The Responder viewers left emotional by Bernard Hill’s posthumous appearance
Bernard Hill has been celebrated by viewers of The Responder after season two began airing mere hours after his death.
The English actor, known for his roles in Titanic and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, died on Sunday 5 May, aged 79.
While his castmates and celebrity admirers have paid tribute in the days since Hill’s passing, many BBC viewers have also commemorated the screen star by commenting on his posthumous appearance in the police drama, The Responder.
The returning procedural, partly inspired by writer and former Merseyside police officer Tony Schumacher, stars Martin Freeman as a burnt-out inspector named Chris Carson who does night surveillance in Liverpool’s city centre.
Hill joined the cast for season two, starring as the father of Freeman’s character, Tony.
With season two airing on Sunday evening, many viewers commented on the moving aspect of watching Hill’s performance so soon after his passing.
“The scene between Martin Freeman and Bernard Hill in the first ep of the new season of The Responder is completely amazing,” one viewer remarked on X, formerly Twitter. “Different league. What a thing to watch the day after Hill’s death.”
“So poignant to see Bernard Hill last night in the brilliant Responder,” another wrote, adding: “Such a icon.”
“Watching the first episode of series 2 of The Responder, and Bernard Hill is in it,” a different viewer added, who ended his message with a crying face emoji.
TV reviewer Dawn Glen also chimed in with: “RIP Bernard Hill. Having previewed The Responder S2, it is fair to say his final role is as powerful and lovingly delivered as the rest of his career.”
In a statement, Freeman expressed his gratitude for getting to work with Hill for the TV show.
“Working with Bernard on The Responder was such a fantastic treat for all of us,” the actor said in a statement given to the PA news agency.
“He was unassuming, funny and, of course, ridiculously talented. A Mancunian lad who was Liverpool royalty, it was a privilege for us all to have shared in his last brilliant performance.”
The first episode of season two showed son Chris (Freeman) and father Tom (Hill) meet for the first time in several years when Chris visited his estranged dad’s house during a security call.
In the scene, Chris informs Tom of his mother’s passing, before the pair have a heated exchange about their lack of contact after Chris’s late mother left the family home with him in his childhood.
All episodes of The Responder are available now on BBC iPlayer.
