Streaming platforms and TV channels are playing to their strengths. And crime dramas have become M-Net’s signature drawcard.
We’ve seen this manifested in its offerings like “Still Breathing”, “Lioness” (seasons 1 and 2), “Desert Rose”, “Devil’s Peak” and “Reyka”, which returned for a second instalment.
Kim Engelbrecht reprises her lead role as Reyka, a tenacious criminal profiler, haunted by a traumatic childhood where she was abducted by Angus Speelman (Iain Glen), a Scottish immigrant farmer who abducts children with his wife as they can’t have children.
In season one, she investigated a series of murders in KwaZulu-Natal. And she was dogged in her efforts.
Running parallel to the case was her past as Angus, despite being behind bars, tried to remain in contact with her by helping her understand the serial killer she was looking for.
The second season sees Reyka, more settled in her life, juggling motherhood, a new albeit short-lived romance with a married colleague and a new case.
This time around, she is looking into a serial killer targeting the men in their cars in a place known as Lovers Lane. The women are saved from a similar fate, though.
She is assisted by her colleagues Ayanda (Samkelo Ndlovu) and Tanner (Gerald Steyn).
But her link to Angus is far from being severed. He spirals out of control when he learns of his mother’s serious illness, putting Reyka in his crosshairs for a TV interview she did.
Meanwhile, Dr Lawrence (Wayne Van Rooyen), a prison doctor, is convinced rehab is the way to go. He pushes for his course of treatment in dealing with the prisoners, Angus included until he escapes.
The casting of Frank Rautenbach, Pallance Dladla, Lemogang Tsipa and Sello Maake KaNcube adds a refreshing dynamic to the storytelling.
Season 2 stays true to the gritty, unsettling tone of the first instalment. Aside from Rohan Dickinson’s Midas touch as head writer, the characters are so well-etched, tapping into their mental and emotional states, that the viewer becomes even more invested in their journey.
∎ “Reyka” 2 airs on M-Net (DStv channel 101) on Thursdays at 8pm.