The Cry (Episode 2 Review)

If time is just a construct then so too is patience and The Cry tested both to their limits in its second episode. It’s frustrating that after such a dramatic conclusion to last week we’re guided through the first half an hour in a typical whodunnit fashion. All effort is made to make Alexandra look like the culprit between the court proceedings in Glasgow and Peter, a police officer who not only looks reluctant to question her also arranges a secret meeting with Alistair. It’s not exactly a subtle narrative in a show that so far has tried to bewilder and confound. The trouble is that for thirty minutes the story doesn’t progress. There are some little ambiguous moments such as Alex cutting up his passport and her knowing looks to his mother.

This show should be better than vague nods and knowing winks and it’s a relief when it proves this in the second half but dear God, it felt like a journey to get there, more so than that bloody flight to Australia. Joanna having a fake social media account is intriguing, to say the least. Is it a case of morbid curiosity or something altogether more sinister? The novel way in which the comments on her feed were read out by people in the same room was an effective touch.

The first staggering moment comes when Alistair takes his work into his relationship, spin doctoring his wife in how to act for the press. “The world wants to see your pain. They want to see a good mother crushed” he says coldly and those aren’t exactly the words of a compassionate husband. He comes across even more controlling and unhinged with each scene. He’s the Antipodean equivalent of Alistair Campbell. Never trust men named Alistair is the real moral to this story. Maybe more worrying was Joanna’s response of “Am I a victim?”

Suddenly the drama tap has been turned on and it’s pouring revelations. Alex is arrested as a result of potentially stalking behaviour but ironically for an episode that didn’t cover much ground we leave it at the exact same point we were at sixty minutes ago – but with a twist. Noah was never in the baby seat and as Joanna counts over the credits a nation spits out their collective drinks in shock and puzzlement.

So what is there to go on? We don’t see baby Noah after the flight and we now know the day he disappeared. Did they accidentally over medicate Noah on the plane? More specifically, was it Alistair who gave a fatal dose considering he was the one holding the baby as Jo slept? The argument on the road that we see a slight glimpse of through the eyes of a truck driver is clearly very important. They had been talking of an incoming storm on the radio and that fight, when we finally get to see it, might be the epicentre.

While there are questions, where the heck is the CCTV from the shop’s car park? We have seen Joanna through one such camera and we’ve not heard a thing about it. Or was that simply a mistake by the director? More than one person has to be in on it. Whatever it is. Are they all involved? Answers on a postcard but the series will have ended by the time it gets here.

Bang (S4C) – Episode 2 Review

The vicious circle that was forming last week is starting to join and the dots that are now connecting can only lead down one very dark cul de sac indeed. Amid a beautiful setting of crashing waves and steep hills the pace calms down for the intricacies to show themselves but episode two simply feels like the calm before a storm.

The police are swarming the neighbourhood following Sam’s moment of madness and if you’re going to have the police knocking at your door when there’s a gun in your bedroom then it’s probably best that your sister is the officer. Gina is convinced the gun belongs to Rhys and it’s not until his girlfriend Mel is caught dealing drugs that they have an excuse to find out. Rhys himself had seemed to be mellowing following the death of his brother but normal service resums when he headbutts officer Luke during the raid. Safe.

We meet Russell, a tweed sporting country gangster, or rather loan shark who we find out had Sam by the balls four years ago. Metaphorically and literally. Back then grumpy Ray bailed him out and it may explain his current protective (but very rude) attitude towards his stepson. Russell is clearly a man who has pissed off many people in his time and a gruesome attack (by two men whose faces are conspicuous by their absence) soon has him by the balls.

Money is Sam’s prime motivation because he wants stubborn Nan to go private having dismissed herself from hospital following the heart attack. This quest for mula, which forces him to steal and sell on phones from work, is all in vein as her body proves not to be as strong as her willpower and with a spillage of tea is gone. Sad for two reasons, one being that it was a waste of what looked like a good cuppa.

The mood remains constantly bleak but notably very watchable due to a compelling plot unlike, say Rellik, which holds none of those qualities. Where Rellik focuses on one gimmick at the expense of everything else, Bang is a focused crime drama with plenty of legs. 8/10

Bullet points:

• Eating cheesy puffs is now officially a good alibi for murder
• Is Ray’s heart in the right place? What does he hold over Sam?
• Who attacked Russell and what was the motive?
• “Everyone’s card is marked, innit?” How long before Sam’s is dealt?
• With Rhys and Mel both temporarily banged up, will they tell on their neighbour?
• Most youngsters worry about the family finding porn under their bed. Not Sam.

