Comedy Icon Jessica Hynes Reveals a Fierce New Edge in First Look at Her Patience Season 2 Debut

Jessica Hynes, comedy MVP and general national treasure, just swerved into full-on hard-edged drama for Patience Season 2 — and the first peek makes it clear she did not come to blend in.

First look: Hynes shows up sharp, and the room gets colder

Hynes drops into the series as Detective Frankie Monroe, and she arrives with a stare that could file paperwork. In an exclusive first-look clip shared by Just Jared, Monroe steps into the team briefing on a truly odd case — a photographer found dead with a stake through his heart — and immediately turns the vibe on its head.

When Patience Evans tries to weigh in, Monroe meets her with cool skepticism instead of warmth. No fireworks, no shouting — just clipped replies and a vibe that says: prove it. For someone we mostly associate with razor timing and warmth in comedy, Hynes plays the restraint so tight it almost squeaks. It is uncomfortable in a good way, and it feels like the show knows it.

Not a mustache-twirling villain, either

The early friction is pretty blatant, but the season is not positioning Monroe as a one-note antagonist. Co-star Ella Maisy Purvis teased as much to TV Insider, pointing out that what looks like steel might have layers under it.

"It is such a different character, and she plays it so well," Purvis said, adding that Monroe is not meant to read as a straightforward villain.

That is exactly the kind of curveball that can juice a returning season — especially for a show that built its audience on grounded cases and character work.

Quick catch-up and where to watch

British detective dramas have quietly become one of TV's safest bets, and Patience carved out its own space with a low-key, human approach. It aired earlier this year in the U.K. and has since turned into one of PBS' most-streamed titles of 2025. Now the U.S. rollout is here: producers Eagle Eye Drama flagged on June 15 that Patience starts tonight in the U.S. and Canada on PBS Masterpiece via Prime Video Channels, then followed up June 16 to say it is now streaming with new episodes weekly.

• Jessica Hynes joins Patience Season 2 as Detective Frankie Monroe — an icy, intimidating presence who rattles the team from minute one.
• The first-look clip (shared by Just Jared) drops her into a case with a photographer found staked through the heart. Yes, literally a stake.
• Monroe clashes early with Patience Evans, responding to her input with visible doubt and tight-lipped pushback — no theatrics, just tension.
• Co-star Ella Maisy Purvis says Monroe is not a simple villain, hinting at more going on beneath the bark.
• Season 2 promises darker cases, bigger emotional swings, and a reset of the squad dynamic built around that Monroe–Evans friction.
• After a U.K. run earlier this year, Patience is now streaming in the U.S. and Canada on PBS Masterpiece via Prime Video, with episodes rolling out weekly. It is also among PBS' most-streamed titles of 2025.

The fun of the shake-up

Slotting a beloved comedy star into a role this chilly is a smart bit of casting judo. If the season lets Monroe evolve past the initial frost, Hynes could end up being Season 2's not-so-secret weapon. I am in for the case-of-the-week weirdness, sure, but I am mostly here to see how long it takes before Monroe and Evans stop circling and finally lock in — or explode.

Are you buying Hynes as the breakout addition this year, or is Frankie going to be your new favorite headache? Sound off below.