McDonald & Dodds stars Tala Gouveia and Jason Watkins have teased a "personal" season 4 finale, which will see the growing friendship between the title characters come under pressure.

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When the show began, they appeared to be a chalk and cheese partnership, but over the course of solving many mysteries they have come to form a genuine bond – but Gouveia says that actually creates "more room for tension and conflict".

Storm clouds will be brewing as the detective duo investigate a spate of deaths occurring at wedding ceremonies across Bath, which drudges up some hard-hitting emotions for both of them.

"The third episode is quite a lot about McDonald's personal life and her love life, and what she wants from her future," said Gouveia in an interview with RadioTimes.com. "And with Dodds, he has a connection to one of the victims that's very personal.

"So actually, we’re more going into his past, we get more of their personal lives. And I think they've built this lovely trust between them that is strong, but tends to be challenged and sometimes breaks."

Watkins went on to cite an example of when the characters' close friendship has negatively heightened their emotions.

"There's that time when I feel slightly betrayed by you, because you have gone off with Claire's character [Chief Superintendent Mary Ormond] and seemingly gone behind my back," he recalled.

"Even though that was a sort of tactic by the two of you, it's actually a more personal affront to me, because we're so close as characters."

McDonald and Dodds having an argument in a leafy outdoor area
Tala Gouveia and Jason Watkins star in McDonald & Dodds Mammoth Screen for ITV

The synopsis for the McDonald & Dodds season 4 finale – titled Wedding Fever – offers a hint at what's in store for the sleuths in their latest case.

It reads: "It's wedding season in Bath and there's a race against time as a spate of deaths affect ceremonies across the city.

"One ends in tragedy when the vicar is found murdered in the vestry, and McDonald's suspicions focus on the bride, her father and her sisters as all of them had a close relationship with the deceased.

"But when she and Dodds make an arrest, a second murder takes place."

McDonald & Dodds airs Sundays on ITV1. Stream on ITVX.

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Authors

David Craig
David CraigSenior Drama Writer

David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.

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