The Responder in its second season continues with the heart-melting entertainment, that it provided in its first season. It is, perhaps, one of the best British Police drama series of this year that we have seen so far.
But why? Well, first and foremost, we get a peek into the first police responders’ daily lives in this cop-drama. Far away from the glamourous depiction of these crime fighters on screen, the ground realities are harsh.
‘The Responder’ Strikes A Chord With Its Realistic Tale Of Police
Trailers+: ‘The Responder’ Series
Synopsis: ‘The Responder’ Series
Chris (Martin Freeman) is an urgent response officer tackling a series of night shifts on the front line of British policing.
In the first season, a crisis-stricken, morally compromised first responder Chris tackles a series of night shifts on the beat in Liverpool.
And then in the second season, Chris is an urgent response officer who is trying to stay on the straight and narrow. But when he crosses a top drug dealer, he starts to fall back into old ways.
Poster: ‘The Responder’ Series
PC Chris Carson (Martin Freeman) is the protagonist of the show. This character draws inspiration from writer and creator Tony Schumacher's personal journey as a former Merseyside Police officer, highlighting his battles with mental health. Following his departure from the force, Schumacher found himself working as a taxi driver and enduring a period of homelessness before ultimately finding solace in writing.
Spoiler Free Review: ‘The Responder’ (S2/2024) Series
Please note that we are not disclosing its detailed story here as it may spoil your viewing pleasure.
A brief note about this police drama
Set in Liverpool City, this is an insightful and realistic cop drama. The personal and professional lives of two (first) responders cops – Chris Carson (Martin Freeman – seen in the poster shared above) and Rachel Hargreaves (Adelayo Adedayo – seen in the picture shared below – left) have been depicted sensitively. Its story primarily focuses on two police officials. These two manage and move from one crisis to another in the show.
And then there is a dangerous world of crime, especially the thriving and lucrative illegal drug business in Liverpool. Two bumbling and out-of-luck aspiring criminals – Marco (Josh Finan – centre) and Casey (Emily Fairn – right) get sucked right into this cruel world of crime. However, they are not alone. Even the two cops – Chris (Martin Freeman) and Rachel (Adelayo Adedayo) knowingly and unknowingly stepped into the criminal world.
The USPs
To err is human – that is how the famous saying goes. In this story, we get a closer look at the lives of both sets of humans. The first set of people is the Cops who are supposed to police society and keep the bad people away. These persons are supposed to catch the criminals and prevent crimes from happening. But does it happen in the real world? No, as we do not live in a perfect world.
The second set of people are either professional criminals or novice criminals. Even these criminal elements live in our society, with their family members. Therefore, the fact is that our real world is not divided into Black and White. There are lots of grey areas that lie in between. And this is where (the grey area) the practical and pragmatic police story is set in.
The unique selling point (USP) of this contemporary police drama is the taut and intelligent script. In addition, it is a very well-made series backed by good production values.
What else did we love about it?
In the second season, we once again came here for Martin Freeman (Chris Carson). He has realisticly and authentically portrayed a police officer, who is facing mental health issues and family problems. But, we were pleasantly surprised by the nuanced and heart-breaking act of Adelayo Adedayo (Rachel Hargreaves) in it. As a victim of domestic abuse, it was heartening to see Rachel find her inner strength. We liked her character arc.
In preparation for the series, Martin Freeman invested a substantial 18 months engaging in conversations with himself, solely in a Scouse accent, in order to refine his skills to the utmost level.
Then there are two remarkable supporting acts by Josh Finan (Marco) and Emily Fairn (Casey). They are not hardened criminals but they quite often commit crimes. Marco struggles to lead a normal and boring life, for the sake of his family. But, then the free-spirited Casey is always around to exert her (bad) influence onto him. It is admirable that these four characters – Chris, Rachel Marco and Casey have been very well written. Their characters are well etched out. Interestingly, all of them are victims of circumstances. And they are humans.
The conclusion
The writer and creator Tony Schumacher deserves credit for writing a realistic contemporary tale, which is much more than a crime drama. Also, we found the colourful characters genuinely entertaining, as they go through life, trying to earn a decent livelihood. some of the dialogues are quite amusing. Its story raises scores of critical questions and deals with many burning issues. However, quite rightly, he does not provide any easy answers. That is the complexities of real life. We found this down-to-earth thoughtful and heartening cop drama.
