Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Cast: Sophie Rundle, Lorraine Ashbourne, Matt Stokoe, Nicholas Gleaves, Philip Glenister, Tripti Tripuraneni, Heider Ali, Maui Connock, Faye McKeever, Jacqueline Boatswain, Leo Flanagan, Jill Halfpenny, George Bukhari, Ian Puleston-Davies, Alun Armstrong, Steph de Whalley.
We think of what happens after the flood as more of a clean-up, no matter how large the operation, rather than discovering a truth, that we can just scrape the residue from the top layer of the surface and find peace, calm, a forgetfulness of harm and all will be well, that we will by definition come to appreciate the inevitable sense of reorder once more.
The second series of After The Flood dismisses that assumption with a powerful punch, a resounding slap that shakes the foundation of perceived respectability and the veneer of community, and proves that come hell or highwater there will always be those in our midst who are undamaged by suffering, and indeed thrive and prosper until they are caught red handed as they find themselves cornered and confronted by their actions and evil.
Sophie Rundle had already been pushed as an actor during the first series of the detective drama set against the backdrop of allegation, mistrust, conspiracy, and tension, the added pressure paced upon her and the rest of cast as they battled the elements as a murder enquiry saw the small town split on its responsibilities was almost chilling to witness as the events unfolded, and in the aftermath, with its own dire problems swimming to the surface, unleashing torment and torrents of distaste…and yet with a calm assuredness that gratifies her character, as well as those in support of her in Lorraine Ashbourne, Nicholas Gleaves, Jill Halfpenny, and the ever redoubtable Alun Armstrong, the tension of her own predicament, the trap that has been set for her comes roaring into view and leaves the viewer threatened on her behalf.
It is to this sense of emotional reckoning that the town must face its next trial, that of the aftermath and all that is touched by the water, all that is revealed, that Ms. Rundle’s character of Joanne Marshall is once again pushed beyond reasonable endurance, of being asked to cope, even as a member of the police force, with more than is almost humanly possible. This push makes for incredible storylines and discoveries and enlightens the viewer to the extent of a person’s willingness to see the truth revealed.
A dynamic second series of After The Flood, and with hope there will be a third to wrap up every loose end and yet to be discovered wrong.
Ian D. Hall