Ep 1. Home, Sweet Home

In Copper Season 2 Episode 1, titled "Home, Sweet Home," the story picks up five months after the events of the first season. The year is 1865, and Detective Kevin Corcoran returns home to Five Points after a leave of absence. Corcoran, who had been shot and left for dead at the end of the previous season, finds his hometown changed and his friends scattered.

The episode opens with shots of New York City's skyline, and Corcoran disembarking from a ferryboat. He is met by his old friend and brothel owner, Eva Heissen, who is eager to hear news of his travels. Eva also informs Kevin of the changes in Five Points since he's been away. With the construction of the new Elevated Railroad, the demographic of the area has shifted, and the Irish immigrant families that Kevin so deeply empathizes with have been displaced.

The episode also follows the fate of the Freemans, a black family who used to work as servants for wealthy New York families but have lost their jobs due to the end of the Civil War and the subsequent increase of freed slaves in the north. After being fired from their previous position, the Freemans have been forced to move to Five Points and are living on the street, struggling to survive.

Kevin is reunited with his old Irish immigrant friend and mentor, Matthew Freeman, who has been practicing medicine in Five Points and is doing his best to help the Freemans. Matthew informs Kevin of a murder that has taken place – the victim: a member of the newly formed Metropolitan Police Department. The MPD is breaking up the only union formed by the Irish workers rebuilding the Elevated Railroad. Tensions between the MPD and the Irish are high, and Kevin must now investigate this murder, adding to the many challenges he finds waiting for him upon his return.

As the investigation takes shape, Kevin and his partner, Detective Francis Maguire, discover that the victim was involved in some shady business dealings. The detectives must navigate the politics of both the MPD and the Irish Union to uncover the truth. Meanwhile, Matthew Freeman is working to save the life of the Freemans' son, who is gravely ill. Despite his efforts, the boy dies, and Matthew finds himself struggling with the loss and with the realization that he can only do so much to help those in need.

The tension throughout the episode is palpable, as Kevin tries to adjust to the changes in his hometown, catch the murderer, and unravel the web of corruption and deceit. The themes of injustice, inequality, and the struggle for survival in a changing world are prevalent throughout the episode, as each character is faced with challenges and impossible choices.

In the end, "Home, Sweet Home" leaves the audience wanting more, eager to see how Kevin, Eva, Matthew, and the rest of the residents of Five Points will navigate the many obstacles that lay ahead.