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The Chelsea Detective Season 2 brings new puzzles for Detective Inspector Max Arnold (Adrian Scarborough) to solve in not-so-quaint Chelsea, London. The show continues in an impressive vein, expanding upon Max’s marital problems while he flexes his detective skills in challenging and dark mysteries. The series is available on Acorn TV, a popular U.S. streaming service of quality British and international programming.
I was initially disappointed that Sonita Henry didn’t return as Detective Sergeant Priya Shamsie. However, Vanessa Emme finds her way, settling in relatively well as Max’s new partner, DS Layla Walsh. Her character forms a strong friendship with Chief Forensics Officer Ashley Wilton (Sophie Stone), leading to more banter and light moments. Layla also takes a keen interest in using sign language to chat with Ashley, further cementing their chemistry.
Reuniting with the Gang
The rest of Max’s team remains intact, with the return of his detective constables, work buddies Jess Lombard (Lucy Phelps) and Connor Pollock (Peter Bankolé). Jess tries to corner a potential suspect on her own after seeing him on a dating website. Pulling this risky move lands her in hot water with her boss, Max, because it could’ve jeopardized the investigation and her safety. Phelps maneuvers through those tense moments adroitly, adding another layer to Jess.
Frances Barber returns as Max’s aunt, Olivia Arnold, dropping in unexpectedly to nudge him in the right direction in his relationship with Astrid (Anamaria Marinca). Season 2 explores Max’s feelings about his marriage and the transition to new options in a beautiful way, highlighting both the good and the messy. Dating apps make their way into the conversations in a hilarious way, since Max immediately distrusts the idea of meeting strangers.
The series writers continue to deliver excellent scripts for The Chelsea Detective with some great quips and moments. Finding train tickets on a dead man, Max looks up and says to Ashley, “He’s gonna miss his train.” Elsewhere, Max rails against one of his biggest sources of annoyance, London construction. When he insists to Layla that getting around would “be quicker on a bike,” she merely smiles before they hop in the car. Contemplating his bulletin board of suspects and evidence in another episode, Max puts on Echo & the Bunnymen’s “The Killing Moon.”
On the Cases
Season 2 takes Max and Layla into new settings: an art gallery, a luxury retirement home, a psychotherapist’s office, a vegetable delivery service. As in the previous season, they do a lot of work researching alibis and confronting people in the interview rooms, setting up tense discussions about dark secrets coming out. Max and his team are ever the experts in uncovering the truth.
Astrid proves remarkably helpful on the art gallery case, since she runs a gallery herself and knows the art dealer world. Olivia tries to get the scoop about the retirement home case, but Max insists he can “neither confirm nor deny” that he’s working the investigation. I found that episode, “Golden Years,” to be the most unsettling. When a resident is murdered, the CEO is seen immediately considering whom to pull from the waitlist as a new tenant. And that’s probably the least troubling aspect of the episode’s story. The ending and big reveal of the murderer also really came as a surprise.
Don’t miss the twists and turns of The Chelsea Detective Season 2, which is available on Acorn TV. The mysteries are a fine mix of cozy and dark, sure to keep you intrigued from start to finish.
