While testifying in the trial of high-profile criminal Nick Hammer, Sophie is humiliated on the witness stand by an aggressive defence lawyer who calls her credibility into question. The case is lost and Joe gets into a heated argument with lawyer, Ray Jarvis, outside of court. Ray files an official complaint against Joe and Internal Affairs is called in to investigate the incident. Harriet won't lie to help Joe out of trouble. Her reluctance to help Joe may be warranted as Ray is soon found beaten in his home, claiming on TV for all to see that Detective Joe Hill was responsible for the attack. Joe readily admits he paid Ray a visit but that Ray refused to see him. It now falls on Joe's colleagues to not only prove his innocence, but to rebuild their original case against Nick Hammer and bring him to justice.

The Kingsway detectives are called in when the body of a young woman is found caught in a weir in a national park. It is learned the woman, a primary school teacher, was involved with a group of swingers, leading detectives to suspect the involvement of someone from within the group. The reported disappearance of another woman becomes a key element in allowing Joe and Harriet to solve the case. Despite his persistence, Sophie avoids Theo's overtures as she continues to keep details of her private life just that.

The Kingsway detectives are called in when an eleven-year-old girl is abducted from outside her school and held for ransom. The family's recent lottery win would appear to explain why their daughter was targeted but the detectives' suspicions also fall on the mother. The father's argumentative behaviour doesn't help matters and threatens to derail the detectives' hopes for an uncomplicated exchange of money for the girl's safe return. Joe takes the case personally and takes it upon himself to find the culprit, but his deep involvement begins to affect both his family and his relationship with Nicole who is still uncertain of where she stands.

An old unsolved case that has dogged Joe for nine years is reopened when a young woman is drugged and assaulted at a local beach. The attack is carried out in much the same manner as the murders of two teenage girls nine years earlier, one of whom's necklace the new victim is inexplicably wearing. The suspect in those crimes avoided prosecution due to insufficient evidence but Joe is quick to tie in the new attack with the unsolved crimes and begins building a case against him. Tension mounts when evidence links the suspect to a missing person case, the latest victim falls prey to a suspicious accident that could prevent her testimony, and the investigation is hampered by mistakes that could destroy the case before it's even built. With the investigation unraveling, Nicole, whose ambitions to enroll in the Police Acadamy are in jeopardy thanks to an incident from her past, volunteers to go undercover, placing her life at risk to obtain a confession and ensure the killer's conviction.

Theo and Nicole's evening out ends with an unexpected tragedy when Nicole is shot and rushed to hospital. With no reason for her to be the target of a contract-style shooting, the investigation is slow to develop. It is the discovery of a dead body at the bottom of a cliff that provides the crucial lead. The dead man, Lance Stiffner, was shot by the same type of gun that shot Nicole. It quickly becomes clear that Nicole was the victim of mistaken identity. The intended target was Nina Napolitano, who was having an affair with Stiffner. Her imprisoned husband found out and put out a hit on both her and Stiffner. The identity of the shooter is provided by a reluctant accomplice, and Joe and Theo are soon involved in a high-speed chase with their suspect. The chase ends when Joe draws his gun and shoots the suspect, believing to be in danger of being shot himself. However, upon searching the car, no gun is found. Was Joe mistaken or was it a case of cold-blooded revenge?

The police's Critical Response Team is brought in to investigate Lloyd Zuker's death. Theo lies about seeing Zuker with a gun to help Joe but his story doesn't hold up under scrutiny and lead investigator Frank Conti tries to get him to turn on Joe, threatening to charge Joe with murder and Theo with the attempt to pervert the course of justice. Despite the findings of Conti's report, Joe does have the Commissioner's support, but he's haunted by the shooting and is determined to find Zuker's missing gun and clear his name. Meanwhile, the detectives investigate the murder of a man whose body is pulled from a lake. Nicole comes out of surgery.

A body is washed ashore on a crowded beach. The detectives are quick to identify the dead man, an heir to a waste disposal fortune, as someone reported missing after reportedly falling off a yacht. The small number of people on board the yacht at the time of the accident means a limited number of suspects but leads the detectives into the investigation of the power struggles inside a divided family and the effects of violence. The investigation reminds Joe of his own troubled childhood and has him questioning his own parenting skills. Sophie and Theo compete for a spot in an undercover training course. Nicole, back at work part time, receives some good news.

The investigation of a road rage incident leads to the discovery of an ecstasy importing racket. For Sophie, the focus quickly turns to her personal life when Eliot's father reenters her life, wanting the opportunity to be involved in his son's life. Seeking balance in her chaotic life, Sophie is tempted to let Dirk in but a shocking discovery puts much into doubt. Nicole is having second thoughts about her impending engagement to Shane.

Theo goes undercover to infiltrate a drug smuggling operation involving lawyer Ray Jarvis [ep 1.03]. The difficult job turns life threatening when his cover is blown forcing him to rely on a woman he has become involved with to keep him alive. Nicole struggles to pull the trigger during a training exercise.

The body of a newborn baby is unearthed in a churchyard after a priest reluctantly comes forward with information given to him in confession about a possible body buried in the local presbytery. When the priest is later found hanged in his office, the detectives' initial thoughts are suicide, but why would a priest commit a mortal sin by taking his own life? Could the two deaths be related? Meanwhile, Joe's new girlfriend, Harriet's best friend, pressures him to tell Harriet about their relationship.

When a Kingsway bank is robbed over the weekend, the detectives' suspicions fall on the bank's manager who is nowhere to be found. Fran's arrest for impaired driving exposes troubles in her personal life.

A complaint filed against Hudson by an ex-con who accuses him of fabricating evidence places his career on the line when he loses the Commissioner's confidence. Joe's unwavering support for Hudson only makes the situation worse when, with no evidence, he questions Hudson's accuser in relation to a recent armed robbery. Hudson is forced to take the blame for the incident to keep Joe in the clear but in doing so gets suspended. Loyalties at Kingsway are divided as Joe continues his pursuit to clear Hudson but Harriet warns him it may not be possible. Joe's father returns but Joe is no more sympathetic than the last time he appeared.

A security guard is murdered during a break and enter at the fortress-like home of a wealthy banker. The only forensic evidence is a child's tooth discovered near his body, but could a child be capable of such a horrific crime? Joe's father, in failing health, has resurfaced in his life hoping for a reconciliation.

The body of a young Asian girl is found in a garbage compactor, leading the Kingsway detectives to an international illegal prostitution racket.

The lives of two of Kingsway's finest detectives are in grave danger when Joe and Harriet are the targets of a terrifying car bomb attack outside the police station. While Harriet survives the blast, two uniformed policemen are seriously wounded. And things are about to get much worse for the crime-fighting duo as they continue their investigatation into the sex slave racket. Joe is devastated when an anonymous complaint is made against him, hinting at sexual misconduct with his daughters.