At the beginning of the episode, announcements are sent out across London informing residents that they’re working to restore power. However, it is going to take time. It is three hours after the accident. Anna (Victoria Hamilton) and PM Sutherland (Robert Carlyle) meet with Fraser (Richard Dormer) and find out that he is trying to get in touch with his father at the care home. He hasn’t been able to do that. While his dad is fine, he is convinced there is a plot against his dog. The trio joins the others in the COBRA room moments later. Robert explains he intends to implement travel restrictions and enforce those using the army. He is also going to enable special tribunals in the case of civil disorder.

MI5 is monitoring the situation and Anna will be giving the Home Secretary a security briefing. Fraser explains that the biggest problem is the fact that emergency staff cannot reach their workplaces. The navigational systems are no longer working. Archie (David Haig) learns that there are four badly hit areas yet only three spare transformers. That leaves them with some tough choices since one area will be left without a transformer. Archie suggests that should be Wales. The Prime Minister believes it’ll be months before they get back on their feet. The economic costs are far worse. Moments later, Fraser learns that a helicopter is coming with blood and medical supplies.

Fraser speaks with Chief Constable Stuart Collier (Steven Cree) over the computer. Fraser intends to meet with Stuart and assess the situation before reporting back to the Prime Minister. They agree that people are partying right now but people’s attitudes will change soon. They’re also going to have problems at the new Hadley Brook Immigration Removal Center. After that, Robert tells Anna that Ellie’s friend is in a coma. Robert is told that he needs to be very careful. Anna tells him that she is going to spend the night with Francine. Anna wants to know if Peter is going to speak with Ellie but Robert changes the subject. He says he hasn’t signed off on Francine yet. Stuart drives through the dark night, gets out of his vehicle, and enters the immigration center.

Stuart speaks with the man in charge and tells him they’ll have to bus in extra staff. Meanwhile, those being held captivate are piling up mattress with the intention of setting them on fire. Stuart promises to speak with London to tell them what is going on out there. Anna walks through the streets and finds a group of people starting a fire and partying. Robert goes home so he can speak with Peter (Edward Bennett) and Ellie (Marisa Abela) about the drug situation. Peter wants them to manage it very carefully because it may come with long-term repercussions. Peters says he can work it out with Rachel (Lucy Cohu) so the PM can focus on everything else. Robert returns to the COBRA room to discuss the transformer problem.

Archie is adamant that Scotland should be left out in the cold. Archie speaks with Fraser while they walk along. Fraser reveals his father likes Archie and believes he should be running the country. Anna goes to the hotel and asks about Edin (Alexandra Willaume). The receptionist tells her where to find him. Fraser receives bad news. Anna visits Edin at his motel room. He explains that he never found Emina who was last seen at the Vilina Vlas Hotel. A witness said she was taken to the bridge over the Drina and executed there before being thrown into the river. Anna asks why he never contacted her. Edin was captured and sent to a camp. He met and married someone else.

Edin married a Muslim girl to please his parents and prevent them from losing a son too. That woman has since passed away. Anna looks outside and notices that the solar storm is impacting the sky. It looks similar to the Northern Lights. The couple begins making out. While watching a news report, Robert receives news. He returns to his daughter and lets her know that Georgia has passed after her parents turned off the life support machines. Archie learns about it moments later. Archie speaks with a woman who claims to be a Russian mole trying to engineer the PM’s resignation and install puppets at every level. She says her real priority is national security.

Fraser drops off supplies at the hospital before meeting with Stuart. They find out that the hospital is in disarray. They’re understaffed and people are getting very angry about it. Anna and Edin have had intercourse. The hospital receptionist checks the basement. The man working on the generator causes an explosion and gets burnt. His friend tries to put him out but it is too late. Edin and Anna join him moments later. The hotel is on fire so they begin alerting everyone immediately. Fraser and Stuart head to the immigration center while Anna and Edin try to get everyone out of the hospital. Stuart finds the man in charge and discovers he has been stabbed.

The prisoners break out and run free. Edin is forced to save a woman using his firearm. Fraser and Stuart try to escort the injured man from the immigration center. They manage to get away while Edin and Anna try to find a way out of the motel. Fraser and Stuart get the man medical assistance before Fraser reveals his father died that night. Fraser made a nasty joke about him before he died and he feels bad about it now. Robert is awoken by his wife who wants him to return to bed. He says he needs to call Georgia’s parents. Rachel encourages him to leave that problem to her and Peter. Robert is surprised to find out that the voltage instability issue had been rectified. Power will soon be restored to major cities.

Fraser returns to the office and finds everyone sleeping. He sits down with the dog. We see that Edin and Anna made it out of the hospital but she is worried someone recognized her. Stuart receives a message over the radio system. He is told that some very distressed kids have walked in from the university. It is something he needs to hear. Anna leaves Edin without telling him whether or not he should go home. Meanwhile, the police arrive to speak with Ellie. Peter tells him that a situation has developed at the university next to the immigration removal center. A group of escapees got into the university and attacked some students. Robert wants Anna to help him sort that problem out.

We jump over to the university and find it has been ransacked. Blood covers the bed and it appears there is a body in one of them.

 

Cobra Season 1 Episode 2 Review

I want to like Cobra. I think Robert Carlyle and Victoria Hamilton can be a power couple. The main story is pretty interesting. We have a solar storm that has wreaked havoc on the country. Robert and his team are working quickly to solve these problems. When one problem is solved, another one crops up immediately. It should be very interesting but there are a few side stories that aren’t necessary.

If Archie is going to make a move, I wish he’d hurry up and do it. I am not too interested in the Ellie storyline either. It just adds more drama to a show that is already overloaded with drama. What about Francine? Her name keeps popping up but that story is going nowhere. I hope the show focuses more on the main storyline and less on everything else. It isn’t bad but I think it could be far better with a few minor changes. I’ll also say I have a tough time believing some of the characters’ actions.

The episode scores a 6.5 out of 10. Previous recaps of Cobra can be found on Reel Mockery.