The first season of Sherwood felt like a singular, contained story — a tale of two eras, both marred by the societal struggles born in the soot of Nottingham’s lost coal mines. There was a certain degree of intimacy to the story: a familiarity that gave way to an uncomfortable air of realism that can often be found missing from torn-from-the-headlines style procedurals. Sherwood’s creator, James Graham, grew up in Nottinghamshire, in the shadow of the miners’ strikes and the economic struggle that followed the disputes in the mid-80s.

Sherwood Season 2 delivers the same grit and grime, with its ground-level struggles of the citizens of Nottingham, but it lacks the purpose it first had. Now, it feels as though the series is chasing the high and critical acclaim of its first outing, with mixed success in its sophomoric return.

What Is ‘Sherwood’ Season 2 About?
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While it is hailed as an anthology of sorts, Sherwood sees all the key players return for Season 2. Ian St Clair (David Morrissey) and his wife have divorced (understandably, seeing as he accused her of being a double agent in Season 1). In the time between the two seasons, he’s also left the police force to chase after the higher purpose of working in crime prevention, a noble cause that seems necessary in crime-laden Nottingham. But, before the first episode has even reached the credits, St Clair finds himself pulled back in after a young man is murdered, sending shock waves through the community.

Since her true identity was revealed, Daphne (Lorraine Ashbourne) has come into her own as the matriarch of the Sparrow clan. Her son, Ronan (Bill Jones) was a witness to the murder, situating her squarely in the middle of what boils down to rival gangs lashing out against each other, without regard for whoever gets in the way.

Lesley Manville returns as the widowed Julie Jackson, though she lacks a real purpose this time around. In the first pair of episodes, she exists solely to aid with exposition, particularly when it comes to catching audiences up to speed with Ian’s recent life updates and acting as a sounding board for his investigation. It’s clear the series is setting up a star-crossed romance for the divorcee and widow, who were once on opposite sides of the mining crisis. It isn’t a terrible idea, so long as the show lets Julie stand on her own. Manville and Morrissey have great chemistry with each other, which makes their characters’ potential romance a highlight of the season.

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Trauma Haunts Nottingham in ‘Sherwood’ Season 2

Sherwood does see a handful of newcomers enter the murderous fold in Season 2. With St Clair out of the police force, DCS Harry Summers (Michael Balogun) is tasked with investigating the murder of Anne (Monica Dolan) and Roy Branson’s (Stephen Dillane) son, who was gunned down by Ryan Bottomley (Oliver Huntingdon) in the premiere.

As with Season 1, the prime suspect and known murderer is a bit of an outcast. For reasons yet to be revealed, Ryan has been pushed out of his family, leaving him unmoored and primed for criminal intent. There’s something to be said about how Sherwood toys with the idea of disenfranchised youth, but never fully commits to it. Ryan’s actions put his family—sister Stephie (Bethany Asher), Pam (Sharlene Whyte), and uncle Dennis (David Harewood)—directly into the line of fire.

Lisa Waters (Ria Zmitrowicz) steps into the honorific title of Sheriff of Nottingham, and as of Episode 2, hasn’t had a real role in the chaos unfolding in the city. She’s introduced as something new and exciting for the community—a queer woman taking up the age-old tradition of being the “Sheriff of Nottingham,” but even she acknowledges the title is just there to gladhand at events and cut ribbons. The most action she encounters is a pair of climate activists splashing paint on art and gluing themselves to the wall during an unveiling.

Sherwood seems keen to make some sort of commentary about climate change, particularly where natural energy is concerned, but it never quite commits. Perhaps it intends for the audience to make their own opinions as they watch criminals sulk in the shadow of windmills, mulling over what the loss of coal has done to their community. The trauma of the coal mines is never far from thought as it drives the present-day criminality of Nottingham, compounded by the reopening of the mine forcing old wounds to reopen too.

Does ‘Sherwood’ Season 2 Live Up to Its Predecessor?

Sherwood Season 2 already debuted in totality in the UK at the end of the summer, which means spoilers for the series are damn-near inescapable. But, with only two episodes to judge by, the new season of Sherwood seems on the same track as Season 1. It starts slow, in some regards, and will—presumably—build toward something far more profound and intriguing than the initial murder of the Branson boy. While Season 1 as a whole was exceptional, the first half was a bit of a slog, and only in retrospect did it improve as new revelations added to its myriad of layers. As of yet, it is unclear if the second season of Sherwood will justify its existence.

The series remains quite serviceable, though it would be hard to claim that Sherwood is a truly enjoyable watch. It’s an oppressive, grimdark detective series, through and through. The trauma that is threaded through the connective tissue of every character, binding them together through shared tragedy, makes it an incredibly difficult series to consume. BritBox was smart to deliver the series in two-episode increments, giving the audience time to sit with the weight of each episode.

The first two episodes of Sherwood Season 2 debut on BritBox on November 14, with weekly two-episode drops.

Sherwood is rarely enjoyable, but always quite satisfying.ProsDavid Morrissey makes for a brilliant lead of Sherwood, even when he is rarely the central focus of the plot.James Graham knows how to craft tense, nail-baiting mysteries, and skillfully unravels them. ConsSeason 2 has yet to justify its existence as it doles out another unbearably grim murder mystery that paints Nottingham in a terrible light.Lesley Manville feels underserviced in the first two episodes, brought back solely to prop up Morrissey?s Ian.Sherwood seems to struggle with applying wider reaching narratives, particularly where clean energy and coal mines are concerned.

Release Date June 13, 2022 Main Genre Crime Seasons 2

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