Roadkill Review: Season 1 Episode 2

The pace slows a bit on Roadkill Season 1 Episode 2, but just to give us a breather before things go sideways again.

Peter Laurence (Hugh Laurie) tries to make the most of his new position as Minister of Justice while making the people around him mad.

First, he goes against the party when he speaks to the press outside Shephill Prison following the riot which makes the Prime Minister mad. He says he’s going to “shake things up,” and Dawn Ellison (Helen McCrory) might be regretting sticking him in the Justice Ministry. She calls him in for a dressing-down and we get to see two greats, Laurie and McCrory, spar with that charming British passive aggression. 

His top aide, Duncan Knock (Iain De Caestecker), is frustrated that he won’t take the claim seriously about his alleged daughter who is an inmate at the prison. Duncan goes over Peter’s head and does the DNA test anyway which proves that Rose (Shalom Brune-Franklin) is his daughter. 

At least I think that Rose is the mystery inmate. They’ve been vague enough so far and there have been many twists and turns (and this is only the second episode!) that I wouldn’t put it past them to mislead us here.

On Roadkill Season 1 Episode 1, we didn’t get to see much of Rose. We get more of her on this episode, and it is a treat. She is smart, level-headed, and keen on holding the prison system accountable for its failings. 

Another inspired addition to the assortment of fascinating female characters on Roadkill‘s roster. 

Likewise, Peter’s daughter Lily (Millie Brady) gets more to do than getting caught snorting coke in a club. She doesn’t get much compassion or sensitivity from her father, although he handles their meeting a little better than I expected him to.

Brady plays Lily with a vulnerability that nicely subverts the typical rebellious daughter under media scrutiny trope. She finds out about her father’s mistress and tells her mother, urging her to bring the family together to sort things out. 

Lily: I have a feeling that this family needs to kick up to a whole new level of honesty.

On the other hand, the mistress, Madeleine, played by Sidse Babett Knudsen is sorely underused. The character seems too smart to be with Peter and the actor too good to be such a peripheral character. I am hoping we get to see more of her since her role has become essential to the family part of the plot.

It is not until half-way through the episode that we get back to Charmian Pepper (Sarah Greene). There are a lot of storylines and sub-plots tangled up on this series, but Charmian’s part in it seems like a central one. That might be why the first half felt a little slower than the whole of the premiere episode. 

It’s unclear how long she’s been in D.C. but she’s got a lead that gets her the information she needs. It’s too bad she doesn’t meet up with the willing informant before having to wine and dine with the sleazy guy from British-American.

Her situation starts to spiral out of control after he spikes her drink. Charmian, a recovering alcoholic, continues to accept drinks which is a big price to pay for a scoop.

But, she believes it is worth it — she is determined to vindicate herself and have justice prevail, taking Peter Laurence down in the process.

A shocking turn of events has us wondering whether she will get that chance. Just like Charmian, I did not see that coming. 

And because of that unexpected development, we are left unprepared for a similar accident to happen soon after. Peter hitting the deer on his way home to his family is how the episode ends. 

Duncan: Minister, have you read any classic literature? Don’t you know there’s something called justice and it always wins in the end?
Peter: Justice is not a notion, Duncan. It’s a department of state. And a badly run one at that.

With so much going on and Charmian and Peter’s fates uncertain, I am not sure of the trajectory, but I am very intrigued. 

I think this story can fork either way at this point — Duncan’s view of redemption and justice or Peter’s harsh, cynical philosophy — and I am really interested to find out the next path this political thriller takes. 

What did you think of this episode of Roadkill? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Roadkill airs Sundays at 9/8c on PBS.

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