REVIEW: Innocent, Series 2 Episode One

 REVIEW: Innocent, Series 2 Episode One 

When it comes to television, some shows are made to be aired yearly and some are made for a longer gap. Innocent falls easily into the latter category. It's a clever concept, a series where you start by knowing the accused is innocent rather than the other way round, but you can understand why ITV have taken the decision to have a three year gap between Series One and Two. If they followed each other, there would probably be some viewers who would find it somewhat repetitive, given that both series carry the same themes.

I made the somewhat unwise choice to watch both series weekly, one after the other, although the similarities in narrative form didn't really bother me. I was still as engrossed by Sally's (Katherine Kelly) story, and how she finally cleared her name. Seeing the relief plastered on her face is lovely to see, even though you know from the first series that it's soon going to be wiped away once she returns to her old life.

There's this overwhelming sense of freedom too, when Sally asks her friend Jenny (Nadia Albina) to pull over so she can take in the view. This is the reaction of someone bored of being confined to one space, who finally has the ability to go wherever they please reinstated in the face of a wrongful arrest. Sally worked for this return to liberty, she endured pain and hardship for it, and now finally she has what she has craved for so long. 

Of course, it doesn't last. It's not long before Sally is having names thrown around at her, including the bank of all places. It's a painful reminder that once somebody has been convicted, even if it was a wrongful arrest, in the public's eyes they are still seen as that criminal. There may have been justice returned to Sally in the eyes of the law, but there's still a significant amount of public injustice, and this gives us a glimpse of just how unforgiving if it was a wrongful arrest, in the public's eyes they are still seen as that criminal. There may have been justice returned to Sally in the eyes of the law, but there's still a significant amount of public injustice, and this gives us a glimpse of just how unforgiving the public can be, even when the facts state that the person accused was never guilty.

Just like David Collins' life in the previous series, Sally's has been totally destroyed. Case in point, the death of her mother. Poor Sally visits the care home where her Mum was staying, just to find that she died of alzheimer's some time ago. I had a Grandma with dementia so I know how hard having a family member with those kind of memory issues can be, but this is even worse for Sally. Whereas I got to see my Grandma on a regular basis before she passed away some years ago, Sally never got that liberty due to being in prison, and the script really plays into that, with talk of how one of the caregiver friends of her Mum had written on her mother's behalf believing she was doing a kind thing. It's so very very cruel, and the fact that those letters she received in prison were not from her Mum make it even worse, no matter how good-intentioned they may have been. This is a prime example of a writer really pushing their lead character to breaking point, and it works as a great way to make us root for Sally even more. 

Especially when she strides into her old workplace (a school) and demands her job back. Sally is a total badass here, pointing out that she was wrongfully arrested and threatening legal action if she isn't reinstated. Here we have a protagonist who's on a mission, and a mission she is determined to win. I doubt anyone will get in Sally's way.

Although I have a feeling Sally's former pupil Anna (Ellie Rawnsley) will try her best to. There's an intriguing mystery developed here, as nobody seems to know why she is lying and determined to accuse Sally of something she never did. I like it when we're made to wonder what fishy goings-on are occurring with a character like this, as it helps to maintain interest, and teases a potentially exciting reveal for later in the story. It makes Anna possibly the most interesting side character in this second series, as she's clearly hiding something regarding her motives, and the big question is what that something is.

Overall, Innocent's second series gets off to a strong start. Featuring a likeable lead, an enigmatic side character and a case that promises to feature many twists and turns, it's an episode that keeps you engaged in trying to find the answers, and work out just who is behind the killing of Matthew Taylor. 

What are your thoughts on the first episode of Innocent's second series? Let me know in the comments.