Not perfect, but a compelling season that I followed through right to the suitably ambiguous ending. I liked the blend of natural and supernatural elements and if certain plot points strained credulity, well, that's nothing unusual for a show of this nature. What was more important for me was a sustained mood and vision and that held up well right from the start. I really enjoyed the performances of the two lead actors and had no complaints about the supporting cast either. The story did meander and was overlong and the pseudo-science at part of its core was unconvincing, but as a thriller that genuinely gripped me at times, I found little to complain about. As to whether it really belonged to the True Detective canon, that's an open question. The attempt to shoehorn in symbolism from earlier seasons was clumsy and frankly unnecessary. But as a character study of two police professionals working well or not-so-well together, it certainly fit the pattern. I enjoyed it more than seasons 2 and 3, but it'll take a special show to match or surpass season 1 and this was not it.
Reviews
64 Reviews
Luther
(2010–2019)
A blend of the satisfying and the less so
15 February 2024
It's best to look at Luther as an escapist thriller masquerading as a police procedural. The plots do not bear up to close analysis, the crimes and villains are so over-the-top that questions in Parliament would be asked about them in real life rather than being left to Luther, either solo or with the help or hindrance of a small group of colleagues to sort out. Suspend a lot of belief, though, and this is a compelling show anchored around Idris Elba's towering performance and his interaction in particular with Ruth Wilson's enigmatic character Alice Morgan, largely a joy to behold. The series does run out of steam towards the end, with wearying repetition of grisly scenes that seem to be trying to outdo each prior slaughterhouse and a sense that the actors simply have to deal with too many character shifts and plot quirks. To its credit, the show has a feel and look that marks it out as individual within the very crowded field of crime shows and it's certainly worthwhile.
The best of the first series
12 November 2023
All the episodes in Cabinet of Curiosities have some merits. Production values are uniformly high and most of the acting is excellent. But dramatically there are mixed results with a number of poorly realised stories that fail to really engage. Not the case here in this study of grief. The story's strength derives from its basic simplicity and the use of a well-worn yet convincingly effective supernatural trope. The setting is beautiful, the accent on wildlife, birds in particular, is portrayed with some hints of Hitchcockian menace but mostly simply wonder. The very fine acting of Essie Davies and Andrew Lincoln is deeply moving and by substituting subtlety for the in-your-face horror that marks some of the other episodes on this series, it comes across as the most poignant and involving of the lot.
Very effective fantasia on the theme of Poe
2 November 2023
You don't have to know your Poe to get a lot of enjoyment out of this finely paced horror series, but if you do, there are a lot of references, some obvious, some subtle, that add to the enjoyment. It rarely stretches to literal interpretation of Poe's stories, but elements of their plotlines are woven through each of the episodes. A richly gothic atmosphere prevails throughout, it's very effectively photographed and produced, but the real triumph is in the quality of the acting which is uniformly excellent but perhaps most extraordinary in the portrayal of the mysterious Verna by Carla Gugino and the morally bankrupt Roderick Usher by Bruce Greenwood. It takes a little while to get into but once you are hooked it doesn't let you go. Its chief strength is that it makes you consider the many dimensions of good and evil and all in between in a way that I think Poe himself would approve of.
Above Suspicion
(2009–2012)
Better than some, but misses more than it hits
26 August 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Ciarán Hinds is one of those actors I always enjoy watching, and he does a good job here. The problem is that the setup - particularly the sexual interplay between Hinds' character, DCS Langton and Kelly Reilly's DI Travis - lacks conviction. The supporting actors are good and the stories are the usual twisting and turning plots. Some quite gory, some more convincing than others. Direction is a bit patchy with a sense that Kelly Reilly was left adrift. At least the soundtrack is refreshingly low in overused ambient pad washes. It could have been really good, but it didn't really pull together. A shame, but I've seen worse.
Vastly superior to prior Season 26 episodes
25 July 2023
Kudos to director Toby Frow who managed to take the same cast that had been flailing around in the other episodes and stitch together a convincing and well-acted story. True, the plot was full of the typical credulity stretching twists and turns, but it held together and this pattern is nothing new for "Silent Witness". What was different is that the ingredients came together in a way that had been absent before and made for a very effective drama. You could see all the actors raise their game, even the romance between Jack and Nikki was presented with a veracity that you just did not see in prior episodes. It made me wonder what on earth was going on during the rest of the season but at least provided strong reassurance that the show was not dead on its feet.
