I was going to write that this second series of Blue Lights – while rock solid and entertaining – didn’t quite hit as hard as series one. In fact, so convinced that I was going to write this that I was thinking of the reasons why it didn’t quite hit as hard as series one.
But then I watched the series finale.
To be quite honest, the last two episodes of this second series were of a very high quality, hitting just the right balance between the human stories of the main squad of characters and the main strands of the story, which concerned the dealer-cum-folk hero, Lee Thompson.
The episode began with Stevie and Grace taking the gun from a shell-shocked Henry. But just as that situation de-escalated and there seemed to be an ingenious way for Lee Thompson’s empire to crumble, the momentum tilted back towards Thompson and his gang. Some smart usage of social media and a reframing of the incident, Mount Eden erupted in flames, with Thompson and number two Craig McQuarrie skilfully dodging all that was thrown at them in the interview room, and even Henry refusing to talk.
It took a very. moving scene with Rab for the tide to turn once again, and some smart CCTV analysis by Tommy to finally nail McQuarrie.
Just as you thought Thompson might get away with it, his own family and community turned against him.
I loved that, and it’s something you hear a lot of in Belfast. The wonderful ordinary folk there have just had enough of violence and the cycle of violence. This story suggested a positive future could happen if people rejected those who manipulate and exploit them. I know it’s not as easy as that in the real world, but in TV drama terms this provided a neat and powerful ending.
And there was more powerful stuff, too – the Jen, Happy and Robin Graham storyline was resolved in an emotional way, with Happy showing remarkable restraint and forgiveness towards the man who might just have been able to stop the bomb that killed his father and brother.
Blue Light has been full of these emotional moments. I mentioned in my review of episode five that there was a hint of the soap opera – at least serial drama, like Casualty – about Blue Lights. Merely an observation, and in no way a criticism. But serial dramas like Casualty revel in emotional storylines, a close-knit group of people, romance and fall-outs.
And yet, Blue Lights spoke about really serious things – what it takes to forgive someone, redemption, revenge, manipulation, exploitation and populism. And the fact that those thugs who purport to be helping their communities, and those that claim to be anti-establishment, are nothing more than that… thugs and criminals.
It’ll be interesting to see where series three goes.
Paul Hirons
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The Killing Times 
Great review, Paul, thank you. I have really enjoyed this series, as much as the first, and it remained top quality, with my only concern one you touched on that it was becoming too soapy. We shall see. But so many great threads and I loved how the Jen/Happy story also became the Nicola and Jen story and Nicola started to be aware of things that had happened in the past were not acceptable now. I would have liked to have seen more of Helen, but her partnership with Sandra was brilliant and shows that more mature women have a role to play on and off TV. And wasn’t it satisfying to have Geraldine Gilroy bookending the series, only the second visit we (and Helen) were happy to see her? Great stuff all around!
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Excellent and accurate review, Paul, and I totally agree. While the first episodes were slow paced and merely good, the story went into overdrive in the last two. It’s not often things get so exciting in the world of crime drama! And as you point out in your final paragraph, there was a depth to the story that really took it up a level. It’s good to see storytelling that feels important, while so many of the new series are quite the opposite.
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