BBC One thriller Vigil is back with series 2, and it’s already shaping up to be better than the first series – here are the questions we have after watching episode 1.
Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie returned as DCI Amy Silva and DI Kirsten Longacre, and there’s not a submarine in sight. This time it’s all about drones, or rather RPAS, a remotely-piloted air system. Amy and Kirsten are officially a couple, and even have a baby on the way.
But their safety was thrown into jeopardy when a British Air Force weapons test went tragically wrong and resulted in several deaths. With allies from the Middle East among the dead, all eyes were on Silva, who was forced to wade through the politics to get to the truth.
The Air Force believed they had the guilty party in custody, and pushed for Amy and DI Kirsten Longacre to close the case. But Amy wasn’t convinced…
Here are the burning questions we have after watching Vigil series 2 episode 1…
***Warning: spoilers from Vigil series 2 episode 1 ahead***
Who caused the death of seven officers?
The first 15 minutes of Vigil series 2 episode 1 was as dramatic as it gets on BBC One. Viewers watched in horror as what should have been a controlled weapons test went hideously wrong. The RPAS system – basically drones – turned on their own and began shooting soldiers dead.
Seven officers were confirmed dead, with others dangerously injured. But was Colin Dixon, the man in charge of the comms, to blame? He swears he wasn’t. Meanwhile, the maker of the drones insisted the devices were “unhackable”.
We know the drones were set to autopilot, and that anyone was able to take control of it. But why would Dixon have done it, knowing he would be in the frame? As the episode continued, everyone was a suspect, notably those who were able to take control during the drill – that was two in Wudyan (a fictional country in the Middle East), and three in Scotland.
As the tension amped up, we learnt that the fifth person in Scotland was in fact Anthony Chapman (Alastair Mackenzie)… He took control of the drones. At the beginning of the episode, we saw him leaving the base with his daughter Sahiba. He claimed he was going home to Scotland for cancer treatment. Just minutes before he was heard having an argument with someone… Did he kill his colleagues? If so, why? Could he have been acting under duress?
Who killed Anthony Chapman?
By the end of Vigil’s first episode, DCI Amy Silva (Suranne Jones) had discovered the location of missing officer Anthony Chapman. Everything pointed to him. Not only was he the person to have logged in when he wasn’t even supposed to be working, but he’d more than likely lied about having cancer. It doesn’t get lower than that.
Amy and partner Kirsten (Rose Leslie) tracked Anthony to a remote location in Scotland. However, they found him shot dead in the head. Meanwhile, his terrified daughter was left hiding for her life in the nearby woods.
The closing seconds of the episode showed an armed man in camouflage closing in on the girl, as well as Amy and pregnant Kirsten. As they began to run, the masked man aimed his rifle at their backs…
So who killed Anthony? Was it to shut him up, or an act of revenge?
Vigil series 2 episode 1: Did Lawson know the attack was happening?
During the ill-fated weapons test, in fact just minutes before it went horribly wrong, Nicole Lawson changed positions. She claimed she could get a better view, but Kirsten pointed out it actually made little difference. However, it DID give her more protection from the subsequent massacre.
Did she know what was going to happen in advance? Did she ‘hide’ from the oncoming drone attack?
How is journalist Firas Zaman involved? Who was his source?
During the weapons test, a trespasser was detected just outside of the army base. Because of this, the drill was cut short. Kirsten tracked the witness down (he was hiding up a tree) and took him in for questioning. It became immediately obvious that he wasn’t an innocent bird watcher.
Far from it, in fact. Firas was a journalist, who knew to wipe his phone as soon as the police caught up with him. He was also from Wudyan, so clearly no coincidence that he was spying on the weapons test. But was he the person to inform the killer when to take over the drones? We know he had a source within the base who had been leaking stories.
The deaths were most likely an act of terrorism. And Zaman had strong views on his home country’s use of weapons. Admitting he’d been tortured by his regime before coming to the UK, he had motives to stop the deal going through between the Air Force and the Wudyan regime.
He told Kirsten: “The weapons won’t just be used in Wudyan’s proxy war with their neighbours. They will be used on the local population. Peak oil is coming. Drones are tools for oppression.” This is clearly an issue seeped in politics.
Which brings us to our next question: What did troubled officer Callum Barker mean when he said: “We had it coming, though, didn’t we?”
When is episode 2 of Vigil?
If everybody else is as hooked as us, you’ll be wanting to know when Vigil episode 2 is on.
Luckily, the impatient among you won’t have to wait at all. The first three episodes of Vigil series 2 have been on iPlayer from 6am Sunday. Those wanting to watch it on ‘normal telly’ can watch episode 2 on Monday, December 11, 2023 at 9pm, and Tuesday, December 12 at the same time.
The final three episodes will be available on iPlayer the following Sunday, December 17. The episodes will be on air Sunday, December 17, Monday 18, and Tuesday 19 on BBC One at 9pm.
Read more: Suranne Jones ‘wiped out’ by health condition on set of BBC One’s Vigil
Vigil episodes 1 to 3 are now available on BBC iPlayer. The final three episodes will be available on iPlayer the following Sunday (December 17). The episodes will air Sunday, Monday and Tuesday on BBC One at 9pm.
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