Over the last few years, Martin Compston and Sophie Rundle have separately established themselves as the golden duo of the BBC. Compston with his key lead role in smash hit ‘Line of Duty’ and Rundle with her roles in ‘Peaky Blinders’, ‘Bodyguard’ and ‘Gentleman Jack’, and now the beeb has brought the two stars together, for this unique drama.
The first few episodes play out like a thriller, with mysteries unfolding and characters revealing themselves, and then the final two episodes act more like a thoughtful epilogue, an exploration of the actions of its characters and of the world that makes them act this way.
Due to this structuring, the show can feel uneven and slightly all over the place at times, but once the final credits roll, it allows the show to have been a unique examination of clad structures and morality, as well as an old school BBC thriller.
The show also really embraces its Scottish roots and throughout feels authentic, and never just like it was set in Glasgow for the sake of it.
Another honourable mention is the haunting rendition of ‘Love Will Tear You Apart’, this time by a female singer, which was stunning and fit perfectly to the moment in the finale where it was used.
The cast is absolutely superb, with both Compston and Rundle being at the absolute top of their game, and they work very well together. The third co-lead of the show is ‘Sex Education’ star Mirren Mack, and she is an absolute revelation, in what could have very easily been a difficult role to pull off.
The BBC continues to deliver when it comes to drama.
Rating = 4/5
Howe's World of Film and TV 