Crime season 2 is finally here, which is great news because it's been nearly years since we last saw Dougray Scott playing troubled detective DI Ray Lennox.
Based on Irvine Welsh's novel and adapted for the screen by the award-winning author, the six-part "psychological, procedural thriller" looks set to take the story into intriguing new territory.
Scott's performance in the first series recently landed him an International Emmy nomination for Best Performance by an Actor and he'll be leading a star-studded cast of British talent, including Joanna Vanderham and John Simm, in this follow-up.
Here's everything we know so far Crime series 2...
Crime season 2 release date
Crime season 2 will arrive on ITVX from Thursday 21 September 2023, with the full six-part series available to view. If you need to catch up on the first season, it's available on ITVX now.
How many episodes will Crime season 2 be?
Like the first series, the second season of Irvine Welsh's crime thriller will be six episodes long. They will all be available to view on ITVX from Thursday 21st September.
Crime season 2 plot - what happens?
For Crime season 2, detective Ray Lennox is back in the fray at Edinburgh Serious Crimes and keen to prove that he's fully recovered from his breakdown induced by bringing Mr Confectioner to justice. But he’s surprised to find that it’s all change: Bob Toal has lost his mojo, while Amanda Drummond is newly promoted. And there are two new faces on the team in the form of the devious Tommy Stark and failed actor Norrie Erskine.
When one of Lennox’s former colleagues is attacked, Lennox and Drummond quickly realize that all is not as it seems as they become embroiled in a case about vengeance, identity and social justice. The attack is linked to a gruesome attempted murder on a high-ranking establishment figure at a posh hotel which has been hushed up from the police. As Lennox investigates via Edinburgh’s saunas, crack dens and poshest hotels, he finds doors slammed in his face; there is an Establishment cover-up at play. It's not until the killer targets one of Lennox’s own team that the pieces start to fall into place. Tracing the motivation back to an unsavory incident 30 years ago, Lennox begins to realize that there is more to this case than meets the eye and the killer he has been chasing may not be the driving force behind these murders after all."
Crime season 2 cast - who's in it?
Dougray Scott (Mission Impossible II, My Week With Marilyn) returns as DI Lennox, while Ken Stott (Rebus, The Missing) and Joanna Vanderham (Dancing on the Edge) reprise their roles as Chief Superintendent Bob Toal and DS Amanda Drummond.
John Simm (Grace, Doctor Who) and Derek Riddell (Silent Witness) also return for the second season, while Dougray Scott’s son Gabriel Scott (House of the Dragon) is set to appear alongside his father.
Rebecca Root (The Queen's Gambit), David Elliot (Kajaki), Laura Fraser (Breaking Bad, The Pact), Fiona Bell (Shetland), Sarah McCardie (It’s A Sin), Brian McCardie (Murphy’s Law), John McLarnon (Outlander), Ewan Miller (Skin) and Gordon Morris (The Forgotten) will also star.
For more details, check out these character breakdowns below...
DI RAY LENNOX (Dougray Scott)
At the start of series two, we find DI Ray Lennox clean, healthy and determined to prove to everyone that he is fully recovered from his Confectioner-induced breakdown. Lennox is off the booze and throws himself into work and therapy to keep the demons at bay. Lennox wants to separate his emotions from the job and be a normal cop but soon finds himself embroiled in a deadly new case with multiple victims. Despite his best efforts to leave his traumatic last case in the past, Lennox is still haunted by Confectioner’s victims and can’t let more people die on his watch. As both work and family pressures build for Lennox, he is forced to examine his need to avenge his traumatic past and make seismic decisions about his future.
