San Michele is a frontier prison where director Bruno Testori (Luca Zingaretti, Detective Montalbano) applies his personal idea of justice. Within these walls, the laws of the state cease to exist: He is the Law. Ruthless when required, merciful when need be, Bruno identifies with his inmates and their lives off the rails, because like them – more than them – he too has been broken by life. To the point of killing.

The first season of The King (Fremantle) ended with Bruno being set up and incarcerated in his own prison. It’s no shock, however, to learn that situation doesn’t last, and as Season 2 begins we see Bruno being approached by the Italian Secret Service with a deal he can’t refuse: his freedom and reinstatement as warden in exchange for finding out why Vittorio Mancuso, a famous judge now being transferred to San Michele on murder charges, killed an employee of the State energy company.

Politics, intrigue and intense personal drama ensue…