Series 2 of The Responder tightens the screws of its unbearable tension even further
“What if I’m just a twat?”
The first series of The Responder was nothing short of a revelation, an unflinching look at the trials of frontline policing, written by former Merseyside Police officer Tony Schumacher. Series 2 continues that fine form with an almost unbearable level of tension suffused through its storytelling, picking up with police officers Chris Carson and Rachel Hargreaves both still struggling to deal with their respective trauma.
Martin Freeman’s Carson continues to be an extraordinary performance, deeply compelling as a deeply flawed man making as many mistakes as attempts to do better and consequently unable to really break free. For all his support groups and attempts to be a better father, he’s still mired in unsavoury connections with the Liverpool criminal underground who call on him to do their bidding and desperate for cash, he inevitably says yes.
Whether Faye McKeever’s scheming Jodie or Adam Nagaitis’ fearsome Franny, the pressure they exert threatens to overwhelm Carson, particularly as his ex may be moving to London with their daughter. Emily Fairn’s addict and would-be dealer Casey and Josh Finan’s hapless Marco also find themselves drawn into the chaos, the latter himself dealing with unexpected parenthood to dial up the pathos in their often grim lives.
Alongside this is Adelayo Adedayo’s considered work as Hargreaves, her enthusiasm for the job dulled by her domestic abuse experience, PTSD having taken a strong hold over her. It is painful to watch as her nihilism is almost grateful for the chaos that comes with being in Carson’s orbit, an excuse to maybe even stop caring. It’s a lot but it is sensitively done, feeling like a panic attack whilst you’re in it but knowing that it will soon come to an end.
