Silent Witness (TV Series) Hearts of Darkness: Part 1 (2023) User Reviews

Security double glass doors

[patriciamoore-41255 · 9/10 · 25 July 2023]

Apologies if this has ever been discussed previously. Do any of the security double glass doors actually lock. I've watched scenes in which they're "unlocked " with a touchpad then they just swing until they stop once someone has passed through them.

Also, love the introduction of Velvy, Alastair Michael, he reminds me of Anton Yelchin. Velvy fills the void of Clarissa. Maybe she will pop back in for a guest visit.

There are many reviewers that are unhappy with this season, I understand their points of view. I've been enjoying it very much.

I love this series, it can be corny at times, but I love it. Bravo/brava cast and crew.

At least it was better than Star.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 5/10 · 25 January 2023]

Business developers and environmental protesters clash at the opening of a new railway line, as the train runs, a major accident soon follows.

I was really hoping Michael Crompton's name would appear in the writing credits, he has definitely been missed, someone with a real pedigree.

What can I say, well it was better than Star from last week, but it was still below average. I'm not quite sure what's gone wrong this series, but something just isn't working. Could it perhaps have been a rushed production, it is it a little too political, something about this just wasn't right, I felt like I was being lectured watching it.

I thought the story was a little bit muddled at times, the death didn't seem to make any sense.

Gabriel has at least begun to find his feet, he was more interesting than he previously was, Velvy..... I'd be stunned if the guy could tie his own shoe laces, he's gone from being curiously interesting, to just really irritating.

The acting was a bit of a mixed bag, Nicholas Gleaves stood out by a mile, he was easily the best one here, it was a good idea to bring Jemma Redgrave back, a safe pair of hands. One or two of the other performances were very questionable.

5/10.

Midsomer Witness

[jkawerha · 3/10 · 30 January 2023]

Good grief, where to start?

This episode appears to be set in a rural area, where the first victim is a city-style mayor of the type you might find in London or Manchester. If you can get over that, you're then asked to believe that the mayor is able to commission, fund and sign-off high speed rail links, built on single-track heritage railway lines. And guess what? Her husband turns out to be a shareholder in a business that will benefit from the train. This is revealed, Scooby Doo style, by a hard-nosed, ball-busting representative of the fourth estate, who never carries either a bag or notepad.

Jack, Gabriel the robot and idiot apprentice Velvy wait for the boys and girls in blue to search the crash site. Having tied laminated cards saying 'dead' to the deceased, they leave, failing to spot a dead man who's been chopped in half by the train, a partly unexploded fertiliser bomb, a phone possibly used to detonate it and a length of fuse wire. Thank god the Witness gang are on the spot to save the day again.

Some very clean and tidy eco warriors hang about, mainly to provide some environmental hand- wringing. The Lord of the Manor's daughter leads this polite group of warriors, railing (!) against the train line by leading a mild chant of protest in a wood. No-one is around to hear it.

Velvy has a stilted chat, strictly for exposition purposes, with the widower of the dead woman. This reminds us that Velvy is estranged from his wife. Which he himself had reminded us about, just 10 minutes earlier. His expression alters as if he has experienced a moment of clarity? Or maybe the actor just saw a moth fluttering around a studio light. Hard to tell.

Jack's extended family continue to drop in as and when at the Lyle Centre, offering unsolicited sign-language classes, utilising the many spare desks on offer. Aoife nags him to buy some new smoke alarms that have strobe lights. This reminds the viewer that Cara is deaf. As well as the sign-language. Leave nothing to chance.

A key 'wrong un' protester limps around various locations, holding his arm and looking pained. He eventually settles down in a tent for a cuddle with another protester who is 'known to the law' as being a bit tasty.

The intrepid journalist throws a number of murder accusations at The Lord of the Manor before she finds yet more missed evidence on the train. She looks excited but is sadly blown up by a bucket.

Silent Witness still thinks it's making serious social points. That comic assumption is worth 3 stars in itself!

I'm not sure what level of reality I'm living in.

[colinrogers1 · 4/10 · 29 January 2023]

Umm. As a programme fan, I urge you to backtrack to the middle series of Silent Witness. Take series 9,14 20 even, to experience proper writing and acting. I believed this was a criminal forensic style drama. Nowadays I'm getting soap opera vibes coupled with new age funk. The acting is CBeebies level. I fully understand cutbacks (at the Beeb) in the talent all round is an issue. Once, big names would be falling over themselves to add Silent Witness to the CV. I'm all for giving young actors and writers the opportunity in such an iconic programme. As they did with the likes of Emilia Fox ( Nikki) and for eg Liz Carr (Clarissa) but goodness me. The stories and acting and directing were so superb. I'm sad to say it must end now. Everything is slow and padded. The crowning naff was is this faux relationship between Jack and Nikki. It detracts so much from the plots and is an arc we don't need. This two parter is the highlight of the series so far and I rated it a 5/10. Tells me something!

Not the best

[bertbarber · 2/10 · 4 February 2023]

Having read some of the previous reviews of this episode, I must say that I wholeheartedly agree with those that say this series is going down the pan. The acting is poor like something from a primary school play or a children's story. The characters in particular those of the protesters are so stereotyped as to be a complete joke. I found this embarrassing to watch. We pay TV licence to watch this sort of rubbish and quite frankly I expect more from what has previously been an excellent series.

It takes more than lazy stereotypes, a nod to diversity and inclusion, and some moody music to make a show.

Poor

[IntermusicM · 1/10 · 31 January 2023]

Having read a previous review of this episode, I must say that I wholeheartedly agree. The acting is poor like something from a pantomime or a children's story. The characters in particular those of the protesters., are so stereotyped as to be laughable. Quite frankly, I found this embarrassing to watch. We pay TV licence to watch this sort of rubbish and quite frankly I expect more from what has previously been an excellent series.

Please pull your socks up BBC and get back on track, excuse the pun.

It does seem these days that because we pay a TV licence, we have to put up with any old rubbish Not recommended at all, as you can probably gather.

Time to wrap things up

[Cathesp · 4/10 · 24 February 2023]

Dreadful writing and directing. Some dreadful acting but can't decide whether that's due to the writing and directing. Stilted and slow. That scene around the camp fire is probably the worst I've ever seen on TV. I like the introduction of the character who is deaf and appreciate that in real life conversation may be a little slower but for artistic purposes they need to be so much quicker. And for goodness sake just let Nikki have a lovely uncomplicated relationship with someone, whether it be Jack or otherwise. The two stars are for the effects department and Gemma Redgrave. Time to wrap things up.

More of the same

[kristhebass · 4/10 · 8 March 2023]

Sadly this once prime series has descended into waving the banner of female empowerment. Okay nice to see Jemma Redgrave back, in fact nice to see her in anything. So she is the DI but do we need to have a female DCI as well? This is something I complain about many times, 'Better' is a recent case in point.

Maybe out there in the real world this is the case perhaps someone can enlighten me. Then of course we have the new boss, a POC so another box ticked there and Jacks niece, another box ticked.

As for the story, well a train crash used to conveniently cover a murder? Sorry I don't buy it.

I don't like the Jack/Nikki story-line either, what happened to the Yank she was so in love with?

Maybe he's going to run off with the mother of his niece. Time to wrap up the series before it gets too absurd, just like everything else on TV these days.