Annika – the funny and clever detective inspector (DI) leads the way in this police procedural drama show. She heads the new Marine Homicide Unit (MHU) in Scotland, UK.
One of the good things about this show is that the delightful actress Nicola Walker plays the lead role. In addition, we get to see DI and her team solve a new murder case in each episode. Furthermore, spread over two seasons, it has twelve episodes. However, one criminal case and/or threat continue to dominate the entire season.
Synopsis (summary) of the 2023 Crime Drama Show from the UK
Detective Inspector (DI) Annika Strandhed (Nicola Walker) works for Glasgow’s Marine Homicide Unit (MHU). This unit investigates the puzzling crimes and unexplained murders that wash up on the shores of Scotland’s waters.
Spoilers Free review of the Annika (Season One & Two) Series
Based on Annika Stranded radio show
This show is based on the popular radio drama “Annika Stranded” show, set in Norway. And that aired on BBC Radio 4. Moreover, it starred Nicola Walker. However, her surname is “Stranded” in that radio show. In fact, the radio series ran from 2013-2020 and the episodes are 15-minute monologues. The writer and creator of this show Nick Walker has reused and modified some of the plotlines in its story.
We liked its theme music & its fourth wall approach
The unique theme music and introduction of this show highlight the central role of the natural water bodies. They work in unison to remind us about the marine and freshwater. Around which this newly formed Marine Homicide Unit operates.
As Nicola sparks our interest by connecting with the viewers using her monologues in it. She breaks the fourth wall to talk about herself, books, mythologies and other fascinating stuff. Her tales have references to Vikings, Norwegian food, Gremlims, Norse/Greek mythology, King Lear, etc. We really loved this breaking-the-fourth-wall approach. Thus, this unique interactive way manages to hook its viewers. Thus, Nicola tells us about stories, folklore, even herself, her feelings, and her deep thoughts.
About the lead actress Nicola Walker & other actors
To be honest, we started watching this series for actress Nicola Walker only. We have always liked the acting performances of its lead actress Nicola. In this show, she plays its main character in the most charming manner. No doubt, she does an amazing and enthralling acting job in it.
The ensemble cast of this show – Jamie Sives (DS Michael McAndrews), Katie Leung (DC Blair Ferguson), Ukweli Roach (DS Tyrone Clarke), Kate Dickie (DCI Diane Oban), Silvie Furneaux (Morgan Strandhed), Paul McGann (Jake Strathearn), Varada Sethu (DC Harper Weston), Sven Henriksen (Magnus Strandhed) have given good support to Nicola Walker – the main protagonist.
The conclusion
We liked the first season of the show. In fact, the ending of season one was really tense. So, we looked forward to watching season two.
And, we watched it and loved its second season. No doubt, it was better than the previous season. Once again, season two ended on a gripping cliffhanger. As a result, now, we eagerly await the season three. Furthermore, in its upcoming season, we look forward to finding out about the fate of the protagonist’s father Magnus.
Then, there is always the lurking threat against the protagonist’s daughter Morgan Strandhed (Silvie Furneaux). Because DI Annika Strandhed (Nicola Walker) continues to catch the notorious criminals. Some of whom might want to hurt her daughter, in order to take revenge on her.
Spoilers Alert – about DI Annika and peek into its episodes
So, who is Detective Inspector (DI) Annika Strandhed in the show?
Witty and enigmatic DI A. Strandhed, the speedboat-driving head of Glasgow’s newly-formed Marine Homicide Unit, juggles baffling cases and a rebellious teenage daughter Morgan as a single mother.
The main protagonist – her delightful DI character traces her roots to Norway in this show. Her name has a strong – almost harsh–sounding quality, like many other Scandinavian names of Germanic origin – Erika, Dagny, Gitte, Helga, Ingrid, Karla, Kerstin, etc. Almost true like her Norwegian name, Annika is tough as nails yet friendly and bright at the same time. We also found her jokes funny, indeed.
Let us peek into the six episodes of season one (1) of the show.
Season 1 / Episode 1
DI Strandhed assembles her team to solve murders in the waters around Glasgow (a port city on the River Clyde in Scotland’s western Lowlands), and their first case looks a lot like a whale hunt gone wrong.
Season 1 / Episode 2
DI Strandhed’s teenage daughter, Morgan Strandhed (Silvie Furneaux), gets mixed up with suspects in a revenge slaying. In addition, the Norse mythology comes to life as her team closes in. A body is found on a boat in the river Clyde In this murder case. The case takes the team to the Isle of Bute, Scotland. Evidence points to a jilted lover, but as the team investigates, a darker secret starts to emerge.
