Karen Pirie is assigned to brutal, high-profile case in season 2 first look
This time around, Karen will be investigating one of the biggest missing persons cases in Scotland's history.
Crime drama Karen Pirie is finally back on ITV this weekend, with Lauren Lyle's titular detective back to crack another cold case in the show's second season.
Now, Radio Times has got an exclusive first look at the first episode, which sees Karen being assigned to a hugely consequential, high-profile case, after new evidence is brought to light.
This evidence comes courtesy of Karen's friend River (played by the drama's creator Emer Kenny), who is also a professor of forensic anthropology and archaeology and who has found connections between an unearthed man's body and the case in question.
In the clip, which you can watch at the top of this article now, Karen and Chris Jenks's Mint are called in by Steve John Shepherd's Lees, and told that the case is that of the 1984 kidnapping of Catriona and Adam Grant.
River calls Cat "Scotland's John Paul Getty" - with Mint thinking she means the former pope.
In reality, as Karen explains, Cat is the heiress to an oil fortune, who was brutally kidnapped at gunpoint by a masked man, along with her infant son Adam.
Read more:
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Lees calls it "one of the biggest missing persons cases in this country's history", stressing the gravity of the situation. It seems that Karen will have her hands full this time around, and will have to deal with some serious scrutiny and press attention.
At a recent screening and Q&A for season 2, executive producer Simon Heath was asked to tease what fans can expect, to which he said: "There are a lot of twists - a lot of twists. And we go abroad, and we go across Europe, and there's some more great post-punk songs in the soundtrack."
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Meanwhile, director Gareth Bryn added: "I think the important thing is not to take anything for granted. Assume nothing."
Karen Pirie season 2 will air from Sunday 20th July 2025 on ITV1 and ITVX.
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Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
