The second season of Blue Lights shows ambition and lives up to expectations. Last year the police series Blue Lights was a pleasant surprise. This series was therefore very high on my personal list of the best series of 2023. It was only logical that there would be a second season. Although this second season has less action and spectacle, the makers more than make up for that with a lot of psychological tension.
We still follow officers Grace (Sian Brooke, Trying), Annie (Katherine Devlin) and Tommy (Nathan Braniff) at a police station in Belfast. Although they are no longer in training and are now fully involved in the team, there is still a lot that is new to them. It is also still restless in the city. Confidence in the police is low and the agency is short-handed. Despite Belfast's biggest drugs gang now behind bars, other criminals are now trying to establish themselves in the city. The discovery of a dead war veteran also causes old conflicts to resurface.
Season two also builds up the story calmly
Just like in the first season, the makers once again take the time to slowly build up the story. The first few episodes are definitely not boring, but nothing remarkable happens. In the second half the makers manage to more than compensate for this and deliver fireworks again. The seeds that the makers plant at the beginning of the season blossom in a beautiful way at the end.
Unlike the previous season, this season focuses more on the development of the main characters and their relationships than on action. For example, the team has been thinned out considerably at the start of season two and there is a need for reinforcements. That comes in the form of officer Shane Bradley (Frank Lane, Normal People). Shane is talented, but his way of working is rough and his motives are shady. It is then interesting to see how he seems to drive a wedge between other characters.
This season focuses heavily on mutual distrust between agents
Highlighting mutual distrust is a strong move. The previous season focused heavily on the lack of trust between citizens and the police and this is still a leading theme. But by highlighting the conflicts fought between the agents, the series adds a whole new dimension. It starts with a small irritation, but people are tired, exhausted and overworked, and that's why it starts to crackle. Quite naturally, this degenerates into a major conflict with disastrous consequences for the police team and therefore also for Belfast.
What also helps is the cast. Just like last season, Brooke, Devlin and Braniff are excellent leads. In addition to Frank Lane, Seamus O'Hara (My Mother and Other Strangers) is also a very good addition to the cast. O'Hara plays a café owner who is slowly drawn into the criminal circuit. His transformation from outsider to hardened criminal is a highlight of this series. This storyline also makes eager use of the conflict between Catholics and Protestants, as do other Northern Irish series. Although this trick has been used many times, it doesn't feel stale in any way.
In season two, Blue Lights is again a strong crime series with the quality we can expect from the BBC. Although there is more focus on the psychological side of the police profession than on action, it is never boring. Even before the premiere of season two, the BBC has already announced a third and fourth season, and I'm looking forward to it!
