The contemporary Belfast-set police drama, Blue Lights, broadcasts on BBC One every Monday at 9pm. It surpasses expectations in most areas thanks to its writers, who hail from Northern Ireland themselves – Declan Lawn and Adam Patterson. They successfully avoid delving into the narrative of trauma associated with the North, often oversimplified by UK television.
Blue Lights unquestionably delivers excellent television. In the inaugural season, the culmination saw the explosive downfall of a republican gangster, who was incidentally scheming with British intelligence. Yet as the narrative unfolds, it preludes to Belfast’s ominous underbelly remaining largely unchanged, even with one fewer criminal. A heroin crisis has reduced a significant part of the city centre into a forbidden zone, and the diligent detective Grace, played by Siân Brooke, soon realises that noble intentions aren’t sufficient in policing a complex region like Belfast.
Blue Lights seamlessly merges two thematic strands. Initially, it reveals an intriguing depiction of a location where a turbulent history uncomfortably shares a space with contemporary gang-related crime. Simultaneously, it offers an intimate insight into the life of a typical law enforcement officer. The team is varied; Grace, a former social worker from the UK, directly contrasts with the pragmatic newcomer Annie (portrayed by Katherine Devlin), who quickly evolves into a stoic police officer.
The latest season’s shortcoming lies in the confusing and occasionally slow-moving storyline. While drugs continue to devastate Belfast due to a new powerful figurehead, Blue Lights could have accelerated the plot progression by avoiding frequent reminders of the deteriorating situation through numerous shots of drug addicts and gloomy urban landscapes.
Michael Palin, discussing the death of his 57-year-long partner, remarked on the irreplaceable loss of such a close companion.
The narrative is set several months post the startling demise of Richard Dormer’s character, the experienced Gerry Cliff. The other characters are conspicuously attempting to deal with their companion’s abrupt departure, though the script fails in adequately capturing their emotional distress, leaving them merely appearing irritable.
Despite this, the programme features impressive acting talents and remarkably recreates the contemporary atmosphere of Belfast. It’s sufficient proof that the initial series wasn’t merely a lucky hit. In the generally dull Irish crime television scene, the show “Blue Lights” stands out as a unique highlight, even if it required the assistance of the BBC to make it happen.