Fragments (season 2)

Fragments is an American action thriller show developed by CBS, starring singer-songwriter Ashley! in the main role as Elle Winters, who plays a school teacher devastated by an explosion at her place of work, which turns out to be a bigger plan to extract her from revealing potentially deadly information about a corporation cover-up that shrouds the disappearance of her parents when she was younger. She enters a game of cat and mouse where allegiances are constantly called into question and people lurk in the shadows.

The second series was announced following the ratings and critical success of the first series, which aired through CBS and Sky 1. Ashley and Tatiana Maslany confirmed they would be back for the second series, which began shooting in Winter 2014, after the release of Ashley's fourth studio album, Let The Light In and finished in June 2015. All cast members returned other than Idris Elba, who had other commitments, although Andrew Garfield's role was unknown due to his fate at the end of the first series. It was announced at the beginning of 2015 that Eoin O'Neill had signed on to the main cast to become a new character, although was shrouded in mystery during production. Rose Bryne

The second series premiered on October 3rd 2015 in the USA and on October 5th in the UK. CBS parted ways with Sky 1 as broadcaster and sold the rights to the second series to ITV, following disappointing viewership for the first series in the UK due to a lack of promotion. The show's second series saw an average overnight viewership of 9.39 million, a vast improvement over its previous season. A third season was confirmed following the broadcast of the second season finale, with Ashley, O'Neill, Maslany and Danes all confirmed to return.

Synopsis
The series follows Elle Winters, a school teacher, as she tries to piece together the circumstances surrounding her parents disappearance and supposed death when she was younger. Alongside her older sister, Emma, the pair attempt to trace and track down those that can help with their goal of reconnecting with their parents, but many enemies stand in their way of reuniting with them and they must work together to sort the good from the bad, the friends from the foes and the liars from the family.

Season two kicks off with Elle's lover, Alex Laurner, gunned down by a hitman believed to be ordered by supposed relative, India Wentworth, Anna Handler bundled into the back of a van, vanishing in to thin air, and her Emma unreachable. The series delves deeper into their parents disappearance, revealed to be speared under the TWP movement (The Winter Project), who have since lost contact with their parents, unknown whether they are dead or alive. India is revealed as the figurehead for the company, ordering the hit on Alex to mute his growing suspicions. They fake his death to push Elle away, when it infact does the opposite, revealing India once and for all. The remainder of the season follows Elle, Emma, Trenton and Anna trying to figure out India's interest of them and why she is going to such extreme lengths.

Main Cast

 *  Elle Winters (Ashley Adams) - Youngest of the Winter siblings, Elle is thrust into the action as she watches her place of work go up in flames and men in suits come to take her away. The explosion leads her to uncover the secrecy surrounding her parents supposed disappearance and suspected death, learning that they may still be out there. Her resilience and determination drives her to attempt to put the pieces back together herself in a bid to undercover the deceit that has followed her for years.


 *  Emma Winters (Tatiana Maslany) - Elle's older sister and her sister's best friends. Whilst she supports in the investigation, she seems less emotionally involved - questioning whether what has been hid from them should remain a secret. Although she is as much in the dark as Elle, she remembers more of the people her parents were and vows to help with the search. She is kidnapped by an unknown antagonist in the middle of the first series and disappears herself at the end of the first series.


 *  Anna Handler (Claire Danes) - One of the leaders of an agency called 'T.W.P' who have been hired to overlook the Winters family situation. Anna appears to be the leader, but it is revealed she is working for a higher power she cannot control. The higher powers intended to pawn the Winter siblings, an idea Anna cannot stand, but uses her position in the agency as leverage for the Winter siblings, who she appears to take a genuine care with. She is taken hostage at the end of the first series, with her last appearing on a train station CCTV camera.


 *  Trenton Eckles (Eoin O'Neill) - Posing as an Irish Catholic priest in his debut episode, he offers Elle solace following the events of the first season finale but the nature of his first contact with Elle calls into question whether she has placed her trust in the right people. Trenton reveals during the season that he is seeking out his birth parents, having been abandoned as a baby before finally getting adopted years later. He appears to be willing to ally himself with Elle, but his contact with a mysterious stranger suggests there is some bigger purpose to his involvement with the Winters sisters. The identity of this mystery contact is not revealed during the course of the season, however it is revealed at the end of the season that Trenton is in fact a long lost brother to Elle and her sister Emma.


