Karen Pirie season 2 review: Lauren Lyle’s detective makes a delayed but assured return

The reason for the break is perfectly understandable - it seems it was largely a result of writer Emer Kenny, who adapts Val McDermid's novels for the series, having a baby in 2023. It's really very hard to argue that Kenny should have shown more focus to an ITV detective drama than her newborn.

However, there is a natural question as to whether audience interest and anticipation can sustain for as long as three years, particularly given the genre in which Karen Pirie sits. Crime dramas were 10-a-penny when the first season debuted, and there's arguably even more competition now.

I guess the proof will be in the pudding, or more specifically, the ratings. But, having seen all three episodes, one thing's for sure - viewers will be missing out if they skip this new instalment, which is just as characterful, compelling and distinct as season 1.

Season 2 picks up some time after the end of season 1, with Lauren Lyle's Karen now having been promoted to Detective Inspector. When her friend and professor of forensic anthropology and archaeology, River Wilde, finds a connection between a man's unearthed body and a high-profile cold case, Karen is assigned to look into it - with a lot of pressure from above.

That's because the case is that of Catriona (Julia Brown) and Adam Grant, a mother and her infant son who were kidnapped at gunpoint in 1984.

Cat's father is Sir Broderick Grant (James Cosmo and Jamie Michie, depending on the time-period), an oil magnate who was sent ransom notes to get her back. However, the original case faltered and both mother and son were never found.

DCS Lees (Steve John Shepherd) gives Karen almost carte blanche to assemble her team. Amongst them of course is DC Jason ‘Mint’ Murray (Chris Jenks, continuing to steal scenes), but also DS Phil Parhatka (Zach Wyatt) - a more complicated choice given that he and Karen are secretly romantically involved.

However, there is one addition Lees insists on - the difficult to read, seemingly disinterested DC Isla Stark (Saskia Ashdown), who has been working for some time in E-crime and is desperate to transfer. Lees takes advantage of this desperation to get Isla to spy on Karen. After all, his new DI still has a habit of bending the rules in her search for the truth, and for justice.

As in season 1, one of the show's biggest strengths continues to be its dual-timelines. There's only so many times TV audiences can watch another interrogation scene or scene of the police piecing together their leads to uncover some mind-bending twist, before all crime dramas start to feel one in the same.

Naturally, these scenes are a crucial part of the genre, so they can't be escaped entirely. Karen Pirie does them as well as can be hoped for - not only are they believable and engaging, but the show's tone and in particular its sense of humour help to liven things up.

However, the novelty of the series really comes from the exploration of the crimes themselves, in stunningly shot flashback sequences with excellent production design behind them, a well-cast group of younger actors and incredibly solid pacing.

Crucial information is doled out just slowly enough to keep up the suspense, but quickly enough to make it all feel propulsive and necessary. The twists are incredibly well-baked into the structure here, perhaps even more than in season 1.

Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised. Karen Pirie comes from World Productions, the production company behind Line of Duty and countless other thrillers. Bringing that genres thrills over to what could otherwise be a strictly crime/detective story is of huge benefit.

In fact, there's something to be said for the pacing and the three-episode format across the board. While 90-minute episodes may arguably be too long for this sort of show, it's hard to deny that they're excellently structured here, and that the season as a whole never outstays its welcome.

Earlier this year we saw the arrival of Dept. Q, a very different show but one with a surprisingly similar set-up. It was based on a series of hit novels about a police team in Scotland, with a boss who doesn't play by the rules, investigating cold cases.

However, the biggest difference, even with the significant tonal disparities between the two, is perhaps that Karen Pirie adapts one novel over a brisk, well-paced four and a half hours. Dept. Q took a bewildering eight hours to do the same.

It's this efficiency of storytelling, and the different time periods utilised making this season feel so different from the last, which make the series such a breath of fresh air - even if we did have to wait a long time to get it.

Of course, credit should also go to the cast. Lyle continues to be an excellent lead, neither a wholly likely, indistinct protagonist figure, nor a stereotype of a grumpy, disagreeable maverick cop.

The series continues to effectively comment on her position as a woman in charge, and the barriers she has to face to be respected by Lees and her team, but never does so in a heavy-handed manner.

Unfortunately the one aspect which does occasionally feel a bit clunky is the inclusion of Rakhee Thakrar's Bel Richmond, returning from season 1.

Last time, she was a podcaster whose work revitalised interest in the case Karen was working on. This time, she's a documentarian working on a new series for a nondescript "streamer", who is seen interviewing Karen about her job at the start of the series.

Thakrar is a fine actor, and is perfectly good in her role, but it does feel as though Bel was a bit of a last minute addition, purely serving a thematic purpose and as a combative motivator for Karen, rather than a real purpose in the story.

Looking to the newcomers, Saskia Ashdown is a very welcome addition to the team, throwing an entirely different energy into the mix, while those surrounding the case, including Brown, Cosmo and Mark Rowley all give strong performances.

They're not the only ones, but all three bring nuance and depth to their characters, who go on wide-ranging journeys throughout the season and whose roles within it are most impacted by the twists and turns of the narrative.

It's not easy to keep a grounding of emotional honesty with those sorts of buffers, but all three do, and help to sell a story which could easily be questioned without such strong performances bolstering it.

This season also takes the action abroad, with Karen, Mint and Isla heading broad to chase down leads in the final episode, which was partly shot on location in Malta.

Dramas like this filming abroad can sometimes feel a bit perfunctory - a nice holiday for the cast and crew, and some sunny locales to highlight in the trailers.

However, there is a legitimacy to these scenes, given how crucially they factor into the story. Not only do they make sense for the narrative, but it actually would be hard to make it make sense without them.

It's also another element which helps Karen Pirie to stand out in a crowded field of crime dramas. That's not to say those who are completely done with the genre, or who were never fans of it to begin with, will necessarily want to tune in. This is still very much a part of that world, and isn't necessarily going to change hearts and minds.

However, if you're looking for a strong example of how do it well, with a different spin on things, some effective hooks and twists, a good dose of humour and an impressive cast, then Pirie's the woman you're looking for.

Here's just hoping she'll be back on our screens sooner next time.

Karen Pirie season 2 will air from Sunday 20th July 2025 on ITV1 and ITVX.

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