So I’ve been pretty out of it regarding shows from across the pond. UK television here in the States is always highly regarded for dramas and comedic shows. With their dramas, their police procedurals are some of the best, bar none. Now I had to privilege of watching a series called The Tower 2: Death Message, based on Kate London’s trilogy of novels. This season focuses on the second one with the same title. Now I did get to watch season/series one along with two so I could understand what’s going on, and I have to say I was very impressed. The show easily sticks to your ribs. Gemma Whelan plays Detective Sarah Collins, who, after the events of the first series, recently changed assignments from investigating their fellow police (kind of like Internal Affairs here) to just homicide. She’s put on a cold case about a missing girl from 1997. She ends up also investigating a recent homicide of a young mother that has her cross paths with PC Lizzie Adama, a young officer that she was investigating in the last series. The two have to get past their issues with each to help find the person who killed this young woman and find her daughter.
Each actor in this ultimately kills it in every scene. Whelan, who most know from playing Yara Greyjoy, brings this woman who’s constantly annoyed at the men in the Metropolitan Police because of how they stand in the way of doing what’s right and justice. She plays the character as determined to find the truth, and you feel how she’s constantly pushing those around her to allow her just to do her job. She’s balanced well with Jimmy Akingbola as Steve Bradshaw, her partner. While he’s never in it enough for my tastes, he has such a strong presence as this policeman who doesn’t always agree with her but has her back. Tahirah Sharif plays Lizzie Adama, the other main character of this whole series, who’s a young, naïve cop that’s learning things the hard way each series. Adama is the emotional core, along with having a messy personal life with her superior officer. Collins/Adama’s dynamic goes from a cold adversarial relationship to a combative mentor/mentee.
After seeing both seasons, I like how it deals with issues with policing and the community in which police operate. While the first season focused on prejudice and profiling along with what we call the blue wall of silence, this second season focused on the issues regarding violence against women from men. I don’t know if I’ve seen a US show that deals with the nature of women not being listened to and being ignored, along with the plight of the women police to help and solve these cases and all the roadblocks in their way. It’s the subtly and honestly the boring parts of it all, the getting the evidence and following the lead, making bad decisions, all of it is in this. The show is very sobering and builds to its climaxes amazingly and fulfilling. While the series ends in a way that you expect there to be another series, it still feels like a complete story. You feel that this came from a novel, a complete story, and not made to be a television series that has to have another season.
Score: A
