[Review] The Bletchley Circle – Series 2

COMING FULL CIRCLE

These female codebreakers, mystery solvers are back. What is it with the British shows and making us wait almost over a year for them to return? Instead of the three episodes they were given for the first series, they came back with four episodes this year. The girls solve two different cases and there is also a new addition to the group.

Technically, this series has yet to premiere in the US but it finished its run in the UK back in January. The serial killer case in the first series was really absorbing and I loved the gritty nature of the show. Plus, the show was led by a female cast in a time period when their place was at home. This season we follow the women after the fallout from their first case together.

I really loved what a logical thinker Susan (Anna Maxwell Martin). She has an atypical relationship with her husband. Despite being devoted to her family, there is clearly a wall separating Susan the crime solver and Susan the mom. In many ways, Timothy (Mark Dexter) did understand the secretive nature of his wife but it comes crashing down in Series 2. It was interesting to watch this transformation from a confident go-getter to letting her fears get the best of her after coming face to face with the killer in Series 1.

I am so sad to see Susan go halfway through this season because Anna Maxwell Martin is so great but her story arc made sense to me.

One story arc that I was ecstatic to see was Lucy’s (Sophie Rundle). After leaving her abusive husband, she is now working at Scotland Yard. Sure, she’s only a secretary but instead of being a housewife I’m glad to see that she’s putting her brain to good use, meaning her photographic memory. She’s an older and somewhat wiser woman of the world now. While I did initially worry that she was leading the inspector on to further her case with the Bletchley girls, I was proud to see that her maturity and newfound confidence helped her to deal that situation with great tact and grace.

On the flip side, the over confident Millie (Rachael Stirling) faced moments of insecurity. Her risky side business brought her face to face with danger. It was interesting to place her in a precarious position as it was Susan who faced the danger head on in Season 1. While Susan had a lot that she was putting on the line, such as the risk of her family finding out and putting them in danger, Millie doesn’t have those things. Susan liked to calculate things and have things worked out in her head before she did anything. Millie thinks quickly on the spot. Unlike Series 1, it was an interesting twist to see how a person like Millie would work her way out of her kidnapping situation.

Also in Series 2, Jean (Julie Graham) brings the girls back into crime solving with Alice Merren’s (Hattie Morahan) case. A former Bletchley Park worker, who ends up being wrongly accused of killing a notable scientist. Alice isn’t quite like Susan but I like her logical thinking process. It is hard to say how I totally feel about Alice as the first two epsiodes she was the “client” and we only began to acclimate her into the group with the last two episodes. Currently, the personalities of the other women are much stronger and her character seems to take a backseat to them.

Series 2 really doesn’t up the game, in my opinion. Now that we’ve seen what lengths they are willing to go through in Series 1, it’s not much of a surprise in Series 2 and therefore it lessens the thrill of the chase. However, I wouldn’t be opposed to watching them again for Series 3 if they were to renew this drama as long as we are offered a deeper look into their personal lives to add a new level to the show. If not, then I’m perfectly okay with the drama ending after this season.

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