We need an Annika series 3 after the series 2 ending brought the hit Alibi drama to a close with a revelation that keeps the door open for another instalment.
If atmospheric crime dramas are your ultimate go-to and you’ve already found out how to watch Shetland and made your way through it, then Annika is another Scottish-set drama well worth checking out. Some fans might have to wait a little longer hoping Annika season 2 will be on BBC at some point but anyone who's watched it all on Alibi is likely on tenterhooks waiting for news about a possible Annika series 3 at this point. The second season ended with a major cliffhanger for DI Annika Strandhed as the final case gained a shocking new suspect.
Here we reveal all we know about a potential Annika series 3 and why it’s so necessary after the series 2 ending…
*Warning: Spoilers ahead*
Will there be Annika series 3?
After everything that happened in the Annika series 2 ending, it’s hardly surprising that fans are eager for news about Annika series 3, but sadly there’s still no word on whether the Alibi drama will be renewed. This doesn’t necessarily count the possibility of Annika series 3 out, though, as it’s remained incredibly popular. It’s possible that Annika series 3 could be announced in a few more months’ time as it only finished airing in the US on PBS Masterpiece this autumn.
With no news of Annika series 3 at the moment, fans will likely have a long wait before another series actually lands on our screens if it is renewed. The gap between Annika series 1 and 2 airing on Alibi was two years so it’s possible that if the drama returns it might be 2025 before it premieres, if it follows this pattern. If this is the case then it will likely be just as worth the wait as series 2 was and if there’s one thing we’re certain of it’s that the series 2 finale left the door wide open for another instalment.
Annika series 2 ending explained
Just like the Annika ending for series 1 let viewers in on a huge family secret that came out in the second season, the Annika series 2 ending closed with a shocking revelation that’s sure to have severe repercussions for DI Strandhed. Each episode of Annika season 2 followed a different case, as we’ve come to expect from the Alibi drama after season 1. Annika series 2 episode 6 brought the second instalment to a close as the Marine Homicide Unit investigated the death of Jackie Drummond.
Jackie had been a detective until retiring a few years earlier and she died from smoke inhalation after her boat was set on fire. After a series of investigative avenues were gone down, sadly all to no avail, the Annika series 2 ending delivered a major twist for the determined DI as the focus turned a little too close to home.
Whilst not proven, it was strongly suggested that Annika’s father Magnus Strandhed could have been responsible for Jackie’s death. He was a new character introduced in the second season and arrived in Scotland to visit Annika prior to the finale. However, it was made abundantly clear in series 1 that his relationship with his daughter was strained at best.
In one of her characteristic asides to the camera, Annika explained in the first ever episode that she’d opted to stay in Scotland when she was 16 while her parents returned to Norway.
“I got free of the life they wanted for me. Not everyone’s so lucky,” she’d declared, highlighting a serious divide between what was expected of her and who she really was.
We also saw her having an argument via phone with Magnus in Norwegian after she discovered her daughter Morgan calling him and arranging to visit. So when Magnus arrived in Annika series 2 after Morgan persuaded him, Annika remained rather wary. Even so, few fans likely would’ve expected Magnus to be exposed as a major suspect in Jackie’s death in episode 6.
The past came back to haunt him in the finale as Magnus was seemingly involved in the death of Jackie’s brother in an apparent diving accident years earlier. Jackie and her daughter were collaborating on a podcast and it was suggested that she was prepared to reveal more of what she knew. This made Magnus’ return to Scotland seem more suspicious as it appears to have been an attempt to make sure his involvement went undiscovered and undisclosed.
During Annika’s investigation, her father held a family dinner and later announced he was going back to Norway after hearing a bit about the case. The determined DI later found out that Jackie hadn’t been satisfied with the verdict on how her brother died. She also listened to a recording of Magnus and Jackie talking and the detective’s father could be heard offering to explain before Jackie relented and allowed him inside her barge.
Now definitely suspecting that Magnus killed Jackie, Annika turned to the camera and said simply, “Help me”.
If viewers thought they’d get a conclusion to the Jackie case and Magnus’ potential involvement there and then they were unfortunately mistaken as the screen faded to black and the credits rolled on the Annika series 2 ending.
What would Annika series 3 need to resolve?
Unsurprisingly the most important thing Annika series 3 would need to resolve is the Magnus situation - namely did he actually kill Jackie, and if not, what he knows. Although all signs were left pointing to DI Strandhed’s father as the murderer, we’re yet to receive complete confirmation of this. Ending the series the way the Annika series 2 ending did only become truly satisfying for fans if there is an Annika series 3 which determines once and for all whether Magnus killed Jackie, her brother or both.
As of the Annika series 2 ending Magnus is either on his way back to Norway or already there. Annika would need to fully solve the case, grappling with her own personal feelings about it along the way, and arrest him if he’s guilty. It’s possible that Magnus being involved in either death was a red herring but only Annika series 3 could reveal this and both the present and historic case need to be resolved.
Though, of course, the Magnus situation wasn’t the only one to be explored in the finale. In Annika season 2 episode 3 pregnant DC Blair Ferguson went into labour and Morgan Strandhed finally found out that DS Michael McAndrews is her father. This was the cliff-hanger season 1 ended with and during series 2 Michael learned the truth and then, finally, Morgan did.
This has far-reaching implications as Morgan has always struggled with not having a paternal figure and it’s why Annika believed she had bonded with her former therapist, Jake Strathearn. Annika series 3 would also likely need to focus even more on this as whilst Morgan and Michael do have some kind of bond themselves, it was forged when they both believed he was nothing more than Annika’s colleague.
Given that Michael has daughters and a wife there’s also more of an extended family for Morgan to get to know better. Annika also resumed her romance with Jake Strathearn and after a little uncertainty it was decided that Jake was moving in with Annika, with Morgan’s blessing.
Viewers would also likely be interested to see more from Annika and Jake after they’ve moved in together and how their relationship is developing, including how Morgan is finding living with them. Her relationship with Michael is something that could also be delved into more in a potential Annika series 3, following friction after he found out she’d kept Morgan’s paternity a secret from him for years.
How to watch Annika series 1 and 2
If you're wondering how to watch Annika as you await news of whether there'll be an Annika series 3 then the second series is currently airing again, with episode 5 and episode 6 set to be broadcast on Alibi at 12am and 1:05am respectively on Monday 11th December. You can also stream the series via NOW TV with Alibi in the package and series 1 of Annika is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
If you’re going to be abroad when you want to watch Annika season 1 then sadly you won’t be able to enjoy the first series as you normally would at home. Luckily there’s an easy solution and you can use a VPN to continue watching.
This is a handy bit of software that changes your IP address so that you can access on-demand content or live TV just as if you were at home.
Our sister site, TechRadar, has tested all of the major VPN services and they rate ExpressVPN as the absolute best. They say, “It’s compatible with all of your devices, supports most streaming services, and ranks among the fastest. You can even install it on devices like an Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox, and PlayStation. So for a one-stop-shop, you can’t go wrong with Express.”
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