I’m basically predisposed to like this show. I have a long history of loving British mysteries and British television, so this show sounded incredible. It’s the story of a single murder investigation, told over the course of eight episodes. So, I went in with high hopes and I was really happy with this first episode. The entire ensemble seems to be really great, particularly David Tennant, incredibly haggard and haunted, and Olivia Colman as the investigating officers and Andrew Buchan and Jodie Whittaker as the parents of the victim. The show has atmosphere to spare and the writing is sharp. This episode is a lot of set-up and it’s very obviously of its genre, but it flows smoothly and the performers are good enough to make it work. I think I’m going to love this show. 4 stars.
tl;dr – first episode of British mystery show promises great things by introducing a brilliant ensemble and setting things up with a minimum of clumsiness. 4 stars.