Clare Dunne's having a ball in Kin playing Amanda – especially as this season sees her gangster character going head-to-head with Turkish crook Nuray Batuk.
The latter’s played by Turkish actress Öykü Kayarel and there’s bound to be murder between these matriarchs as the crime drama continues on Sunday nights on RTÉ One and the RTÉ Player.
As well as facing up to each other, the women are having to deal with threats from within as the never-ending jostle for control in the criminal world means keeping your enemies close and your friends even closer. No one can be trusted when everyone's rotten.
In last week’s opening episode, viewers saw Clare strike a deal that saw the Kinsella's inherit Eamon Cunningham's €70 million debt to the Batuks. As the much-feared Bren returns home from prison, is he going to be onboard with this plan of action?
Despite becoming the new top dogs in Dublin’s organised crime world, the Kinsellas face new external threats to both their business and family in the form of the ruthless Batuk crime family, who extend their wills over the actions of the Kinsellas and Amanda’s new way of running the 'business'.
Toppling Eamon Cunningham was one thing, but the Kinsellas are on a larger stage now, and have bigger challengers to contend with if they’re to retain their new status in the gangster snake pit.
The parallels between Amanda and Nuray, as the matriarchal leaders of their respective family businesses, are highlighted time and again throughout the season, as the characters spend much time interacting with one another in tense situations.
Speaking on the rivalry and admiration between the characters, Clare Dunne heaps praise on the actress who plays her on-screen Turkish rival.
"In season two, one of Amanda’s enemies is the very talented, beautiful and intelligent Nuray, played by Öykü Kayarel. And she is definitely that in real life.
"I think Amanda likes that. She's absolutely stunning, beautiful, has great style. And also she's very, very talented, very smart, very present, very aware; just extremely intelligent and you can just feel it from her as a person and as the character."
Clare adds that as well as threats from the Batuk's and family member Bren, her character is still dealing with the murder of her son Jamie, and also with the trauma of her recent miscarriage, as seen in last Sunday night’s episode.
"She's (Amanda) is dealing with her grief in a new way (this season)," she says. "She's on a search for meaning. I think at first it's quite practical, and then it becomes more internal and authentic.
"I think, basically, for her this whole season is about the past that’s haunting her and, therefore, the future that she wants to create and her determination to do that."
This Sunday night on Kin, all hell breaks loose with the unexpected arrival back home of Bren.
While Viking welcomes him with open arms, the rest of the family are not so pleased - most of all Amanda, whose leadership is threatened by his presence.
With threats now internal and external, Amanda and Michael look to protect their future.
Kin, 9.30pm on Sunday, RTÉ One and the RTÉ Player
