Blue Lights, BBC One, series 2, review: British TV's best crime drama returns
When Blue Lights premiered on BBC One last year, it wasn't exactly groundbreaking. From its uninspiring title to its focus on the daily grind of police work in Belfast, the show didn't immediately capture viewers' attention. Its premise of following three rookie cops discovering the harsh realities of the job wasn't anything new either.
It was discovered that everything previously thought about it was incorrect - Blue Lights was an outstanding success and highly rated on the BBC. The show was even renewed for more series because of how popular it was. Declan Lawn and Adam Patterson, experts in creating investigative documentaries from their experience on Panorama, revealed the fascinating and eye-opening world of response policing in Northern Ireland after the Troubles.
Blue Lights achieved success because it had the key elements that make for great drama: a compelling story with believable characters and relationships set in a vibrant and authentic world. This world was created by the writers Lawn and Patterson who had a deep understanding of modern day Belfast and the historical tensions between the police and the public that shape every interaction. The exceptional performances of the talented cast, including Siân Brooke, and impressive newcomers Katherine Devlin and Nathan Braniff, brought the characters and relationships to life.
After establishing everything in series one, series two needed a fresh story. At first, the writers seemed to be happy with sticking to the same formula. Belfast is in disarray, drugs are rampant, and there aren't enough police to combat the issue. A new DS, Murray Canning, who was previously introduced in series one, is brought in to handle the situation. However, his approach of containment doesn't sit well with the Blackthorn Station team. Lee Thompson takes over as the new leader of the Mount Eden Estate, but he still rules with an iron fist.
Although it may start off slow, season two quickly becomes captivating and impossible to ignore. The new leader, Thompson, has an unusual but somewhat admirable intention - to create a sense of moral confusion among the already chaotic surroundings. This sets the stage for a truly unpredictable atmosphere, where anything can occur, ranging from comedic moments to intense drama, deep thought to discussions about dessert. When the writing and acting are able to maintain this level of intensity, the end product becomes a "must-watch" TV program that is both powerful and poignant.
The second installment of Blue Lights is airing on BBC One tonight at 9pm. If you'd like to watch the entire series on your own time, it's already available on BBC iPlayer.
