Karen Pirie is back and she’s set for a whirlwind – but off-screen, things were just as intense for series creator Emer Kenny, who couldn’t rely on her famous (and busy) husband.
Karen Pirie’s second season is packed with intense drama and explosive bombshells – but things were just as intense behind the scenes. Series creator Emer Kenny juggled triple duties as writer, executive producer and cast member as Karen’s best friend River… while also being a new mum.
“Filming was hectic,” she says, “My baby was 12 weeks old when I started writing the season and he was 18 months old when we were shooting. He came to Glasgow with me for three months.”
Emer had a secret weapon, but it wasn’t her husband, presenter Rick Edwards. “I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my mum,” she says. “My husband was away working in Germany at the Euros because he’s a presenter, so I had my mum with me at all times.”
Kylie Minogue helped too, making a daunting experience a delight: “Kylie has her own brand of rose that we drank the whole way through. It was absolutely crazy but I never feel more alive than when we’re making stuff. It just feels thrilling.”
Lauren Lyle returns to the ITV crime drama as the sharp, scrappy Scottish detective in the second season of Karen Pirie, and DI Karen’s ready to ruffle a few feathers.
Freshly promoted – albeit reluctantly – she’s still got everything to prove. “She’s determined to prove herself,” Lauren says. “Even though she’s been promoted, she’s still doubted.
It’s a reluctant promotion. Where her boss says, ‘You’re difficult but you’re great so you deserve it.’ That’s what drives her. There’s a general frustration with men being in her way and having to listen to them.”
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The TV adaptation of Val McDermid’s best-selling novel series was a hit during its first season. So it’s no surprise that Emer also felt the pressure.
“It was a little daunting,” she says, “Season one was my first time writing a show. Coming back, you really hope you can match the energy and bring another good story. So I was a little daunted but the book has a really exciting story.”
Based on A Darker Domain, the second novel in the Karen Pirie series, the new season dives into a case that’s haunted the nation for decades: the 1984 disappearance of heiress Catriona Grant and her toddler son, Adam.
“She’s kidnapped at gunpoint, and then a ransom note arrives at her family home with a polaroid of her, and she is never seen again,” teases Emer. “There’s never a handover. No other ransom note was received.” Until now.
When a body is found in a remote quarry, it blows the case wide open. But it’s not Catriona. “It’s a man,” says Emer, “But her car key is in his pocket.”
As the investigation unfolds, so do the secrets – including Catriona’s steamy, hidden affair with Mick, played by The Last Kingdom’s Mark Rowley.
“Julia (Brown) and Mark were amazing together,” Emer says, “When I got their auditions in, I knew it would work. It was really important that their love story felt romantic and real.”
But Catriona isn’t the only one getting her heart tangled this season. Karen’s own love life heats up with DS Phil Parhatka, played by Zach Wyatt, but she’s keeping it strictly under wraps.
“Karen’s under the impression a woman can only have one of the other – a career or a home life,” Lauren says. “Phil’s a good, smart man who’s willing to support her, but Karen thinks she has to choose her career to keep getting ahead. Her career gives her a sense of worth, but it can damage her love life.”
But the cold case earns her more attention and Karen struggles to keep the balance. “No one at work knows they’re together and she wants to keep it that way,” Emer says. “But there’s a whole new level of public interest. This is an even bigger case than the first one so she has a lot of eyes on her.”
If the stakes are higher, the humour’s sharper too – something inspired by Miss Congeniality. “Lauren and I always talk about Sandra Bullock’s character in that film as a big touchstone. We love her humour and her no-nonsense personality,” Emer says.
Other icons helped shape Karen’s DNA: Helen Mirren’s steely Jane Tennison in Prime Suspect, Kate Winslet’s bruised brilliance in Mare of Easttown and Toni Collette’s grit in Unbelievable.
Season two took the cast from gritty Glasgow streets to the sun-drenched chaos of Malta. “We had to move the shoot to September because it was too hot in Malta to shoot,” Emer remembers.
“We had tons of running scenes through the streets of Malta in 40 degree heat. But I think they loved it. I think they loved having their inner James Bond moments.”
Audiences clearly love it too and with eight novels in the series (and counting), there’s no shortage of source material. “There is potential for another season and ITV are really supportive,” Emer says. “It just depends on whether the audience wants more.” But for now, Karen is here to stay – and she’s fiercer than ever.
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