By Asyia Iftikhar

Copyright metro

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As Blue Lights returns for an explosive third season, it’s obvious this Bafta-winning drama has cracked the perfect formula.

There’s no question why the BBC show, set in modern-day Belfast, has reeled audiences in over the past two seasons.

It offers a phenomenal cast to play out nuanced plotlines interweaving the post-Troubles politics of Northern Ireland, criticism of the structural issues rampant within the police force and the very human heart of the city’s underbelly.

In season three, we check back in with our three no-longer newbie officers, Grace (Trying star Sian Brook), Annie (Katherine Devlin) and Tommy (Nathan Braniff), alongside a host of familiar and new faces to herald the show into its next era.

And the show pulls no punches with a crescendoing opener that dips, then plunges you right back into the action.

Of course, the show has been widely praised for its heart-pounding finale with life-and-death stakes (RIP Gerry), where our plucky force pulls through with a hard-fought victory at the end, not only battling the perpetrators but also the top dogs in the intelligence force.

Blue Light lovers won’t be disappointed with the new episodes (Picture: BBC/Two Cities Television/Matthias Clamer)

This season embraces a shift in direction as we look into the middle and upper class echelons of society, funding the drug trade in and out of the city and getting off scot-free. Although it’s a different slice of society, we are plunged right into the conspiracies behind what could be going on, which all seem to centre on an as-yet untraceable app.

The beating heart of the series, however, comes alongside Grace’s former career as a social worker, which motivates her to take special care of the children caught up in the riotous back-and-forth between law enforcement and gangs – as showcased by Henry last season.

In the new episodes, we encounter a child Grace formerly worked with, Lindsay, who has become caught up in a web far bigger than herself.

It immediately creates a delicious tension between Grace’s duties and her heart, something that was necessary now that the challenge of finding their feet in the force seems to be behind them.

There’s a new societal focus for the force this season (Picture: BBC/Two Cities Television/Matthias Clamer)

The other aspect of the show, which adds a layer of humanity which occasionally loses itself in other police drama, is just how often every member of the force forms a connection with the community they are trying to hold together with a ‘s**t bucket’.

We see it with Gerry and Happy in season one, and this is taken over by Jen in season two as the pair form a bond after Gerry’s death.

This personal touch, that grounds the community in reality, does feel somewhat lost in the first few episodes of the season – and it is something that needs to remain a priority to maintain the show’s unique charm.

As for the romances, episodes of careful seeding have paid off. At the end of season two, Grace and Stevie finally share a smooch, and we pick back up with their dynamic at the start of season three.

As long as the show doesn’t forget the human heart of the series, it will continue to thrive (Picture: BBC/Two Cities Television)

There was a risk that the allure towards the couple would end after the will-they-won’t-they stage wrapped up, but, although they are now living together, the show has managed to maintain that tension between them that has you wondering how they’ll navigate finally being together.

Our ensemble cast is also faced with plenty of woes from a police investigation after a hospital visit gone awry to the ongoing death threats against Annie as she must deal with her mother’s deteriorating health.

Amid all the moving pieces, there is a risk that the show can drown itself with how much it’s juggling, but, if the previous seasons are anything to go by, fans can only be reassured that it will all come together by the end.

Riding high on the back of several award wins, the third season proves this show joins the ranks – and longevity – of Line of Duty and Happy Valley, as long as it doesn’t forget its roots.

Blue Lights returns tonight on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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