Criminal UK season 2 is back on Netflix and it’s a huge disappointment

Criminal UK season 2 does not live up to season 1

When I first heard about Criminal UK coming to Netflix last year, I was stoked. Who doesn’t love a good interrogation scene and this show was just those good parts. Season 1 did not disappoint. It’s hard to be bad when you have Hayley Atwell and David Tennant. So when Criminal UK season 2 announced it was going to be back on Netflix on Wednesday, Sept. 16, I could not have been more excited,

Well, I binged all four episodes and I don’t think I’ve been more disappointed or let down this much from a show since Game of Thrones. Yeah, it’s that bad. But there were some shining moments. Let’s go through the season episode by episode.

Criminal UK season 2 Episode 1

This episode, “Julia”, features Sophie Okonedo as the suspect being interrogated. But, at first, you think maybe the show is going to try something different. Maybe this woman didn’t actually do anything.

They start by talking about her husband who has just been arrested for murdering one of his students. She’s in tears. Everything seems legit, but then, the detectives do what they do best, and break down her story until it’s clear she’s the murderer.  This is a flawless episode. Sophie Okonedo could not have been better (or more convincing). If you watch only this episode, you’ll love this season.

Criminal UK season 2 Episode 2

This is Kit Harrington’s episode. It’s called “Alex” after the character he plays. This is where the series shows it’s true colors and I don’t mean that in a good way. Alex is being interrogated because he has been accused of rape by Sarah, one of his co-workers. They tear him down and by midway through the episode, his own lawyer is looking at him like he’s a monster. Great. Good. Awesome. An episode where a rapist actually goes to jail? Yes, please!

Except, that’s not what happens at all. Turns out the woman, Sarah, was lying about the rape to get a cash payout. Are we all rolling our eyes?

What part of the last couple of years made this seem like a good idea to put in a show? Do I need to pull out the statistics for how rare it is for women to lie about being raped? A study published in Violence Against Women, a peer-reviewed academic journal, in 2010 stated that “the prevalence of false allegations is between 2% and 10%.”

So why was this episode needed? Did the writer think they were being edgy? And while Kit Harrington did a good job showing the entitlement of his character, it wasn’t enough to save this episode from the pure awfulness it was.

Criminal UK season 2 Episode 3

This episode is a bit more complicated. This one is named “Danielle” who is played by Sharon Horgan. She runs a website that searches for and takes down pedophiles and sexual predators. The detectives label her a vigilante and she has been arrested due to “improper communications online.”

And they do find out that because of her assumptions and lack of detective work, she outed the wrong man as a pedophile. It’s clear she didn’t check up as much as she could.

The issue with this is that the detectives also make it out that Danielle manipulated these men into this predatory behavior. That she entraps them. Based on what is shown and talked about in the episode, none of these men do anything they wouldn’t do otherwise. To put their actions on her is absurd.

It gets even worse when the detectives meet privately and discuss that she’ll probably get a few months in jail. One of the detectives, Natalie Hobbs, played by Katherine Kelly, suggests manipulating Danielle into a more punishable offense. Something that will have her in jail for longer. They don’t end up going that way, but just the suggestion doesn’t really endear the audience to the characters we’re supposed to empathize with.

This episode reeks of the writers, once again, trying to be edgy by making someone who is trying to get rid of sexual predators and pedophiles the criminal.

Criminal UK season 2 Episode 4

I don’t know if the creators of the show meant to bookend the series with two great episodes, but that’s exactly what they did. The first and fourth episodes are where the show shines. Episode 4, titled “Sandeep,” features Kunal Nayyar (The Big Bang Theory) as the title character. He has already been convicted of a crime but has been brought in to talk about the murder of a woman he knew. This turns into them also talking about the murder of a young boy.

The twists and turns in this episode are a masterclass in mystery and what I wish would have been done in episodes 2 and 3. I’d only ever seen Nayyar in The Big Bang Theory, but it’s clear from this performance that he’s an amazing actor and has range for days.

Overall, this season was a disappointment, to say the least. Jim Field Smith and George Kay, the writers of the series, have a lot to answer for. If you’re going to watch season 2, do yourself a favor and stick to episodes 1 and 4. The others are not worth your time.

What did you think of Criminal UK season 2? Let us know in the comments below!