Liz finds herself in the middle of quite a mess as she continues to care for Amy. Here’s our Protection episode 2 review.
ITV’s latest drama Protection got off to an explosive start as we were introduced to Siobhan Finneran’s Liz Nyles, an officer working for the witness protection programme in the UK. In episode 1, one of her witnesses was brutally murdered in an ordered hit, leaving her in charge of the family’s young daughter who is now a target herself.
As if that isn’t enough, Liz’s colleague and secret lover DI Brandice was also injured in the hit, but no one has a clue why he was in the safe house in the first place, or how he knew where it was. There’s something particularly American in the set-up of Protection; secret, steamy affairs, a leak in the department, a big crime lord about to face trial while ordering hits left, right and centre.
It’s a fascinating mix of peak Britishness and some strange Americanism; some lines of dialogue would feel more at home in an episode of CSI: Miami or Law & Order. “When you’re running out of leads, maybe you missed something right at the beginning,” Liz ponders at one point. “Right now, everyone is a suspect,” another one says with a stern look.
It’s all very, very serious. Protection episode 2 is unlikely to make you crack a smile, but it is undeniably addictive. Amy is now in deep danger as the only potential witness to the hit on her family and on their way back from another police interview, Liz’s car is being followed by a motorist, presumably a hit man. It’s a thrilling chase scene that’s over far too quickly. Speaking of the show’s Britishness, Liz and Amy whizz past Greggs as they’re making their escape. Hit men and sausage rolls are a classic pair, if you ask me.
Finneran continues to be a magnetic presence and most of Protection wouldn’t work without her. Other characters get very little attention and personalities outside their job descriptions are scarce. The flashbacks of Liz and Brandice feel overly saccharine and faux sexy, which is a shame because there was a way to make their affair genuinely interesting and real without resorting to red lighting to highlight how forbidden it is.
The episode ends on an intriguing note as Liz’s daughter arrives home from her dad’s to find Amy shacking up with them. The case has forced Liz into a new motherly position for Amy but it comes at a price as she neglects her own daughter. This is where Protection seems to have the most potential and is veering into something more interesting than just plot points.
There are more spoiler-y things that happen that are enough to keep us hooked and watching. Protection isn’t the most original police thriller I’ve seen on TV. In fact, it seems to be recycling familiar themes and plot points, but Finneran’s performance is enough to keep me interested in this.
Protection airs on ITV1 on Sundays at 9pm
