Series two of Noughts + Crosses (BBC1/iPlayer, directed by Koby Adom and based on the series of books of the same name by Malorie Blackan) begins with what appears to be a contented Sephy (Masali Baduza) and Callum (Jack Rowan) in a contended and happy embrace but anyone who watched the first series, screened during the very early days of the Covid pandemic, will know it won't stay like that for long.
We soon learn that Sephy is registered as missing and that she, and Callum, are actually on the run together. She pregnant with his child. Meanwhile, Sephy's father, the Prime Minister of Albion Kamal Hadley (Paterson Joseph) has been re-elected and is threatening to extend the death penalty. Kamal is happy to spread the lie that Sephy has been abducted and that the suspects, Callum and his brother Jude (Josh Dylan) are 'at large' while at the same time secretly supporting a growing 'cross' vigilante group called The Ofa Brotherhood who claim to be 'For Sephy' but in reality seem more interested in violently attacking, and even killing, noughts.
As these attacks increase, Kamal plays them down as "high spirits" but that's far from the only time you'll be reminded of our recently resigned, but still in position, Prime Minister and the right wing support he commands. There's talk of 'biased media', of 'optics', of preservation of heritage, and of cross culture being under attack.
There's even talk of Albion "taking control" of its own "destiny". If these references seem obvious and almost crudely political then that's more a reflection on the world we live in today than it is on Noughts + Crosses. Series two touches on themes of trafficking (which looks as bad on screen as it probably does in real life) and it shows, very skillfully, how extremist thought can lead to extremist action and potentially isolate people from their friends and family.
There's even repeated references to a neighbouring empire that is the enemy of Albion. It's called Muscovy! Although it seems Albion is doing a pretty good job of destroying itself from within anyway. Lekan (Jonathan Ajayi) is still dating Sephy's sister Minerva (Kike Brimah) but he's joined the Ofa Brotherhood and found a clearer focus for his deepening anger and, elsewhere, the Liberation Militia (or, simply, LM) led by Morgan Green (Morgan Watkins) is upping its own violent game.
Both in response to the Ofa Brotherhood and for its own very partial reasons. A former minister of Kamal, Shashi Bandara (Mayuri Naidu), has formed a new political party - Atunbi claim to be "for both noughts and crosses" - and is gaining ground in the polls as more of Kamal's ministers resign in disgust and a formerly compliant media (including a great cameo by Judi Love) begin to turn on the man.
Remind you of anyone? Callum and Jude's mum, Maggie (Helen Baxendale), still works in a food bank and still tries to do the right thing by everyone but is often put in seemingly impossible and desperate positions. Some of which stem from Jude's own anger. Jude, unlike Callum, doesn't trust, or like, crosses but his position becomes more complicated when he meets Cara (Jasmine Jobson), a 'halver' who first of all helps Jude out of a tight spot and then seems to begin to fall for him - as he does for her.
Where that will end is an interesting side story to the main theme, the ever deepening and ever more troubled love story of Sephy and Callum. Although series two didn't begin with as much impact as the first series it gained pace and momentum via some very tense action scenes and some very moving conversations between the chief protagonists (Maggie and Jude's mother and son chat on a park bench particularly stood out) and by the end of the whole thing I was, you'll not be surprised to read, in tears.
The devastating decisions faced by Sephy, Callum, and many others, a profoundly moving scene in a packed court room, and a most impressive state visit from the Empress of Aprica (Iretiola Doyle) combine with a wonderful soundtrack (Oumou Sangare, Fatoumata Diawara, Songhoy Blues) and wonderful performances all round. Baduza, Joseph, and Bonnie Mbuli as Kamal's conflicted wife Jasmine are all excellent but perhaps best of all is the excellent Jasmine Jobson who as Cara fills the screen with intensity whenever she appears.
It's, possibly, a bit harsh to single individuals out when Noughts + Crosses is, at heart, an ensemble piece and not just that but an ensemble piece that shows that working together, rather than at crossed purposes, is better for not just others, not just society, but also for ourselves. That shouldn't be so difficult to achieve yet human history has a way of demonstrating that it is.
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