Bloodlands star James Nesbitt has promised fans that they can expect more twist and turns as the second series sets to air on BBC on Sunday.
The gritty crime drama, created and written by Chris Brandon, is set in Northern Ireland and follows DCI Tom Brannick as it is revealed he is the infamous assassin Goliath.
Speaking at a site visit at Strangford Lough, Nesbitt said that one of the exciting elements heading into the second series is that the audience is one step ahead of the cast in knowing Brannick's dark secret.
Read more: Watch: Official trailer released for series two of NI crime drama Bloodlands
He said: "What is so good about this one in a sense is...it's a very different timeline. So much has happened in the world since the last Bloodlands so I think this one is definitely breathing more and I think the storyline is very interesting - the thriller element to it.
"The fact that the audience starts off knowing that I am Goliath I think is really interesting. The audience knows something that no one else does. I think that gives you a really interesting kind of platform to take Tom on his relationship with an audience but also to see how the chinks in his facade begin to happen.
"The audience is always one step ahead a lot of the time but what they are not one step ahead of is knowing what Tom is going to do and what Goliath is about to do."
No stranger to playing characters with shady pasts or something to hide, he said that the "incredibly story" created by Chris Brandon makes stepping into the role of DCI Brannick interesting.
"To create such a character, for all intents and purposes, he is a policeman who is a murderer, a liar but someone who, I think, you are intrigued by, you can also see the human side to him, the relationship with his daughter, the pain that he has felt in his life, the disappearance of his wife," the NI actor added.
The crew on Bloodlands is almost exclusively local and is something that he believes makes a difference on set and in creating a drama such as Bloodlands.
He explained: "They are as an integral part of the fabric of this series as every crew member is and it's so vital to that. This is a joyous shoot but everyone is very serious and very committed to it because we are from here and of here.
"Everyone plays an equal part in this show and it has been a joy."
On how he steps into such a Dark intense role, he explained that it all about "looking for truth" in the character.
"You are looking to be in the moment and Tom, funnily enough, is someone I really grew to love," he said. "You have to in a sense if you are playing him or relatively find the saving graces in there somewhere. You have to understand the writing and the director - it is such a collaborative process for me.
"There is a notion of Jekyll and Hyde with Tom but you have to look at the reasons why he became Goliath. What sacrifices will you make for your loved ones - and also he was in a position to do so and then it got terribly out of hand."
Fans of the first series of Bloodlands, which launched with an average of 8.2 million viewers, can expect to be sitting on the edge of their seats right from the first episode of series two.
"Right at the beginning of this [series] he is thrust back into it - it's pretty dramatic.
"There is wonderful writing - really brilliant twists but also you still have the heart of it, a man who is a father and I think an audience will go with that as well. I think it's exciting."
James is a strong advocate for the incredible work going on in the Northern Ireland film and TV industry and is delighted that by working on a show such as Bloodlands, filmed and set in Northern Ireland, they are able to highlight what we have to offer here across the world.
"Because I am from here, it's so interesting having been here for so long and being lucky enough to be a success because it is like being part of a big family for me. People are very quick to protect me but are also very quick to chastise me and keep me grounded.
"You can't help but feel a certain amount of responsibility and all those things add up to my great great pride in where I come from and for what the industry has done for the north of Ireland.
"To do something so embedded in Northern Ireland like this story is and to play a character who asks a lot of questions of an audience and I also think audiences here are very intelligent because we've grown up with an awful lot here and know when we are being patronised or lied to," he explained.
He added: "Long may Bloodlands continue."
Bloodlands season 2 starts on Sunday, September on BBC One and BBC iPlayer
READ NEXT:
James Nesbitt spotted filming for Bloodlands in Belfast city centre
- Suzie Lee embracing her late mum's Cantonese recipes in debut book
Adrian Dunbar says it 'wasn't a problem' to play another cop in new ITV crime drama
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here. To sign up to our FREE newsletters, see here.
