Although no word has come regarding a second season of BBC One’s Our Girl, the popularity of the show proves that there are more tales to tell about the Army life of medic Molly Dawes.
With the first season out on DVD on Monday 3 November, here we look at the things we’d like to see explored if the show got a well-deserved recommission…
More interaction with other soldiers
While the platoon of soldiers Molly was stationed with in Afghanistan were to become like a family and the interactions they had were entertaining enough, there’s no denying that the focus on the Molly/Smurf/James triangle meant they were little more than background characters.
The original one-off special introduced more characters for Molly to engage with and it would be a shame if they didn’t expand on Molly’s world; for example, with her friendship with fellow medic Jackie (Kirsty Averton).
Keep Molly’s home life involved
One of the key strengths of the show has been how Molly judged her life at home as a result of being in the Army, but also how it provided her with more perspective as she tried to balance her place within the two distinctly different worlds.
It also provided Lacey Turner to be pushed as an actress; in one area of her life feeling superior and informed compared to her family and yet struggling but much happier in her Army life. The balance and the conflict created here is a major part of Our Girl‘s dramatic punch.
Seeing the relationship progress
With Captain James now leaving the Army and he and Molly on the same page when it comes to their relationship, it would be good to see their relationship progress properly as a couple.
The will-they-won’t-they build up to them getting together was a bit frustrating to watch and ventured into almost soapy territory at times, despite great chemistry between leads Turner and Ben Aldridge. We’d love to see how the characters’ romance progresses and watch them become a united couple to root for.
Maintain the action
One of the show’s strongest elements is how it uses the action sequences to further the plot. These stunts or explosions usually come directly after moments of emotional significance, making them jarringly effective and reflecting the trouble that the British Army put themselves in every day.
Our Girl has used this to great effect, often to highlight a character’s struggle or as a metaphor for their pain, and it would be a shame not to see these brilliantly realised moments continue.
More Lacey Turner
Turner has proved here that she is so much more than just Stacey Slater and it’s important that the show continue to challenge her and use her to their best advantage.
The Bashira and Captain James storylines showed how emotionally engaging Turner’s performance could be and watching her vulnerability building to strength as she became more confident in her Army role felt very real.
The flashbacks Molly was having about Afghanistan shows potential for a PTSD storyline and this would be a really interesting angle to take.
> Order Season 1 on DVD on Amazon.
> Buy last year’s feature-length special on DVD on Amazon.
What would you like to see in a second season? Let us know below…