Unforgotten is a British police drama. So far it’s only been on iTV, but I hope a streaming service like Netflix will pick it up in the US. Nicola Walker and Sanjeev Bhaskar star as two cops who investigate decades old crimes that have recently been discovered.
I briefly mentioned season 1 of Unforgotten here. This review is of series 2 only. There are no big spoilers.
The investigation in season 2 begins when a body is found in a suitcase in the river Lea. It is identified as David Walker, dead some 20 years or more. As with series 1, there are an array of potential suspects.
The Suspects
Colin Osborne (Mark Bonnar) is a lawyer. He and his partner are in the midst of an adoption, which could fall through if he’s charged with murder.
Rosie Cavaliero is Marion, a woman who has relationship issues with her husband, her sister, and her mother. She’s a nurse who works with cancer patients.
David Walker’s wife at the time of his murder is, of course, a suspect. She’s Tessa Nixon (Lorraine Ashborne), a cop herself. She is suspended from her job because of the investigation.
Sara Mahmoud (Badria Timimi) is a teacher with a husband and 3 sons. When news of the investigation into her comes out, old damaging photos of her become public. The photos have a terrible effect on her children and family.
The Crime
As the team under DCI Cassie Stuart (Nicola Walker) investigate, they uncover a series of sexual assaults against minors. The dead man, David Walker, was a sexual predator.
DS Sunil ‘Sunny’ Khan (Sanjeev Bhaskar) is Cassie’s partner in the investigations. These two are a great team. They respect each other as cops, but also like each other as human beings.
Sunny has two teenaged daughters he’s raising himself. Cassie lives with her Dad (Peter Egan). Her dad is investigating something, too – the lover his wife cheated on him with 20 years ago. He finds the man and learns something that helps both Cassie and her dad.
It’s a frustrating case. There are airtight alibis for the suspects, yet they all have past histories, anger and relationship issues that indicate sexual abuse.
I won’t tell you how it works out and who committed the murder – but series 2 had a brilliant ending.
Unforgotten Thoughts
Series creator Chris Lang set up DCI Cassie Stuart in series 1 as kind and thoughtful. She continues to be in series 2. Nicola Walker brings so much heart and nuance to this part, especially in the end when she and Sunny make a bold decision. It’s such a pleasure watching her act. Whether she’s being tough or vulnerable, she’s a delight.
I enjoyed the doggedness that Cassie and her team show in solving these old crimes. She doesn’t give up until she has the answers. Cassie is calm but forceful. She’s the perfect detective for the crimes she’s assigned to solve. She’s thorough, determined, fair with her team, a good leader.
I also enjoy the way this series picked out suspects from among the better class of English society. Sexual abuse crosses all the class boundaries. The suspects are people we normally think of as good people with something to contribute.
I also like the inclusiveness in the cast.
Unforgotten is a top quality series. A third series would be most welcome! I hope you’ll join me in urging Netflix to pick it up for US viewers.
Update 2018
Netflix did not pick up this series, but it is available on PBS.
Oooh, wow, I LOVE Sanjeev Bhaskar! I’ve ONLY seen him on “Goodness Gracious Me” (yrs back on YouTube) & on one ep of “Indian Summers,” aside from interviews. It’s cool how he can do BOTH comedy & drama. I hope this gets on Netflix SOON!
Funny you should mention Sanjeev. I just tweeted a link to an interview with Nicola – one of the things she talks about was how well she and Sanjeev hit it off the moment they met. Here’s the vid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZP2xX5ThYCk
I got it all on sky+ and have only just watched it all in 2 days. (needed sleep) and i was hooked. The first series was fantastic but this one was even better. I can’t wait for series 3.
I’m eager for series 3, too. I loved how they ended series 2.
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We didn’t like the 2nd season as much as the first one. It seemed very much like the first as to the general story but after several episodes it was nearly impossible to figure out the connection to the victim, unlike the first season.
The lying by the people being questioned by the police is also much like what happened in the first season and it gets to be pretty frustrating, exasperating and formulaic. You wonder why the people being questioned put up with it, considering the nature of the questions and the fact that none has been named as a suspect nor arrested. When it turns out they’re lying, nobody is ever charged with obstruction. Nobody needs a lawyer. And the connection between the few “suspects” (though they aren’t) to the victim are vague for most of the entire season.
So, it’s really sort of boring and lame. At least you can imagine a connection to the death in the first season, the people in the second season are vaguely drawn characters and seemingly have to connection to the crime.
In the end, nobody gets charged with anything and the story just ends. So, apparently murder is OK if you have a good reason.
Certainly the tone and style are the same in both seasons. The calm demeanor that Nicola Walker brings to the part sets the tone. I think the reason no one was charged was because the two cops decided that the sexual predator got what he deserved.