ITV has finally confirmed when the second series of their hit thriller Red Eye will return for a second series – as Line of Duty‘s Martin Compston joins the cast.

The series, which first hit screens last year, starred Richard Armitage as a doctor accused of a horrifying crime overseas, and Jing Lusi as the police officer tasked with returning him to the UK.

The tense six-part series, which took place almost entirely on a plane, saw the duo uncovering a quickly escalating conspiracy and growing number of murders.

Red Eye reached an impressive 29 million streams on ITVX after eight million fans tuned in to watch its debut, and was one of the broadcaster’s top dramas of 2024.

So it came as little surprise when ITV confirmed it was back for more, this time taking a new direction as DS Hana Li this time investigates a new case.

Martin, 41, will appear as the Head of Embassy Security, Clay Brody, a former colleague of DS Hana’s who once ‘screwed her over’.

ITV has finally confirmed when the second series of their hit thriller Red Eye will return for a second series - as Line of Duty 's Martin Compston (right) joins the cast
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ITV has finally confirmed when the second series of their hit thriller Red Eye will return for a second series – as Line of Duty ‘s Martin Compston (right) joins the cast

DS Hana Li (right), played by Jing Lusi, this time investigates a new case
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DS Hana Li (right), played by Jing Lusi, this time investigates a new case

The synopsis teases: ‘Inside the US Embassy, the celebrations for a newly-appointed US Ambassador to London are shattered when a call, threatening to blow a British plane out of the sky if anyone leaves, triggers an immediate embassy lockdown, trapping guests and staff inside.

‘That’s when the murders begin, landing Hana Li, as a British cop, in a political and jurisdictional nightmare.

‘Compelled to join forces with the Head of Embassy Security, Clay Brody, played by Martin Compston, a former colleague who once screwed her over, Hana has to see her way past her distrust of him and focus on the investigation.

‘Because this time it’s personal. The plane that will be blown up is a government jet and Director General Madeline Delaney is onboard.

‘With a killer wreaking havoc inside the Embassy and evading them at every turn, Hana and Brody must discover who is behind the treacherous plot before time runs out for the hostages within the Embassy and the passengers on board Delaney’s plane.’

Martin and Jing, 40, will be joined by Lesley Sharp, back in her role as Head of MI5 Madeline Delaney, and Jemma Moore as journalist Jess Li.

The new series will feature six new episodes, written by Flightplan’s Peter A Dowling and directed by Fortitude’s Kieron Hawkes and The Suspect’s Strøm Henriksen.

Last year, ITV confirmed that Red Eye would be making a return, this time without leading star Richard, 54, to follow a new plot line.

Martin, 41, will appear as the Head of Embassy Security, Clay Brody, a former colleague of DS Hana's who once 'screwed her over'
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Martin, 41, will appear as the Head of Embassy Security, Clay Brody, a former colleague of DS Hana’s who once ‘screwed her over’

Jemma Moore (left) will return to her role as journalist Jess Li
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Jemma Moore (left) will return to her role as journalist Jess Li

The plot of the first season followed Dr Matthew Nolan (Richard) – a British surgeon who’s arrested at Heathrow Airport after returning from a medical conference in China, where he almost died in a car crash in Beijing before boarding his flight.

Soon, it becomes apparent that the people on board are not as they seem and the duo starts to work together to solve the mystery.

But eagle-eyed viewers were quick to point out inconsistencies in the show and even called it ‘ridiculous’.

Some noted that while the airport chase scene in the first episode is meant to take place in London Heathrow, it was actually filmed in Stansted instead.

While the six-part drama was dubbed as one of the channel’s top ten dramas with nearly 30 million streams, its score on Rotten Tomatoes is a mere 45 percent.

Viewers dubbed the show ‘utter nonsense, totally predictable, and yet weirdly watchable.’

On Rotten Tomatoes, reviews read: ‘Utter nonsense, totally predictable, and yet weirdly watchable. The script is pure drivel, the premise is awful, the execution is bumbling at best…’

Others took issue with the legal storylines in the show, pointing out ‘loopholes’: ‘Enjoying #RedEye, but completely unreal. Extradition – in every case – requires a judge (at least) to pass it, there is an appeals process – and it can take a long, long time’.

Lesley Sharp (pictured) back in her role as Head of MI5 Madeline Delaney
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Lesley Sharp (pictured) back in her role as Head of MI5 Madeline Delaney

A third inconsistency seemed to be how long the characters actually spent on the plane, because the majority of the six-episode show takes place in the air.

Others spotted that a ‘red-eye’ flight is supposed to be a short-haul flight that takes off in the evening and arrives in the morning, leaving passengers tired and red-eyed from a lack of sleep.

Nonetheless, ITV’s Head of Drama, Polly Hill said: ‘I am so delighted to see the success of Red Eye. It’s incredible to get an audience of over 8 million and a huge thank you to everyone involved for making such a brilliant and addictive thriller.

‘I can’t wait for audiences to see where Pete takes series 2. It’s another exciting ride!’

Red Eye’s first series is available to stream on ITVX now.