The new season of the police thriller series Vigil has returned to BBC One, featuring a female-led investigative duo navigating a tense geopolitical crisis in the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard. The series stars Suranne Jones as DCI Amy Silva and Rose Leslie as DI Kirsten Longacre, a couple balancing the pressures of their relationship and demanding careers in law enforcement.

Set against the stark, snowy backdrop of Svalbard, the storyline centers on a murder at a research station that threatens to escalate tensions between Britain, Russia, and China. Silva remains in Glasgow overseeing the operation, while Longacre, newly returned from maternity leave, travels to Svalbard to investigate the death of a British soldier. This soldier was part of a secret SBS unit protecting the island’s green-energy mining activities, despite Svalbard’s status as a demilitarized zone. Britain’s covert actions risk provoking an international incident, especially with a Chinese scientist at the heart of the dispute, whose promised asylum adds another layer of complexity.

The season explores themes relating to climate change, fossil fuels, and global political alliances, entwining these issues with espionage and sabotage. Reviewers note the series’ intricate plotting and intellectual ambitions, describing the narrative as labyrinthine and occasionally challenging to follow. The characters’ development and the chemistry between Jones and Leslie receive praise, although some viewers might find the exposition-heavy storytelling and slow pacing difficult to engage with at times.

Simultaneously airing is ITV’s thriller Trigger Point, which also features a strong female protagonist in Vicky McClure’s Lana Washington, a bomb disposal expert. This series unfolds with a faster pace and a more action-driven narrative. It highlights the pressures and dangers of counter-terrorism work in London as Lana and her team race to defuse a series of bombs planted throughout the city. The episodes combine high-stakes bomb disposal scenes with a broader mystery surrounding the perpetrator’s identity and motives, maintaining continuous tension across the storyline.

While Vigil emphasizes a cerebral, slow-burn approach to international political intrigue, Trigger Point prioritizes relentless action and immediate suspense. Both series contribute to a growing landscape of British crime dramas centered on capable, female-led law enforcement teams. Vigil offers a complex, atmospheric thriller grounded in geopolitics and relationships, whereas Trigger Point delivers a gripping, adrenaline-fueled narrative focused on urban terrorism and resilience under pressure.