BBC’s Vigil strikes gold with season 3 – but it’s time to end the show

A murdered British official, a missing scientist and a remote Arctic research base that holds all the answers.

In other words: Vigil is back for another gripping season.

For the millions who have followed the show since it broke viewing records in 2021 with its first season set on a submarine harbouring more than just military personnel, this new season is a worthy addition to the canon.

We once more return to the couple at the heart of the show, DCI Amy Silva (Suranne Jones) and DI Kirsten Longacre (Rose Leslie), whose sweet love story has grown from early romance to now raising a family together.

As the relationship has grown, so too has the scale of the challenges they face, whether in their home or at work, where they are regularly thrust into high-stakes situations and forced to get to the bottom of a slew of mysterious deaths.

It’s no different this season, which takes us to the snowy plains of the Arctic Archipelago, Svalbard, defined by its barren landscape and eerie lack of human life, aside from researchers working on specialist projects.

Now, however, it has become a key piece of land on the global playing field, with nations such as China, Russia and the UK all determined to use it to their best interests.

In a world where climate change is more of a threat than ever, and the tussle over energy has reached a crescendo, the new season of Vigil plays on all this tension and more.

When British special forces operator Daniel Hodge is found dead, and Chinese scientist Shen Jia disappears from under everyone’s noses, Silva and Longacre are once more recruited to solve the mystery.

But with heated political rivalries unfolding in the background, this is far from a simple murder mystery.

The pair must navigate betrayals, threats to their lives, and revelations that are enough to spark an international crisis. So, just another Tuesday for Silva and Longacre.

As usual, every episode is jam-packed with twists and turns, with more moving parts than a locomotive train. Which also makes it impossible to talk about without quickly entering spoiler territory.

This season delves into Kirsten returning to work after maternity leave, both of their lives as new mothers, and the difficulties that come with it.

Although it’s always a delight to watch Suranne and Rose bring this relationship and all its complexities to life on screen, the sheer political ambition of this season overshadowed their storyline at times.

More than ever, I could feel the push and pull between wanting to focus in on Kirsten and Amy and the wider plot.

As much as I have loved spending time with them, I couldn’t help but feel as though the ambition of the series has outgrown the premise. This season is a poignant ode to the journey Amy and Kirsten have gone on.

I would love to see what ace creator Tom Edge has up his sleeve next with a new show.

Vigil season three premieres tonight at 9pm on BBC One.