It wasn’t long ago that I wrote about a series from Acorn
called NO OFFENCE. It’s a British police procedural that follows the detective
squad that follows the team of the division of the Manchester Metropolitan
Police (a fictional group). Series one had them looking for a serial killer who
was murdering girls with Down’s syndrome. Series 2 takes on a more powerful
enemy.
The series opens at the funeral of the son of crime lord
Nora Attah (Rakie Ayola). Her husband was in charge before and imprisoned for
murder but the squad is escorting him here in chains to attend the funeral.
Things go wrong when a bomb goes off in the funeral home nearly killing Nora
and DI Viv Deering (Joanna Scanlan).
The team sets about trying to find who was behind the
bombing as fast as possible in the hopes of preventing a war between gangs. The
lead suspects in the bombing are the Kennedy gang and their goal is to prevent
retaliation from Norah against them. But the best laid plans always seem to
fall far too short.
But there is more going on here than meets the eye. As the
series progresses we learn that there are more people involved behind the
scenes than initially thought. Could it be that Norah was behind it all in an
attempt to extend her territory? Or could her son who’s never shown an interest
in the family business be trying to take over? Or is there a third party
involved trying to get the two largest factions to take each other out so that
person can move in?
What makes the series work is a combination of smart writing
and dynamic acting. The plot levels of this series are like a puzzle that
becomes more apparent of what you are looking at as each piece falls into
place. You can be thinking you’re looking at a cloud when it suddenly looks
like a bird and then changes into something else entirely. And each piece fits
perfectly so that you never feel cheated that it wasn’t the cloud at all.
The cast has come together to tell the story in the best way
possible. These were characters we got to know in the first series and now have
a chance to watch develop in the second. The secret they kept from the first
series remains just that but it also takes its toll on them. This time around
they continue to skirt the formalities of the law in order to keep the peace
and catch the criminals but not so much as to do so blatantly. And with a new
head of the station (Viv had to step down last time around) they are being
scrutinized at the same time.
Another thing that the show benefits from is not using what
I would call glamour models in the roles being displayed here. This is not to
say that each of the actresses involved here is not attractive but in a world
where we are force fed the likes of Charlie’s Angels repeatedly it’s nice to
see that not every female actress has to look like Farah Fawcett. These are
real women that you might see every day, each good looking in their own way
without the excessive amount of makeup and blow drying. In addition to that
they can handle themselves when the need arises. That’s nice to see for a change.
But if these actresses couldn’t act then what difference
would that make? Fortunately they act marvelously and even better when
together. Each character has their own unique personality and style that makes
them believable. One can’t be singled out above the rest. This is an ensemble
show where they work together as a team.
Having watch both the first and second series of this show I
was thrilled to learn there is a season three and with any luck it will continue
on from there. The show is one that can be enjoyed around the world and with
the help of Acorn that is being accomplished. Let’s just hope it continues.
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