Apple TV has revealed a hefty new cast list for Season 2 of ‘Down Cemetery Road‘, with 12 actors joining Emma Thompson (Sense and Sensibility) and Ruth Wilson (Luther) for another helping of Mick Herron-flavoured murder and mayhem. Apparently, solving one enormous conspiracy wasn’t enough for our unlikely detective duo.
The thriller, adapted from novels by the author behind ‘Slow Horses’, follows sharp-tongued private investigator Zoë Boehm (Thompson) and Sarah Trafford (Wilson), who found themselves tangled up in something considerably nastier than an ordinary missing-person case during the first season. Now, a fresh investigation is drawing them into the murky world of art, antiquities and a rather unpleasant serial killer.
Twelve new suspects… or potential victims?
Leading the new additions is Martin Clunes (Doc Martin), alongside Fionn Whitehead (Dunkirk), Paterson Joseph (Wonka), Aasiya Shah (Bait), Dimitri Leonidas (Foundation) and Paul Chahidi (This Country).
Also joining the cast are Liz White (The Long Shadow), Amanda Abbington (Sherlock), Jeff Rawle (Drop the Dead Donkey), Ashley McGuire (Slow Horses), Amber Grappy (One Day) and Yali Topol Margalith (Alice and Steve).
It’s a pretty terrific collection of familiar faces, particularly if you’re a fan of British television. Clunes is perhaps best known for his years dispensing grumpy medical advice in ‘Doc Martin’, while Joseph has a knack for making even the smallest role memorable. And with so many people arriving, you have to wonder how many will still be standing by the time the credits roll.
Apple hasn’t revealed which characters the newcomers are playing, so there’s no telling yet who’s a suspect, who’s in danger, or who’s just had the terrible luck to wander into Zoë’s latest investigation.
There are some familiar faces coming back, too. Joshua James, Sara Kestelman and Tom Riley are set to reprise their roles from the first season, alongside the returning Thompson and Wilson.
A new case, and a deadly obsession
Season 2 begins when a woman falls in front of a train, prompting Zoë to investigate. What initially looks like a relatively straightforward case soon drags both women into the glamorous but decidedly dodgy world of art and antiquities. Before long, they’re on the trail of a brutal serial killer who is determined to keep his crimes hidden, whatever the cost.
Sarah’s background in art conservation could make this an especially interesting mystery for her, although given how her first encounter with Zoë turned out, she might reasonably be wondering why she keeps getting dragged into these things.
The new season draws on two of Herron’s Zoë Boehm novels, The Last Voice You Hear and Smoke and Whispers, rather than simply revisiting the first book’s storyline. It’s another chance for the series to combine twisty detective work, some very dark humour, and the prickly relationship between its two leads.
For those who missed the opening run, the first season began with a house explosion in a quiet Oxford neighbourhood and a missing child. Sarah’s determination to find out what happened led her to Zoë, and the pair uncovered a much larger conspiracy. It’s all available to catch up on before the next mystery arrives.
The team behind the mystery returns
Morwenna Banks (Funny Woman) returns as lead writer and executive producer, with Börkur Sigþórsson (Insomnia) serving as lead director. The series is once again produced by 60Forty Films, with Herron and Thompson among the executive producers.
It’s also a rather good time to be in the Mick Herron adaptation business at Apple. ‘Slow Horses’, starring Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight), has already been renewed through Season 8, while ‘Down Cemetery Road’ is building out its own increasingly impressive ensemble. Clearly, Apple is not planning to run out of complicated British mysteries any time soon.
‘Down Cemetery Road‘ Season 2 does not yet have a confirmed premiere date on Apple TV. Season 1 is available to stream now.
If you want to keep track of this or any other shows, you can add them via our Never Miss system, and you’ll be notified when it gets a UK premiere date. Visit Never Miss.
Login to Geektown