Prey: Series Two (2015)

Prey: Series Two (2015)

Dir. Lewis Arnold | 3 episodes, approx 45 mins each.

Like Series 1 it begins in the thick of it and then skips back (eighteen hours this time) to show how the 'prey' got to be in their current situation. Most of the characters are new, as is the story, so you don't need to have seen the previous miniseries beforehand.

There's some minor continuity, but it's with one cast member only. Not having seen the previous episodes won't have any major impact on your viewing.

Alas, the person in question is DS Susan Reinhart (Rosie Cavaliero), the officer in charge of both cases and who was, for me, the weakest aspect of both. 

Everyone has their strengths — she'd maybe be well-cast as a scullery maid in a BBC period drama — but she's not convincing as a leader and driving force.

The duo she's chasing fare much better. David Murdoch and Jules Hope, played by Philip Glenister and MyAnna Buring, respectively, are on the run together but they aren't friends.

The nature of their relationship is a major part of the plot, so I won't go into detail other than to say that David must rely on Jules even though he doesn't trust her; the repeated reassurances that she's on his side don't ease his troubled soul. He's prepared to do whatever it takes to save a loved one from harm. Her goal is more ambiguous, which adds tension and suspense.

The focus is more evenly split this time between the pursed and the pursuers. The basic premise of David and Jules' story is less overused than what Marcus Farrow (John Simm) found himself in, and is therefore more engaging; both Glenister and Buring give an excellent performance, too.

The drama of DS Reinhart's role should've been its equal, but it wasn't, in both presentation and acting. She's aided by DC Richard Iddon (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett), a subordinate but altogether more entertaining officer who provides a level of conflict that helps offset Reinhart's blandness.

Ultimately, Series Two is one very strong half that's let down by one generally weak half. But it's still better overall than Prey: Series One (2014).