The Game could prove to be Channel 5's best thriller so far, if episode one is anything to go by - here are all the clues that Patrick Harbottle is The Ripton Stalker in our recap.

The new four-parter introduces former detective Huw Miller, who is bored stiff after retiring from the police force. Haunted by the case he never solved, he becomes convinced his new neighbour is the criminal he failed to catch - and there are clear signs that he is!

Here's everything we gleamed from episode 1 of The Game on Channel 5, including the mystery surrounding The Ripton Stalker, if that person is new neighbour Patrick, and the real cause of Frank's death...

***Warning: spoilers from The Game on Channel 5 episode 1 ahead***

What happened in The Game episode 1 on Channel 5?

Detective Huw Miller (Jason Watkins in The Game cast) retired from the police force with very little fanfare. This was probably due to the fact that one of his cases was considered one of the "greatest cock-ups by the police in the past 20 years".

Despite policing being his "life's dream", Huw failed to solve the case of The Ripton Stalker - unfinished business that continued to hang over him three years later.

We discovered that the case resulted in Huw having a nervous breakdown, which nearly broke him, his marriage, and his relationship with his daughter.

So when Huw's neighbour, friend and golf buddy Frank died in mysterious circumstances, Huw's investigative skills started twitching furiously. And when new neighbour Patrick moved in to Frank's house and seemed to taunt Huw with The Ripton Stalker's famous phrase "catch you later", the former detective became obsessed once again...

Who was The Ripton Stalker?

The Ripton Stalker is the case Huw Miller was never able to solve. And the criminal wasn't just a stalker either - he's a serial killer.

The perpetrator watched his victims for weeks before he acted, even breaking into their homes and watching them while they slept. He messed with their minds, moved things around their homes, and drove them crazy. Only then, when they were really falling apart, did The Ripton Stalker kill the women.

Tragically, the "bodies piled up" while The Ripton Stalker taunted detective Huw Miller. He sent the investigating officer letters with the same sign-off "catch you later".

After a confrontation, in which The Ripton Stalker attacked Huw, the detective was eventually demoted from the case, and the stalker was never found.

The Game episode 1 recap: What really happened to Huw's neighbour Frank?

Just as Huw faced years of retirement, his golf buddy and neighbour Frank died. Huw found his lifeless body in the bath. Neighbours speculated that he'd had a heart attack, despite being extremely fit.

Police claimed he'd died of an overdose, despite Huw's protestations that Frank wasn't a) taking drugs or b) suicidal.

In the closing minutes of The Game episode 1, DS Jenny Atkins was seen reading the post-morten report. There were no needle marks on Frank, suggesting he could have injected himself. Far from being black and white, his cause of death was deemed inclusive and needed further investigation.

Could Patrick have killed Frank to get closer to his nemesis Huw?

Is Patrick Harbottle The Ripton Stalker? All the clues...

Huw's charming new neighbour Patrick Harbottle moved in to Frank's old house, and seemed too good to be true. He runs a repair shop, is single, and "so fit" according to unhappily married Liz Maguire.

After a night out, he utters the chilling phrase "catch you later" - the sign off the stalker used to taunt Huw - and Huw became convinced that Patrick IS The Ripton Stalker. But has he got the right man, or has his obsession pushed him to the brink?

All the clues that Patrick is the villain:

Firstly, he said the words associated with The Ripton Stalker, and Huw recognised the voice. Sure, it's a common phrase, but this is a Channel 5 thriller we're talking about! Patrick HAS to be The Ripton Stalker! Otherwise we want our money back!

Secondly, the mysterious locked case under Patrick's bed. What's in it, and why is it locked? Also worth noting here that he lives alone, and has no significant others, or children to get in the way of all that possible criminality.

Thirdly, Frank's mysterious death, now ruled inconclusive. Was Frank murdered so Patrick could move in opposite his old nemesis?

Lastly, Patrick bought the house without even looking at it. Further proof perhaps that his main aim is to mess with Huw's mind...

Patrick and Huw is a 'perverted love story'

Talking about his character Patrick Harbottle, Robson Green explained why he's a delicious character to delve into.

He said: "It's this whole psychological chess game he has with this someone he needs in his life, which is Huw. We were trying to quantify what is the relationship between Patrick Harbottle and Huw Miller. I asked my son and he said: 'It's a kind of perverted love story.' Without Huw in his life Patrick can't function. That's interesting to play."

As to why Patrick is so fascinated with Huw, Robson added: "He is interested in the life that Huw has chosen; to be a detective. That he is someone who lives for the hunt. A detective's job is quite extraordinary. The worlds they enter can be of a destructive nature on all levels, but Huw loves it. So Patrick says: 'Let's keep it going. Let's live a bit. Because you know it's me…Or is it me?'"

What else happened in The Game episode 1 on Channel 5?

• Huw's former partner DS Jenny Atkins confronted him about a serious breach of data. She suspected him of downloading all the data about The Ripton Stalker on to a flash drive at the station before he left. Which he clearly did.
• It became clear that anyone close to Huw might not be safe, including his beloved wife Alice, and possibly his estranged daughter. Could The Ripton Stalker target Huw's family?
• Alice became extremely worried that husband Huw was once again becoming obsessed with the case. But does that make his suspicions any less credible?
• A man called Declan Reid was originally arrested for the crimes of The Ripton Stalker, but was later proven innocent.

Read more: The filming locations of The Game on Channel 5 - and it's NOT where you think!

The Game episode 2 airs on Tuesday, May 13, 2025 at 9pm on Channel 5.