Not up to earlier standards
23 July 2023
Apart from the introduction of Velvy Schur and Dr. Gabriel Folukoya as new and potentially interesting members of the team, this story was let down by a weak plot, largely both preposterous and curiously uninvolving, poor dialogue and some hammy overacting by guests and regulars both. The premise of this show has always stretched credulity in terms of the free reign offered to the pathology team, but usually manages to keep things interesting enough for the viewer to make allowances. As always, the best bits relate to actual forensic pathology and the insights it provides. Not enough this time to overcome the downsides, sadly. A disappointment.
Not Safe for Work
(2015)
Perfect
6 March 2023
While covering much of the same ground as the deservedly celebrated "The Office", this flawless comedy augments the cringe facter with an affecting drama that ups the pathos as the story works its way to its inevitable conclusion. I do not think I have ever seen a better comedy show of any nature and it deserves the types of accolades given to "The Office" and indeed any renowned show of the past. That it was not renewed is bittersweet, as it is it remains perfect in its construction but a chance to see the characters developed further would have been great. All of the cast give their best and the satire is spot on. This is a show that reminds you that all those other semi-successful series with intermittent laughs need not be so bad - so why are they? Here, everything gels. Magnificent.
What happened?
1 March 2023
Jamie Demetriou had me in stitches in the wonderful "Stath Lets Flats" but here he barely raised a few smiles amid periods of sheer unfunniness. Some of the ideas were potentially funny and just misfired, others didn't seem to have much purpose at all, and, irritatingly, just once in a while something looked like it might really gel but usually didn't. In other words, this was a big disappointment and I'm wondering why. Maybe it was the format, maybe it was the lack of a truly sympathetic supporting cast (in marked contrast to the spot-on ensemble in "Stath"), maybe it was a result of trying to squeeze too many ideas into too short a time frame. Regardless, this is not the place to see the best of Demetriou.
Highly satisfying adaptation
27 February 2023
After watching the more recent Sarah Phelps 2018 portrayal of this story, I returned to this 1992 adaptation to see how it compared. It is much more satisfying. The plot is mostly faithfully followed, with its twists and misdirections very much in play, and if this drama is far less dark than the 2018 version, it still conveys a diabolical chill at the evil misdeeds of the finally revealed murderer. Underlying attitudes such as xenophobia that are very unsubtly foregrounded in the 2018 drama are not absent here, but presented in a more ancilliary way that does not get in the way of the plot. There are also touches of real humour that lighten the tale, yet the real anguish of the main suspect is not underplayed and is very convincingly acted. The absence of the character of Crome is a loss, Grint's character from the 2018 version would have slotted in very nicely here as a foil to both Japp and Poirot, but it's a relatively minor point. Running at about half the length of the 2018 version, this one avoids the bloat and padding that mars the Phelp drama, and keeps the plot moving along at an engaging pace. Suchet's Poirot is very different from Malkovich's, much more mannered and impenetrable, but is also closer to the way Christie portrays him. This is the one to watch.
The ABC Murders
(2018)
Gothic Poirot
27 February 2023
A very dark and melodramatic interpretation of the Christie novel, with a number of significant liberties taken with the characterizations. If the Suchet interpretation appeals to you, you are going find this heavy and likely unattractive going. That said, Malkovich creates a compellingly austere version of the detective weighed down by a backstory quite at odds with Christie's. Is it convincing? Not really. Is it entertaining? On the whole, yes. This despite a strong anti-foreigner subtext reinforced by the changes to Poirot's backstory and references to the then rising British Union Of Fascists. The tormented Mr. Cust is very well portrayed by Eamon Farren, and although Rupert Grint's character is inflated in this particular interpretation, he conveys it convincingly. But 'The ABC Murders' as written by Agatha Christie is far from a gothic novel, and how convincing this interpretation will seem will depend on how much artistic licence you are willing to allow Sarah Phelps. I found myself wavering, sometimes finding things to like, sometimes feeling it simply went too far over the line - as literally happened to Mr. Cust. Is it worth watching? Maybe, at the very least as an attempt to create an alternative and to enjoy Malkovich, but that's about it.
