Bloodlands
James Nesbitt is back as troubled serial-killer cop DCI Tom Brannick in this intense thriller…
Sunday, 9pm, BBC1 Drama
James Nesbitt returns as DCI Tom Brannick for a second series of the Northern Irelandset thriller. This time, he’s investigating the death of a crooked accountant who leaves behind a trail that could expose his identity as the legendary assassin Goliath. To solve the puzzle, Brannick must get close to the accountant’s mysterious widow Olivia Foyle, played by
Marcella’s Victoria Smurfit.
P9
The first series of BBC1’S Bloodlands saw James Nesbitt’s tormented DCI Tom Brannick on the hunt for serial killer Goliath, who’d evaded capture during the Troubles in Northern Ireland.
But in the final episode, Goliath’s identity was revealed to viewers… as none other than Brannick himself!
Secret identity
As Bloodlands returns this week, Brannick is probing the murder of a crooked accountant, while hiding his true identity from colleagues DCS Jackie Twomey (Lorcan Cranitch), DS Niamh Mcgovern (Charlene Mckenna) and DC Billy ‘Birdy’ Bird
(Chris Walley)...
‘The responsibility of holding on to this secret without the audience knowing was difficult, so it feels quite freeing, but it means the tightrope
I now have to walk as Brannick gets very narrow,’ explains James, who reprises the role. ‘Brannick gets off on the power. It’s impossible not to be not only corrupted, but rather empowered by it.’
When the case unravels a trail of greed that threatens to expose him, Brannick and the accountant’s grieving widow, Olivia Foyle (Marcella’s Victoria Smurfit), must keep each other dangerously close...
‘Olivia is sexy, intelligent and frightening,’ says James. ‘She prods away at Brannick’s vulnerability, creating chinks in his armour as he might be falling for her. Olivia demonstrates to Brannick things that exist in him but they are things he doesn’t
want to admit.’