Season 1 / Episode 3
DI A. Strandhed sees one of playwright Henrik Ibsen’s Enemy of the People plots, as it plays out in a homicide – when the body of a scientist is found in Loch Katrine. But with so many people wanting him dead, which one did he push over the edge? Besides, she takes more than a parental interest in Morgan’s therapist, Jake Strathearn (Paul McGann) and some people start noticing.
Season 1 / Episode 4
An author Cara Gibson who ruins lives watches the same happen to her own; as in the past her books had ruined careers and left a lot of lives in tatters, but which of these people would be driven to murder? Meanwhile, DC Blair Ferguson (Katie Leung) finds a friend for Morgan; DI A. Strandhed and Jake go to a museum exhibit.
Season 1 / Episode 5
A. Strandhed and the team are tasked with solving the death of a man ‘everybody loved’, who was thrown in the river from a party boat. After arriving at a murder scene on a party boat, DI Annika thinks of Dionysus (the Greek god of unrestrained celebration), and from there, things only get more chaotic.
Season 1 / Episode 6
DS Michael McAndrews’s brother becomes the prime suspect in his ex’s murder and it hits the MHU team hard when. DS Michael is taken off the case while his brother is investigated. DI A. Strandhed goes for what looks like a one-way ride; a secret about DS Michael comes out.
Let us peek into the six episodes of season two (2) of the show.
Season 2 / Episode 1
The pressure is on DI A. Strandhed and the team after a phone with a video recording of a brutal drowning is handed into police headquarters.
Season 2 / Episode 2
DI A. Strandhed and the Marine Homicide Unit (MHU) team are sent to Edinburgh (the capital city of Scotland) to investigate the death of a former prisoner whose body is pulled out of the Forth River (a major river in Central Scotland).
Season 2 / Episode 3
The team investigates a Scottish millionaire found dead in his own shark tank, leading DI A. Strandhed to reflect on the Jekyll and Hyde (a Novella by Robert Louis Stevenson) character.
Season 2 / Episode 4
DI A. Strandhed reflects on 1984 (a novel by George Orwell) when the team are flown to the Hebridean islands (on the West coast of Scotland) to investigate the death of a man found in a block of ice.
Season 2 / Episode 5
DI A. Strandhed’s family vacation with her father and daughter Morgan is interrupted when the body of a local builder is found in a stream close to her resort.
Season 2 / Episode 6.
A brutal murder on Glasgow’s canals hits close to home when the victim is identified as a former police officer. And then there is a cliffhanger ending of season two, that might get you hooked.
Poster of the 2022/2023 Crime Drama Show from the UK
Key details of the Crime Drama Show from the UK
| Genre | Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller |
| Original language | English (UK) |
| Age-restrictions | UA (16+) |
| Creator | Nick Walker |
| Seasons | 1st – First season (S1) – from October 16, 2022 to November 20, 2022 2nd – Second season (S2) – from August 9, 2023 to September 13, 2023 |
| Episodes | 6 – Six episodes – S1 6 – Six episodes – S2 |
| Cast | Nicola Walker (DI Annika Strandhed), Jamie Sives (DS Michael McAndrews), Katie Leung (DC Blair Ferguson), Ukweli Roach (DS Tyrone Clarke), Kate Dickie (DCI Diane Oban), Silvie Furneaux (Morgan Strandhed), Paul McGann (Jake Strathearn), Varada Sethu (DC Harper Weston), Sven Henriksen (Magnus Strandhed), etc. |
| Network | PBS. |
Trailer (Season One/2022) of this Crime Drama Show from the UK
Ratings (Season One/2022) of this Crime Drama Show from the UK
| Season One | FM ratings |
| Episode 1 | 3.60/5 |
| Episode 2 | 3.70/5 |
| Episode 3 | 3.80/5 |
| Episode 4 | 3.85/5 |
| Episode 5 | 3.90/5 |
| Episode 6 | 3.95/5 |
| Season one overall ratings | 3.80/5 |
Trailer (Season Two/2023) of this Crime Drama Show from the UK
Ratings (Season Two/2023) of this Crime Drama Show from the UK
| Season Two | FM rating |
| Episode 1 | 4.00/5 |
| Episode 2 | 4.00/5 |
| Episode 3 | 4.05/5 |
| Episode 4 | 4.00/5 |
| Episode 5 | 4.05/5 |
| Episode 6 | 4.20/5 |
| Season two overall ratings | 4.05/5 |
If you like this police procedural drama show from the UK, then go ahead and check out our FM article about the Happy Valley series, too.
Featured Image and poster of Nicola Walker – Annika series | Masterpiece PBS.
