pmitchell-10966

Blue Lights is the most consistently thrilling show currently on British television and this is one of the more gut-wrenching episodes ever. Heart-stopping drama and suspense from start to finish, but with moments of real pathos and emotional impact as well. A show that just keeps getting better and better.

This might be my favourite episode so far. After the large canvas drama of the last two, this is so contained, focused and taut. The tension never lets up and it is genuinely moving at the end too.

It's also brilliant to see an apparently peripheral character Kleya thrown into centre stage, given a backstory and perhaps the most difficult 'mission' to complete. Elizabeth Dulau rises to the challenge brilliantly, as does her character.

In the context of the show as a whole, this episode shows the confidence of the creators that they can do 'small' as well as they can do 'big' and carry on surprising you even at this late stage.

For me this show is in the very top rank of British police dramas of the last decade or so. It is far more realistic and emotionally involving than Line of Duty and the only show that matches it for dramatic impact is Happy Valley.

At heart this is a character driven show, and the young police officers who form its ensemble cast are what makes it uniquely powerful. Each of them is a complex, beautifully drawn character that you'll care about deeply.

It's definitely not lacking for dramatic impact either though, with tense, gripping stories that span the length of each season interspersed with fascinating shorter stories. The unique history and culture of Belfast gives all of those plot lines a depth and complexity that enriches the show massively too.