 

Liar (Episode 2 Review)

It’s not often it can be said that ITV are brave and while the vast majority of their programming will always be reality, talent and quiz shows, 2017 has seen them push the envelope of mainstream dramas. Liar is their second series this year where rape is the subject and judging from last weeks viewing figures it is clearly a premise the public can stomach if approached in a sensible way.

The morality of social media is the running theme in week two. From what it’s acceptable to share in a public forum to the hurtful rantings of internet trolls. Family, friends and (to date) 10,000 strangers now all have an opinion but even worse for Laura, the truth of this corners her in a claustrophobic classroom. In a world where the smartphone is king she stands there full of tears preaching the words of J Gatsby stating “I am one of the few honest people I’ve ever known” as Andrew’s son stares with a burning hatred. So its not just private lives affected but work ones too as Andrew signs himself off.

There is only one flashback of the night in question this time and in a candid conversation Andrew reveals he still leaves a key outside his house despite his wife having passed away. This information mixed with an impatience of the police investigation leads Laura to enter his house in search of evidence. The teacher won’t learn her own lesson though and pressures her ex Tom to force a police raid of the suspects house. A bit of artistic licence is needed when an anonymous tip prompts a raid by drugs squad but the suspicious liquid in question turns out to be insulin.

Of course, while the focus is on the two leads, perhaps the real Liar is elsewhere. What if she really believes she was raped by Earlham but wasn’t? What if Tom has something to with it? That certainly could explain why he’s so keen on the police chasing Andrew with such determination. Did Andrew go home in the taxi after consensual sex only to be replaced later that evening by Tom and how would that explain the likely drugging that took place if the ex was involved? Also, how long before he moved out of her house did they last have sex and would his DNA have showed up in the forensics anyway? We are yet to hear about those test results. Is your brain hurting?

While the main arc is setting the screen alight there are times where events idle somewhat. Katy’s home life with Liam is picture perfect on the outside but we already know the lie that will smash its frame to the floor and nor do we know enough about her husband to be invested. Even less convincing is the pairing of DI Harmon and DS Maxwell who are trudging about like the case is over a stolen milk bottle. Vanessa is pregnant apparently though why we are being asked to care is up for debate.

More clothes are put on the bare bones of Laura’s history of mental illness. Andrew receives a call from a man claiming that she has “done something like this before” and he’ll “be damned if I’ll let her ruin some other poor bastard’s life”. In a show which is rooted in suspense, it needs a great finish for the deep long bass notes to end on and we get it here. As he hangs the phone up and looks to the floor in relief, he discovers an earring belonging to his accuser. Cue titles and a much needed wine to cope with the stress of it all. The writing is throwing more accusations at Nielson than Earlham but maybe that’s the point. It could solely be a commentary on how women are judged in situations such as this. Who knows anything except there’s plenty of head messing twists still to come. On second thoughts, cancel the wine. 7/10

 

 

 

TV Review: Apple Tree Yard, Episode 2 (BBC1)

“There are no more refuges for me, no places of safety”

If last week was all about the fantasy then episode two serves as heavy doses of reality crashing to the floor. Yvonne goes from flaunting it in public spaces to hiding in her own home. The tone shifts drastically to one of creeping suspense and the music almost has a hammer horror feel as the tension builds. The world starts falling around Yvonne. Her husband admits to cheating,  their bipolar son is distant, she looks set to quit the job in order to stay away from her attacker but unfortunately  George Selway can’t stay away from her. He stalks the streets she walks and the house she lives.

The flashbacks of the rape do feel unnecessary. It’s repainting a garish picture we’ve already seen and don’t need to keep seeing. The act of rape doesn’t need to be repeated with stylish editing to for us to get the message that its harrowing. That aside, it’s good to hear the harshness, and in places somewhat unjust aspects of the legal system laid bare. If she wants to go to the police, she’s told that every aspect of her private life would be examined. Her marriage, online activities, sexual interests and any extra marital activities which, of course would implicate ‘X’. Or Mark Costley as we now know him.

