Vigil is finally back on the BBC, with DCI Amy Silva and DI Kirsten Longacre returning for a new case set to have us gripped as the summer comes to a close and the nights start drawing in.
Premiering back in 2021, Vigil followed Detective Chief Inspector Amy Silva of Police Scotland, who was sent to HMS Vigil, a nuclear-powered Vanguard-class ballistic missile submarine, to investigate a death on board.
On top of this, she was trying to figure out the disappearance of a Scottish fishing trawler. The case saw the police get into conflict with the Royal Navy and the MI5 over how to handle it.
Series 2 recap
Taking a two-year break, Vigil season two saw Amy and her team tasked with finding the perpetrator of a compromised Royal Air Force prototype combat drone, which killed several soldiers during a joint demonstration in Scotland.
Despite Vigil being one of the BBC’s biggest programmes, with it winning Best Drama Series at the 2022 International Emmy Awards, fans have had to deal with three years without it. Thankfully, Vigil is finally back.
What is Vigil series 3 about?
Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie are back as DCI Amy Silva and DI Kirsten Longacre respectively. The pair of detectives and lovers face the biggest case of their careers to date, which may throw a wrench in their love story.
The series synopsis reads: “DCI Amy Silva and DI Kirsten Longacre return for a new case that takes them to a remote Arctic research station, where a member of a covert British special forces mission has been murdered.
“Amy and Kirsten need to catch the killer and defuse a potential international confrontation, as different nations compete for control of the Arctic and its resources in the changing polar climate, with both their careers and relationship on the line.”
Teasing what to expect, creator Tom Edge said: “For series three we wanted to look ahead to the root causes of potential conflicts. Rare earth metals seemed like a niche but promising story. These are the materials required to make many modern technologies work, including most green energy infrastructure.
“This sector is dominated by China, and that was fine so long as global trade was unimpeded. It becomes a huge problem as soon as trade monopolies are politicised or weaponised. We have seen this story beginning to emerge during the past two years, with energy and technology security becoming urgent issues for the UK and indeed most countries.
“I think that the battle to secure resources is going to become increasingly fraught and will bring areas like Svalbard into sharp focus. Series three is our take into a world that feels niche today but could be fundamental to tomorrow’s geopolitical manoeuvrings. Plus, icebergs!”
Vigil series 3 full cast
- Suranne Jones - Amy Silva
- Rose Leslie - Kirsten Longacre
- Jeppe Beck Laursen - Henrik Becken
- Tornike Gogrichiani - Fyodor
- Naomi Yang - Shen Jia
- Dominic Mafham - Sir Ian Downing
- Gary Lewis - Detective Superintendent Robertson
- Amy Manson - Lorna McCallister
- Steven Miller - Mark Cunningham
- Benjamin Wainwright - Oli Pickford
- Danusia Samal - Jasmine Kelly
- Eric Godon - Mayor Korotayev
Where have you seen the cast of Vigil before?
Suranne Jones has come a long way from her time on Coronation Street. She played fan favourite character Karen McDonald on the cobbles from 2000 to 2004. After leaving the ITV soap, she went on to appear in Vincent, Strictly Confidential, Harley Street and Unforgiven in the 2000s.
The Chadderton native quickly proved herself as one of the nation’s finest talents, with her earning critical acclaim in Scott & Bailey, A Touch of Cloth, Gentleman Jack and Doctor Foster. Last year saw her lead the critically acclaimed Netflix series Hostage, where she played the Prime Minister.
Rose Leslie broke out onto the scene as Gwen Dawson in the first season of Downton Abbey. The following year she began playing Ygritte in Game of Thrones, where she acted alongside her future husband Kit Harrington. On top of this she played Maia Rindell in three seasons of the political drama The Good Fight and starred as Clare Abshire in HBO's The Time Traveler's Wife.
Also appearing in Vigil season 3 is Norwegian actor Jeppe Beck Laursen, Extraction 2’s Tornike Gogrichiani, Under Salt Marsh’s Naomi Yang, The Clinic’s Dominic Mafham, A Thousand Blows’ Gary Lewis, Rebus’ Amy Manson, Dept Q’s Steven Miller, Red Eye’s Danusia Samal, In Bruges’ Eric Godon and Maigret’s Benjamin Wainwright.
Vigil airs on Sunday, August 30, at 9pm on BBC One and on the BBC iPlayer. The first two episodes are available to stream from 6am.
