DI Ray (Season 2) is a suspenseful police procedural crime drama set in Birmingham, UK. Its protagonist is an intense and intelligent Indian-origin Detective Inspector (DI) Rachita Ray.
While watching this show, we could sense that this contemporary police drama from Britain draws some of its inspirations from the hit ‘Line of Duty (2012-2021)’ Series.
Maya Sondhi is a writer and creator of the 'DI Ray (2022-onward)' show and Jed Mercurio has worked as its Executive Producer. Interestingly, we learnt that both previously worked together on the 'Line of Duty' show. So, Jed Mercurio wrote the 'Line of Duty', meanwhile Maya Sondhi acted in the said show and played the role of a Police Constable (PC) Maneet Bindra.
“DI Ray” Is A Headstrong & Motivated Detective, Who Solves Intricate Murder Mysteries, Despite Many Hurdles
Previews: DI Ray (Season 1/2022 & Season 2/2024) Series
The BBC reports that the term 'Coconut' has been utilized to level accusations of betraying one's race or culture. This derogatory term suggests that individuals, resembling coconuts, exhibit a brown outer appearance while embracing white attitudes or behaviors internally. Additional racial terms like 'Bounty Bar', 'Oreo', and 'Banana' are employed to describe the act of 'acting white' within a different ethnic community.
Spoiler Free Review: DI Ray (Season 2/2024) Series
The storyline/plotline/synopsis/summary
Upon her promotion to Homicide in season one, DI Ray (Parminder Nagra) immediately recognizes that she has been assigned to a murder case labelled as ‘culturally specific homicide’ (Asians hailing from Indian Subcontinental) for the sake of appearances, but soon discovers that there is more to it than meets the eye. Interestingly, DI Ray was sarcastically addressed as the ‘Coconut’ in one of the (cultural) scenes in the series. So, it forces Ray to confront her Indian heritage as well as question her choices in her personal life.
Following her two-month suspension, once again DI Ray is abruptly thrown back into the realm of homicide investigations in season two. Her bosses assign her small team to investigate the tragic killing of an innocent nurse along with the head of a notorious crime family. Incidentally, the involvement of a well-known crime family points towards escalating tensions between rival criminal organizations. Moreover, soon Ray finds out about the dirty racial politics and the massive cover-up operation by the influential people.
As we have already mentioned, the ‘Line of Duty’ show seems to have inspired the dominant theme of DI Ray. So, in both seasons, D.I. Ray has to fight not only the criminals but also some of the bent and corrupt police officers working in the department. Besides her professional cop life, there are additional challenges in her personal life too. And adds a depth to her tale.
Good performances back an interesting script
In our Focus Magazine, we have reviewed quite a few U.K. cop dramas in 2024, viz., The Responder, Blackshore, Vigil, Criminal Record, etc. But this is the first time, we come across an Asian (Indian Female) Cop playing the protagonist of a police drama set in Britain. Parminder Nagra (D.I. Rachita Ray) looked convincing as the police official, who is willing to pay a heavy price in pursuit of truth and justice.
The ranks of police detectives in United Kingdom:-
Commissioner,
Chief Constable,
DCS - Detective Chief Superintendent,
DSU - Detective Superintendent,
DCI - Detective Chief Inspector,
DI - Detective Inspector,
DS - Detective Sergeant, &
DC - Detective Constable.
The ensemble cast of Ian Puleston-Davies (Superintendent Ross Beardsmore), Gemma Whelan (DCI Kerry Henderson), Jessica Temple (DC Carly Lake), Steve Oram (DS Clive Bottomley), Sam Baker-Jones (DC Liam Payne), Peter Bankolé (DS Kwesi Edmund), Patrick Baladi (DI Patrick Holden), Witney White (DC Charlene Ellis), etc. do a fairly good acting job. All of them have managed to keep the mystery and engagement going.
