Holby Blue

AVERAGE VIEWER RATING:

Episode Guide

Series two

Go to Series one

Episode 1/12

The second series of the police drama kicks off with a crossover story with sister show Holby City. Doctor Jac Naylor is arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following an attack on someone who previously assaulted her. Jac protests her innocence but there's overwhelming evidence against her, and her colleagues are divided as to whether she's capable of murder. Meanwhile, Keenan's new boss, DCI Scott Vaughan, takes an interest in Kate.

RT Choice (David Butcher, 20 March 2008)

When Holby Blue began, it seemed odd the writers didn't pick up storylines from Holby City or Casualty. If BBC1 is going to have three long-running dramas set in the same fictional city, surely the characters should bump into each other now and then?
Well now they do. For the start of the second series of Holby Blue, DI John Keenan (Cal Macaninch) and his team investigate the shocker from this week's Holby City, when that nasty piece of work who tried to rape Jac finally got his comeuppance. Jac is arrested and as you'd expect, Wyvern Constabulary's interview technique is devious and subtle: "Did you stab Alan Clooney?" they bark. "No!" "Well we think you did!" "Well you're wrong!" etc.
Episode 2/12

The police race against time to get a dodgy batch of drugs off the streets and discover the source of the deadly narcotics. Vaughan's determined to crack the case, but can he do it without alienating a few people along the way? Meanwhile, Lucy and Robert are concerned for the welfare of a young child and his father - and Lucy offers Robert some advice on how to be a part of his estranged son's life.

RT Choice (Sarah Dempster, 27 March 2008)

When a bunch of students snuff it after ingesting some strange powdery stuff, Holby South police station mobilises its troops. "We have to find the rest of those drugs…before people start taking them!" thunders DCI Vaughan, helpfully, as said troops - namely, DI Keenan and a couple of stupefied PCs - nod dumbly.
The resulting brouhaha sees their resources stretched to breaking point, with plods forced to stride along corridors slightly quicker than usual, and frequent action shots of blurred blinds and fuzzy lights reminding us that this is, in fact, war. Sort of.
Episode 3/12

CID and the uniformed division work together to avert a gang war following a stabbing. But when a suspect is fatally injured during a pursuit, nobody foresees the consequences. Disapproving of Christian's approach to his job, Rachel lodges a complaint against him. Jenny is duty bound to investigate the charge, but Christian reacts strongly to the implication that he should change his methods. Elsewhere, Robert arranges to meet his son.

RT Choice (Jane Rackham, 3 April 2008)

The final, dramatic scene is both horrible and startling.
Episode 4/12

As the police officers of Holby South struggle to come to terms with their tragic loss, Lucy makes a momentous decision. Meanwhile, John and Luke try to apprehend the gang responsible for an unprovoked attack that left a young man, Pradip Das, badly hurt. Local teenager Trey Gabriel could be the key to cracking the case - but can youth worker Sean Burrows persuade him to help the police?

RT Choice (David Butcher, 10 April 2008)

There are some guest stars who bring such a history with them that it's too easy to see where their characters are going. Kevin Doyle is one such, a wonderful character actor whose face you'll know from any number of crime dramas, even if his name is unfamiliar. When he appears as a youth worker at the station, you know he'll turn out to be a wrong 'un; it's just a question of when. But in the meantime, he more or less acts everyone else off the screen.
Episode 5/12

Sean Burrows lies in a coma in hospital, but John is reluctant to accept that Sean's son, Lee, launched an unprovoked attack on his father. As John puts Lee's mother, Judy, under pressure to speak out about her husband's violent tendencies, he's forced to confront his own troubled past, and goes to see his estranged father in prison. Meanwhile, Mac pays Lucy a visit and urges her to reconsider her decision to leave the force.

RT Choice (Alison Graham, 17 April 2008)

There's quite an interesting story at the heart of this - it's just a shame it's almost smothered by cliché.
Episode 6/12

John's father reveals that Kate has been in contact with him, hoping for a family reconciliation. Furious at the news, John confronts his wife and as the argument escalates, he loses control. Meanwhile, Luke tries to convince Judy Burrows to admit that both she and Lee have been mistreated for years by husband Sean, and Kelly provokes Neil into revealing the identity of his secret crush.

RT Choice (Alison Graham, 24 April 2008)

Don't be surprised if this feels like an extended, particularly bleak EastEnders episode - it's written by Easties' (and Oliver Twist) golden girl Sarah Phelps. It's tough stuff, as shouty DI Keenan has a confrontation with his abusive, imprisoned dad and a lifetime's worth of resentment and anger comes pouring out.
Keenan's meltdown is triggered by the case of Sean Burrows (Kevin Doyle), an evil piece of work who's remorselessly abused his wife and continues to exercise control over the poor woman, even from his hospital bed. No-one does creepy quite like Kevin Doyle, so his scenes are unpleasantly effective, overshadowing the more soapy elements of the story.
Episode 7/12

Lucy is assigned to help new recruit Jake Loughton settle in, but her trauma after Robert's death, combined with Jake's patronising attitude, means they struggle to get along. William's embarrassed when he discovers his estranged mother has been arrested for drunken violence. Jenny, Kate and Mandy enioy a girls' night out, but then Scott turns up at the bar… Things are awkward between Neil and Kelly now he's admitted his true feelings for her.
Episode 8/12

Scott orders a raid on a brothel where he suspects prostitutes are being forced to sell drugs by pimp Toby Wilson. Meanwhile, Jake and Lucy investigate a missing persons case and uncover a link with the brothel. Lucy is also keen to find out the reason for Jake's transfer to Holby South. Elsewhere, Christian is surprised and delighted to see a face from his past, and Jenny makes a difficult decision following a pregnancy scare.
Episode 9/12

Christian's a popular and capable officer, but even he finds it tough stepping into Jenny's shoes as Acting Inspector. Knowing Rachel's waiting for him to fail doesn't make the new job any easier, either. Meanwhile, recovering addict Miranda finds out whether she's got the job with the drugs referral unit. Elsewhere, the Keenans are wrestling with their marital problems - and Kate betrays a confidence to Mandy.
Episode 10/12

The detectives suspect a violent robbery at a local firm was an inside job - can they pinpoint which member of staff is the guilty party? There's a surprise in store for Neil and Kelly when they arrive at the scene of a burglary. As John and Kate continue to work on their foundering marriage, Luke's revelling in family life - but his happiness is cruelly snatched away when he receives some devastating news.
Episode 11/12

Luke returns to work following Mandy's funeral, but John is concerned that his colleague's grief is isolating him from his baby daughter Ruby. John's father, only recently released from jail, is suspected of assaulting a prostitute, and Kate is disconcerted when he turns up at their house. Lucy and Jake investigate a case of blackmail, while circumstances bring Christian and Miranda together again.
Episode 12/12

CID work to uncover the identity of a lone sniper who is targeting Holby South police cars. Meanwhile, Kelly turns to Neil for comfort when she discovers her husband's infidelity. Christian and Miranda's relationship is blossoming, but will the former drug addict be able to resist temptation when she finds a stash of narcotics? And Kate arrives home to find her father-in-law lying in wait for her.