The second season of ITV's atmospheric detective drama After the Flood has arrived, bringing back the luminous Sophie Rundle as the morally driven PC Jo Marshall. Set against the perpetually damp backdrop of a Yorkshire town, the series continues to blend classic crime tropes with sharp social commentary, though it now risks retreading its own groundbreaking path.
A Premium Crime Drama Returns
Writer Mick Ford's creation has always occupied a space between standard weekly crime fare and prestige television. Like Happy Valley or Unforgotten, it uses the detective framework to explore deeper societal issues. The first season was distinguished by its powerful, non-hectoring integration of the climate crisis, showing how northern communities are left vulnerable to flooding.
Now, a year on from the dramatic events of the finale—which featured a second flood, a birth, and the exposure of deep police corruption—Jo Marshall is a fully-fledged detective. She is separated from her husband, Pat (played by Rundle's real-life partner Matt Stokoe), but they share a vow to bring down the bent cop controlling their town.
New Case, Familiar Ground
The catalyst for the new season is a body discovered on the moors. The investigation immediately tangles with multiple environmental threats: a chemical company dumping waste, heather burning for grouse shooting (which increases flood risk downstream), and rampant fly-tipping. Meanwhile, a mysterious vigilante is painting red Xs on buildings across town.
Sophie Rundle remains the show's compelling core, her performance a beacon of empathy and dogged curiosity in a community of closed-off villains and victims. Her character's dynamic with her mother, Molly (the excellent Lorraine Ashbourne), provides rich emotional texture. Molly's local knowledge makes her an unofficial sidekick, and her new role on the council allows the drama to critique the inadequacy of local authorities in environmental protection.
Does Season Two Flow or Drift?
While the production values and performances keep After the Flood a cut above the average crime saga, this season feels less urgent. The subplots react to the first season's shocks rather than forging new ground, and the central mystery—a body full of shotgun pellets that isn't a shooting—feels like a variation on the first season's flood death that wasn't a drowning.
Perhaps most tellingly, there is no literal flood this time. The stunning aquatic set piece that opened season one declared the show's high ambitions and thematic heart. Its absence here is palpable, subtly lowering the stakes. Jo Marshall, for all her strengths, begins to risk becoming just another TV detective moving from clue to clue.
Ultimately, After the Flood season two remains a quality, engaging piece of television, elevated by Rundle's shining lead performance. However, it has begun to drift slightly from the unique, fiercely relevant confluence of crime and climate that made its initial outing such a belter.
After the Flood series two is available to stream on ITVX now.