Ratings: ‘The Responder’ Series
| First (S1/2022) Season | Second (S2/2024) Season | |
| FM Rating | 3.85/5 | 4.00/5 |
Key Details: ‘The Responder’ Series
| Genre | Crime, Drama, Thriller |
| Original language | English (UK) |
| Seasons | Two (2) Seasons First Season (2022) & Second Season (2024) |
| Episodes | Ten (10) Episodes Five (5) in each of its two seasons |
| Writer & Creator | Tony Schumacher |
| Cast | Martin Freeman (Chris Carson), Adelayo Adedayo (Rachel Hargreaves), Josh Finan (Marco), Emily Fairn (Casey), Warren Brown (Raymond Mullen), Faye McKeever (Jodie Sweeney), Romi Hyland-Rylands (Tilly Carson), MyAnna Buring (Kate Carson), Ian Hart (Carl Sweeney), etc. |
| Network | BBC |
Spoilers Alerts: Summary of Ten (10) Episodes
Summary of its Five (5) Episodes from the First Season
First (S1, E1) Episode | January 24, 2022
Police response officer Chris is struggling to keep a grip on his mental health and marriage when he is offered a path to redemption in the form of a young heroin addict.
Second (S1, E2) Episode | January 25, 2022
Chris must juggle handling rookie police officer Rachel while also tracking down Casey after Carl threatens his family. Casey puts her trust in a friend to hide her from Carl.
Third (S1, E3) Episode | January 31, 2022
Chris plans to hand the drugs in until Carl makes him an offer that he cannot refuse. Rachel strikes a deal with Mullen, but Chris’ behaviour makes her feel conflicted.
Fourth (S1, E4) Episode | February 1, 2022
Chris hits rock bottom. Rachel begins to suspect Mullen may not be all he appears, and Casey teams up with Marco to find a buyer.
Fifth (S1, E5) Episode | February 2, 2022
Chris is forced to work for a major drug dealer to return the drugs stolen by Casey. When Rachel needs his help urgently, Chris must decide where his loyalties truly lie.
Summary of its Five (5) Episodes from the Second Season
First (S2, E1) Episode | May 5, 2024
Chris is trying to get better and go straight, but when DCI Barnes tricks him into doing a dodgy car stop, he is drawn into a drug war between two of Liverpool’s top dealers.
Second (S2, E2) Episode | May 5, 2024
Chris and Rachel are on the hook for Franny, and the only way to fix it is to pay him. Chris’s solution? Get money from Jodie for picking up a bag of drugs from the docks.
Third (S2, E3) Episode | May 5, 2024
Chris needs Franny to get him a day job, so he agrees to pick up a guy Franny is looking for called Vernon Hartley. But can he convince Vernon’s mother and grandmother to give him up?
Fourth (S2, E4) Episode | May 5, 2024
Chris has Franny’s encro phone, but can’t decide whether to hand it over to the drug squad or return it to Franny. As he wavers, Franny hunts him throughout the city.
Fifth (S2, E5) Episode | May 5, 2024
In accepting a new flat from Franny, Chris becomes fully corrupt. His first job was to deliver Casey. But will Chris cross the line and hand Casey over to impress his new boss?
Awards: ‘The Responder’ Series
| Awards | Details of the Awards/Nominations won in the different Award categories |
|---|---|
| International Emmy Awards | Martin Freeman – 2023 Winner – Emmy – Best Performance by an Actor |
| BAFTA Awards | Tony Schumacher – 2023 Nominee – BAFTA TV Award – Writer, Drama Martin Freeman – 2023 Nominee – BAFTA TV Award – Leading Actor Adelayo Adedayo – 2023 Nominee – BAFTA TV Award – Supporting Actress Josh Finan – 2023 Nominee – BAFTA TV Award – Supporting Actor Matthew Herbert – 2023 Nominee – BAFTA TV Award – Original Music, Fiction Chris Carey, Laurence Bowen, Tony Schumacher, Tim Mielants, Rebecca Ferguson & Toby Bruce – 2023 Nominee – BAFTA TV Award – Drama Series |
| Royal Television Society, UK | Adelayo Adedayo – 2023 Nominee – RTS Television Award – Supporting Actor – Female |
| Writers’ Guild of Great Britain | Tony Schumacher – 2023 Nominee – Writers’ Guild of Great Britain Award – Best Long-Form TV Drama |
If you like British Police Drama, then check out these award-winning series too.
- Happy Valley Series
- Luther Series
Poster and Featured Image of ‘The Responder’ TV Series are credited to the BBC.