If you had any reason to believe that Blue Lights had peaked at its BAFTA-award winning second series, think again.
In the show’s new six-parter, which kicked off tonight, private members’ club owner Dana Morgan (Cathy Tyson) proves herself to be a category of villain that the show has not explored before: a wealthy, successful woman hidden in plain sight. And if the deliciously evil criminal declaring to a gang member that his world had “sh*t itself on the carpet right there” wasn’t enough – take it from us, she’s the best antagonist yet.
Far from your ultra-masculine, gun-touting gang leader with a grudge to bear, Morgan is a businesswoman who pulls the strings while going completely undetected (from what we know now, anyway).
In series one and two of Blue Lights, both villains – James McIntyre (John Lynch) and Lee Thompson (Seamus O’Hara) respectively – were firmly on the police radar, however hard it was to nick them. Morgan, though, has barely any contact with the Blackthorn coppers.
“The worst thing in the world to her is to be noticed,” Cathy Tyson told Digital Spy, while on set in Belfast, back in May. “One of the most chilling things is that she is like everybody else. There’s some vulnerability to her. Villains can seem invulnerable, but they haven’t always got it sussed. She’s always aware of that; she’s not complacent.”
That said, it would be a mistake to confuse vulnerability with morality. For Blue Lights' executive producer and co-creator Declan Lawn, Morgan is the most “amoral” character in all three seasons of the show.
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Our introduction to the character has already given us a glimpse of that trait, when Tommy (Nathan Braniff) and Shane (Frank Blake) sped to a private members club to deal with a cocaine overdose. There, Morgan falsely led the first responders to believe that the partygoer hadn’t taken any illegal drugs, without the faintest hint of hesitation.
This sociopathic nature so easily disguised under the veneer of polished wealth is not only fascinating to watch but proves that now more than ever that Blue Lights is a series that cares deeply about the villains it puts on our screens. In this show, the ‘bad guy’ is a multi-dimensional and complex woman, and that matters just has much as the crime fighters that we love to cheer on.
As the series continues, don’t expect Morgan to take centre stage in proceedings. In Cathy’s words, her character “has few words on the page,” but even so, the third series of Blue Lights treads new territory and delivers a complicated villain who offers a unique exploration into human nature, morality and social class.
Not to mention that the show does all of that while staying true to the gritty drama that won so much of its popularity in the first place.
Could you ask for more?
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Soaps Writer, Inside Soap and Digital Spy
Lily joined Inside Soap as Junior Writer in 2024 after studying Politics and History at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). While studying, Lily’s work for LSE's student newspaper was shortlisted by the Student Publication Association for its Best Feature award. Promoted to Writer in late 2024, she regularly interviews talent from Britain’s favourite soaps and much-loved dramas. Her highlights include interviewing the stars on the red carpet at the Inside Soap Awards, visiting the Coronation Street cobbles and working alongside Albert Square legends (yes, Big Mo was there!) on an exclusive photo shoot.
