The Missing (season two)

The first season of the BBC’s The Missing featured a fictional Irish couple enduring a years-long, heart-wrenching struggle after their toddler son disappeared in a crowd while the family was vacationing in France. The Missing was meant to be nothing more than a single season. Somewhere along the way, someone thought better, bringing back “retired” French detective Julien Baptiste (Tchéky Karyo), who can never quite leave the job. Baptiste ranks with the very best of literature and film’s legendary crime solvers. He’s smart, hobbled by a limp as well as a brain tumor that just might finish him before he finds answers. Baptiste is easy to root for with his gently focused demeanor, and he understands when morality demands breaking rules. Season two features David Morrissey and Keeley Hawes as grief-stricken parents whose lives become complicated when their missing daughter resurfaces after 11 years. The violence may not be as obvious as season one, but the darkness is heavy and inescapable, ranking with the finest hours of Breaking Bad and The Wire. Streaming now on Starz.