Ratings of the Seasons 1 & 2 of the series
| S1/2022 | S2/2024 | |
| FM Ratings | 3.65/5 | 3.70/5 |
The conclusion
DI Ray has given us a unique show with its focus on Asian (Indian) Cop and Asian (Indian/Pakistani) Criminals. It deals with a few important race issues that brown people often deal with regularly in Britain; both in personal and professional lives. After watching the decent quality (10) episodes across two seasons so far, we believe that DI Ray holds a lot of promises. Now, we eagerly await the next season, as we wish to see more of Ray.
Key Details:
| Genre | Crime, Drama, Mystery |
| Original language | English (UK) |
| Seasons | Two Seasons – Season One (2022) & Season Two (2024) |
| Episodes | First (1st) Season – Four (4) Episodes Second (2nd) Seasons – Six (6) Episodes |
| Creator | Maya Sondhi |
| Writers | Maya Sondhi & Sarah Deane |
| Cast | Parminder Nagra (DI Rachita Ray), Gemma Whelan (DCI Kerry Henderson), Ian Puleston-Davies (Supt Ross Beardsmore), Jessica Temple (DC Carly Lake), Steve Oram (DS Clive Bottomley), Sam Baker-Jones (DC Liam Payne), Peter Bankolé (DS Kwesi Edmund), Patrick Baladi (DI Patrick Holden), Witney White (DC Charlene Ellis), Michael Socha (Dave Chapman), Lauren Drummond (Susie Chapman), Syreeta Kumar (Sharon Mochani), Taha Rahim (Ravinder ‘Rav’ Mochani), etc. |
| Network | PBS & ITV |
Poster:
Spoilers Alert: Summary of 10 Episodes
First (1st) Season (Released between May 2, 2022 – May 5, 2022)
First – Part (I) One | (S1, E1)
DI Rachita Ray is promoted to homicide but realises that the so-called ‘culturally specific homicide’ she is assigned to, is anything but.
Second – Part (II) Two | (S1, E2)
Rachita and the team race to track down Anjuli Kapoor, making grim discoveries in the process.
Third – Part (III) Three | (S1, E3)
The body count continues to rise as Rachita and the team uncover more evidence.
Fourth – Part (IV) Four | (S1, E4)
Rachita makes a shocking discovery which has a huge impact on both her investigation and her personal life.
Second (2nd) Season (Released on 17 April 2024)
Wrong Place (S2, E1)
After the fatal drive-by shooting of a young nurse and the head of a notorious crime syndicate threatens to erupt into a full-blown turf war, DI RAY must uncover the truth before tensions spill onto Birmingham streets.
Rivals (S2, E2)
Having lost trace of two kidnappers in a daring car chase, DI Ray must team up with Serious Organised Crime to rescue her prime murder suspect before it’s too late. A photo on Rav’s laptop leads to a shocking discovery.
The Hunt for Rav (S2, E3)
The clock is ticking to track down an armed fugitive after a third murder victim is found, and Rachita is forced to confront a familiar face from her past. Suzie begins to make inquiries into her family’s affairs.
A Test of Wills (S2, E4)
After Rav’s capture attempt takes an unexpected turn, past traumas resurface for Rachita. The team uses Martin’s intel to track down a former friend of Frank’s with a grudge to bear, just as Rachita suspects one of her team might be hiding something.
Staying on Top (S2, E5)
As she treads dangerously close to the truth, DI Ray becomes the target of a vicious threat. Mounting dissent from the public adds pressure to name a triple homicide suspect, and Rachita comes under fire for her role in a fatal shooting.
Enemy Within (S2, E6)
Following the discovery of the missing gun, DI Ray’s lens turns back to the Chapman family. Suzie takes drastic action, and DI Ray and Clive enact their risky plan to expose corruption in the highest ranks of the force.
Poster and Featured Image of the DI Ray (Season 1 & 2) Series are courtesy of ITV and PBS.