Actor Clare Dunne described the twist as “bold”.
*Warning: contains full spoilers for Kin season 2, which is available now on BBC iPlayer.*
Kin season 2 built to a dramatic conclusion as the Kinsella family moved against one of their own: Bren.
Jimmy and Michael’s dad had upended all of their lives – and key business interests – following his release from prison, but it was when he turned his attention to Anna, Michael’s teenage daughter, that the situation became untenable.
It was also history repeating itself, with Bren’s wife forced to take their daughter and run many years ago.
But in a staggering twist, it was Frank who put a bullet in Bren’s head, not Michael, before he then turned the weapon on himself and ended his own life.
Read more:
- Kin star Charlie Cox reveals why he almost missed out on the show
- Who was James Flynn? Kin tribute explained
Emmett J Scanlan, who plays Jimmy, told RadioTimes.com that prior to Kin, he hadn’t watched any of his work for about “15 years, probably since The Fall”.
“I flew home [to Ireland] having forgotten about it really, not knowing what was going to happen,” he said. “And it was the night before, we [the family] went out for a couple of drinks, and everybody was going crazy over what they thought the finale would be.
“They were all hypothesising about it and not one person came close to getting it right, and that made me really excited and made me think that we probably had a really special ending.
“And then I sat with my parents and my wife and we watched it. And then the credits rolled and I was both shocked and relieved at how well executed it was.”
Clare Dunne, who plays Amanda, described the moment as “bold”, adding: “I found it really satisfying because of the battle he has all along, Frank. He’s going through something and it’s just very rare that you see something quite like that in a gangland drama. So I loved the strangely deep, emotional, philosophical exploration of this man that’s been in this world for so many years, and how he starts to battle with stuff in his inner world.
“And that’s what [the writer] Peter [McKenna] and Kin do all the time, let us inside people in a very intimate way, so you’re not just getting the glamorised, surface stuff, the tense car chases and gun scenes and Amanda doing her business deals. It’s got this big emotional undercurrent.
“So I was shocked, but I wasn’t shocked by Peter. I was shocked by Frank going, but I wasn’t shocked by Peter being so good at shocking us.”
Following its run in Ireland, Kin has gained a new legion of British fans, courtesy of the BBC, which Scanlan described as “amazing”.
“The fact that Britain are getting to see it – we really hoped for that to happen because they have a habit of embracing Irish shows,” he added. “And I thought it might be a success, but I couldn’t have anticipated the fever with which it has been devoured.
“Season 1 was released and the response on social media and people getting in touch was quite insane and intense. And people couldn’t wait for season 2 – they were finding a streaming service or a dodgy box on which they could watch it. And then the BBC dropped it and the response from that has been nothing short of remarkable. It’s been quite humbling, actually.”
Kin seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream now on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on.
Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.