After the Flood series 2: All the hidden clues that Jill Halfpenny's character DS Sam Bradley isn't who she says she is
Could she be working for Mackie?
After the Flood is back, and series 2 is even better than the first not least because of TV fave Jill Halfpenny’s new character DS Sam Bradley.
Although we intend to give no spoilers here, trust us when we say that the new episodes of the ITV thriller are as dramatic as the 2024 series – and then some.
Expect several deaths, some more shocking than others… There’s also some new characters to get to know too. As well as Ian Puleston-Davies’ Tony Rower, Jill Halfpenny has joined the cast of After the Flood as Jo’s new colleague. But is DS Sam Bradley everything she says she is?
Read on as we share our mounting suspicions about her…
Who is Jill Halfpenny’s character DS Sam Bradley in After the Flood series 2?
Sam Bradley is the new DS who arrives at Waterside police station just in time to team up with newly promoted detective Jo Marshall on a new case.
She tells her new colleague she’s recently transferred to Waterside from Newcastle. Sam explained that she’s looking for a fresh challenge and a new focus after finding herself single and home alone now that both of her kids are at university.
Talking about the new character in After the Flood series 2, ITV tells us: “A highly-qualified and experienced murder detective, Sam’s excellent at her job and immediately takes a liking to Jo, seeing something of herself in her. Perceptive and good with people, Sam also has a firm streak and believes the rules are there for a reason; it’s a trait that might just see her butting heads with Jo and her instincts for breaking the rules.”
As episode 1 draws to a close, all we really know is that DS Sam Bradley is a divorced woman with two grown-up boys. That’s as much as we know about her. But is there more than meets the eye?
‘You’ve got characters behaving badly with full intent’
Teasing After the Flood series 2, Jill Halfpenny said: “This series is a potent mix of people who believe what they’re doing is right – even when it’s not. You’ve got characters acting from conviction, others behaving badly with full intent, and the law cutting through it all.
“When those forces collide, there’s an explosion. Sam and Jo are right in the middle, trying to work out who’s telling the truth, who’s hiding something, and why. And along the way, there are these juicy bits of information revealed that keep you hooked. Then at the very end? There’s a very unexpected occurrence that I think will really take people by surprise.”
Is Jill Halfpenny’s DS Sam Bradley a villain in After the Flood?
Anybody else getting serious vibes off Jill Halfpenny’s character DS Sam Bradley after episode 1 of After the Flood series 2? Or have we been watching too many crime dramas?!
Sam is a more senior police officer and could be seen to be nurturing the newly promoted detective Jo Marshall. But she certainly seems to be invested in being by Jo’s side. She also seems to be watching her closely.
The part of us with serious trust issues can’t shake the feeling that Sam has a hidden agenda. Does she really have Jo’s best intentions at heart? Could she be a mole placed in the police department by Phil Mackie?
We feel fiercely protective of Jo, who went through hell and back in After the Flood series 1. Almost everyone she trusted proved to be corrupt or complicit in criminality. We’d hate to see her hurt again. Lastly, Jo is a very intuitive cop and she tells Pat there is “something off about” Sam. We couldn’t agree more!
All the hidden clues pointing to Sam’s possible motives
1: She is watching Jo very closely. If she’s not working with Mackie, then she could just be about to expose Jo for her instincts for breaking the rules. Can we trust her, and is she really on Jo’s side?
2: Sam asked Jo about her relationship with Lee Ellison, and seemed to know more than she was letting on. Why is she snooping on Jo’s past cases? Is she connected to Lee, or is she doing Mackie’s dirty work?
***Warning: mild spoilers from After the Flood episode 2 and beyond***
3: At other – often crucial times – Sam is noticeably absent. When another potentially lethal fire broke out on the Moors, Sam wasn’t there. When Jo asked her where she’d been, Sam simply said she “haven’t seen the message until the morning”. Errr, not exactly responsible policing, is it? There’s must be another explanation for where she was at the time.
4: In episode 2, Jo discovers Sam searching through Pat’s desk. Apart from being a massive invasion of privacy, it also points to the fact she isn’t just at Waterside to investigate the local crimes…
5: We later see Sam in some clandestine meetings with Mackie, where she appears to be spying for him. But who’s side is she really on?
Read more: The 15 best ITVX dramas to watch in January 2026
