Karen Pirie bosses on big season 2 twists: "Assume nothing"
The new season is based on Val McDermid's novel A Darker Domain.
Almost three years after its first season debuted, crime drama Karen Pirie is almost back on ITV – and viewers have been promised a twisting, turning ride.
The new season, which is based on Val McDermid's novel A Darker Domain, sees Lauren Lyle's detective and her team investigating the 1984 case of Catriona and Adam Grant, who were brutally kidnapped at gunpoint. They are put onto the case when a man’s body is discovered with indisputable links to the original kidnap.
Speaking at a screening and Q&A for the new season, 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."
Meanwhile, director Gareth Bryn said: "I think the important thing is not to take anything for granted. Assume nothing."
Alongside Lyle, season 2 also stars Chris Jenks and Zach Wyatt, both returning from season 1, as well as Emer Kenny, who plays River Wilde and is also the creator of the series.
Newcomers to the cast for season 2 include James Cosmo, Saskia Ashdown, Frances Tomelty, John Michie, Julia Brown, Mark Rowley, Kat Ronney, Conor Berry, Stuart Campbell, James Fleet and more.
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The synopsis for the season says: "With the international renown of the kidnap and the constant pressure from Catriona’s father, Sir Broderick Grant (Cosmo), the team take on the biggest challenge of their careers to date.
"As Karen delves deeper into what happened in the autumn of 1984, political grudges and painful secrets reveal themselves, and it soon becomes clear… the past is far from dead."
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Karen Pirie season 2 will air from Sunday 20th July 2025 on ITV1 and ITVX.
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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.