There’s not much in the way of light relief but for a visit to a dinner party at the house of friend Marcia. The host goes on a diatribe about certain girls claiming rape to be liars. Naturally it’s a subject that jars and Yvonne responds firmly with “It’s bad enough men peddling crap like that without women making it worse” before giving the worlds’s worst apology. “I’m sorry, you’re lovely. And your house is lovely and you give lovely dinner parties and everything in your world is lovely so you don’t really have the imagination to see what it’s like when bad things happen, just randomly. Great torrents of shit descending on ordinary people. So you’re looking for whose to blame because that’s less scary than facing up to the fact that awful things can happen, even to someone as lovely as you”. It’s a “HELL YEAH” moment similar to that famous Doctor Foster scene. She really was a Wolf tonight! Better than being eaten by one for sure.

By the end 007 wants to come to the rescue. They conspire to take the creepy grin off Selway’s face but where Yvonne assumes it’s going to be a jolly good talking to and some stern finger wagging, it seems our fake Bond has other ideas. We don’t see or hear what happens in the house but it’s highly likely Mark shouted “No Mr Selway, I want you to die!” Probably. 8/10

Blind Alleys

Mark seemed a lot less sinister this week, coming across as compassionate and genuinely in love with Yvonne.

Though compassion may be out the window if his definition of “free style” is murder.

Maybe Costley was just handing over some takeout to Selway’s house? Perhaps his big secret is that he really works for Deliveroo?

Reviews Of ‘Victoria’ By A Jenna Coleman Fan Who Hates Period Dramas AND The Monarchy – Episode 2

The lines between fact and fiction are always blurred when it comes to committing life stories to the screen. We all know that Lord Melbourne was in his sixties and not as aesthetically pleasing as women of a certain age find Rufus Sewell. We know too, that the actual Queen Victoria bares no resemblance to Jenna Coleman, a woman who has formed a million crushes in men and women of all ages. But hey, this isn’t Dead Ringers and as Poldark has proved, we like a bit of eye candy on a Sunday night before the drudgery of the working week ahead. Where things get blurred however, are in the story being woven by the pen of Daisy Goodwin. History recounts that Lord M’s relationship to his Queen was nothing more than fatherly but artistic license is at play here. What we have now is a will they/won’t they (they won’t) saga at the highest echelons of British society. Think of it as an episode of Made In Chelsea without the word ‘like’at the end of every sentence.

The Queen is all big eyes and heaving.. collar bones in the direction of her Prime Minister but her youthful heart gets broken as he announces he’s to step down due to his anti slavery bill only just winning in parliament. The Duke Of Wellington turns down her political advances and she turns down those of Sir Robert Peel. Due to her household being made up of Whig ministers..

No, not that type of wig, Peel demands she loses some of them in the name of political equality. Her stubborn nature is to the fore as she huffs “What ever next? Lose my dresses too?” Erm. Yes please.

Oh well. Worth a try.

Scurrying about in the background of the episode are a load of rats that spread from the kitchen to the rest of the house in unison with the plotting of Conroy and Cumberland. Their nefarious plan to remove Victoria from the throne on the grounds of insanity may seem a little far fetched but just think about attitudes to mental health now yet alone back then. They couldn’t even Wikipedia this stuff. Artistic licence means that during the unveiling of the Queen’s birthday cake, the rodent infestation takes over the baked goods in scenes capable of putting an end to Mary Berry’s heart

THERE’S A RAT IN THE PALACE, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO? Actually there’s quite a few of them and it turns out that scream is the answer. For most, this is a perfectly natural response but this is the fuel needed for the dastardly duos case for insanity.

Episode two suited the hour running time much more (well, 45 minutes) as the first show seemed to drag. While the main story seems a little one dimensional, there is a real grace and style to the programme. There are little pockets of back stories but nothing that is very diverting. It is essentially the Jenna and Rufus show and everyone else is respectfully playing second fiddle. Here’s the thing, I really did quite enjoy this and I’m surprised that I felt so engrossed. It could be partly down to the magnificence of the incidental music. It is beautiful and sweeps you along for the ride, even if you’re not sure you want to be on that ride in the first place.

I have a confession: My name’s Michael and I really enjoyed an episode of a period drama.

Lame of thrones

It’s also worth praising the theme tune too. While it is haunting and a little bit creepy there’s something really affecting about it.

“I have no chin in this one and two chins in the next. I look like a Goose wearing a crown” A little sly comment about the Instagram filter generation there?

Will the mum stop moaning about the title of Queen mother? You are the Queen’s mother, ergo you don’t need a title to name what you already are. Bloody royals and their vanity.

Jenna perv count

Wet Jenna in the rain. Mmm.. wet Jenna.

“This crown is so heavy and far too big for me. I thought it might slip down over my nose in the Abbey”. I’d love to slide down that nose. Wait, what? Moving on..