Better than the first
23 February 2023
As others have noted, not up to "Waking The Dead"'s best, which means that the story drifts to the wrong side of melodrama too often. That said, the characters, even when they hew to stereotype, are nicely acted and some, like the cantankerous and impulsive D. I. Hale, are compelling. This second episode was an improvement on the first, making for good if not excellent TV drama. The plot was not exceptional, but it did allow for a nuance of interpretation that added to the interest. As I always find in these types of shows, the actual forensic investigation was the most interesting part as the puzzle pieces come together. As a procedural, it lacks believability on many levels but that's not uncommon in police dramas, and you can overlook that if the rest of the drama is strong enough. It's close here. Direction is OK, although I do find the frequent use of short flashbacks to tell the backstory to be irritating.
Scott of the Antarctic
(1948)
A moving account
8 February 2023
Captain Scott's reputation has seen wild swings, from almost impossibly heroic in the early part of the 20th century to not much better than an arrogant buffoon in the latter part. These days there's a more balanced consensus, yes, he was prone to hubris to hide his insecurities and he did make a number of logistical mistakes, but he also faced exceptionally poor weather conditions that would have challenged anyone. He was also a product of his era, with a still primitive understanding of nutritional requirements and in the early unreliable phase of internal combustion engine development. This film was made before the swing away from the heroic outlook, and the interaction of the individuals very much reflects this. No fights or quarrels or focus on lingering resentments, it's all very much a picture of male bonhomie. Yet despite this, the film subtly points out the mistakes made in planning and execution that worked against Scott's chances. The acting is very good, while maintaining a veneer of British pluck throughout, the inexorable decline in the final expeditionary party's fortunes is very movingly portrayed. This is not an analytical film, you are not going to see a deep exploration of the factors behind the expedition's failure, but it tells a powerful story very well. The early colour photography is very beautiful, with an appropriate muted look. The score by Ralph Vaughan Williams is one of the best ever, with the composer valuing his contributions highly enough to work them into his later "Sinfonia Antartica". The effects can look studio obvious from time to time, but that doesn't detract. Well worth watching.
Invasion
(2021–2024)
Uninvolving
2 February 2023
"Invasion" has a lot going for it. The production values are high, there's a solid cast of accomplished actors (and a clutch of young new actors who do a good job), the monster aliens are well realised when you eventually get to see them and the attempt to pace the show in something close to real time does work to amplify tension and anticipation. However, overall it fails to gel into an involving drama. Some of this is due to the soap opera aspect of the many subplots, piling melodrama on top of melodrama to the point of losing believability (and this is before considering any alien involvement) and some of it is due to the slow pacing that in too many cases drifts into repetition (albeit beautifully photographed repetition) and ultimately boredom. I felt frustrated by this, the structure is certainly there for an effective series but it is unevenly fleshed out. I began to sense that even excellent actors like Golshifteh Farahani and Shioli Kutsuna were being directed into a blind alley of overt melodrama that worked against their characters' integrity. The story itself is not that original, with clear influences of older and better done movies and shows. Personally, I sensed a lot was drawn from the Torchwood series, "Chidren Of Earth", to my mind a more memorable and successful invasion drama. By the end I was kind of rooting for the aliens, genuinely creepy creatures that looked like they were constituted from a crude oil spill, if only to put a stop to some of the more absurd plot contrivances. A better done show wouldn't have had me feeling this way as almost all invasion dramas have absurd plot contrivances but when well dramatised you overlook them. Another series I found myself comparing this to was "The Leftovers", a vastly superior show in terms of imagination and realization that aimed for (and achieved) a similar slow burn and extensive character development. I was disappointed by "Invasion". Of the two recent Apple TV sci-fi productions, "Foundation" was much better. That's worth watching.
