Cracker (TV Series)

Brotherly Love: Part 1 (1995)

Lorcan Cranitch: DS Jimmy Beck

Photos 

Quotes 

• [His final words, to Penhaligon] 

  DS Jimmy Beck : This is evidence. This is a dying man's statement... I raped you...

  [Penhaligon gasps] 

  DS Jimmy Beck : I'm so sorry...

  [Beck jumps off the building to his death, taking David Harvey with him] 

• [as he drives to kill himself and David Harvey] 

  DS Jimmy Beck : I'll tell you why I joined the police force, Mr. Harvey. When I was a kid, there was a copper who used to walk up and down our street. That was when coppers could walk up and down our street. He was a big man. If you kept your nose clean, you'd be alright. If you stepped out of line, you'd get a clip 'round the ear. Everyone respected him. I wanted to be like that man. But I can't be like that man. They've all gone. Those days are all gone. Nowadays you give someone a clip 'round the ear, you end up in court. I know men who've been killed.

  David Harvey : Let me out of this car!

  DS Jimmy Beck : I know men who've been killed! Good men. Better men than me. Better coppers than me. But the killers are still living. They're banged up, yeah, but they're still living. They're treated like bloody heroes because they killed a copper. Well I believe in atonement, Mr. Harvey. If you're guilty, you should atone. And we're both guilty, Mr. Harvey.

  [Into his police radio] 

  DS Jimmy Beck : I'm with the suspect David Harvey. I'm taking him to the roof of the Ramada Hotel, and we're gonna jump off together. Over.

• DS Jimmy Beck : Bilborough died because I showed a villain a bit of compassion. That's all I wanted in return, a bit of compassion, a bit of understanding, from her. But I got none. She despised me for it.

  Dr. Eddie 'Fitz' Fitzgerald : She loved him.

  DS Jimmy Beck : I did too. She can turn compassion on and off like a tap. They all can.

  Dr. Eddie 'Fitz' Fitzgerald : Women?

  DS Jimmy Beck : I was fourteen when I came over here. I took a lot of stick, you know? Paddy. Mick. "Get back to the bog". And I knew what I had to do to earn a bit of respect. Throw a few punches, take a few punches. But I didn't. I hung around with the girls. Because they showed a bit of compassion, see? And I fell for it. Then a month passed and I wasn't a fresh face anymore, so they dumped me, and I had to take the punches, but it was worse now, because they were harder, because I'd been hanging around with the girls.

  [pause] 

  DS Jimmy Beck : Women need rape.

  Dr. Eddie 'Fitz' Fitzgerald : I'm listening.

  DS Jimmy Beck : It's their weapon. A woman goes up to Mike Tyson, the heavyweight champion of the world, a hotel bedroom, early hours of the morning, he gives her one, he gets done for rape, ends up in the nick. Mike Tyson. The heavyweight champion. One of the bravest men. If it can happen to him, it can happen to any of us. That's what they want. It's their weapon. They want to keep us on our toes. Penhaligon needs rape.

  Dr. Eddie 'Fitz' Fitzgerald : Needs raping?

  DS Jimmy Beck : Needs rape. It's her department, her little empire. She thinks she can treat me like muck, when it's rape, because she's a woman and we don't understand. Well that's bollocks. She knew nothing about rape.

  Dr. Eddie 'Fitz' Fitzgerald : So you thought you'd teach her something about it, did you?

  DS Jimmy Beck : This is in confidence?

  Dr. Eddie 'Fitz' Fitzgerald : Yeah.

  DS Jimmy Beck : Strict confidence?

  Dr. Eddie 'Fitz' Fitzgerald : Yeah, doctor-patient.

  DS Jimmy Beck : I don't believe you.

  Dr. Eddie 'Fitz' Fitzgerald : Strict confidence, Jimmy.

  DS Jimmy Beck : Swear.

  Dr. Eddie 'Fitz' Fitzgerald : Bloody, bloody, bloody.

  DS Jimmy Beck : Swear on the life of your wife and children.

  Dr. Eddie 'Fitz' Fitzgerald : I swear on the life of my wife and children that I will not repeat anything you tell me.

  DS Jimmy Beck : Swear on the life of your newborn baby.

  Dr. Eddie 'Fitz' Fitzgerald : You're sick.

  DS Jimmy Beck : I am sick.

  Dr. Eddie 'Fitz' Fitzgerald : I swear on the life of my newborn baby that I will not repeat anything you tell me.

  DS Jimmy Beck : [Hesitating]  I never intended to rape her. As God is my judge, I never intended it. I just wanted to frighten her. I was gonna pull the mask off at the last minute and laugh in her face, but something happened and she looked so... vulnerable. Weak. Frightened. And I felt so powerful. You wanna know the truth? I'll tell you the truth. I'd never had such an erection in my life. I realised that I could do it. That I could rape her and get away with it... just walk away from it. And... that's why I did it... because, I could. I... I raped her because... I could. You'd have done the same thing.

