Ludwig has returned for a second season on BBC One, with David Mitchell and Anna Maxwell Martin reprising their roles in the detective dramedy. Mitchell plays the title character, a reclusive puzzle maker who assists detectives with baffling mysteries, while Maxwell Martin portrays the wife of his missing brother, James.
What to Expect in Season 2
Mitchell told the BBC that fans can expect a warmer dynamic between Ludwig and Lucy in season two. "Their relationship is a bit warmer than it was," the star teased. "There's more trust in each other and their childhood closeness has returned. But there's also a lot of sniping. The phase when Lucy was just incredibly grateful to John for putting his own life on hold and doing this has passed." He added, "Now she's just frustrated by his timidity, his plodding approach, and his propensity to get distracted by murders."
Episode Count and Release Schedule
Ludwig season 2 is made up of six episodes. The first three episodes are already available to watch on BBC iPlayer. The first episode will make its linear debut on BBC One on August 20 at 9pm. From then, episodes will continue to air on BBC One weekly each Thursday and will be added to iPlayer accordingly. The full BBC One release schedule is as follows: Episode 1 on August 20, Episode 2 on August 27, Episode 3 on September 3, Episode 4 on September 10, Episode 5 on September 17, and Episode 6 on September 24.
Plot and Reception
At the start of season two, Ludwig has discovered crucial evidence about his brother's disappearance. However, there is a lot of it, and while he is content to work through it slowly, Lucy has a greater sense of urgency. Mitchell explained, "John can’t go into the police station very much, because there haven't been any murders for him to be called in as a consultant on, which frustrates Lucy. She thinks the answer to the mystery is more likely to lie there than in these sterile boxes. But then, fortunately for the show, if not for the fictional characters involved, a spate of murders begins."
The show recorded almost 10 million viewers in the first month of airing and continues to be a hit in the cosy crime genre. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Ludwig has a 97% approval rating and received a number of prestigious award nominations, including a BAFTA for Scripted Comedy.