 *  India Wentworth (Bitsie Tulloch) - A supposed distant relative of the Winter family put in place by their parents days before their suspected death, although her true allegiance and motive is unknown and continually questioned. Introduced in the season premiere, she offers hiding for the pair who are desperately trying to flee capture, having been monitoring them for years. She is thought to have involvement with the F.B.I. At the end of the series one, it is implied that it is her that ordered the hit on Laurner, Elle's love interest and goes into hiding herself.

Recurring Cast

 *  Alex Laurner (Andrew Garfield) - Elle's childhood sweetheart. Their parents were good friends until his father was forced to flee with him for unknown reasons. She reunites with him and becomes her romantic interest throughout the first series. He is kind, considerate and encourages Elle to do all she can to figure out the puzzle that has haunted her all this time. He is shot in the first series finale by a hit ordered by india Wentworth. His fate is unknown.


 *  Beth Cartel (Rose Bryne) - Presumed dead in the first series premiere's explosion, she is a friend and colleague of Elle who reaches out for her in the second series and reveals to her the uneasy atmosphere in the days leading up to the explosion that began Elle's mission. She reveals that she was taken to a secret location following the explosion and remembers a 'Mr Winter' from the centre. She manages to escape undercover during a patient transfer and runs to Elle.


 *  Danny Evans (Robert Clarke) - Initially introduced as a friend of Trenton, he is later revealed to instead be his boyfriend. He is also revealed to be an undercover spy for TWP and set up with Trenton to become closer to the Winter siblings, before developing true, romantic feelings for him. Guiltily, he hands details to India, but is threatened when he tries to defect from his role. In the second season's penultimate episode, he is shot dead by Elle in front of Trenton, in an attempt to free her sister.


 *  Tamsin Eckles (Rachel Skarsten) - Trenton's adoptive sister and a detective with the police. She is Trenton's older sister, and the biological daughter of their parents. They have a close relationship, having bonded with each other after Trenton finally settled down with the Eckles family. Prior to being adopted by the Eckles and their daughter, Trenton had previously bounced around several foster homes. Tamsin helps launch the rescue mission to save Trenton in season two's finale.

Critical Reception
The show's second season was considered an improvement of the first season in many aspects; the storyline, acting and twists and turns were all commended for being sharp and engaging. On Rotten Tomatoes, it received a 97% approval rating from critics, with a rating average of 8.5 out of 10. The critical consensus reads: "Anchored by terrific performances from the central cast, Fragments improves on its predecessors successes, crafting a taut and intense storyline that is both enjoyable and thrilling". Many noted Ashley and O'Neill performances, singling them out and recommending them for Emmy nominations for 2016, after Ashley missed out for her work in the first season. Cosima Rushley of UrapsDaily described the second season finale as a "masterclass in suspense, intensity and excitement that potently grips the audience and refuses to let them go during an hour of terrifying twists and thrilling turns". Jonathan Green of Uraps 24/7 added that whilst the "storyline engages, it is truly the sensational cast's seamless performances that well and truly make for compelling viewing and keep you profoundly interested".

Rating Performance
Every episode of the second season beat those of the first season, with the season's debut episode reaching a series high of 10.05 million, which was very nearly overcome by the show's finale 9.97 million viewers. It achieved a season average 9.39 million, considered astounding for what was considered one of the lowest television rated seasons of all time, making Fragments an anomaly by bucking the decreasing viewer trends. The show also performed well in Live +7 ratings, with the first episode of the second season reaching 14.95 million viewers once additional viewers and streamers were factored in. It was the highest rated CBS season of the television calendar year.

Renewal
At the end of 'Dark Was The Night', the season finale, a black screen confirmed that the show had been commissioned for a third run of ten episodes to be broadcast in Fall 2016, with the first episode of season three confirmed to be titled 'Another Winter'. The next day, it was confirmed that Ashley, O'Neill, Maslany and Danes were returning for the third season, with shooting set to begin in January 2016. Giacomo Gianniotti was later announced in January as a new addition to the cast in season three, in an unspecified recurring role.