Blue Lights series two review – last year’s breakout police hit is as beautifully tense as ever
Can we consider Blue Lights season two as the UK's response to The Wire? Well, to be honest, that's a little too much, but it's kind of a mix of The Wire and Holby City. Despite the soap opera-like plots between rookie cops, the police drama was a huge success in 2023 due to its realistic and compassionate representation of the challenges faced by the police force. Although we may have different opinions about law enforcement, the societal breakdown on the streets and the corruption and mismanagement in the corridors of power make it almost impossible to maintain law and order. It's like trying to mop up the tide while standing on a beach. The situation is similar in Belfast to what was portrayed in Baltimore.
In this blog, we're talking about a TV show called Blue Lights that takes a dark and pessimistic look at life in Northern Ireland. Even though the Troubles are over, there's still a lot of tension and resentment between different groups of people. In the first season of the show, the police were trying to take down a criminal gang called the McIntyres who were working with the British security services. But every time they tried to arrest them, they were told to back off because of MI5's secret operations. So the police had to tread carefully and couldn't do their job properly because of this outside interference.
One year after the McIntyre's fall, someone has taken their place at the top of the drug-dealing hierarchy in Belfast, but it's unclear who. The first episode of the show reveals that it's not only Catholics who have a problem with former soldiers becoming crime bosses. In the past, Blue Lights treated drug use as a consequence of ongoing rivalries, but now drugs are a symbol of society falling apart. Our police constable friends' first two calls involve a homeless person who has died from a heroin overdose and a pharmacist being threatened by a young person whose methadone prescription has yet to arrive. The pharmacist, who is hiding behind reinforced glass, reports that people have been shouting at them in desperation for the past six months.
The troubled city is depicted in a classic Blue Lights scene where two police officers in a car hear about a violent domestic disturbance on their radios. They hurry to the location, and we are all anxious as they enter not knowing what to expect. However, being a fictional show, Blue Lights portrays individual police officers as resourceful and sympathetic, championing the vulnerable. In this case, the police officers calm down a man who is smashing his home and going through a personal crisis since he has been waiting for a mental health assessment for months. Constable Annie Conlon expresses her exasperation, wondering if everything is just messed up.
Blue Lights is a compelling show that stands out for its ability to communicate simply and transparently. But its depiction of complex political realities is tempered by a penchant for an all-too-common plot device in soap operas about emergency service providers: romantic relationships in the workplace. In this episode, Annie is partnered up with a rookie named Shane Bradley (played by Frank Blake). Not only did she catch a glimpse of him shirtless at the station, but she's also impressed by his skill at handling a perilous situation with tact and strategy.
Annie's desire for Shane can be added to a list of other dramatic relationships from season one of the show. These include a secret affair fueled by shame, a tragic end to a deep love, and the suspenseful will-they-won't-they dynamic between two particularly beloved characters: Grace and Stevie. Grace is a former social worker who brings a gentle touch to the harsh world of law enforcement, while the experienced and cynical Stevie provides a contrast. Despite mocking Stevie's habit of snacking on homemade canapes in their car, Grace offers him some of her own clumsy baking in the new episode - a subtle yet powerful display of affection that the show does so well.
When the credits start rolling, fans hoping for a romantic relationship between Grace and Stevie are given a reality check about what their relationship truly entails. Throughout difficult situations, Blue Lights effectively incorporates both positive and negative elements.
