‘Vigil Review: Plot Holes a Drone Could Fly Through’
When it comes to concerns over Artificial Intelligence, killer drones are a prime example of what worries computer coders. And if you find a killer drone waiting for you under the Christmas tree, don’t make the mistake of switching it to Autopilot mode. That’s the fateful error made by Air Vice-Marshall Marcus Grainger as the highly anticipated return of Vigil aired on BBC1.
As the story unfolds, we see the rocket-copters unexpectedly open fire on British troops and attempt to eliminate a visiting Middle Eastern arms dealer. This scenario, though terrifying, is more plausible than the previous series of Vigil, which saw DCI Amy Silva (played by Suranne Jones) trapped on a nuclear submarine. At one point, she even found herself loaded into a torpedo tube, moments away from being launched like a missile.
However, there are some puzzling aspects of the plot. It seems odd for Amy, a Glasgow copper, to be put in charge of investigating the demise of seven soldiers from the Royal Air Force Regiment due to one of their own drones. Shouldn’t the RAF Police be involved too? Furthermore, it’s quite unconventional for a Chief Inspector’s pregnant girlfriend, DI Kirsten Longacre (played by Rose Leslie), to serve as her sidekick. While close-knit detective duos like Morse and Lewis exist, they were never as intimately connected as this.
Even stranger is the reaction of Grainger and Amy after examining the wreckage of the rogue drone. Despite a massive explosion occurring just yards away, which knocked them off their feet, they simply brushed off the incident and continued their conversation without even acknowledging the bang. Such a casual response seems at odds with the police’s typical reaction to unexploded World War II bombs, which leads one to question their vigilance.
While Vigil may have some plot holes large enough to fly a drone through, it remains an entertaining and thrilling series. Suranne Jones and Rose Leslie deliver captivating performances, constantly bickering while maintaining believable action sequences. Dougray Scott also impresses as the suavely jaded top brass, a departure from his role as the shabby DI Ray Lennox in the ITV serial Crime.
In the realm of historical investigations, Lucy Worsley took on the challenge of exploring the origins of one of the greatest fictional detectives of all time in Killing Sherlock: On The Case Of Conan Doyle on BBC2. Worsley, known for her delightful fact-finding quests, uncovered intriguing details about Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes.
Throughout the program, Worsley tested theories from Holmes’s adventures, such as using sniffer dogs to track down runaways and examining the uniqueness of individuals’ hands. She even discovered that Conan Doyle’s novel The Sign Of Four and Oscar Wilde’s The Picture Of Dorian Gray were commissioned over a boozy publisher’s lunch.
In a particularly amusing segment, Worsley visited Portsmouth FC, donning a blue-and-white Pompey scarf, after uncovering Conan Doyle’s past as a goalkeeper for the club under the name A.C. Smith. The program showcases the lighter side of the detective genre, suggesting that perhaps Holmes missed his true calling as a footballer.
Though both Vigil and Killing Sherlock have their inconsistencies and quirks, they offer viewers entertainment and insight into the realms of crime and detective work. Whether it’s the high-stakes action of Vigil or Lucy Worsley’s captivating historical investigations, there’s something for every crime enthusiast to enjoy.
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