  [Fitz gets up to leave] 

  DS Jimmy Beck : Every man I know would have done it.

• DS Jimmy Beck : [to DCI Wise]  You're not fit to lick Billborough's boots, never mind fill them, you scruffy Scouse bastard!

• DCI Charlie Wise : [Following an argument with the Chief Super]  We're letting David Harvey go.

  [They all groan] 

  DS Jane 'Panhandle' Penhaligon : He's not the first one to get off Scot free, Jimmy.

  DS Jimmy Beck : Do you want him punished?

  DS Jane 'Panhandle' Penhaligon : You bloody hypocrite!

  DS Jimmy Beck : Do you want him punished? He's guilty, so you MUST want him punished!

  D.C. Alan Temple : For God's sake, let her go!

  DS Jane 'Panhandle' Penhaligon : Just piss off, Jimmy!

  DS Jimmy Beck : I just want to hear whether or not you want him punished!

  Dr. Eddie 'Fitz' Fitzgerald : [In Scouse accent]  Hey, calm down, calm down.

  DS Jimmy Beck : And you just stay out of this and all, right?

  D.C. Alan Temple : [Getting Jimmy by the arm]  What is wrong with you?

  DS Jimmy Beck : Get off!

  [to Penhaligon] 

  DS Jimmy Beck : He's guilty, right? And I'll do it. I'll do it. I just want to hear you say "Yes" or bloody "No"!

  DCI Charlie Wise : Aye aye!

  DS Jimmy Beck : Look, I just want her to answer the question!

  DCI Charlie Wise : Who the hell do you think you are? Jeremy bloody Paxman?

  [Jimmy storms out] 

• [Jimmy forces David Harvey into a lift with him and tapes his mouth shut] 

  DS Jimmy Beck : I'm going to take you right to the top, Mr. Harvey, and if you don't confess, I'm going to push you off. Does that make you feel like confessing, Mr. Harvey?

  [Harvey nods] 

  DS Jimmy Beck : Did you kill Jean McIlvanney?

  [Harvey pauses, then finally nods] 

  DS Jimmy Beck : Trouble is, it's confession under duress. Inadmissible. The judge'll throw it out. That's the way it is these days. Everything's designed to get you off. It's a wonderful... oh, what's the word I'm looking for? Uh, irony! There's a wonderful irony, isn't there, Mr. Harvey, because everything's designed to get you off. Well, you're the one who's going to have to die. Do you appreciate that irony, Mr. Harvey?

  [Harvey nods uneasily. Beck punches him and forces him out of the lift] 

• Dr. Eddie 'Fitz' Fitzgerald : I've seen your case notes. Nervous breakdown sixteen weeks ago.

  DS Jimmy Beck : I'm over it.

  Dr. Eddie 'Fitz' Fitzgerald : Stressed, depressed, prone to anxiety attacks. Guilt does that to a man.

  DS Jimmy Beck : Guilt over Bilborough's death.

  Dr. Eddie 'Fitz' Fitzgerald : Guilt over the rape of Jane Penhaligon.

  DS Jimmy Beck : Guilt over the death of a much-loved colleague.

  Dr. Eddie 'Fitz' Fitzgerald : Is that what you've been telling them for sixteen weeks?

  DS Jimmy Beck : Why should I rape her? I've screwed her. I got sick of screwing her, so why should I rape her?

  Dr. Eddie 'Fitz' Fitzgerald : Convince me.

  DS Jimmy Beck : The little tattoo on the inside of her thigh.

  Dr. Eddie 'Fitz' Fitzgerald : Now I know you raped her.

  DS Jimmy Beck : A rapist is gonna see that, is he? Rip'em off, stick it in, dark corner, and a rapist is gonna see a little thing like that? You've kissed that little tattoo, haven't you, Fitz? You've felt the hair tickle your cheek as you kissed it.

  [laughs] 

  DS Jimmy Beck : For God's sake, you've been there. If a fat piss artist like you can screw her, anyone can.

  Dr. Eddie 'Fitz' Fitzgerald : I believe she said something similar.

  DS Jimmy Beck : Well, there you go, then.

  Dr. Eddie 'Fitz' Fitzgerald : [Pouring Jimmy more whisky]  You've been dipping into your Guardian again, haven't you?

  DS Jimmy Beck : Bilborough screwed her. But he's dead. You think I'd lie about something like that? You think I'd lie about that?

  Dr. Eddie 'Fitz' Fitzgerald : I think you're capable of anything.

• [while sleeping with Denise Fletcher] 

  DS Jimmy Beck : "This is evidence. This is a dying man's statement." He knew he was dying, and he still did the job. And that makes my mistake worse, you know? I mean, if it'd led to the death of a man who was no better or worse than me, that'd be bad enough, but... to know that he was ten times the man I'll ever be...

  [notices Denise, totally uninterested, has fallen asleep]