Entertainment NOW

2 • October 15 - 21, 2023 Entertainment Now By Dana Simpson TV Media I t's Scottish crime with a Scandinavian twist this au- tumn as Season 2 of the BBC series "Annika" premieres on PBS Masterpiece, Sunday, Oct. 15. An interesting clash of north- ern European cultures, the two worlds meet seamlessly due to the titular character's Norwe- gian roots and the often-folkloric nature of the crimes she encoun- ters at work. The series' main character, DI Annika Strandhed, has been a hit with audiences across the pond since the original radio series premiered in early January 2017 on the U.K.'s BBC Radio 4. The radio series, titled "Annika Stranded," wrapped Sept. 4, 2020, but for lovers of the series, the story continues on television, complete with Nicola Walker ("MI-5") in the role of Annika — no doubt a familiar voice for fans who jumped over from the radio play. Both series follow Strandhed, a former Oslo-based "murder squad" police officer, as she relocates to a remote region of Scotland to head up the coun- try's first-ever Marine Homicide Unit (MHU). Given her dedica- tion to the job and a lifelong love of fast-moving boats, Strandhed seems poised as the perfect fit to lead the new team. That said, her cohort DS Michael McAndrews (Jamie Sives, "Guilt") has other opinions. McAndrews attended police college with Strandhed, but the two detectives selected career paths that took them in oppo- site directions, causing them to drift apart. While McAndrews is clearly supportive of Strandhed and finds her to be a very intel- ligent leader, he still believes himself to have been a better candidate for her position as leader of the MHU. Nevertheless, the pair must find a way to work together — thankfully McAn- drews' duties as head diver keep him busy and away from Strand- hed much of the time. Working alongside the two team leads are DC Blair Fergu- son (Katie Leung, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," 2005), who provides data analysis and tech support for the team; DS Tyrone Clarke (Ukweli Roach, "Blindspot"), a former drug unit investigator who prefers to work alone; and DCI Diane Oban (Kate Dickie, "The Green Knight," 2021), who oversees all police proceedings within the precinct and often has the final say on how the MHU operates. Joining the MHU this season is DC Harper Weston (played by Varada Sethu, "Jurassic World Dominion," 2022), a motorcycle- riding trainee who, given her youth, may act as a second per- son to provide Strandhed a bit of insight regarding her daughter, Morgan (Sylvie Furneaux, "Red Rose"). This guiding role has previously only been played by Ferguson, who is of a similar age to Weston and only a few years older than Morgan herself. What we do know headed into Season 2 — and there is quite a bit, given that the season (or "series," as it is referred to in the U.K.) has already premiered on its home channel of BBC One — is that the very first episode centers on a "brutal drowning" death that has been recorded on a mobile phone. When the cellphone is turned in to police and passed over the the MHU, Strandhed and her team jump into action to try to identify and catch the murderer responsible. Meanwhile, the aftereffects of Morgan's 16th birthday are still hanging in the air at the Strand- hed homestead, and old family secrets have now begun to seep into the detective's workplace as well. As Strandhed struggles to share important information with McAndrews, Ferguson and Clarke have a shared secret of their own. As this new season pro- gresses, fans of the show can expect to learn more about Morgan Strandhed's father, meet new members of the MHU team, say goodbye to a beloved character or two, and discover even more shocking connections between Scotland's (fictional) water-based crimes and several pieces of literature and folklore from northern Europe and Scan- dinavia. Audiences can also expect Strandhed to continue break- ing the fourth wall, a trait for which the procedural drama has become known. A unique plot-driving device, Strandhed's tendency to address the viewers directly adds a layer of sincer- ity and intimacy while building suspense by giving away specific details that remain unknown to the rest of the characters. "Annika," like "Annika Stranded," is created by Nick Walker, who is of no known rela- tion to the franchise's leading actress. Despite the popularity of both series, "Annika" remains Walker's only credit to date on IMDb. Season 2 of "Annika" also sees the return of Paul McGann ("Queen of the Damned," 2002) as Jake Strathearn, Taylor Good- win ("Goodbye Charlie," 2015) as Femi Talla, and budding star Sophie Sloan as Madison McAn- drews, while Sven Henriksen ("Varg," 2008), Cora Bissett ("High Times") and new talent Mya Milne join the cast. Don't miss a new collection of cases and family drama when the second season of BBC One's "Annika" premieres Sunday, Oct. 15, on PBS Masterpiece. Cover Story Nicola Walker in "Annika" Tides of crime: Secrets and murder abound in Season 2 of 'Annika' Farmers Insurance 2 x 2 Letters & Numbers Sudoku Fill in the grid so that every row,every column, and every 4x4 box contains the digits 1 through 9 AND the letters A-F. Solution on page 12.

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