Rose Leslie talks Vigil 3's Arctic case with Suranne Jones
Rose Leslie returns as DI Kirsten Longacre in Vigil series 3, heading a murder investigation in demilitarised Svalbard while DCI Amy Silva (Suranne Jones) is drawn in from Scotland. The BBC thriller lands on BBC One and iPlayer from Sunday 30 August, with both careers and the couple's relationship on the line.
Key Takeaways
- Rose Leslie's Kirsten is sent to Svalbard to lead an international-scale murder inquiry after a British special forces member is killed.
- Suranne Jones's Amy is pulled in after an assassination in Scotland; the pair later work the Arctic case together.
- Jones said they "got to spend a lot more time together" this series, with Amy and Kirsten now married with two children on screen.
- The cast filmed in remote Svalbard, then Glasgow, where Arctic layers left them sweating.
- Vigil series 3 airs on BBC One at 9pm on 30 August and on BBC iPlayer across six episodes.
What new role does Rose Leslie take in Vigil series 3?
Kirsten has been asked to spearhead the murder investigation of a British soldier in demilitarised Svalbard. Leslie said it is the first time her character has headed an inquiry on an international scale, and that she "feels ready for it."
Creator Tom Edge told the BBC the military wanted any British police investigation to appear low-key. Sending a DCI with Amy's track record would risk announcing the UK's interests, so Kirsten is dispatched first. Amy is quickly drawn in after an assassination in Scotland points to a sophisticated conspiracy at home and in the frozen north.
Leslie said the assignment also forces a balance between leaving home and putting the job first. For Kirsten, returning to work after maternity leave is emotional, sometimes exhausting, and identity-shifting.
Why does the Arctic case put Amy and Kirsten at risk?
DCI Silva and DI Longacre must catch the killer and help defuse a potential international confrontation as nations compete for Arctic resources in a changing polar climate. Jones said Amy becomes "a bit more ruthless and reckless" once she sees that "no-one can truly be trusted," and that the series ends with "quite big compromises."
On screen they are now a family. Jones said series one showed them meeting, series two covered Kirsten's pregnancy, and series three shows two women who are married with two children. "We're proudly representing two women that are now together," she said. She also told the BBC they "got to spend a lot more time together this series" because Amy joins Kirsten in Svalbard midway through.
Edge said the story looks at rare earth metals and energy security, with loyalty as Vigil's overarching theme. New faces include Jeppe Beck Laursen as Henrik Becken, Tornike Gogrichiani as Colonel Fyodor, and Naomi Yang as microbiologist Shen Jia. For more celebrity TV headlines, see our celebrity breaking news hub.
What was filming Vigil series 3's Arctic scenes like?
Jones and Leslie shot remote sequences in Svalbard before continuing in Scotland. Jones called the Arctic shoot "amazing," citing reindeer outside the breakfast room, snow buggies, and heated gloves. The catch came later: back in Glasgow they were "too hot" because they still had to film in all those layers.
Leslie compared the landscape to the moon and recalled a two-hour boat trip toward a glacier with Laursen and Gogrichiani that left them seasick in the cabin. "That's one way to bond," she said.
The six-part run arrives on BBC One at 9pm on Sunday 30 August, with episodes also on BBC iPlayer.