Ep 1. Magdalene 26, Part 1

Waking the Dead season 8 episode 1 titled "Magdalene 26, Part 1" starts with the team receiving a suspicious case of a young girl's corpse found in a suitcase at the airport. The suitcase has the words "Magdalene 26" inscribed on it. The main lead of the case is found in the girl's tattoo, which contains a Black Madonna and a reference to the Magdalene Laundries in Ireland.

The team dives deep into the history of these Laundries, which were institutions run by Catholic nuns. The primary purpose of these Laundries was to provide care for "fallen women," but in reality, these institutions were responsible for human rights violations, torture, and abuse of young women in their care.

The team meets a survivor from the Magdalene Laundries, who provides crucial information about their treatment and life inside the institution. Her knowledge helps the team connect the dots and realize that the dead girl had run away from a Magdalene Laundry in Northern Ireland.

The investigation leads the team to a former Magdalene Institution, where they discover a strange connection between the dead girl and a notorious IRA bomber. However, the team is faced with a daunting task of uncovering and proving the IRA's involvement, which leads them deeper into the rabbit hole.

Meanwhile, the members of the team are dealing with personal issues that may or may not affect their work. Boyd is battling a personal crisis that is making him question his past and future decisions. Grace is dealing with her sister's unexpected pregnancy, which has pushed Grace to evaluate her own wishes for motherhood.

All in all, "Magdalene 26, Part 1" is an intriguing and suspenseful episode that unravels the dark history of the Magdalene Laundries in Ireland and their impact on the young women's lives, culminating in a thrilling investigation into a young girl's suspicious death.