The second series of Wire in the Blood rustles up more of the same
“How dark can you get?”
Having switched to the feature-length episodes, rather than the two-parters of the first season, series two of Wire in the Blood continues the strong work of expanding the world of Val McDiarmid’s characters over four more stories. It remains highly watchable though from today’s perspective, it doesn’t really have much that makes it stand out from the glut of crime dramas available across multiple channels and platforms.
What it does have going for it is the lead performances of Robson Green’s Dr Hill and Hermione Norris’ DI, then DCI Jordan. Their chemistry is palpable and whilst you can see the creatives pushing for a will-they-won’t-they vibe, there’s actually more that’s enjoyable in watching them work together, pulling each other back from the edge as the pressures of the job continually pushes them to extremes.
This time round we have Tony getting too involved in a case when he lets one of his students get involved in a case involving other students being abducted and Carol getting twisted when a case from the past rears its ugly head. Throw in a mildly psychedelic Joan of Arc-inspired episode and a truly chilling hospital killer to wrap things up, and it’s all pretty solid indeed. Angus Wright (with hair) and Stanley Townsend prove the best theatrical spots, plus a baby Ryan Sampson.