Foundation
(2021– )
Good sci-fi yarn
31 January 2023
Entertaining sci-fi story that bears only a marginal relationship to the Asimov books, for better or worse. Many decades ago I heard a BBC Radio 4 radio dramatisation that hewed much more closely to the source and it was very effective, but it had the enormous advantage of using the listener's imagination to fill in the visual effects. Here we have a nicely done creation that integrates a believable vision of Asimov's world with a whole series of plot changes, subtractions and additions. All done to create an action show out of what can read more than anything else as a series of historical drama books. So some of the mileage you are going to get out of this series depends on your familiarity with the Asimov story, and I suspect those without will enjoy this more. Especially if you are deeply sympathetic to Asimov's concept. For me, this was disappointing but I was able to put this aside because overall it is an effective conception designed to play to the strengths of a TV series. To its credit it does incorporate some of the most important ideas introduced by Asimov even it takes them in diverging directions. Overall the dialogue and acting are reasonably good, even if the direction tends to drag from time to time. The largely unnecessary sex scenes are chaste by recent standards. On its own terms, perfectly enjoyable if not exactly a sc-fi classic.
In the Dark
(2017)
Effective
31 January 2023
Warning: Spoilers
A not bad police drama that doesn't deviate much from the standard model for 2010s' crime shows, but if it fails to transcend the clichés of the genre, it is decently acted with a strong supporting cast to MyAnna Buring's effective lead including a number I usually associate with comedy roles. The series is split into two distinct plot lines linked by the main characters, with the first, occupying the first two episodes, more compelling than the second. The show sustains a good amount of effective tension and I found it worthwhile, certainly worthy of developing further. The pregnancy of Buring's character doesn't seem to get in the way of her getting into threatening situations which may or may not be explained by behaviors deriving from an abusive childhood, but certainly had me worrying about the baby to come as well as DI Weeks herself . All in all enjoyable crime TV.
Suzie's ready for her close-up
16 January 2023
Warning: Spoilers
A grippingly claustrophobic finale, largely in real time, that is a harrowing portrayal of mental collapse. No, unlike "Sunset Boulevard"'s Norma Desmond she doesn't literally murder anyone, but figuratively the collapse of relationships around her is a massacre. And all the while a nagging sense of reality nudges at Suzie as her neediness and impulsiveness lead her further and further into mental decline - ironically a good sign for her future, that we may or may not ever see. These three 50 minute episodes have seen Suzie doing a lot of what she should not have as events both within and without her control wreck her life. Although three 50 minute sessions in a psychiatrist's office would not be enough to fix her problems, it would have been a far healthier start than the clown show that she, portrayed literally in first episode, embraced instead. It's a measure of the incredibly skilled acting of Billie Piper that throughout this mad rush every facet of Suzie is made clear. This show is drama of the highest order. Uncomfortable and fiercely insightful, it is not easy viewing but you don't want to miss it.
Funny
14 January 2023
Laughed out loud at this sweet family comedy that makes good use of the combined talents of an excellent cast. The conceit of framing the show as a teenager's media project allows for dodgy videography and erractic editing that might annoy some viewers but simply adds to the charm for me. Especially the editing that is designed to look amateur but artfully enhances the comedic potential by mixing up the storyline. This particular episode makes fun of the liabilities of voucher marketing, something I personally regard more as a curse than a boon, but that's just me. It's a pleasure to see an ensemble interactingly as seemlessly as this funny fictional family. I'm looking forward to episodes to come.
The White Lotus
(2021–2025)
Excellent drama
11 January 2023
Despite presenting a set of largely unlikeable characters behaving badly in luxurious settings that most of us will rarely or never experience, "The White Lotus" is gripping and involving drama. Its strength lies in its singularity of purpose created and sustained by Mike White's deep involvement with all aspects of this production from the writing upwards. This is aided by a wholly convincing and excellent performance from the entire cast. As is made explicit in a scene hommage in the second series, this series shares much of the same concerns that fascinated the great Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni and knowledge of Antonioni's movies and sympathy for that director's vision adds a great deal to the enjoyment of "The White Lotus" even though it is far from necessary to fully enjoy the show. Of the two seasons broadcast so far, I enjoyed the first more than the second, partly because it was fresher, but it's easy to see why others might feel the reverse. Both seasons are variations on much the same themes, sharing structural elements. Great care is taken in integrating dramatic symbolism throughout - it's very easy to see why critics have fallen hard for this show, it is very seductive for anyone versed in the history of drama in all its forms. This care extends to the musical score and cinematography. In the end, despite being well aware of the effort made to make the characters as well-rounded and humanly relatable as possible, I still had the sense of an outsider's view into a type of world that I'll never inhabit, but that didn't diminish the fascination.
