Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
Cast: Nathan Braniff, Sian Brooke, Katherine Delvin, Martin McCann, Frankie McCafferty, Andi Osho, Hannah McClean, Joanne Crawford, Jonathan Harden, Andrea Irvine, Desmond Eastwood, Abigail McGibbon, Dearbháille McKinney, Seamus O’Hara, Craig McGinlay, Alfie Lawless, Matthew Forsythe, Chris Corrigan, Derek Thompson, Alfie Lawless, Paddy Jenkins.
We consider ourselves at the very least to be policed by consent, it is almost a statement of agreed terms and boundaries, which sometimes overlaps, sometimes moved by one faction, either in rebellion or by government insistence, but one to which for the most part the sight of Blue Lights flashing can be a comfort when we have been wronged, when another decides to not only blur the lines between criminal acts but to actively destroy your safety by setting fire to every law known.
Some areas, some places in Europe though are under a different kind of strain when it comes to keeping peace and confidence in justice, and that is true of the northern part of Ireland, a divided cinderblock which could heat up worryingly in seconds and spill its opinions out into the street with a small line of defence caught in the middle. Not only is it difficult to manage on a day-to-day basis, but those to whom take the oath of service have to deal with a kind of terror and take measures that would be considered beyond most ordinary citizens.
The first series of Blue Lights was an eye opener for many, it was unrelenting, an exercise in incredible storytelling, in character, in tackling issues in such a manner that as seen through the eyes of probationary officers in Belfast the audience is given a clear indication that policing in Ireland can be a seismic ask of anyone; and the second series is just as hard hitting, just as hard-hitting on the senses, but with a dimension of charm that makes it one of the best dramas on television at the moment.
Reflecting on the Loyalist area of Belfast and the desperation some people take thanks to an influx of drugs in the city, the officers see cracks appear in their unit, the fall out of the murder of one of their own still hangs in the air, the understanding of possible corruption within their ranks as deals are done behind closed doors with former soldier Lee Thompson, played with devastating effect by Seamus O’Hara, and the humanising effect of love in close quarters, and the effect of bigotry on a young mind…this is the damage of life in a part of the world that has issues and problems that must be resolved through channels of openness and sincerity on all sides.
The second series of this acclaimed drama pushes further the craft of actors such as Sian Brooke as Grace Ellis, Nathan Braniff as Tommy Foster, and Martin McCann as Stevie Neil, asking of them to undertake scenes that leave the audience caring for their future, fearing for the worst as the tension surrounding Lee Thompson’s public house and centre for chaos grows daily.
A wonderful reminder that modern drama can still hit home hard without apprehension of offending its viewers, Blue Lights is a reassuring presence on British screens.Ian D. Hall