mjdjunk
Even with the bizarre closure of season 2, much of what was brought up never has any closure. I know many police shows ask you to waive reality in terms of length of time, actual procedures, the ability to find parking!, drive across town in heavy traffic, etc, this show takes this too far. Why bring up so many side issues if no resolution is going to be offered? I would be terrified if someone this unbalanced was on my police force. It does have good acting and cinematography was good, but the plot line was just too much of a mess.
mtd76
SUMMARYA certain murder method resurfaces after ten years of absence, and former investigator turned traumatised housewife Marcella (Anna Friel) decides to dive back in.STORY COMMENTSThe story comes as a multi-package. There are (perhaps too) many subplots that lead to the ultimate climax, but at the same time don't really help its plausibility. There's simply too much going on, and it all coincides a bit too comfortably. Marcella is a troubled investigator, whose personal affairs get her into serious trouble during the investigation. The fact that everyone has their flaws is a nice enough notion in this series, and the angle in which at some point the viewer, the main character, and the team of investigators are all uncertain about Marcella's own innocence is nicely done. On the other hand, it's quite disheartening (and a serious flaw) that a top team of investigators fails to assess the mental state of one of their members, which jeopardises the whole operation. While Marcella appears to have a hard time coping with the loss of one of her children, she doesn't seem too interested in the other two. And for someone who desperately wants her husband back, she has an odd way of expressing it.There's a satisfying climax halfway through, but at the same time it's such a red herring revelation that it drains the energy somewhat from the rest of the story.Also, the final answer to the murderer's motives seems a bit far-fetched, crammed into the last episode, and quickly brushed aside.ACTINGAt times solid acting with mostly convincing characters. Though some bigger names top the cast list, they cannot lift an upper-mediocre story into the amazing range. Nicholas Pinnock playing Jason Backland, Marcella's husband, for instance, cannot seem to get past looking stoical most of the time in what seems a subconscious advert for a personal clothing line of tailored suits. Special praise to Ian Puleston-Davies, though. Although only part of a subplot, his portrayal of the disturbed and creepy stalker Peter Cullen really induces some nail-biting suspense.CINEMATOGRAPHY AND EFFECTSThe lighting and camera angles support the story well. Nothing fancy or novel about it, just solid stuff. There are some redundant shots, that could have been left out for the sake of story progression, but they were probably kept for atmospheric or emotional effect. The tension-inducing sound effects were a little over the top for scenes that on second thought weren't that exciting at all. Other than that, not bad at all.THEMESThe series seems to want to briefly comment on the aftermath of divorce and loss of children, but doesn't entirely drive the message home. Yes, we can understand it affects the parents deeply when they lose a child, and we all know it can destroy their relationship. Nothing new here. Love, friendship and the betrayal of it, the stubborn solo copper, blackmail, as well as the theme of the hard-line industrial mogul not hesitant to go the extra mile to get a project approved, it's all there. If the broadest of thematic coverage possible is what you're after, here's your show.FLAWSTo put it mildly, It is quite strange that the main character can just jump in an ongoing investigation at will, after years and years of absence, and without even the slightest reintroduction training. Her trauma-induced relapses don't seem to bother anyone, not even when she blacks out in the presence of a lead investigator, or when she kicks her ex-husband down the stairs after she first wrecked his car. And when Marcella's husband is implicated, the top brass simply agrees she can keep working on the investigation. When Jason pays off his private investigator, he does so in broad daylight, with a terribly clichéed brown, neatly sealed package. Also, that private business investigator's computer is remarkably easy to hack into. And who killed Hassan?ROUND-UPTo round things up, it is a nice enough story to keep you busy for a few nights, but nothing groundbreaking. Let's see what season two brings. Going by the reviews, we're in for a treat.
