Single-Handed: Set 2 picks up right where Set 1 left off. Garda Sergeant Jack Driscoll (Owen McDonnell) is still in charge at the station, but sometimes I swear he's determined he doesn't want to be the way he acts. Jack really should have learned a bit more from his father on how to get things done, but I think that he's starting to learn that by the end of this set. Jack's mother, Eithne (Ruth McCabe), is always there to help him though. The more the series goes on, the more that I like her. She has a very calm and serene way of dealing with even the most difficult of situations. Garda Finbarr Colvin (David Herlihy) is still second in command at the station. I really didn't like him much in the last set and the beginning of this one, but by the end, he's started to come around. Jack's main problems seemingly come from the antagonist Dennis Costello (Sean McGinley). Costello is determined to keep everything running his way, no matter what Jack wants.
The first two episodes of the set are called "The Lost Boys." These two episodes introduce two new characters. A man named Brian Doyle (Matthew McNulty) and his fiancée Gemma Burge (Simone Lahbib) show up from London. They are looking for Brian's long lost father, who turns out to be an uncle that Jack didn't even know about. Eithne says that she was 4 years old when her 10 year old brother left to go to trade school and was never heard from again. There is something to be said for finding lost family members, but sometimes there is a reason that we should leave things in the past. I'm still not sure what this is going to mean in the long-run for Jack and his mother. As far as Jack's work goes, the episode started off with the murder of a man named Shamus Devon. No one really knows anything about Mr. Devon. As the Garda show up to investigate the body, three teenagers are seen running away into the woods, Liam, Conner, and Rory. When Jack questions them, Rory's story doesn't make sense. But even if he's lying, does that mean that he is a killer? Jack is going to have to work to get to the bottom of the truth on this one, while dealing with his new family members.
The second pair of episodes is called "Between Two Fires." Jack is going to have to continue dealing with the drama of his new family because he's looking for his long lost Uncle Sean so that Brian can finally meet his father. This turns out to be a task that while not easy, can be accomplished. The main crime of the episode has to do with a house fire that looks quite suspicious. When a body is found inside, things get even more confusing. When it is learned that the fire was not accidental, Jack has to figure out who burned the house and killed the occupant. The real question is whether the arson or the murder was the intended action. It would be a lot easier on Jack if Finbarr were to help him, but unfortunately Finbarr has a gambling problem and owes Costolo. It's up to Jack to deal with his new family members and the fire all at the same time. Jack uncovers a lot of secrets about his family and other people in the town, but he does get to the truth in the end! Of course, the truth isn't going to help him deal with his cousin's desire to reclaim his family land from Jack's mother for himself, at Costolo's prompting!
The final set of episodes is called "A Cold Heaven." On the western side of Ireland where Jack lives, they really don't have some of the problems of the big cities, like prostitution of minors. When a Dublin pimp moves to town though and recruits a local 17 year old girl, still in high school, Jack has to figure out how to handle the situation delicately. His personal life is starting to go to hell as well, thanks to Gemma and Brian. When Gemma leaves Brian, things get even worse and of course Jack doesn't help the situation. He has had problems in the past with a friend's wife! The end of this set leaves Jack in a really bad place and he's not even sure he'll still have a job. He has started to realize why his father did some things the way he did though. I really can't wait to see what the next set brings!
The thing that I really love about Single-Handed is that the story isn't predictable. It's never what you expect, which is nice as I've gotten used to guessing the ending of pretty much all American dramas. With this one though, I never expect the ending, but yet it always makes perfect sense. If you're looking for a different kind of drama set in an absolutely beautiful location, check out Single-Handed today!
