I think the critics have got this one wrong. The second season of Annika just landed on BBC iPlayer this week, and honestly, it’s perfectly watchable, more than that, it’s gripping, clever, and completely unique in how it’s told.
What makes Annika a brilliant crime drama is its format. DI Annika Strandhed (played by Nicola Walker) breaks the fourth wall, directly speaking to the audience and sharing what’s on her mind as cases unfold. It’s a genius bit of storytelling. I’ve always loved it when actors do this! It creates a special connection, like you’re solving the crime right there with them. It reminded me a little of what Millie Bobby Brown does in Enola Holmes, and it’s just as effective here, if not more.
The show is set in Scotland, with all its moody atmosphere and dramatic landscapes, which really suits the tone of the crimes, murders happening in and around the waterways. It’s not your usual gritty city crime drama, and that makes it feel refreshing.
Nicola Walker is an unbelievable DI, funny, layered, and quietly intense. She carries the show with ease, but it’s not just about her. The whole team works together brilliantly.
One of my favourites is DC Blair Ferguson (played by Katie Leung. You’ll recognise her as Cho Chang from Harry Potter). She’s smart, sharp, and has some brilliant lines.
The chemistry between Annika and DS Michael (Jamie Sives) adds a lovely bit of dry humour. Their scenes often have me smiling, even in the middle of tense investigations. One of the quirkiest and most entertaining parts of the show is how Annika goes off on these long, winding rants. Usually about some random piece of literature, history, or mythology. It starts out sounding completely unrelated to the case, like she’s lost the plot, but somehow it always circles back and ties in. Those tangents give her character so much depth and personality, and they make you feel like you’re inside her brain while she’s figuring things out. It’s not something you see often in police dramas, and it works brilliantly here.
The writing is witty and tight. It never talks down to the viewer. There’s real intelligence behind the script, and you get the sense the creators respect the audience. For a police drama, I think this is as good as it gets. It doesn’t rely on tired tropes or overused twists. Instead, it feels modern, human, and oddly comforting even when dead bodies are involved.
It hasn’t been confirmed yet if there will be a third season, but I really hope there is. They’ve left us with another cliffhanger, and I’d be genuinely disappointed not to see how it plays out.
If the BBC is listening: please give us more Annika!
Forth wall down doesn’t work for me it’s as though it’s not really happening at all it’s quite weird and a bit gimmicky! Too many police dramas altogether and this suberb actress deserves a much more upmarket and classy subject-
Nicola does a fine job, as she always does, and I like Anika but the fourth wall comes down too often and it does distract a bit too much . from the piece. That said, I do love the acting, all of the actors are very good and the scenery is refreshingly outdoors more often than in. The plots are interesting and the dialogue is sharp.
It’s well shot, well acted, different and the 4th wall thing is interesting. The whole thing just lacks drama and the solutions come out of thin air just before the credits, which is on the whole confusing and unsatisfying.