Do Americans understand this?

I'll admit it... I have subtitles on. There are key pieces of information that they say way way too fast & with too much "accent" or odd word usage. I didn't have them on S1 but I understood S2 better because I had the subtitles on. I missed plot points in S1 because I just ignored the stuff that I couldn't hear.

Yes, understand and love it. We use subtitles to get everything.

Season 2 - I watched the first episode without, but decided to turn them on. I like to read some of the regional slang, to better understand. And the actors do speak quite quickly. Subtitles aren't essential for me, but a good supplement.

Absolutely, but then again we got a primer in the Yorkshire dialect thanks to Downton Abbey.

Psycho Miss Wheland/Frances Drummond was the only one I found difficult to understand and that was because of her obnoxious baby voice and sickening breathlessness, trying to sound sexy. She ruined every scene for me.

About the only thing that I found unusual was the frequent use of "our" in referring to people, as a term of a affection. "You know our Catherine is a policewoman?" "He's got our Ryan with him!"

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Do you mean the accents?

I'm Canadian and have no difficulty at all understanding it.

Germans do, if I'm anything to go by. :-)

Subtitles mate :)

-If you cant laugh at yourself, lifes gonna seem a whole lot longer than you like.

I am a brit though from Northern Ireland. While I was taught ENGLISH and speak it mostly with a deliberate wish to be perfectly understood I have made a point of when hearing words used by people in the many accented areas of England that may seem normal in the various areas of enquiring their usage or meaning. It may be this is why the ENGLISH fear learning a foreign language when they can have so much of a problem understanding much of their own. They may even think those accented and idiomatic tongues are foreign languages.

I am glad that the US posters are suggesting they do understand but doubt that every word has come through. Perhaps as the story line works so well and is actually well acted much is forgiven. It is really a good job that it has not been acted by [actual] non queens English speakers from the area. Bad enough they are using many word peculiar.

I am now starting series two and it looks as though another fest is on the way. I could not believe what I read about our female jail visitor. This looks good. The lady in question is 60 plus yet seemed to be under age when first seen. Amazing almost comedic entrance to the series. I would have said well done girl but only a couple of years ago she would have been an pensioner. Much to come but I am disappointed [slightly] it is a continuation of the scum bag that protagonist dealt with in the previous series. I had hoped that was done and dusted. Well Sarah I am indeed glad for your small mercy's. No problem with your monopoly on our screens.