DI AMANDA DRUMMOND (Joanna Vanderham)
Newly promoted to Detective Inspector, Drummond has come a long way since series one; yes, she’s by-the-book but she’s also an instinctive copper. When we meet her in series two, the fiercely ambitious Drummond is trying to navigate misogynistic office politics alongside harbouring insecurities that she rode on Ray Lennox’s coat tails on the Confectioner case. She’s also in a mutually distrustful relationship with her many cats and is drinking too much on a weeknight. When the opportunity for further promotion arises, Drummond is hungry for it, but there are obstacles in her way: her devious colleague Tommy Stark and her own past mistakes. Drummond is a staunch enforcer of the law, but she may have to break it to get what she wants. DCS
BOB TOAL (Ken Stott)
World weary, Bob Toal’s days of policing Edinburgh are numbered. His beloved plants are dying and, with them, Toal’s stomach for the job - or maybe it’s the other way around. Perpetually stressed, Toal is counting down the days until he can collect his police pension and spend time on his allotment with his little grandson. But the road to retirement won’t be an easy one; this latest case is high profile and will be a political nightmare for Toal to navigate, as he tries to prepare his proteges for life in Serious Crime without him.
DI TOMMY STARK
DI Tommy Stark is your worst nightmare: a narcissistic misogynist with a five-year career plan that involves misfortune befalling most of his colleagues. Stark is recently transferred to Serious Crime from Vice and has the little black book of dodgy contacts to prove it. Far from conventional, Stark’s methods of policing frequently involve operating outside of the law and he gets a kick out of making people uneasy. When Toal announces his retirement, Stark wants the job but is he driven by ambition or a desire to stop his nemesis, Amanda Drummond, getting the role? Stark vehemently believes Drummond’s by-the-book approach is a danger to the future of policing, so when he gets some dirt on her, he will stop at nothing to make it stick.
DS NORRIE ERSKINE (Brian McCardie)
A failed actor, DS Erskine is more attracted to the theatrics of policing than the reality of maintaining law and order. His partner, Tommy Stark, may make Erskine look like a choirboy by comparison, but make no mistake, behind the cheesy jokes and mucking about, voyeuristic Erskine has a host of sleazy past-times including visiting stripper bars where he likes to watch people have sex. Glaswegian Erskine is typical of many cops of his generation, unmotivated and waiting it out until he can collect his pension. However, as the case progresses, it becomes clear that Norrie has a past, and it is coming back to haunt him.
DS GILLIAN GLOVER (Sarah McCardie)
Salt of the earth Gillian Glover keeps her head down and gets on with the job. That is until her personal and professional lives collide. Usually the no-nonsense, tech-savvy backbone of the Serious Crime department, Glover starts series two on a high, she has a hot new girlfriend, and she is an avid and loyal supporter of Amanda Drummond to take over as Chief Super from the departing Bob Toal. However, Glover finds herself making a series of bad choices which may cost her dearly. Her mistakes come from a good place, but they put both her friendships and her new relationship in jeopardy.
FRASER ROSS (Gabriel Scott)
Curious and political, Fraser is a typical student; he questions everything and just wants to have a good time. He is just as likely to be found cheering his team Hearts on from the side-lines as he is to be on the dancefloor of his favourite club in a dress. He is struggling with the slow disintegration of his parents’ marriage and is frustrated that his parents won’t just call it quits. Middle-class and well-educated, Fraser has never wanted for anything in life and is embarrassed by his privileged upbringing; he’d much rather be tortured and interesting. However, Fraser might be about to discover just how closeted his upbringing has really been and that he still has a lot to learn.
Irvine Welsh on Crime season 2
The author has adapted his own work for the screen with the help of Dean Cavanagh and is looking forward to working with Dougray Scott again.
“I loved working on the first season of Crime and Dean Cavanagh and myself are already having a blast developing scripts for the second series. It was wonderful to work with such a talented cast and we hope to push those memorable characters further this time. No more Mister Nice Guy from Dean and I.”
Dougray Scott is also glad to be back in Scotland filming the crime sequel...
“I'm thrilled that I get to continue playing this complex and dynamic character, and to once again get to work with this magnificent creative team. Season 2 takes us even deeper into Lennox's past, and helps us understand his persona even more. I couldn't be happier!”
Is there a trailer for Crime season 2?
There's no trailer for this one yet, but ITV has released a couple of interesting clips, including one in which Ray Lennox paints a pretty damning portrait of modern society. Check them out below...
