hart, who plays DCI Kenneth Walker, said: “Our reveal is consistent with reality. In the regard that every time something awful happens, the person responsible is never who you think it is. The fellow who’s kicking off and angry is not a villain. It’s just his behaviour is disruptive and he might be having a poor mental health episode. Whereas the fellow sitting quietly in the corner, who you have a five-minute chat with, he’s more likely to be the guy you should watch out for.”
‘A great ending with a ton of twists and turns’
Lead writer and executive producer Megan Gallagher described the book the series is based on as having a “great ending with a ton of twists and turns”. She explained the “subject matter was screaming to be examined on television”.
She told us: “I love the challenge of keeping people guessing and making sure that that ending lands and feels satisfying.”
Series producer Matt Strevens said: “Our drama is set in the real world, so it needs to feel grounded. And so the antagonist needs to feel rooted and plausible. You need to believe that somebody like that actually exists. We need to show how someone would abuse their power and hide in plain sight. From meeting them you would never know.”
Read more: Michelle Keegan reunites with Harlan Coben for new Netflix thriller The Woods about a missing girl and a family torn apart
