The BBC has just dropped the second season of gritty war drama, Dark Hearts, which follows a close-knit, elite military unit as they take on a dangerous extraction mission in 2016 war-torn Iraq. The French action series, which first aired in 2023 with six episodes and is directed by Academy Award nominee Ziad Doueiri (The Insult), has been hailed as "brilliant" and a "must-watch" by viewers, with one person calling season two just as "good and tense" as the first.
Upon the BBC's acquisition of series one back in 2023, Sue Deeks, Head of BBC Programme Acquisition, teased the series as a "gripping mix of action drama and espionage thriller", which gives a "fascinating insight into the lives of a close-knit elite military unit who know that every mission could be their last".
Intrigued? Keep reading for all you need to know about the show.
© BBC/Sife Elamine/Mandarin TelevisionWhat is Dark Hearts about?
Set in Iraq on the eve of the battle for Mosul in October 2016, Dark Hearts centres around an elite French Special Forces who undertakes a high-risk extraction operation in the heat of the war-torn country.
The official synopsis for the show, which is billed as an "explosive, tough action drama", reads: "The series centres around an elite French Special Forces unit tasked with extracting the daughter and grandchildren of a high-ranking ISIS leader in order to gain vital information from him about an imminent terrorist threat in the region."
Season two opens after Sab's capture and sees Group 45 take in two new members and a DGSE agent. The synopsis for episode one continues: "Negotiations with Zaid are progressing when an attack on the French consulate by one of his lieutenants triggers an operation by the 45. Zaid cancels everything, depriving the French of their only lead to find Sab."
© BBC/Sife Elamine/Mandarin TelevisionWhat have viewers said about the show?
Viewers have been full of praise for the series on social media, with one person writing: "A welcome return to Dark Hearts series 2, based in Iraq. Watched the first one brilliant. A must-watch," while others hailed the show as "absolutely brilliant" and "gritty".
© BBC/Sife Elamine/Mandarin TelevisionWho stars in Dark Hearts?
The six-part series stars Marie Dompnier (Witnesses) as Adèle, Thierry Godard (Spiral) as Colonel Roques and Nicolas Duvauchelle (Braquo) as Martin. Other cast members include Tewfik Jallab as Rimbaud, Nina Meurisse as Sabrina, Jeremy Nadeau as Paco, Victor Pontecorvo as Spit and Quentin Faure as Olivier.
As for the creative team, the show is created and written by Dang Thai Duong and Corinne Garfin (The Bureau) and produced by Gilles de Verdiere of Mandarin Productions.
© BBC/Sife Elamine/Mandarin TelevisionHow to watch Dark Hearts
Both seasons of Dark Hearts are available to stream on BBC iPlayer now.
