Welsh prison drama Bariau is back for a second series this Sunday (9pm on S4C) – and it’s darker, grittier, and more unflinching than ever.
Following the explosive finale of series one, Bariau picks up inside the tense, suffocating walls of Carchar y Glannau, where survival is never guaranteed and trust is in short supply.
This time round, it’s all change on the wing. Enter Simon Firth, a new senior officer who wastes no time in stamping his authority. But not everyone’s ready to fall in line.
Simon arrives with a very different idea of what prison should look like. He’s not there to make friends – and that instantly disrupts the fragile balance that had been keeping everything from falling apart.
Meanwhile, Barry Hardy is forced to confront the consequences of playing it safe. Once content to blend into the background, Barry is now dragged into a power struggle where the stakes are sky-high – and staying quiet is no longer an option.
The series also shines a stark spotlight on Chaplain Linda Roberts, whose once-clear sense of right and wrong is rapidly crumbling. As she wrestles with guilt, compassion, and the weight of her own secrets, her role in the prison begins to look dangerously compromised.
Writer Ciron Gruffydd explains: ‘Prison life is a microcosm of society as we see it. The aim has always been to create the most realistic portrayal possible, focusing on the strength of the characters and their emotional journeys.’
Bariau Series 1 is available on S4C and BBC iPlayer.