Chris

Hmmm

Wasn't so impressed with last night. The dialogue was a bit clunky and at times was blatantly being used as a narrative device in a way that leaves me wondering whether the director lacked confidence in the ability of her cast to simply convey what theyr'e thinking or feeling by their acting prowess.

The show clearly wants to explore Big Issues about predestination, fate and God, but again, rather than playing it subtly and letting the events speak for themselves it's up there, signposted in big lights and horns in the dialogue.

There are also a number of places in episode 2 where the needs of the plot starts forcing characters to act in a certain way, rather than vice versa. Why, for example, at the very end, is the DS to 'never find out how close he came to dying?' Why is the DI so quick and willing to start breaking, entering and lying her way round Manchester like a latter-day Gene Hunt? Why is the goody-goody DC so compliant, kissing his cross one minute, playing getaway driver the next? How much does the DCI know about what's going on? Why does she ask so few questions?

This still has potential, but unfortunately, last night, now they've got the immediate needs of establishing characters and the basic premise out of the way, they had too much time on their hands to fill with nonsense.