Karen Pirie season 2 has a solid idea at its core, while the BritBox series has room for improvement in its execution. This is the latest in a number of adaptations based on the books of Val McDermid—who also gave audiences Prime Suspect and Wire in the Blood. It has the same tone and style of those shows, but doesn’t have quite the same impact.

The series returns with the same approach of following one investigation over three episodes. All three scripts are co-written by actor/writer Emer Kenny—who co-stars as pathologist Dr. River Wilde—with McDermid, and based on the second Karen Pirie novel A Darker Domain. The ability to explore one case over multiple episodes is something British TV excels at, and Karen Pirie does a deep dive into the 1984 case of Catriona Grant, who went missing with her young son. The story starts out in a very familiar place: Catriona was the daughter of a rich businessman whose business practices are questionable. However, she pursued a much less “stuck-up” life. Viewers know the initial avenues that the case will take.

As the story unfolds, there are a few good fake-outs along the way, because Kenny and McDermid have the room to take detours and have the characters catch up. Because of the flashbacks, the audience is always thinking ahead of the characters, which has the side effect of making them feel like part of the investigation. And it’s very much appreciated that the scripts don’t lean too far into the 1980s aesthetic and create a distraction. There are some bits of period music, but Karen Pirie never overdoes it.

For American viewers, it will be hard not to compare Karen Pirie to Cold Case, with which it shares common DNA. Both series are about cold case units. Both shows are led by a charming female protagonist. Both use the device of flashing back to the past versions of characters and events to give the audience information that the main characters don’t have. The latter was also present in the novel, so it’s not strictly a creative choice for the TV version. But Cold Case does these things much better. Kathryn Morris was a force of nature as Lilly Rush, and Cold Case had a certain brightness to it, even in its darkest episodes.

In contrast, Karen Pirie leans into the darkness, whether it’s Karen criticizing the red tape or a fair number of scenes that are literally too dark. Actor Lauren Lyle is fully committed as Karen Pirie—she clearly understands that she has to drive the show when her character’s name is in the title, and she has the stubbornness that the premise demands. Yet the scripts don’t give Karen the same presence as Lilly Rush. She’s charming and quippy, but her moments of levity tend to stick out instead of feeling natural. The season’s guest cast are great, including Strike Back‘s John Michie and World on Fire‘s Julia Brown, who is a standout as Catriona. Audiences become invested in her, which in turn make them invested in Karen’s work. The actors are first-rate, even if the scripts don’t always get there.

Karen Pirie Season 2 has a solid mystery at its core, and the relatively short season is the perfect amount of time to keep viewers guessing without dragging it on too long. Audiences will be satisfied that they’ve accomplished something by the end of it, and Lauren Lyle is entertaining in the title role. The season may not reach its full potential, but those who love Cold Case or even Cold Justice will enjoy another series tha shines a light on the unsolved and forgotten.

Karen Pirie Season 2 is now streaming on BritBox. Photo Credit: Courtesy of BritBox.

Article content is (c)2020-2025 Brittany Frederick and may not be excerpted or reproduced without express written permission by the author. Follow me on Twitter at @BFTVTwtr and on Instagram at @BFTVGram. For story pitches, contact me at tvbrittanyf@yahoo.com.