I found the ensemble cast inspired when I decided to stream this British drama...so many familiar faces :). The storyline was intriguing and fresh, which is what got me to watch it in the first place. Going through the episodes, I found a lot to love, even the circuitous route the plot was taking. However, once you get into the final episode, you are left with the decided impression you have been set up, and not in a good way. I appreciate good storytelling, in fact I prefer it to insipid and cliché meanderings that are rampant and clog up the tele on both sides of the pond. I do not however, appreciate the multitude of hanging threads that are in dire need of snipping in the end. Whether this was the intent, laziness, or simply a segway to inspire a further episodic endeavor (never to ultimately materialize), the end, which is not an end, leaves you with something of a bitter taste and feeling a bit betrayed. I guess there are suckers born every minute and this serves as a rather unsubtle reminder. It ruins what could otherwise make it a great series, hence my 7 rating. There are a multitude of twists and interesting plot points throughout, hinting at the serpentine conspiracy to cover up corruption and murder. So many guilty parties outside the primary two that sit at its heart...but each tantalizing tidbit that hints at other key players is sadly left to dangle. I am fabulous at whodunits....but just because I can see the angles and conspirators, doesn't mean they shouldn't be explored...in fact the story demands it. DI Edwards is awash in a sea of conspirators in his own department, in superiors, in the drug squad...but the writers never take the time to fully develop them. There is a great story here dying to be spun out...a conspiracy of corruption so serpentine it aches to be explored...but it seems the interest was not there or it wouldn't have been quashed at four episodes. What a waste, a sad, sad waste of a talented cast and potential at great drama.
... View MoreThis gripping drama which aired over four nights kept my attention through out, as each episode ended I was left enthusiastic to see the next. Set in Bristol the series follows the life of a deaf girl who witnesses the murder of a policewoman while out walking the dog for her uncle's family, being frightened she doesn't say anything when she gets home. Her uncle is a policeman who is investigating the murder and when she sees some CCTV footage he is reviewing she lip reads what the people are saying and it becomes apparent that the Bristol Drug Squad are involved. When he learns that he niece is a witness he should take her to the police station to take a formal statement but not knowing know can be trusted there he investigates alone. When the drug squad learn that there is a witness and who she is the policeman must struggle to keep her safe and bring them to justice before they can get to her.Genevieve Barr was fantastic in the roll of Amelia the deaf girl and Douglas Henshall put in a fine performance as her policeman uncle DCI Jim Edwards. They were ably supported by a cast of TV regulars. Once the characters had been introduced and the story proper had started there was an almost constant sense of threat as the drug squad menace DCI Edwards and his family. As the story approaches its conclusion the tension gets even higher and until the last scene I wasn't sure if the case would be solved or not.
... View MoreAs with the other reviews, I enjoyed this series. There were lots of twists and turns, but it ended too soon. It is not clever to leave you with too many loose ends. It is also difficult to see how they could conclude the story over another 4 episodes. Die he die, was the conspiracy uncovered, what about the boss?There seems to be a pattern developing with BBC drama where they finish abruptly, e.g. Luther. You spend four days watching a gripping series and then are left in limbo. It makes you wonder if there is any point in watching them. Good as they are the time could be better spent playing solitaire on your computer. At least the Americans leave you with a catchy tune.
... View MoreI watched this, potentially brilliant, mini serial for each of its four days. Each day I really looked forward to the next episode. However, having now watched the whole series, I have reached the conclusion that the drama should have continued for five days instead of four. The fourth episode could very easily have concluded with a cliffhanger concerning the main character. This would have enabled the drama to end in a much more satisfying way. Instead, after watching four days of a truly gripping thriller, the ending was very disappointing. I don't think merely leaving your audience with a good idea of the probably outcome of a drama is a patch on concluding with a fully rounded ending. Instead of the series concluding in a way that left me pleased I have invested my time and energy in it, I was left feeling it had been cut short because the writer (or director) had simply run out of steam. On the plus side the acting, especially of those playing the two leading characters, was first class.
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