Vigil boss says Suranne Jones's Amy 'butts heads' with new character
There's tension on the horizon for DCI Silva.
The follow-up to BBC One's naval-based thriller series Vigil promises new opposition for Suranne Jones's DCI Amy Silva.
Season 1 saw her grappling with her PTSD from the tragic car accident that led to the death of her boyfriend and in turn slowly developing feelings for her colleague DI Longacre (Rose Leslie).
We see the pair tenderly embrace at the end of the first season in a moment that is a collective exhale for the audience following the pacy action of the final episode.
The new season, set at a Scottish military base following a spate of suspicious deaths, promises a new challenge to Silva's authority in the form of Squadron Leader, Eliza Russell (Romola Garai).
When interviewed about the upcoming second season, executive producer Jake Lushington told press including RadioTimes.com: "(In season 1) there had been a lot of butting heads with all the boys on the submarine... we were really interested in seeing a different clash between two female characters who both thought they should be a challenge. And that reflected some of the things that were going on between the two protagonists."
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Season 1's pressurised, closed-vesselled setting enhances viewers' sense of the oppressive, claustrophobic atmosphere in the aftermath of Chief Petty Officer Craig's (Martin Compston) death.
Yet, further discussing season 2, Lushington commented on how the contrasting open space setting creates a more nuanced paranoid atmosphere: "This season, they're very exposed.
"We're in big landscapes with things in the sky... there's a line that Eliza says to Amy, 'It's different from being in a submarine, here you are in plain sight and everybody's watching what you do, the regime's watching, you can cause a diplomatic incident in a second'.
"So that level of exposure in terms of frailty, vulnerability, sort of infects the whole season if you like. So that's what's great is that the domain leads you to themes."
The trailer for the new season, which heavily features weaponised drones designed for war, opens a discussion about the future of warfare that is very much grounded in reality.
Is Eliza Russell complicit with this vision, filling the shoes of season 1's conniving Doward, or is she a figure of resistance? Plus, with our added emotional investment in Silva and Longacre's romance, does Eliza threaten to break them apart?
Whatever the answer may be, the new season of Vigil promises to be nail-biting viewing.
Read more:
- Vigil's Suranne Jones, Rose Leslie on 'expanding' relationship in season 2
- Vigil season 2 release date confirmed by BBC with first trailer
Vigil season 2 begins on Sunday 10th December on BBC One at 9pm, with episodes 1-3 streaming now on iPlayer.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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