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The Best Episodes of The Chelsea Detective

Every episode of The Chelsea Detective ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of The Chelsea Detective!

Binge this in 23h 48m•Peaking at 6.8/10

Detective Inspector Max Arnold lives on a battered houseboat at the end of Cheyne Walk after separating from his art dealer wife Astrid. The son of a local bookshop owner, Max is a far cry

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Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
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    The Chelsea Detective Season 4 Episode 1 - Death on the Aether
    6.8/10(4 votes)

    #1 - Death on the Aether

    S4:E1

    After a butler is found dead in the Thames, Max and the team interview the owner of the agency that employed him. But when they learn that the deceased was actually a journalist on an undercover investigation, Max digs deeper into the case.

    Director:Brian Kelly
    Writer:Unknown

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  2. The Chelsea Detective Season 1 Episode 1 - The Wages of Sin
    6.1/10(17 votes)

    #2 - The Wages of Sin

    S1:E1

    Stonemason Andrew Knightley is pushed under a London Underground train during the morning rush hour. DI Max Arnold and his partner, DS Priya Shamsie, together build a picture of a lonely, devout, and troubled man who believed a spirit was leaving him vengeful Biblical messages. But the killer is flesh and blood, and a more earthly explanation may be found in the truth of Knightley's life.

    Director:Richard Signy
    Writer:Glen Laker

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  3. The Chelsea Detective Season 3 Episode 1 - Everyone Loves Chloe
    6.0/10(7 votes)

    #3 - Everyone Loves Chloe

    S3:E1

    Chloe Carmichael, former popstar and one-time darling of the tabloids, is found dead in her Chelsea mansion flat in the days leading up to Christmas. They first suspect a drug overdose, but forensics soon establishes that Chloe had been drowned in the bath. Max and the team must contend with a string of potential suspects, including her hard-bitten manager, a conniving journalist and a Tory MP. Each of them has a secret connecting them to Chloe, but who was it that killed her?

    Director:Jennie Darnell
    Writer:Unknown

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  4. The Chelsea Detective Season 4 Episode 2 - The 13th Earl
    6.0/10(3 votes)

    #4 - The 13th Earl

    S4:E2

    Notorious gangster Trent Wilsher is shot dead after a drunken night, and the prime suspect, Rory, Earl of Davenstock, has disappeared. Max launches a manhunt to find the missing man before Trent's brother takes revenge on the remaining Davenstocks.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  5. The Chelsea Detective Season 4 Episode 3 - Beauty Costs
    6.0/10(3 votes)

    #5 - Beauty Costs

    S4:E3

    After a woman is found murdered in her own beauty salon, Max interviews one of her old boyfriends and some of her scorned clients in search of a lead. He learns that the truth behind the murder is darker than he anticipated.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  6. The Chelsea Detective Season 1 Episode 2 - Mrs Romano
    5.7/10(16 votes)

    #6 - Mrs Romano

    S1:E2

    This case follows the disappearance of a social media sensation who is married to the owner of an upmarket Chelsea eatery. Soon the investigation turns into a murder investigation and Max finds himself embroiled in explosive family politics.

    Director:Richard Signy
    Writer:Glen Laker

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    The 20 WORST Episodes of The Chelsea Detective

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  7. The Chelsea Detective Season 1 Episode 4 - A Chelsea Education
    5.7/10(15 votes)

    #7 - A Chelsea Education

    S1:E4

    A teacher in a prestigious international school is murdered at home shortly before he's due to move to Japan. Although the teacher is said to have been well-liked, it seems there’s no shortage of suspects in his murder.

    Director:Darcia Martin
    Writer:Liz Lake

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  8. The Chelsea Detective Season 2 Episode 3 - The Reliable Witness
    5.6/10(7 votes)

    #8 - The Reliable Witness

    S2:E3

    The most likely culprit in the murder of a psychotherapist is an ex-patient with a history of erratic behaviour; as the team digs into the therapist's personal life, they uncover disturbing revelations that cast a new light on his killing.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  9. The Chelsea Detective Season 1 Episode 3 - The Gentle Giant
    5.5/10(14 votes)

    #9 - The Gentle Giant

    S1:E3

    A popular security guard is stabbed to death on a patch of waste ground. He leaves behind his terminally ill wife and at first, it appears he died as a result of a drug deal gone wrong. However, as Max and Priya soon realize, nothing is as it seems.

    Director:Darcia Martin
    Writer:Peter Fincham

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  10. The Chelsea Detective Season 4 Episode 4 - The Petrov Extension
    5.5/10(3 votes)

    #10 - The Petrov Extension

    S4:E4

    On the night that celebrated architect Rowan Jameson is to receive a lifetime achievement award, he's thrown to his death from a hotel balcony. Following a second murder in Cambridge, Max and his team uncover a conspiracy linking both victims.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  11. The Chelsea Detective Season 3 Episode 2 - Deadlock
    5.3/10(6 votes)

    #11 - Deadlock

    S3:E2

    When a dead body is unearthed, Max and Layla race to identify the victim. Their investigation takes them from a city estate to the US embassy, where powerful forces stand in their way. They must use every trick up their sleeve to catch the killer.

    Director:Jennie Darnell
    Writer:Unknown

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  12. The Chelsea Detective Season 3 Episode 3 - Myths and Legends
    5.2/10(6 votes)

    #12 - Myths and Legends

    S3:E3

    After antiques dealer Niall Hammond is murdered in his shop, Max and Layla zero in on a rare precious coin he recently purchased. The detectives must decipher the truth as secrets and lies begin to emerge and suspects multiply.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  13. The Chelsea Detective Season 3 Episode 4 - For the Greater Good
    5.2/10(6 votes)

    #13 - For the Greater Good

    S3:E4

    A climate scientist is found dead in a stolen car's trunk. As detectives Max and Layla investigate, they uncover possible links to his upcoming conference speech and a complex web of deception.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  14. The Chelsea Detective Season 2 Episode 2 - Golden Years
    5.0/10(8 votes)

    #14 - Golden Years

    S2:E2

    A woman at a luxury retirement home dies mysteriously, and with no signs of forced entry, suspicion falls on the staff and residents; tensions within her family point to another cause, harking back to their time in Apartheid-era South Africa.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  15. The Chelsea Detective Season 2 Episode 4 - A Crime of Passion
    5.0/10(8 votes)

    #15 - A Crime of Passion

    S2:E4

    Jack Felton, the owner of a fruit and vegetable delivery company, is found stabbed at home in what looks like a frenzied attack; the detectives must unravel romantic jealousies, family conflicts and business rivalries to nab the killer.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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  16. The Chelsea Detective Season 2 Episode 1 - The Blue Room
    4.9/10(9 votes)

    #16 - The Blue Room

    S2:E1

    When an art gallery manager is strangled during the robbery of an exhibition, it appears he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. But as the team delve into the elite world of Chelsea's art scene, Max soon wonders if the victim was an accomplice.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

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Best Episodes Summary

"Death on the Aether" is the best rated episode of "The Chelsea Detective". It scored 6.8/10 based on 4 votes. Directed by Brian Kelly and written by Unknown, it aired on 8/3/2026. This episode scored 0.7 points higher than the second highest rated, "The Wages of Sin".