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Jun 23, 2013 By Hays Davis Web Exclusive

Framed by the Five Points neighborhood of New York City of 1865, Copper places itself in a richly vibrant setting. Kevin “Corky” Corcoran (Tom Weston-Jones) is an Irish detective whose moral compass may be properly aimed but the churning turmoil wrought by social, political, and personal upheaval keeps him frayed.

The second season finds Corcoran still struggling with the unfolding revelations involving his daughter’s death, his wife’s disappearance, and his friend’s betrayal while Corcoran was fighting as a Union soldier. With the return of his wife Ellen (Alex Paxton-Beesley), Corcoran is having trouble reconnecting emotionally with her as he finds himself embroiled in a case involving a string of poisoned boys.

Ato Essandoh shines again as Matthew Freeman, who is still fighting an uphill battle to gain respect as an African-American doctor. The show focuses on the period’s racial strife, and after hearing an inspiring speech by Frederick Douglass, Freeman’s wife Sara (Tessa Thompson) begins to see glimmers of a new future for herself. The political string-pulling and romantic entanglement involving the wealthy and well-connected Robert Morehouse (Kyle Schmid) and Elizabeth Haverford (Anastasia Griffith) also point toward intriguing plot possibilities.

As with the first season, Corcoran remains at the heart of the show, and Weston-Jones’ portrayal makes the detective a new TV hero worth rooting for. And as viewers connect with the strong ensemble, they will also find the boisterous, evolving Five Points to be an engaging character as well. (www.bbcamerica.com/copper/)

Author rating: 7/10