Blue Lights season 3 is still top-tier drama – but there’s a problem emerging

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*Warning: Contains minor spoilers for all six episodes of Blue Lights season 3*

Since its release in 2023, Blue Lights has quickly become notable among many similar shows. Although there’s been a trend towards gentler, more relaxed crime dramas recently, plenty of intense police shows still appear on television.

There are two main reasons why Blue Lights is so compelling. First, it strongly establishes a sense of place, feeling genuinely authentic in its depiction of policing in Belfast.

For me, what really stood out was the characters and how they interacted with each other. The cast did an amazing job bringing them to life – they felt so real and well-developed, like people you could actually know. And their relationships, whether it was a friendship or something more, felt completely believable. I genuinely connected with them and their stories.

Now in its third season, all of those qualities remain. Actually, in many respects, they’ve become even stronger. We’ve gotten to know the characters so well that we’re more invested in their journeys, and writers can now create scenarios specifically designed to test each character’s individual strengths and weaknesses.

It’s wonderful to have them returning to television, continuing their important work to maintain peace and resolve issues, handling each situation as it comes.

While watching the show for the third time, I started to feel like something was off. It wasn’t a major issue, and it didn’t ruin the new episodes. Actually, they’re still much better than a lot of the dramas currently on television.

Even so, this issue feels like it’s just beginning, and it has the potential to become a significant problem as the series progresses – it all comes down to trying to include too much. It’s essentially a case of overstuffing the narrative.

When Blue Lights first began, I was immediately drawn to the three central characters – Grace, played by Siân Brooke, Annie, brought to life by Katherine Devlin, and Tommy, portrayed by Nathan Braniff. They really formed the heart of the show, and I found myself invested in each of their stories right from the start. It was fascinating to see how their lives intertwined.

Certainly, Martin McCann’s Stevie was a central figure, as were Joanne Crawford’s Helen and Andi Osho’s Sandra. The show consistently featured compelling supporting characters, and the interplay between them was one of the main reasons people enjoyed it.

The main reason we chose those three as our main characters was that they were all beginners just starting their adventures. They had similar backgrounds, worked towards the same objectives, and we were discovering this world alongside them, seeing everything with fresh eyes.

As the show continued, these characters became more integrated into the group, allowing other personalities to stand out more. We’ve also met important new faces, such as Shane, played by Frank Blake, and Aisling, played by Dearbháile McKinney. Season 3 further expands the cast with Michael Smiley joining as Paul ‘Colly’ Collins, another central character.

As a total cinema devotee, I always say, the more characters, the better! Each one brings something fresh to the table, offering unique viewpoints that really help to build a richer, more believable world for the show. It’s fantastic when a story isn’t afraid to introduce new faces and complexities. Honestly, it just makes for a more engaging experience, and I love seeing that.

It’s become apparent from the third season that the show’s creators, Declan Lawn and Adam Patterson, are determined to give each character significant storylines, and that’s when issues begin to surface.

Each season consists of just six episodes, giving Lawn and Patterson only six hours to develop their narratives. In season 3, you begin to notice the stories competing for screen time, focus, and significance – a problem made worse by the show’s increasing tendency toward more somber and emotionally complex themes.

During a conversation with TopMob, Devlin pointed out that this season deals with some very difficult and intense themes and moments, and she’s right to say so.

Annie’s story is especially heartbreaking this season, and Devlin delivers a phenomenal performance, but every character faces significant challenges. Grace’s journey is deeply touching, honest, and deeply personal, and the same can be said for Aisling and Tommy. These are just a few examples within a larger narrative that feels a little overcrowded.

Naturally, the show is trying to balance serious and lighter elements. While it’s addressing more complex themes and a multitude of issues, it also wants to introduce a new villain – played by Cathy Tyson – revisit familiar moments from past seasons, include some funny interactions, and develop a bigger story arc that sets the stage for season 4.

Everything is generally well done – actually, we could use even more of those later, more positive elements. However, the overall feeling is still a bit too focused on the grim and dramatic events. This means there aren’t enough of the calm, cheerful interactions between the characters this time.

This can make the entire season feel rather discouraging and difficult to handle, as conflicts, strong emotions, and sadness arise from many different sources.

Regarding the parts of the show that really push the story forward, it’s hard not to notice that the decision to renew it for two more seasons seems to have affected how those plot points are unfolding.

The story resolves a few things by the season’s end, but it introduces so many hints about what’s coming next that it can be difficult to keep up.

It seems Lawn and Patterson are using their newfound time to plan more storylines than they can currently handle. This often feels like a gamble, because you don’t want a TV season to feel incomplete – like just a setup for future events.

Blue Lights doesn’t tie everything up neatly, and if you find yourself confused at the end, wondering which storylines were resolved and which were left open, you’re not alone. It’s common to be left with unanswered questions after the finale, trying to figure out what happened to each plot thread.

After you finish season 3, you’ll likely find yourself reflecting on most of the scenes, character arcs, and storylines, and realizing you’ve experienced some truly excellent drama.

The actors deliver fantastic performances, just like always, and the situations the characters face continue to be completely captivating.

Honestly, looking back at the whole season, it just feels a little…off. It’s not quite smooth, and sometimes it felt really overwhelming. I think things started to get out of balance, both in how the episodes were put together and in the overall tone. It’s like something’s a bit knotty and messy, and it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what it is.

This isn’t a major issue that can’t be quickly fixed, but as the show gets bigger and more complex, it has the potential to become a real problem. It could cause Blue Lights to lose the compelling and captivating quality it had when it began.

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2025-10-01 15:05