A house being renovated in Hammersmith has a blockage in its chimney brest. It turns out to be a human leg and it does not belong to Santa Claus.
Forensic analysis suggests that the recovered cadaver is that of a skinny woman and she could had died over 60 years ago.
Just the type of case DI Sunny Khan's team have made a reputation in solving. The trouble is the new DCI, Jessie James (Sinéad Keenan) wants to spend resources in current cases, not historical cases.
It seems Sunny and Jessie will be at loggerheads. Luckily the corpse was wearing vintage clothing that was purchased more recently.
The crime scene is contrasted with the lives of some disparate strangers. One of whom mugged a woman and left her severely injured. His partner is a drug addict. Another is a couple that runs a restaurant, one of whom has temper issues. There is an older man who has been told he has cancer. A university drop out who works at Paris airport.
Given the house that is being renovated was once a squat. Just maybe these people are connected with the dead woman in some way.
After the death of DCI Cassie Stuart, Unforgotten has a soft relaunch. The cosy team has become more abrasive as a result. No one likes Jessie James.
The first episode was left with more than the usual heavy lifting. Hopefully it will come together more in the second episode.