What happened to 11 year-old Rhys Jones is all too familiar. In 2007, Rhys was leaving soccer practice in Liverpool, England, when he was shot and killed by a gang member who was targeting a rival. Rhys became collateral damage, a small child who was in the wrong place at the wrong time and paid the ultimate price. These stories are repeated here in America all too frequently as bullets fly and hit innocent children.
Rhys was a fan of Everton and the soccer team’s blue banners decorated his bedroom, thus his nickname, Little Boy Blue. (After Rhys’ death, the team paid tribute with 39,000 fans standing and applauding during a half time break.) This four part series dramatizes the aftermath of this tragedy – the family left grieving a senseless killing, the gang members closing ranks, and the police determined to bring the guilty to justice.
There’s no doubt that the shooter is Sean Mercer (Paddy Rowan), the gang leader who, through violence and threats, controls his neighborhood. Rhys’ devastated parents, Melanie (Sinead Keenan) and Steve Jones (Brian F. O’Byrne), place their trust in Acting Detective Superintendent Dave Kelly (Stephen Graham), who is tasked with solving the case. While Kelly’s commanding officer pressures him to make an arrest quickly, he’s a by the book police officer who knows he needs evidence to make the charges stand up in court.
Graham, who delivered a compelling performance as a rogue cop in Line of Duty, conveys Kelly’s intensity. To him, there’s nothing worse than a child being killed, and he’s angered by the disregard for human life displayed by Mercer and the other gang members.
The investigation focuses on finding the gun that killed Rhys. On the evening of the shooting, Sean asks Kevin Moody (Michael Moran) to come to Jordan Olssen’s home. Kevin, not a gang member, nonetheless does as he’s told, knowing that to refuse Sean is to become a target. Jordan, traumatized by a beating from gang members, has become a recluse, but out of fear continues to follow Sean’s demands. When Kevin arrives, he’s given the gun and told to take it home and hide it.
Ultimately, the gun is stashed in the Moody’s attic. Shortly after, the family leaves for a vacation to Disney World in Orlando. Kevin, weighed down by the knowledge that he is helping to cover up a crime, can’t enjoy himself in the” happiest place on earth.” Kelly learns that Kevin has hidden the gun, and the long arm of the law reaches across the ocean. When the Moodys land in England, Kevin is taken in for questioning.
The police also must nail down testimony from Jordan’s mother, Claire (Faye McKeever), that the gun exchange happened in her house on the night of the murder. Initially she verifies that information, but after being threatened, not only by the gang, but also by several parents, she changes her story. Will she finally tell the truth?
Kelly finally gets the evidence and the testimony he needs to charge Sean and the other gang members. James Yates (James Nelson-Joyce), who supplied the gun, offers to flip on Sean if his parents are given a pass for helping to cover up the crime. Kelly, however, refuses. He wants to send a message: anyone responsible for the death of Rhys will pay.
Even if the jury returns a guilty verdict, the Jones family will never be the same. Melanie and Steve deal with Rhys’ death differently. Melanie can’t function, while Steve tries to establish a sense of normalcy, thinking about their other son, Owen (Matthew Roberts). Soon, the strains on their marriage prove too much and Steve moves out.
After superiors refuse to make Kelly’s temporary promotion permanent, he retires from the police force. But his last case continues to haunt him and he keeps in touch with the Jones family.
Little Boy Blue can be streamed on BritBox
Photos courtesy of BritBox
