May be my favorite show of the past few years...

taracienna

I have to say that I have loved this show obsessively from the moment Ben Whishaw's Freddie Lyon stepped on the screen. Performances like his are why some television shows are superior to most movies being made these days. I cannot recall the last movie that made me really appreciate the hard work actors put forth in their art. It's inspiring. Freddie is the kind of character I will remember years from now and that is a testament to how new and exciting this show felt to me and a testament to Ben Whishaw's talent. He portrays more passion with only his eyes than even the best writers can convey with words. It only happens with great characters on great shows. Take away all the Mad Men comparisons ( I consider myself a Mad Men fan) and this show truly stands on its own because it is much better. The spy-thriller element was compelling because we got to go along with Freddie, but all in all I couldn't help but feel let down with the story's conclusion. With a second season I may change my mind.

I will say I was a bit disappointed with the character of Bel Rowley. Romola Garai is incredibly powerful in her subtlety, and coupled with her great looks she has everything it takes to be a knockout, memorable and distinctly female voice on television. Her affair with Hector would have been more tolerable and believable if this weren't a miniseries. To show the beginning and end (if it is the end) of an affair in six episodes is a bit much to take on if it's not poignant and precise, which I didn't think it was. The sixth episode really didn't feel all that satisfying because I just kept seeing the potential for this show to be really brilliant. That's where the script needs a little work.

I really think that with a second season we will see an evolution of the characters Bel and Freddie and it will hopefully be moving the way a good story should be. Their relationship is honest and natural, something picked right out of life, and I do believe in it, so I cannot wait to see what Abi Morgan will do with their story. She does an amazing job of giving these two characters the perfect witty banter to keep it entertaining all while giving the audience touching flashes of what it is to know someone inside and out and what it means to be willing to do anything for that person, even if you never tell them that. Ben and Romola have an underlying chemistry that I think many actors on television lack. To wrap a greater story arc around a relationship that feels so real is the challenge for Abi Morgan. Some writers get great characters but don't have the right story to place them in. But if the next season only improves upon these first six episodes (oh how I wished it went on for ten!), I cannot wait until the premiere.

score 9/10

taracienna 25 August 2011

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2479306/