“The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco” is a spin-off of the mystery period drama, ‘The Bletchley Circle’. The original series is set in London, and the spin-off is set in San Francisco. The mystery codes, drawings, patterns make it a perfect seat edge thriller. Read more Will there be a season 2 of Bletchley circle san Francisco?
The Bletchley circle
The Bletchley Circle is a miniseries drama in mystery trope, which takes place in 1952-53, following the lives of four women. They were codebreakers during world war II. The premise of the series is
During World War II, thousands of women worked as code breakers for the allies, cracking the Nazi code. But after the war was over, those women were forced into secrecy. They had to keep their codebreaker past a secret from even their family. These women codebreakers were also paid less compared to their male counterparts. The Bletchley circle tells the story of these women, and of course, the rest of the plot is fiction. The series captures the viewers’ attention with historical accuracy and a gripping storyline.
‘The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco’ takes place in San Francisco. Jean and Millie follow a series of murder crime happening in San Francisco, which is eerily similar to a murder happened during the world war II days. There they get acquainted with Iris and Hayley, both of who worked as codebreakers during the war. The indifferent manner in which the women are treated during those periods becomes an invisibility cloak and advantage for them.
The women of the Bletchley circle
This period mystery drama set in 1952 follows the lives of four women codebreakers who worked in the army during world war II. Jean McBrian, Millie Hartcourt, Susan Gray, and Lucy. They all have an extraordinary flair for breaking codes, cracking cryptic messages.
Susan is a strong and intelligent woman. After her career as a codebreaker comes to an end, Susan embraces the lifestyle considered normal for the women of that period. She is married and has two children.
Millie is an independent woman from an aristocratic family. But she doesn’t like to adhere to the traditions of their family. After the completion of the war, Millie chooses to travel the world.
Lucy is the youngest in the group, and she has an eidetic memory. The skill comes in handy many times in the series. She is married to an abusive man.
Jean McBrian, the strict sergeant major in charge of the group during the Bletchley circle times, now works as a librarian post-war.
In The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco, only the character of Millie and Jean is retained and new characters like Iris Bearden, Hailey Yarner, Detective Bill Bryce. Iris Bearden, mother of two children, and Hailey, an intelligent, resourceful young woman, join hands in fighting crime. They both served as codebreakers too. The ladies tackle a serial killer, take on corrupt cops, and solve many more crimes by their sheer intelligence.
The Feminist protagonists
We can find many women-centric movies throughout the time, portraying them as badasses. The Bletchley circle series differs in the portrayal of their female protagonists’ characters. The viewers’ don’t see the badassery coming at all. Now, these are the women who are silenced by society, made to follow the norms of that period. During the 1950s, no one was willing to accept or recognize the potential of women.
At first look, anyone will dismiss our female protagonists as ordinary people. And they also keep it that way. They use their expertise in pattern recognition, cryptography, and deduction when an adversary strikes. They don’t do it for fame. They do this selflessly. We also see the friction between Iris and her husband’s relationship caused due to the secrets. The series indirectly pushes men to understand the women in their life. It also portrays the characters as mentally strong. They don’t let anyone define them once they recognize their worth.
The Bletchley Circle: Cast
The cast comprises Rachael Stirling as Millie, Julie Graham as Jean McBrian, Chanelle Peloso as Hayley Yarner, Crystal Balint as Iris Bearden, Ben Cotton as Detective Bill Bryce. The series was filmed in London, produced by Jake Lushington. Directed by Andy De Emmon, written by Guy Bert.
The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco – Season 2
The Bletchley Circle after its two-season run ended in 2014. After four years, it, however, got a spin-off series named “The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco, retaining two of the original characters – Millie and Jean. The spin-off series brings out the racism, sexism, and homophobia of that period. It is available on Britbox, Netflix, and Amazon Prime.
The first season aired in July 2018 on ITV and Britbox. Season 2 of The Bletchley Circle: San Francisco, was confirmed by the stars Rachel Stirling and Julie Graham. It was back on ITV in May 2019. It can also be watched on IMDB tv and Amazon Prime.
This series is a feminist representation, it shows a different perspective. It puts across the point that any woman can be badass if she wants. These women in the series use the indifference to women as an invisibility cloak and solve the mystery to bring justice.
Frequently Asked Question
- Is this a continuation of the series ‘The Bletchley Circle?
It has two of the original characters from ‘The Bletchley Circle’, but the rest is different from the original series.
- Is ‘The Bletchley Circle’ a true story?
During World War II, code breakers were recruited to get the secret information, and they all gathered at Bletchley Park, and most of them were women. After the war, those women were sworn to secrecy about the codebreaking past and eventually forgotten. Though the characters in the series are fictitious, the code-breaking women were real.