Review: Keeping Faith, season 2

Eve Myles in Keeping Faith

Keeping Faith season 2 continues to be densely written with a lot going on in a short time. It threatens to overwhelm the heroine Faith Howells (Eve Myles). Too much, too fast, and all of it serious. There’s a powerful sense of desperation in this suspenseful tale.

Season 2 begins 18 months after the end of season 1. Evan Howells (Bradley Freegard), whose disappearance caused so much heartache for Faith in the first season, has been in prison for 18 months. Faith is still suffering because of his actions.

Faith visits Evan in prison but the relationship is cool. A cop, DI Breeze (Rhashan Stone), puts pressure on Evan to give him information on a local gangster he wants to arrest, Gael Reardon (Anastasia Hille).

DI Breeze is a slimy guy who works every angle to get what he wants. Evan contains a bit of slime himself. I didn’t trust him, but Faith tried to because of their children.

Here’s what’s going on in Faith’s life. All at once. All within days.

One – Gael Reardon puts pressure on Faith and forces her to protect Evan by doing illegal things. Breeze notices. He puts pressure on Faith, too.

Eve Myles and Hannah Daniel in Keeping Faith
Cerys doesn’t have any experience with homicide cases either, but they are going for it!

Two – a local man is shot and his wife, Madlen (Aimee-Ffion Edwards), is arrested. Faith wants to defend her in court, even though she has no experience with homicide cases.

Three – suddenly Evan is set for release. Faith doesn’t want him out. Their oldest daughter Alys (Demi Letherby) is very clear about not wanting her dad home. The middle child Megan (Lacey Jones) does miss him.

Eve Myles and Mark Lewis Jones in Keeping Faith
An impossible relationship

Four – Faith wants to spend time with Steve Baldini (Mark Lewis Jones) who helps her and makes her feel safe.

Be sure to check out my review of season 3.

Coping much?

I admire Faith’s strength. She’s tested to the limit again and again, yet she rises again and again. She’s the quintessential strong woman.

All these explosive situations boil within Faith. She copes by boxing, wearing herself to exhaustion. She spends time thinking about her situation, but solutions are few. Her children are her sanity. The relationship with them is beautiful.

Arthur (Alex Harries) works as child carer. His presence means Faith can work. Faith’s friend Lisa (Catherine Ayers) is still a strong support.

A funny twist with Lisa this season is that she’s “dating” Evan’s father, Tom (Aneirin Hughes). Tom is back doing legal work in the family firm, along with Cerys Jones (Hannah Daniel) and the office admin Delyth (Suzanne Packer).

Lisa’s subplot with Tom and Cerys’ subplot representing lesbians get very little attention as subplots go. It’s really all about the situation around Faith.

The story is fueled by a series of lies and secrets that come out slowly as the episodes progress. The season has 6 episodes.

As I explained in my review of season 1, Keeping Faith is a Welsh series. It is filmed in English and again in Welsh. It airs in Wales in Welsh and moves to the BBC in English. It finally makes its way to Acorn TV in the US, where it’s in English.

The series is filmed in Laugharne, Carmarthen, South Wales, the last home of the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. It’s a beautiful location. Green and damp with wide windswept beaches.

Keeping Faith was directed (and sometimes written) by Pip Broughton. Between her deft hand as director and the brilliant choices made for framing shots and scenes, the series is visually expressive and strong. Eve Myles carried a good deal of the emotional anguish and weight of the story. The framing and lighting enhanced and supported her acting perfectly.

Faith’s Song

The music was spot on. Amy Wadge’s voice and lyrics always felt appropriate. Amazing how one song can have so many meanings. Give a listen.

At the end of season 2, we’re not settled yet. Faith needs to regain her footing and make some big decisions. So do the people around her.

Poster to Pin

The Keeping Faith poster

Watch the Season 2 Trailer for Keeping Faith

Are you a fan of this series? Have you seen season 2 yet?

3 thoughts on “Review: Keeping Faith, season 2”

  1. Please can we have a re run of Keeping Faith . loved it in 2019, and think it would make a fabulous re run in this latest lock down. Plus of course l would love a series 3.
    Thanks Barbara.

  2. Pingback: Keeping Faith (S3, E1-5) where secrets are spilled - Old Ain't Dead

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