Compelling story
6 January 2023
An interesting documentary about the ever relevant story of Bernie Madoff (today's model being Sam Bankman-Fried), that is rather too glibly told and marred by crass and clumsily obvious dramatic reconstructions that add nothing of substance. That said, the interviews with a large number of participants are thorough and fascinating. As are the many clips of historical news stories. As ever was and continues to be, the story highlights the human love of wealth, the prestige and status that comes with possessing (or apparently possessing) it, and the follies that inevitably follow. Lots of mistakes made by a lot of people are highlighted as well as the tragic cost of these actions. A sobering reminder that if something appears too good to be true, then it is.
Superior crime drama
25 October 2022
Yes, it's long and I watched it all in one go (far longer than the average movie) and you could argue that it is perhaps too much so, but really it doesn't matter in the end. This is a very effective crime drama with a compelling lead character in DS Pirie who is refreshingly filled out as a rounded person. Ever since the success of reality based police procedurals such as "24 Hours In Police Custody", I've noticed a real effort in fictional police dramas to dial down the melodrama and present a more convincing portrayal of the reality of such work and this show very much falls into this category. That said, the plot is knotty and unconvincing in parts with simply too many extreme occurrences, but, again, that really doesn't matter that much. It's a puzzle to be solved as are most crime dramas and it's handled well. In addition to Lauren Lyle's superb portrayal, the standard of acting is high throughout. Very nicely photographed as well. The music is mostly of the now-becoming-clichéd synthesizer ambient variety but with some good use of pop songs such as Pulp's "Common People". I really enjoyed these three episodes.
The City and the City
(2018)
Dark and involving
18 October 2022
Dark - as in literally dark, with the majority of the scenes dimly lit (partly for effect, partly, I suspect, to obscure familiar filming locations) - and intriguing police fantasy fiction. Not a total success by any means, the plot is complicated and unclearly communicated and more effort seems to have gone into atmosphere than coherence. The acting wobbles a bit, mostly likely due to the direction than anything else, but concepts of perception, identity and belief are explored in thoughtful ways. It's perhaps overlong for what turns out to be a fairly predictable outcome, but there are plenty of effective scenes rich with real suspense. Requires patience and may reward repeated viewing more than a single go round, but it's an involving and worthwhile drama.
Sex Lives of the Potato Men
(2004)
Fitfully amusing low budget romp
14 October 2022
Not as bad as some would have you believe, yet nowhere near a masterpiece, this vulgar (in the best sense of the word) sex comedy is a fitfully amusing trawl through the fantasies, fulfilled or otherwise, of a small group of delivery drivers. Interesting because of the strength of the cast, all of whom have done better in other comedies. Yet despite the weak direction and obvious budget constraints, they still do pretty well. Mackenzie Crook's character is perhaps most interesting as it is very close to the character he would present, much more fully rounded and developed, in "Detectorists". The seeds are present here, they just haven't sprouted. Hard to understand the vitriol thrown at this movie, it's certainly not pornographic, not even soft core, and the scatological jokes are simply typical of the type. While wishing it could have been better, I still found myself smiling.
Enjoyable hommage
21 September 2022
Warning: Spoilers
"Inside No. 9" rewrites "The Wicker Man" but with the humour cranked up and the horror dialed down, although by no means completely absent. Lots of subtle touches that made me laugh out loud, such as our poor victim's wicker mask being a straw rendition of "V For Vendetta"'s famous Guy Fawkes' version. The setting, a schoolroom, allowed for an ensemble cast of young children and they were uniformly excellent and in many ways the final moments as the children laid out their own particular interpretation of the old folk tale "John Barleycorn" were the highlights of the show, charming and utterly macabre all at the same time. An episode that sticks in the mind long after watching, as all the best ones do.
Well named episode
16 September 2022
"Pinnacle" is definitely a high point among the later episodes of "Taggart", many of which were simply not that interesting. It's a well constructed story with nice twists and very well acted by all. Something of a throwback to the earlier McManus and MacPherson days showing that the latter series cast was just as capable given a strong story and script. The continuing character development of Blythe Duff's Jackie Reid shows just how fine an actor she is and in many ways she has become the heart of the show at this point. But the balance among the rest of the crew was well maintained, all in all a very satisfactory episode. At this point one was needed.
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