That posh accent. I’m a whore for a posh accent.

On that, why is her saying “Mama” so hot? I need to see a psychotherapist.

 

 

 

 

 

TV Review: Thirteen, Episode 2 (BBC3)

 

And so with a mixture of excitement and trepidation we return to the land of terraced houses full of mansion sized secrets. From baking cakes to detective based sexual chemistry, the first twenty five minutes has a strange aura that not much is happening, that the story has become static but in truth that’s all down to the subtle machinations at work. The motors are slowly revving into gear. All it takes is a little look here, a seemingly innocuous line there and  subconsciously what we thought to be true is turned on a six pence. The subtlety is at its most powerful with what it leaves to our imagination. All the power lies in what we don’t see. We are not granted any access into Ivy’s last thirteen years. It may be her story but we have only the family and detectives point of view.

The main thread running through this episode is Ivy’s, if not return to youth, but yearning to find the youth she never had. The scenes with Tim show she is just as smitten as her thirteen year old self was (running around fields, writing lovey dovey letters). Normally these scenes would be cute rays of light in other shows but we know all is not as she believes and it creates an uneasy edge to the sweetness. The world has moved on and while she is only just catching up with the concept of ipods, culture now thinks they’re old hat. She will always be playing catch up while also trying to live a past she never had. It’s a notion as conflicted as Ivy herself. Not only that but Tim is now married and this news shatters her hopes of a second chance of what Mark White stole from her.

Given the nature of the show, such a claustrophobic style echos its dark heart perfectly. It’s most captivating when Ivy agrees to help Carne and Merchant by returning to the house of the red door. It is the hope that any reinvigorated memories may hold some clues in the search for Phoebe.  From the pathway and into the living room she is riddled with fear yet she looked more at home in the cellar than in her family home.

The revelations come thick and fast in the closing stages. CCTV footage from 2013 arises of Ivy and Mark in a shopping centre where she not only leaves his side for a few minutes but actively seeks him out when she can’t find him, taking his hand when reunited. It is a complete contradiction to previous statements and it blurs the lines between the sympathy viewers wants to feel and suspicion of her motives. There’s a lot of curious motives going around truth be told. Mr headmaster man is clearly not innocent about something, especially given the constant paranoia of his secretary. Then we have Eloise who turned up in town wih something big to tell Ivy but is scared of doing so and Tim is in on the mystery too.

The pacing may be slow and brooding but once again Thirteen managed to fly by in a haze of suspense and intensity. THAT cliffhanger alone turns the previous sixty minutes on its head and looks set to take proceedings to a very unexpected place. Where are Mark White and Phoebe? Where is Ivy now? Where is a new list of superlatives because we’re fast running out already.  9/10

 

CASE NOTES:

– Cliche moment alert! – Detectives kissing each other passionately during big argument

– What does Mr headmaster man (registered trademark) hope to achieve (or hide) from his own one man investigation? Surely he had an affair with Christina? That’s got to be it, right?

– Were the paps tipped off by someone close to the Moxams?

– Who did Ivy want to call IF it wasn’t Tim? Is this significant? Probably not.

– It’s all very well telling her what an ipod does, Tim but at least explain the temperamental circle control bit too.

– Ivy declared “I’m not a child, I’ve had sex” to the horror of her mum. What with new developments are we to assume this was consensual?

– The opening credits are all very Marvel-like and marvellous aren’t they?

 

THEORIES:

– Towards the end of last week I was of the conclusion that Mark White might have set her free on purpose and now the implication by Merchant that he’s kidnapped a little girl for Ivy’s attention certainly fits in with that. Is it all part of his game?

– Looking at the public response a few days after I watched episode one I was surprised at how many people seemed to immediately question how genuine Ivy was as the credits rolled. Myself, I was going with the explanation that all the trauma she has experienced, mixed with trying to fit into a new life was responsible for the erratic behaviour. Despite the revelations of this week, I’m still holding aloft my sympathy card. Let’s not forget she would have been subjected to extreme forms of control, manipulation and.. God knows what. Add to that fear and confusion and you have a potent mix. Yes, she could have escaped from the shopping centre but it’s likely that he made her reliant on him, made life without him a scarier proposition than her cage. Why would she lie to the police? Denial? Because she doesn’t want him arrested? Possibly both. Does she love him? Almost certainly.

– Let’s put this one out there: What if Phoebe is Ivy’s child? What if she was given a new surname ? There it’s been said.