Is there anything better than a seriously grisly crime drama? The much-anticipated second season of a seriously grisly crime drama, of course.

 The Tower proved itself to be one hell of an addictive watch when it hit our screens back in 2021 – not least because to its many twists and turns.

Now, the ITV series is back for a second outing on Monday 28 August at 9pm, subtitled Death Message. And, as you’ve likely guessed from the name, it’s set to be a truly grisly and nailbiting affair.

“A death message is when, as a police officer, you go to the home of the immediate next of kin and inform them of a death,” explains Gemma Whelan.

“And that is what Tahirah Sharif’s character PC Lizzie Adama has to do this series.”

Watch the trailer for The Tower II: Death Message below.

“At a time when we can hardly turn on the news without hearing another terrible story about violence against women, and more specifically about police failures in cases of violence against women, it seems important to tell a story that shows that most police working the street are doing their incredibly difficult jobs to the best of their abilities,” says screenwriter Patrick Harbinson, who adapted the series from Kate London’s bestselling crime novels. 

“Are there institutional problems? Resource problems? Corrupt and indifferent officers? Of course there are, and Death Message doesn’t shy away from giving voice and life to them and showing how easily the rot can spread. But in Sarah and Lizzie, Kate has created two police officers who can stand for the majority,” he continues.

“They will make mistakes, they will have failures, but they will – in this series almost literally – die trying.”

With that in mind, then…

What is The Tower II: Death Message about?

The series opens with Lizzie (Tahirah Sharif) returning to Farlow station where her boss and former lover, DI Kieran Shaw (Emmett J Scanlan), partners her with Arif Johar (Michael Karim). Their first call is to a domestic violence complaint against Mark Brannon, who is accused of beating up his girlfriend, Georgina Teel, and terrorising their young daughter, Skye.

As the synopsis states: “Lizzie persuades Georgina to tell the truth about what Brannon has done to her, enabling Lizzie and Arif to arrest him. However, once the case gets to court, Lizzie finds herself cross-examined on the stand, leaving the whole case on a knife-edge.” 

Fans of the OG series will undoubtedly be pleased to learn that Sarah Collins (played by the aforementioned Whelan) is also back, although she has been transferred to Homicide Command. There, she is tasked with reopening the case of a missing school girl, Tania Mills, who disappeared on the day of Princess Diana’s funeral, 6 September 1997. 

“Sarah knows that her boss has handed her an impossible challenge, but she throws herself into it with typical determination and thoroughness,” continues the synopsis. “And, gradually, perhaps helped by the fact that she too was a teenager of Tania’s age back in 1997, she begins to uncover clues that previous investigations had overlooked. At the end of the first episode, Sarah’s investigations take a further twist, which means she and Lizzie cross paths again.”

It finishes powerfully: “The antagonistic relationship between the experienced Sarah Collins and the novice cop Lizzie Adama is at the heart of The Tower II, as they are forced to work together for the first time and begin to get a sense of each other’s unique strengths.”

Dare we say that the second season sounds even better than the first? We think so. 

Who will star in The Tower II: Death Message?

The main cast is returning for the second series, which means Whelan is back as DS Sarah Collins, recent Bafta nominee Tahirah Sharif as PC Lizzie Adama, Emmett J Scanlan as DI Kieran Shaw, and Jimmy Akingbola as DC Steve Bradshaw.

Also joining the cast will be Charley Palmer Rothwell (Play Or Die) as Mark Brannon, Rosa Coduri (Nadia) as Georgina Teel and Michael Karim (The Bay) as Arif Johar. 

ITV has also confirmed that three new characters will be joining the cast for season two: Tamzin Outhwaite (Ridley Road) joins the cast as Cathy Teel, Niamh Cusack (The Virtues) plays Claire Mills, and Ella Smith (The Nevers) takes on DC Elaine Lucas. 

Speaking about the new roles, Harbinson says: “It’s a tribute to the quality of Kate’s novels and her complex female characters that we have been able to attract these three brilliant actresses to The Tower.”

What are people saying about The Tower II: Death Message?

Kate London has piled praise upon director Faye Gilbert for her work on season two, insisting: “She gets under the skin of the story. She understands the characters’ journeys and pays them a lot of nuanced attention. That’s visible in the performances and in the editing. Faye has got a strong sense of drama – series two is exciting and nail-biting – but she also has a sense of quietness and letting the story breathe.”

The author and executive producer continues: “Death Message is packed with story and it’s all told in four episodes. Those quiet moments cannot be long, and yet Faye manages to find the time for them. There is real emotional resonance in her direction, which is very important to me.”

Elsewhere, Harbinson also commented: “Kate’s second novel is even better than her first. It has all her trademark authenticity, complex characters and a gripping and incredibly topical narrative. This series will keep the audience on the edge of their seats till the very end.”

And Akingbola, too, has promised big things for The Tower’s second outing, noting: “A lot has happened since season one of The Tower. What really excited me is that you can see our characters evolving. Characters being opposed to each other but somehow able to say ‘Yeah, I don’t like you, you’re a bit of a dick, but I can see your good points and I need you.’

” That’s what I love about the scripts and the storytelling. Our characters are all travelling in very different directions but still find a way to exist and work together.”

When and where can we watch The Tower II: Death Message?

The Tower will return for its second season on Monday 28 August at 9pm. Death Message will then air each of its four episodes on consecutive nights across that week, with the finale showing on Thursday 31 August.

Will you be watching?

Images: ITV; Getty